abnormal swabbie action?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I don't know about all these places, but back when France used to have an executioner, they were given all the food they could eat for the day, a good salary, and a house!

Of course the house was painted an off color, can't remember which one, to distinguish you as the executioner; the food was left at your doorstep by frightened peasants; and you were never really able to convince shopkeepers to let you spend your money. But hey! At least you got stuff, I suppose...
 
Originally posted by Bob McDob
Punishments that make the gas chamber look humane.

Maxim, Jul 2000

Afghanistan
Since coming to power in 1997, the Taliban party has resorted to unorthodox capital punishments. On the basis of an obscure line of Islamic text, at least five felons have been executed by having a giant wall of bricks or mud pushed onto them.

Et al.....
Click to expand...

History buffs would be interested to know that when "Braveheart" (not Mel Gibson, but the real William Wallace) was executed, he underwent the following:

1) Family Jewels lopped off and set on fire before him
2) Eviscerated, then intestines set on fire before him whilst still attached
3) Colon yanked out from below, courtesy of a "probe" inserted into the bunghole
4) Not necessarily in that order
5) Then beheaded
6) Damn Brits!...

And of course, the worst form of execution ever devised, crucifixion. If you read up on how the process was actually performed, not to mention the physiological effects that it had on the condemned, it's pretty gruesome. Christ died in a mere 6 hours; but typically a guy would suffer for an entire day or more, even up to 6 days, in extreme cases. The pictures we see in sacred art, at passion plays & movies around Eastertime really have sanitized it quite a bit, they don't at all do it justice (for one thing, there's no "loincloth"--the convict hung there totally *nekkid* the entire time). I did a narrative on this on my radio show Easter Saturday, and at times it was tough to keep my composure.

And to think--He did this just for YOU...
 
right, sorry
[edit]

BTW, I wouldn´t say anything against Ghost´s or Preacher´s opinions, I just tried to settle the debate.

Kris had a better way to do it, though. :D
 
Originally posted by Preacher


History buffs would be interested to know that when "Braveheart" (not Mel Gibson, but the real William Wallace) was executed, he underwent the following:

1) Family Jewels lopped off and set on fire before him
2) Eviscerated, then intestines set on fire before him whilst still attached
3) Colon yanked out from below, courtesy of a "probe" inserted into the bunghole
4) Not necessarily in that order
5) Then beheaded
6) Damn Brits!...

And of course, the worst form of execution ever devised, crucifixion. If you read up on how the process was actually performed, not to mention the physiological effects that it had on the condemned, it's pretty gruesome. Christ died in a mere 6 hours; but typically a guy would suffer for an entire day or more, even up to 6 days, in extreme cases. The pictures we see in sacred art, at passion plays & movies around Eastertime really have sanitized it quite a bit, they don't at all do it justice (for one thing, there's no "loincloth"--the convict hung there totally *nekkid* the entire time). I did a narrative on this on my radio show Easter Saturday, and at times it was tough to keep my composure.

And to think--He did this just for YOU...
Click to expand...

Eh...
I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans let the Jews throw loinclothes on the local executees. The Jews were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing, after all, and they did stick them right alongside a public highway, iirc. For those who are truly interested, dig up a copy of the video "The Lamb of God". Most LDS facilities (Churches, Institute of Religion, etc...) would probably have one on hand, or know how to get a copy. Its a short video depicting Christ's life from his appearence before Pilate to the resurrection. The crucifixion sequence is *painful* (and yet in good taste - this is released by a church, after all).
Regarding the dying time, iirc, the person typically suffocates to death. I don't remember all the details, but it has to do with lack of sufficient body support (the nail through the feet, which keeps you from standing straight, has a lot to do with it). So you try and hang, but that puts pressure on your lungs, and you can't breathe properly, so you straighten up so you can breathe, but that requires putting pressure on your feet, which hurts because there's a nail through them, so you try and hang, and I think you get the idea.

One particular form of execution that I recall is when they take the victim, tie each limb to a different horse, and then crack the whip. Horses are evidently stronger than body parts.
 
Originally posted by junior

So you try and hang, but that puts pressure on your lungs, and you can't breathe properly, so you straighten up so you can breathe, but that requires putting pressure on your feet, which hurts because there's a nail through them, so you try and hang, and I think you get the idea.

One particular form of execution that I recall is when they take the victim, tie each limb to a different horse, and then crack the whip. Horses are evidently stronger than body parts.
Click to expand...

This thread is getting creepy :eek:
 
Originally posted by junior

I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans let the Jews throw loinclothes on the local executees. The Jews were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing
Click to expand...


Can you explain further this point?
 
Originally posted by junior

One particular form of execution that I recall is when they take the victim, tie each limb to a different horse, and then crack the whip. Horses are evidently stronger than body parts.
Click to expand...


Isn't that called being drawn-and-quartered?
 
Originally posted by junior


Eh...
I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans let the Jews throw loinclothes on the local executees.

...So you try and hang, but that puts pressure on your lungs, and you can't breathe properly, so you straighten up so you can breathe, but that requires putting pressure on your feet, which hurts because there's a nail through them, so you try and hang, and I think you get the idea.

..One particular form of execution that I recall is when they take the victim, tie each limb to a different horse, and then crack the whip. Horses are evidently stronger than body parts.
Click to expand...

1) No loincloths--history sez so... Also, the idea here is ultimate humiliation, as well as physical suffering=ultimate deterrent. Besides, what better way to subjugate a people than to humiliate 'em?... Finally, Pilate (at least) was no friend of the Jews...

2) Remember, you've first been:

a) Flogged 39x by a whip that contains bits of embedded bone, glass & metal. This had the effect of, essentially, leaving the skin & flesh of your back & sides hanging in bloody strips from your torso. (oftentimes, prisoners didn't even survive THIS stage of the ordeal).
b) Beaten up in general by the Roman soldiers, just for sport, leaving your face a barely recognizable mass of bruise & cuts
c) In Christ's case, had a crown of thorns pushed forcefully onto your head

As to the "cross" part of your punishment, yes, suffocation was the usual cause of death. That is, unless shock (from the blood loss), exposure, or bugs/buzzards finished you off first... The mechanism is that your pinioned position didn't leave the chest cage a lot of ability to expand, and thus to effectively breathe. Over time, the respiratory muscles just gave out, and you died. Legs were nailed to the cross bent at the hips and knees, so you *could* lift yourself up to help breathe, but at the cost of increasing the pain in your feet. Prisoners were thus in nearly constant motion as they hung there, just in their efforts to draw breath. Often the legs were broken by the soldiers, simply to mercifully hasten your death.

Not a pretty picture...

3) That's "drawn & quartered", no?... Also, horses are only stronger'n *HUMAN* body parts (just to clarify).
 
Originally posted by Ghost

>>I wouldn't be surprised if the Romans let the Jews throw loinclothes on the local executees. The Jews were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing

>Can you explain further this point?
Click to expand...

In stark contrast to the Greeks (whom the Romans borrowed a great deal of their society from), the Jews were very sensitive about nudity. Having naked guys hanging next to the highway with their genitalia exposed would be extremely offensive to the Jews.

As to Pilate and the Jews - I know Pilate hated them. I have vague memories of a quote by him to the extent that a particular action he took was basically done to antagonize the people he governed. Still, the Jews managed to enjoy something of a special status within the Empire up until they finally got stomped on by the Romans around 70 AD. Its been a while since I did any reading on it, and I've never really researched the subject, but my understanding is that a few accomodations were reached between the Romans and the Jews so that the Jews could observe most of their religious beliefs (excepting things such as stoning sinners - capital crimes being a purely Roman purview), and the Romans could avoid having a revolt every other month over some arcane aspect of the Jewish religion.
While I've certainly never read anything on the matter, putting a loin cloth on the condemned would seem to be one of the easier "conflict avoidance" techniques that could be practiced by the Romans.
However, if you say it didn't happen, then I'm willing to take your word for it. I've never seen any evidence either way.
 
Originally posted by Ghost
It was done to Athaualpa the last Inca, and Moctezuma IIRC
Click to expand...
Err, no. Atahualpa was garotted. Moctezuma died by accident, when a stone hit him.
 
Are you sure?
I know that one of the last Inca (i thought that was the last) was executed in that way, and Hernan Cortez use that to execute an Aztecan Emperor
 
Originally posted by Ghost
Are you sure?
I know that one of the last Inca (i thought that was the last) was executed in that way, and Hernan Cortez use that to execute an Aztecan Emperor
Click to expand...

IIRC, there are conflicting stories about what happened to Moctezuma. The Spaniards claimed he was killed by his own people (in a riot, in which case the 'stone' story would probably be true), while the Aztecs said the Spaniards did it (don't remember the details, unfortunately). I think Moctezuma's replacement outlived the Empire, though, so I'd be suprised if the replacement was the one you remembered being crucified.
 
Originally posted by Ghost
Hernan Cortez use that to execute an Aztecan Emperor
Click to expand...

I read the same thing.

Wasn't Moctezuma betrayed by some whore who played her cards right with Cortez and could speak both Spanish & Aztec languages?

I think the nastiest ways to go lie within chemical and biological weapons. Our annual chem warfare briefings point out the more gruesome effects of some of the weapons in stock today.

Nasty stuff....
 
Yes, an Aztecan woman, Malintze (Malinche in spanish), she was Cortez´s lover, and she betrayed her own people.
Th word Malinche is an insult in some countries of Central America
 
Thanks for the info, Ghost :)

I could definitely see how Malinche could be an insult. That's like calling someone a Benedict Arnold over here in the 'States!
 
Originally posted by Skyfire

Isn't that called being drawn-and-quartered?
Click to expand...

I believe so. At least it is "Vierteilen" in German which means "to divide into four parts" or "to be quartered" if that verb exists.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top