I'd like to know why they did it and what other ritual took place in the scaffolds when a prisioner was executed by behading, did these rituals change when the condemed was a women?
2007-02-17 10:33:19 · 3 answers · asked by maravilla 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Different cultures had different rituals with executions. Beheading in the UK was part of the sentence of hanging drawing and quartering, the punishment for treason. With nobles, the King would cut out most of the punishment leaving only the beheading part. The head was always held up afterwards with the executioner saying "Behold the head of a traitor". This applied to men and women. While noble women were usually beheaded, they were sentenced to either beheading or burning at the stake at the king's pleasure. Women were not hanged, drawn and quartered.
During the French Revolution, some heads were held aloft after the guillotine blade had fallen but not all. It was not the practice later in public executions. In Saudi Arabia the heads are not held up
2007-02-17 10:59:43 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mainly, they did it to show the consequences of the actions of the person that had been beheaded. It was a show of force to the masses that gathered around the execution site.
2007-02-17 10:38:15 · answer #2 · answered by txofficer2005 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So the crowd could get a good look. In the days before television, witnessing an event was important.
2007-02-17 10:36:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋