No one wants to die, but many religions hold in their beliefs an afterlife. None of these afterlives are bad; in fact, most describe a paradise in complete union with their god. However, over the course of history many different forms of execution and death have been created. Some require man-made instruments, while others use nature to satisfy the debt that all men must pay: death.
1. The Brazen Bull
The Brazen Bull, a large brass bull, was created by Perillos of Athens, a brass worker. He presented it to the Tyrant of Agrigentum, Phalarus. The brass monster was hollow and had a door in the side, large enough for a man to fit through. A fire could be lit at the bottom of the bull, slowly roasting alive the victim inside. The metal would be heated and glow, and incensed smoke would rise from the top. The victim's bones were said to shine, and bracelets were made out of them.
Perillos is said to have added a network of tubes and pipes on top of the bull, so that when the victim began to scream, the sound was amplified and echoed in the halls. Phalarus ordered Perillos to test the sound system, and then was so disgusted with Perillos, shut him in and roasted him. Ironically enough, Perillos, the creator of the Brazen Bull, was the first to die by it.
2. Hanging, Drawing, and Quartering
This was the most common form of punishment for treason in England; treason was the worst possible crime. This form of execution was only for men.
The victim was first tied onto a wooden frame and then dragged by a horse to the place of his imminent death. Next, he would be hanged from the neck, but let down before dead and lain on a table. The executioner would then disembowel and emasculate the victim. The organs would be burned before the victim's eyes, at which point the person would be beheaded and cut into quarters. These parts were then displayed across the town.
3. Keelhauling
This severe punishment was dealt out by the Dutch Navy for corporal crimes. A sailor would be tied to a rope, thrown overboard, and then dragged to the other side of the ship. The marine growth on the bottom of the ship, such as barnacles, would cut and scrape the skin if one was pulled to quickly.
However, if the criminal was pulled too slowly the victim might sink and miss the barnacles, but also might drown. If the rope broke halfway through, the captain could order another keelhauling, the first not being completed.
4. Ling Chi
Ling Chi was performed in China. It was the practice of execution by slow cutting. First cut would be the arms, then legs, and finally chest. The victim would usually still be alive, and the executioner would reputedly stab the criminal in the heart or chest until dead.
5. Breaking Wheel
For this clever way of execution, also known as the Catherine Wheel, a victim would be stretched out along a large wheel, arms and legs along the spokes. The wheel would slowly spin, as an executioner would bludgeon areas of the body between the spokes, breaking bones. If merciful, the executioner would deliver fatal blows after a few hits. If not, th
e person would be taken from the wheel and placed on a pole, sometimes still living, and left for the birds.
6. Boiling
Pretty much self-explanatory, the victim would be stripped and thrown into a giant vat or cauldron. The liquid inside, usually water, but sometimes molten lead, oil, or acid, would be boiled.
Another way would be to tie the victim to a chain and dip h
im into the boiling liquid until dead.
7. Flaying
You are lying on a cold table, sweating profusely, waiting for the executioner to arrive. A crowd has already gathered by the time he joins you. Laying a large box down, he opens it up and selects a sharp knife, glinting in the dim light. Your mind flits back to the apostle Bartholomew, who was also flayed. You can remember his screams, echoing in your mind. The executioner walks over to you and begins, sliding the knife under the skin of your legs. The pain is so sharp, so burning, that you let out a piteous scream. An hour later, you lie on the table in complete indifference, moments from death. With one last breath you look down at your body; blood is gushing everywhere, your muscles show, bones gleam, arteries and veins let out spurts of blood. You look over and see your skin hanging on a rack, all in one piece. You breath your last and die.
8. Necklacing
Necklacing is a type of execution in which a rubber tyre is filled with gasoline, forced over the arms and chest of the victim, and set alight. It was a common practice in South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s anti-apartheid struggle.
Necklacing sentences were sometimes handed down against alleged criminals by “people's courts” established in black townships as a means of circumventing the apartheid judicial system.
Necklacing was also used to punish members of the black community who were perceived as collaborators with the apartheid regime. These included black policemen, town councilors and others, as well as their relatives and associates. The practice was frequently carried out in the name of the African National Congress (ANC), and was even endorsed by Winnie Mandela, then-wife of the imprisoned Nelson Mandela and a senior member of the ANC, although the ANC officially condemned the practice.
So, after reading all of these horrible execution ways, are you still a fan of the death penalty?
