Fetters

Fetters are restraints used to immobilize a person or animal, typically consisting of a metal ring around a wrist or ankle connected to a chain or another ring. They were traditionally made of iron or steel and secured with a lock. Beyond the physical device, the term fetter can denote any restraint that limits freedom, whether legal, social, or moral.

Historically, fetters appear in many cultures, from ancient prison systems to medieval punishment. Common forms included ankle or wrist irons, leg chains, ball-and-chain devices, and stocks. They were used to transport prisoners, secure sailors on ships, or restrict enslaved people. The design and application varied with era and jurisdiction, reflecting concerns about escape risk, mobility, and humane treatment.

Today the object is largely referenced in a historical or metaphorical sense, with contemporary restraints usually described as handcuffs or leg cuffs. When discussed in law and policy, fetters are understood as a class of restraints subject to safety standards and legal rights protections. In literature and philosophy, fetters symbolize constraint, obligation, or oppression.