Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jimellow
Also, from the looks of the closing shots, it seemed his neck snapped, and I'm curious if that was intentionally done to prevent the struggle that results from strangulation. The noose appeared to be fastened to the side, and I wonder if that increases the chances of a broken neck instead of strangulation?
|
It doesn't just increase the chances, it's a whole technique.
If the noose is placed at the back of the neck, the victim dies a slow, miserable death from asphyxiation. The whole eye-bulging, bowels-vacating, death-ejaculating mess, that can take upwards of 10-15 minutes. If the noose is placed at the side, the weight of the body at the bottom of the fall snaps the neck and death is instantaneous and (relatively) dignified.
In the middle ages, it was common to tip your executioner to ensure you got the
latter kind of hanging. Also, according to Neal Stephenson, some enterprising youths made good money clinging to the legs of hanged men, to help kill them quickly.