Consider yourself lucky. If you think so, you most likely not only live in a society with a functioning legal system, but also where this system allows you to hope for fair and effective justice, especially in the case of the death penalty.
Throughout most of human history, the main purpose of the death penalty was not so much the interruption of human life as the incredibly cruel torture of the victim. The sentenced to death had to go through hell-on-earth. So here are the 25 most brutal execution methods in human history.
Scafism
An ancient Persian method of execution, when a person was stripped naked and placed in a tree trunk so that only the head, arms and legs protruded. Then they were fed only milk and honey until the victim developed severe diarrhea. Thus, honey got into all open areas of the body, which should have attracted insects. As the human feces accumulated, this attracted more and more insects and they began to feed and multiply in his / her skin, which would become more gangrenous. Death can take more than 2 weeks and is most likely due to hunger, dehydration, and shock.
Guillotine
Created in the late 1700s, it was one of the first methods of execution, which called for the end of life rather than the infliction of pain. Although the guillotine was specifically invented as a form of execution of a person, it was banned in France, and was last used in 1977.
Republican marriage
A very strange method of execution was practiced in France. The man and woman were tied together and then thrown into the river to be drowned.
Cement Shoes
The method of execution was preferred by the American mafia. Similar to Republican Marriage in that drowning is used, but instead of being associated with a person of the opposite sex, the victim's feet were placed in concrete blocks.
Elephant execution
Elephants in Southeast Asia were often trained to prolong the death of a victim. The elephant is a heavy beast, but easy to train. Teaching him to trample criminals on command has always been fun. This method has been used many times to show that there are rulers even in the natural world.
Plank walks
It was mainly practiced by pirates and sailors. Victims often did not have time to drown, as they were attacked by sharks, which usually followed the ships.
Bestiary
Bestiaries are criminals in ancient Rome who were given to be torn apart by wild beasts. Although sometimes the act was voluntary and carried out for money or recognition, often bestiaries were political prisoners who were sent into the arena naked and unable to defend themselves.
Mazatello
The method is named after the weapon used during the execution, usually a hammer. This method of capital punishment was popular in the papal state in the 18th century. The convict was escorted to the scaffold in the square and he was left alone with the executioner and the coffin. Then the executioner raised the hammer and struck the victim on the head. Since such a blow, as a rule, did not lead to death, the throats were cut immediately after the blow.
Vertical "shaker"
Originated in the United States, this method of capital punishment is now frequently used in countries such as Iran. Although it is very similar to hanging, in this case, to sever the spinal cord, victims were violently lifted up by the neck, usually using a crane.
Sawing
It was allegedly used in parts of Europe and Asia. The victim was turned upside down and then sawn in half, starting at the groin. Since the victim was upside down, the brain received enough blood to keep the victim conscious while the large vessels in the abdomen were ruptured.
Flaying
The act of removing skin from the human body. This type of execution was often used to stir up fear, as the execution was usually carried out in a public place in full view.
Bloody eagle
This type of execution was described in the Scandinavian sagas. The victim's ribs were broken so that they resemble wings. Then light victims were pulled through the hole between the ribs. The wounds were sprinkled with salt.
Gridiron
Roasting the victim on hot coals.
Crushing
Although you've already read about the elephant crush method, there is another similar method. Crushing was popular in Europe and America as a method of torture. Each time the victim refused to comply, more weight was placed on their chest until the victim died of shortness of breath.
Wheeling
Also known as Catherine's Wheel. The wheel looked like a regular cart wheel, only large in size with a lot of spokes. The victim was undressed, arms and legs were laid out and tied, then the executioner beat the victim with a large hammer, breaking bones. At the same time, the executioner tried not to inflict fatal blows.
Spanish tickler
Also known as cat paws. These devices were used by the executioner tearing and ripping the skin from the victim. Often death did not occur immediately, but as a result of infection.
Burning at the stake
In history, a popular method of the death penalty. If the victim was lucky, he or she was executed along with several others. This ensured that the flames would be large and death would come from carbon monoxide poisoning, not from being burned alive.
Bamboo
Extremely slow and painful punishment was used in Asia. Bamboo stalks sticking out of the ground were sharpened. Then the accused was hung over the place where this bamboo grew. The rapid growth of bamboo and its pointed tops allowed the plant to pierce the human body through and through in one night.
Premature burial
This technique has been used by governments throughout the history of capital punishment. One of the last documented cases was during the Nanjing massacre in 1937, when Japanese troops buried Chinese citizens alive.
Ling Chi
Also known as "death by slow cutting" or "slow death", this form of execution was eventually outlawed in China in the early 20th century. The victim's body organs were slowly and methodically removed while the executioner tried to keep him or her alive for as long as possible.
Seppuku
A form of ritual suicide that allowed a warrior to die with honor. It was used by samurai.
Brazen bull
The design of this death machine was developed by the ancient Greeks, namely the coppersmith Perillus, who sold the terrible bull to the Sicilian tyrant Phalaris so that he could execute criminals in a new way. A living person was placed inside the copper statue, through the door. And then ... Falaris first of all tested the unit on its developer, the unfortunate greedy Perilla. Subsequently, Falaris himself was roasted in a bull.
Colombian tie
A person's throat is cut with a knife, and the tongue protrudes through the hole. This method of murder indicated that the murdered person had given the police some information.
Crucifixion
A particularly brutal method of execution was used mainly by the Romans. He was as slow, painful and humiliating as possible. Usually, after prolonged beating or torture, the victim was forced to carry his cross to the place of his death. She was subsequently either nailed or tied to a cross, where she hung for several weeks. Death, as a rule, came from lack of air.
Hanged, drowned and dismembered
Used mainly in England. The method is regarded as one of the most brutal forms of execution ever created. As the name suggests, the execution was performed in three parts. Part one - the victim was tied to a wooden frame. So she hung almost to the point of death. Immediately thereafter, the victim's belly was ripped open and the entrails were removed. Then the entrails were burned in front of the victim. Then the condemned man was beheaded. After all this, his body was divided into four parts and scattered throughout England for public viewing. This punishment was applied only to men, convicted women, as a rule, were burned at the stake.
With the development of civilization, human life has acquired value, regardless of social status and wealth. It is all the more awful to read about the black pages of history, when the law did not just deprive a person of life, but turned execution into a spectacle for the amusement of ordinary people. In other cases, the execution could be of a ritual or edifying nature. Unfortunately, there are similar episodes in modern history. We have compiled a list of the most brutal executions ever practiced by humans.
Ancient world executions
Scafism
The word “scathism” is derived from the ancient Greek word “trough”, “boat”, and the method itself went down in history thanks to Plutarch, who described the execution of the Greek ruler Mithridates at the behest of Artaxerxes, the king of the ancient Persians.First, the man was stripped naked and tied inside two dugout boats so that his head, arms and legs remained outside, which were thickly coated with honey. The victim was then forcibly given a mixture of milk and honey to induce diarrhea. After that, the boat was lowered into stagnant water - a pond or lake. Lured by the smell of honey and sewage, insects covered the human body, slowly devoured the flesh and laid the larvae in the resulting gangrenous ulcers. The victim remained alive for up to two weeks. Death came from three factors: infection, exhaustion and dehydration.
Execution by impalement was invented in Assyria (modern Iraq). In this way, residents of rebellious cities and women who had an abortion were punished - then this procedure was considered infanticide. 
The execution was carried out in two ways. In one case, the convict was pierced in the chest with a stake, in the other - the tip of the stake passed through the body through the anus. People who were tormented were often depicted on bas-reliefs as edification. Later, this execution began to be applied by the peoples of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, as well as by the Slavic peoples and some Europeans.
Execution by elephants
This method was used mainly in India and Sri Lanka. Indian elephants lend themselves well to training, which was used by the rulers of Southeast Asia. 
There were many ways to kill a person with an elephant. For example, armor with sharp spears was worn on the tusks, with which the elephant pierced the criminal and then, while still alive, tore apart. But more often than not, elephants learned to press down on the convict with their feet and alternately tear off the limbs with their trunk. In India, a guilty person was often simply thrown at the feet of an angry animal. For reference, the Indian elephant weighs about 5 tons.
Surrender to the beasts
Behind the beautiful phrase "Damnatio ad bestias" lies the painful death of thousands of ancient Romans, especially among the early Christians. Although, of course, this method was invented long before the Romans. Usually lions were used for execution, less popular were bears, panthers, leopards and buffaloes. 
There were two types of execution. Often those sentenced to death were tied to a pillar in the middle of the gladiatorial arena and wild animals were lowered onto it. There were also variations: thrown to the cage to a hungry animal or tied to its back. In another case, the unfortunate was forced to go out to battle against the beast. Of the weapons they had a simple spear, and of "armor" - a tunic. In both cases, many spectators gathered for the execution.
Death on the cross
The crucifixion was invented by the Phoenicians - an ancient people of seafarers who lived in the Mediterranean. Later this method was adopted by the Carthaginians, and then by the Romans. The Israelites and Romans considered death on the cross the most shameful, because in this way they executed hardened criminals, slaves and traitors. 
Before the crucifixion, the person was undressed, leaving only a loincloth. He was beaten with leather whips or freshly cut rods, after which he was forced to carry a cross weighing about 50 kilograms himself to the place of crucifixion. Having dug the cross into the ground by the road outside the city or on a hill, the person was lifted with ropes and nailed to a horizontal bar. Sometimes the convict's legs were previously crushed with an iron bar. Death occurred from exhaustion, dehydration, or painful shock.
After the prohibition of Christianity in feudal Japan in the 17th century. crucifixion was used against visiting missionaries and Japanese Christians. The scene of the execution on the cross is present in Martin Scorsese's drama Silence, which tells exactly about this period.
Execution with bamboo
The ancient Chinese were champions of sophisticated torture and execution. One of the most exotic methods of killing is by stretching the culprit over the growing shoots of young bamboo. The sprouts made their way through the human body for several days, causing incredible suffering to the executed. 
Ling-chi
"Ling-chi" is translated into Russian as "sea pike bites." There was another name - "death from a thousand cuts." This method was used during the reign of the Qing dynasty, and high-ranking officials convicted of corruption were executed in this way. There were 15-20 such people every year. 
The essence of ling chi is the gradual cutting off of small parts from the body. For example, having chopped off one phalanx of a finger, the executioner cauterized the wound and then proceeded to the next. How many pieces should be cut off from the body, the court determined. The most popular verdict was cutting into 24 parts, and the most notorious criminals were sentenced to 3 thousand cutting off. In such cases, the victim was given opium to drink: so she did not lose consciousness, but the pain made its way even through the veil of drug intoxication.
Sometimes, as a sign of special mercy, the ruler could order the executioner to first kill the condemned with one blow and torture the corpse. This method of execution was practiced for 900 years and was banned in 1905.
Medieval executions
Bloody eagle
Historians have questioned the existence of the "Bloody Eagle" execution, but mention of it is found in Scandinavian folklore. This method was used by the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries in the early Middle Ages. 
The harsh Vikings killed their enemies in the most painful and symbolic way. The man's hands were tied and his stomach was laid on a stump. The skin on the back was carefully cut with a sharp blade, then the ribs were pried with an ax, breaking them out in a shape that resembled eagle's wings. After that, lungs were removed from the still living victim and hung on the ribs.
This execution is shown twice in the TV series Vikings with Travis Fimmel (in episode 7 of season 2 and episode 18 of season 4), although viewers noted the contradictions between the serial execution and the one that was told in the folklore "Elder Edda".
"Bloody Eagle" in the TV series "Vikings"
Tearing by trees
Such execution was widespread in many regions of the world, including in Russia in the pre-Christian period. The victim was tied by the legs to two inclined trees, which were then abruptly released. One of the legends says that Prince Igor was killed by the Drevlyans in 945 - because he wanted to collect tribute from them twice. 
Quartering
The method was used as in medieval Europe. Each limb was tied to horses - the animals tore the condemned in 4 parts. In Russia, they also practiced quartering, but this word meant a completely different execution - the executioner alternately chopped off the legs with an ax, then the arms, and then the head. 
Wheeling
Wheeling as a form of the death penalty was widely used in France and Germany during the Middle Ages. In Russia, this type of execution is also known at a later time - from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The essence of the punishment was that at first the guilty person was tied to the wheel with his face to the sky, his arms and legs being fixed on the needles. After that, his limbs were broken and, as such, he was left to die in the sun. 
Flaying
Skinning, or skinning, was invented in Assyria, then passed on to Persia and spread throughout the ancient world. In the Middle Ages, the Inquisition improved this type of execution - with the help of a device called the "Spanish tickler", a person's skin was torn into small pieces, which were easy to tear off. 
Welding alive
This execution was also invented in antiquity and received a second wind in the Middle Ages. Basically, counterfeiters were executed in this way. A person caught in counterfeiting money was thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, tar or oil. This variety was quite humane - the offender quickly died from painful shock. More sophisticated executioners put the condemned in a cauldron of cold water, which was heated gradually, or slowly dipped him into boiling water, starting from the feet. The cooked muscles of the legs were moving away from the bones, and the person was still alive. 
Execution by rats
The prisoner's legs and arms were tied tightly to a metal bench, and a cage with rats with a broken bottom was placed on his stomach. Then the executioner brought the burner to the cage, and the animals in panic began to look for a way out. And he was only one - through the body of the victim. 
Modern executions
Dissolution in acid
It is generally accepted that the Sicilian Mafia began to dissolve victims in acid. The name of the killer-mafioso Giovanni Brusca is heard in this ransom. Suspecting that his comrade was "dripping" into the police, Bruska kidnapped his 11-year-old son and dissolved him alive in an acid-filled bathroom.This execution is also practiced among the extremists of the East. According to the former bodyguard of Saddam Hussein, he witnessed an acid execution: first, the victim's feet were lowered into a pool filled with a caustic substance, and then thrown entirely. And in 2016, militants of the banned ISIS organization dissolved 25 people in a cauldron of acid.
Cement boots
This method is well known to many of our readers of gangster movies. Indeed, they killed their enemies and traitors in such a cruel way during the mafia wars in Chicago. The victim was tied to a chair, then a basin filled with liquid cement was placed under his feet. And when he froze, the person was taken to the nearest reservoir and thrown off the boat. Cement boots instantly dragged him to the bottom to feed the fish. 
Death flights
In 1976, General Jorge Videla came to power in Argentina. He ruled the country for only 5 years, but remained in history as one of the most terrible dictators of our time. Among other atrocities of Videla are the so-called "flights of death". 
A man who opposed the tyrant's regime was pumped up with barbiturates and, unconscious, carried on board an airplane, then thrown down - certainly into the water.
We also suggest you read about the most mysterious deaths in history.
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Every criminal must be punished! This is the opinion of all mankind, and many demand that the punishment be as harsh and terrible as possible. In ancient times, people were not satisfied with the deprivation of the life of a convicted person, they wanted to contemplate how criminals suffer from pain. That is why various painful punishments were invented in the form of impaling, gutting, quartering or feeding insects. Today you will find out what the most cruel executions were used before.
Alcatraz is America's worst prison
In Alcatraz, one of the most famous prisons with strict rules and strict standards, inveterate criminals did not have a chance to experience the horror of the brutal methods of execution invented by judges and executioners. Although it is Alcatraz that is considered the most terrible prison in America, there was no equipment for carrying out the death penalty.
This type of execution was a favorite pastime of the Romanian ruler Vlad Tepes, better known as Vlad Dracula. On his order, the victims were impaled on a stake with a rounded top. The instrument of torture was inserted through the anus a few tens of centimeters deep, after which it was set vertically and raised higher. The victim slowly slid down under the weight of his own weight. The cause of death when impaled was a rupture of the rectum, which led to the development of peritonitis. According to available data, about 20-30 thousand of the subordinates of the Romanian ruler died from this type of execution.
The idea of \u200b\u200bcreating an invention designed to fight heretics belonged to Ippolito Marsili. The instrument of torture was a wooden pyramid, towering on four legs. The naked accused was hung on special ropes and slowly lowered onto the tip of the pyramid. The execution process was suspended at night, and in the morning the torture was resumed again. In some cases, additional weight was hung on the accused's legs to increase the pressure. The agonizing suffering of the victims could last for several days. Death occurred as a result of severe suppuration and blood poisoning, since the tip of the pyramid was washed very rarely.
This type of execution is commonly encountered by heretics and blasphemers. The convict had to put on special metal trousers, in which he was hung from a tree. Sunburn is nothing compared to what a person had to experience. Hanging in this position, the victim became food for predatory animals.
Those who have gone through this punishment cannot be envied. The limbs of the offender were tied to opposite sides of the hanger, after which, using a special lever, the frame was stretched until the arms and legs began to come out of the joints. Sometimes the executioners turned the lever so hard that the victim simply lost limbs. To increase the suffering, thorns were also added under the victim's back.
This type of execution was used exclusively for women. For abortion or adultery, women were kept alive but deprived of their breasts. The sharp teeth of the execution instrument glowed red-hot, after which the executioner tore the female breast to shapeless shreds with this device. Some French and Germans have come up with other names for the torture device: "Tarantula" and "Spanish spider".
Homosexuals, blasphemers, liars and women who did not give birth to a little man went through hellish torments. For those who sinned, a specially invented instrument of torture in the form of a pear with four petals was inserted into the anus, mouth or vagina. By rotating the screw, each petal slowly opened inside, delivering hellish pain and digging into the wall of the rectum, pharynx or cervix. Death as a result of such an execution almost never occurred, but it was often used in conjunction with other torture.
A person sentenced to the wheel was more likely to die of shock and dehydration. The convict was tied to a wheel, and the wheel was set on a pole, so that the victim's gaze was directed to the sky. The executioner broke a man's legs and arms with a crowbar. The victim with broken limbs was not removed from the wheel, but left to die on it. Often, those sentenced to the wheel became an object of eating for birds of prey.
With the help of a two-handed saw, homosexuals and witches were most often executed, although some murderers and thieves were subjected to such torture. The execution instrument was operated by two people. They were supposed to saw the convict hanging upside down. The blood flow to the brain caused by the position of the body did not allow the victim to lose consciousness for a long period of time. So the unheard-of torment seemed eternal.
The Spanish Inquisition was particularly brutal. The most popular method of torture for the investigative and judicial authority, created in 1478 by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, was the head crusher. In this type of execution, the victim's chin was fixed on a bar, and a metal hat was put on his head. With the help of a special screw, the executioner squeezed the victim's head. Even if a decision was made to end the execution, a person was left with crippled eyes, jaw and brain for life.
A person's legs were placed in cutting pliers with sharp teeth, the number of which varied from 3 to 20, but the hands were also not ignored. Death as a result of torture with wire cutters did not occur, but the victim was severely injured. In some cases, to intensify pain, the teeth of the pliers were red-hot.
History knows, there are still many sophisticated methods of execution and judging by how cruel and terrible they were, one can only rejoice that none of them has survived to this day.
The attitude towards crimes and criminals in different eras and in different countries was different, so that the severity of punishment also varied. But if a person was already sentenced to death, then it was very cruel. The most cruel executions in the history of mankind are terrifying, since the condemned could die in terrible torment for weeks.
10 most brutal executions in the world
1. Chinese execution. Oddly enough, the executioners treated women with particular cruelty. One of the worst executions in history was practiced in China. The condemned woman was stripped naked and, having deprived of support on her feet, was fixed between her legs with a saw.
Execution "Sawing"
The woman's hands were tied to the ring. The force of gravity drove the victim down onto the cutting edges of the saws, so that her body was slowly sawed from the bosom to the sternum. The reasons for such a terrible punishment are not clear to us, for example, the rice cooked by the cook turned out to be not as snow-white as the color of the owner's wisdom required.
2. Quartering. In Russia, and throughout Europe, in India, China, Egypt, Persia and Rome, this execution implied tearing or dismembering the human body into several parts. The parts themselves, after the execution was completed, were put on public display. There are many options for dividing the criminal into parts - he was torn apart by horses, bulls, treetops. In some cases, an executioner was used to chop off limbs.
Execution "Quartering" Moreover, it is impossible even to single out for what type of crime such a punishment was imposed. It was often used when it was necessary to make the execution spectacular. Therefore, they quartered deserters and their families, state criminals, rapists, Christians in ancient Rome, etc.
3. "Tin Soldier". Prison "Alcatraz" went down in history as one of the most creepy prisons in the world due to executions. The management of the correctional institution had an unhealthy imagination, otherwise it is simply impossible to explain the appearance of the "tin soldier".
The convicted prisoner received an injection of heroin, after which he was poured with heated paraffin. At the same time, the guards put the person in a pose that was funny from their sick point of view. When the paraffin solidified, the person simply could no longer move - it turned out to be a "tin soldier". After that, the guards cut off the prisoner's limbs. Death from shock and blood loss lasted for hours, which the executed man endured in terrible torment.
4. "Cradle of Judas". Another no less brutal variant of killing prisoners in "Alcatraz" is "the cradle of Judas". The person sentenced to execution was placed on a pyramid, his hands and body were fixed. The tip of the pyramid was placed in the anus or vagina, so that the structure gradually ripped apart the body. To speed up the process, weights were attached to the feet of the sentenced person, increasing the pressure.
This slow and painful death from blood loss and sepsis took up to several days, with weights the process accelerated to several hours. The leadership of the famous prison borrowed this barbaric method from the medieval inquisitors.
5. Keeling. For pirates, a separate set of executions was used, the worst of which was keeling. The man was tied up and pulled on a rope under the keel of the ship.
Execution "Keeling" Since this lasted a long time, the person managed to choke, not to mention the blows against the keel itself, covered with sharp mollusks - the skin was ripped off the person. However, this type of punishment for disobedience to the captain, who possessed absolute power on the ship, was also practiced in the English fleet.
6. Deserted island. Another pirate version of the execution known throughout the world - the rioters were not killed, but landed on a desert island that would feed the criminals.
Many unfortunate rebels remained for years to drag out a miserable existence on plots of land without normal food and amenities.
7. Walking on the board. This version of execution by pirates is described in adventure novels.
Execution "Walking the plank" The crew of the captured ship was not needed by the robbers, so they went to sea. The plank was put up over the side of the ship, so that a person, having passed it, fell into the sea in the mouth of waiting sharks.
8. Execution for treason. In many cultures, the punishment for adultery for a woman is death. The methods of execution vary. In Turkey, an adulteress was sewn into a sack with a cat and thrashed on the sack. The distraught animal tore the woman apart, and the condemned woman died of blood loss and beatings.
In Korea, a traitor was forced to drink vinegar, and then the swollen body of an adulteress was beaten with sticks until the weaker sex died.
9. Executions in ISIS. The types of punishments adopted by ISIS (an organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation) also belong to the category of cruel ones, but they do not occupy the first place in the list of TOP-10 horrible executions.
Representatives of the group willingly disseminate in the media photos and videos of executions by burning, beheading, which is not much different from the medieval set of tortures and executions.
10. Executions for rape. Executions for rape are often much less severe than for adultery, especially for the fairer sex. Nevertheless, the death of the rapist was threatened not only in the Middle Ages, it is also relevant now in Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Sudan.
However, the Muslim tort law sometimes causes strange decisions. There are precedents when, after a rape, a girl is executed by stoning, since the victim allegedly seduced the rapist. In other countries, for crimes of a sexual nature, the offender faces a punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 1 year to life imprisonment.
In Soviet times, rape by a repeat offender, rape that entailed serious consequences, or the rape of a minor victim was punishable by death. This law was in effect until 1997. By the way, a similar measure for the rape of a child in the US state of Louisiana was canceled only in 2008.
Humanity has always tried to punish criminals in such a way that other people would remember it and, on pain of severe death, they would not repeat such actions. To quickly deprive a convict, who could easily have turned out to be innocent, life was not enough then, therefore they invented various painful executions. This post will introduce you to similar methods of executions.
Garrote - execution by strangulation or fracture of the Adam's apple. The executioner twisted the thread as tightly as he could. Some varieties of garrote were equipped with thorns or bolts that broke the spinal cord. This execution was widespread in Spain, and in 1978 it was outlawed. Garrote was officially used for the last time in 1990 in Andorra, however, according to some reports, it is still used in India.
Scafism is a brutal execution method invented in Persia. A person was placed between two boats or hollowed-out tree trunks, laid on top of each other, so that his head and limbs remained outside. He was fed only with honey and milk, which caused severe diarrhea. They also coated the body with honey in order to attract insects. After a while, the poor fellow was allowed into a pond with stagnant water, where there were already a huge number of insects, worms and other creatures. All of them slowly ate his flesh and left the larvae in the wounds. There is also a version that honey attracted only stinging insects. In any case, the person was doomed to long torment, which lasted for several days or even weeks.
The Assyrians used skinning for torture and execution. Like a captured animal, the skin was ripped off the person. Some or all of the skin could be ripped off.
Ling-chi was used in China from the 7th century to 1905. This method involved death by cuts. The victim was tied to pillars and stripped of some parts of the flesh. The number of cuts could be very different. They could have made several small cuts, cut off some of the skin somewhere, or even strip the victim's limbs. The number of cuts was determined by the court. Sometimes the convicts were given opium. All this took place in a crowded place, and even after death, the bodies of the dead were left in full view of everyone for some time.
The wheel was used in ancient Rome, and in the Middle Ages it began to be used in Europe. By the New Time, the wheel of the wheel became widespread in Denmark, Germany, France, Romania, Russia (legislatively approved under Peter I), the USA and other states. A person was tied to a wheel with large bones already broken or still intact, after which they were broken with a crowbar or clubs. A person still alive was left to die of dehydration or shock, whichever came first.
The brazen bull is the favorite execution weapon of Phalaris, the tyrant of Agrigent, who ruled in the second half of the 6th century BC. e. The sentenced to death was placed inside a life-size hollow copper statue of a bull. A fire was made under the bull. It was impossible to get out of the statue, and the watchers could watch the smoke come out of the nostrils and hear the screams of the dying man.
Evisceration was used in Japan. Some or all of the internal organs were removed from the convict. The latter cut out the heart and lungs to prolong the suffering of the victim. Sometimes evisceration served as a method of ritual suicide.
Boiling began to be used about 3000 years ago. Used it in Europe and Russia, as well as some Asian countries. A person sentenced to death was placed in a cauldron, which could be filled not only with water, but also with fat, resin, oil, or molten lead. At the time of immersion, the liquid could already boil, or it boiled afterwards. The executioner could hasten the onset of death, or vice versa, prolong the torment of a person. It also happened that a boiling liquid was poured over a person or poured down his throat.
Impaling was first used by the Assyrians, Greeks and Romans. They put on the stake in different ways and the thickness of the stake could be different. The stake itself could be inserted either into the rectum or into the vagina, if they were women, through the mouth or through an opening that was made in the genital area. Often the top of the stake was blunt to prevent the victim from dying immediately. The stake with the convict impaled on it was lifted up and the condemned to painful death slowly descended down it under the influence of gravity.
Hanging and quartering was used in medieval England to punish traitors to the homeland and criminals who committed an especially grave act. The man was hanged, but so that he remained alive, after which he was deprived of limbs. It could go so far that the unfortunate man's genitals were cut off, his eyes were gouged out and the internal organs were cut out. If the person was still alive, then at the end his head was cut off. Such an execution existed until 1814.
