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Encyclopedia > Decapitation

Updated 48 days 4 hours 13 minutes ago.
This article is part of the
Capital punishment series
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Wrongful execution Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is often the subject of controversy. ... Most major world religions take an ambiguous position on the morality of capital punishment. ... Capital punishment Wrongful execution is a miscarriage of justice occurring when an innocent person is put to death by capital punishment, the death penalty. The possibility of wrongful executions is one of the arguments presented by the opponents of capital punishment; other arguments include failing to deter crime more than...

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More... Electric chair as used for electrocutions. ... The electric chair is an execution method in which the person being put to death is strapped to a chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body. ... The Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ... For other uses, see Gas chamber (disambiguation). ... Hanging is the suspension of a person by a ligature, usually a cord wrapped around the neck, causing death. ... This article is about the execution and euthanasia method. ... Execution by shooting is a form of capital punishment whereby an executed person is shot by a firearm or firearms. ... Electric chair as used for electrocutions. ...

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Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head), or beheading, is the removal of a living organism's head. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, any kind of wire, or knife, or by means of a guillotine. Accidental decapitation can be the result of an explosion, automobile or industrial accident, improperly-administered execution by hanging or other violent injury. Suicide by decapitation is rare, but not unknown. For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses of the word head, see head (disambiguation). ... Axe For other uses, see Axe (disambiguation). ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the tool. ... This article is about the decapitation device. ... Hanging is the suspension of a person by a ligature, usually a cord wrapped around the neck, causing death. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ...


The word decapitation can also refer, on occasion, to the removal of the head from a body that is already dead. This might be done to take the head as a trophy, for public display, to make the deceased more difficult to identify, or for other reasons. With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Gibbet is a term applied to several different devices used in the capital punishment of criminals and/or the deterrence of potential criminals. ...


In an analogous fashion, decapitation can also refer to the removal of the head of an organization. If, for example, the leader of a country were killed, that might be referred to as 'decapitation'.


Decapitation is invariably fatal, as brain death occurs within seconds to minutes without the support of the organism's body. Brain death is defined as a complete and irreversible cessation of brain activity. ...

Contents

[edit] Decapitation throughout history

Judith, beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio. Ca. 1598.
Judith, beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio. Ca. 1598.
Beheading—facsimile of a miniature on wood in the Cosmographie Universelle of Munster: in folio, Basle, 1552.
Beheading—facsimile of a miniature on wood in the Cosmographie Universelle of Munster: in folio, Basle, 1552.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1075x788, 108 KB) Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio (c. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1075x788, 108 KB) Judith Beheading Holofernes by Caravaggio (c. ... Judith with the Head of Holophernes, by Christophano Allori, 1613 (Pitti Palace, Florence The Book of Judith is a parable, or perhaps the first historical novel according to Jewish authorities, who do not place it among the writings of the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible. ... Artemisia Gentileschis painting Judith Beheading Holofernes. ... For other uses, see Caravaggio (disambiguation). ... Download high resolution version (1429x948, 37 KB)Beheading. ... Download high resolution version (1429x948, 37 KB)Beheading. ... Insert non-formatted text here For the machine that sends, receives, and produces facsimiles, see fax. ...

[edit] An honourable death

Decapitation has been used as a form of capital punishment for millennia. The terms capital offence, capital crime, and capital punishment derive from the punishment for serious offenses involving the forfeiture of the head or life[1]. Decapitation by sword (or axe, a military weapon as well) was sometimes considered the "honourable" way to die for an aristocrat, who, presumably being a warrior, could often expect to die by the sword in any event; in England it was considered a privilege of noblemen to be beheaded. This would be distinguished from a "dishonourable" death on the gallows or through burning at the stake. High Treason by nobles was punished by beheading; male commoners, including knights, were hanged, drawn, and quartered; female commoners were burned at the stake. Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... Aristocrat redirects here. ... These gallows in Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park are maintained by Arizona State Parks. ... Burning of two sodomites at the stake (execution of individuals by fire. ... {{main|Treason}} High treason, broadly defined, is an action which is grossly disloyal to ones country or sovereign. ... For other uses, see Knight (disambiguation) or Knights (disambiguation). ... Seventeenth century print of the execution, by hanging, drawing and quartering, of the members of the Gunpowder plot. ... Burning of two sodomites at the stake (execution of individuals by fire. ...


[edit] Painless

If the headsman's axe or sword was sharp and his aim was true, decapitation was quick and was presumed to be a relatively painless form of death. If the instrument was blunt or the executioner clumsy, however, multiple strokes might be required to sever the head. The person to be executed was therefore advised to give a gold coin to the headsman so that he did his job with care. Not getting their proper money's worth, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Mary, Queen of Scots required three strikes at their respective executions. But compared to Essex and Mary, James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth required at least five strokes before the executioner used a knife to complete the execution. For other meanings of the term, see executioner (disambiguation). ... Axe For other uses, see Axe (disambiguation). ... A decapitation scene as shown in the Cosmographie Universelle of Munster (1552). ... Pain redirects here. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... This article is about monetary coins. ... Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (10 November 1566 – 25 February 1601), favourite of Queen Elizabeth I of England, is the best-known of the many holders of the title Earl of Essex. ... Mary, Queen of Scots is the name of: Mary I of Scotland, the former queen of France and Scotland executed by her cousin Elizabeth I of England Mary, Queen of Scots (movie), a 1971 film about that queen starring Vanessa Redgrave Mary, Queen of Scots (1969 book), a 1969 book... James Crofts, later James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth and of Buccleuch (April 9, 1649 – July 15, 1685), was an English nobleman who was executed in 1685 after making an unsuccessful attempt to claim the British throne, the Monmouth Rebellion. ...

The Beheading of Cosmas and Damian, by Fra Angelico
The Beheading of Cosmas and Damian, by Fra Angelico

Image File history File links CosmasDamianfraangelico. ... Image File history File links CosmasDamianfraangelico. ... The Beheading of Cosmas and Damian, by Fra Angelico The Shrine in St. ... Fra Angelico, (c. ...

[edit] Guillotine

Decapitation by guillotine was a common, mechanically-assisted form of execution, invented shortly before the French Revolution (although an earlier version of the guillotine, the Halifax Gibbet, was used in Halifax, England from 1286 until the 17th century). The aim was to create a painless and quick form of execution that did not require great skill to carry out. The executioner, after chopping off the head, would hold it up to the crowd. It was believed (with dubious evidence) that the head could still see for around ten seconds. The French had a strict code of etiquette surrounding the executions; a man named Legros, one of the assistants at the execution of Charlotte Corday, was imprisoned and dismissed for slapping the face of the victim after the blade had fallen in order to see whether any flicker of life remained (witnesses say that it blushed as though angry, although, with no blood circulation possible, this evidence is obviously false). The guillotine was used in France during the French Revolution and remained the normal judicial method in both peacetime and wartime into the 1970s. France abolished the death penalty in 1981. The guillotine was also used in Algeria before the French relinquished control of it, as shown in Gillo Pontecorvo's film The Battle of Algiers. Another guillotine existed in Vatican City until recent years. It had been brought in by Napoleon's forces during the early 19th century; and, in 1870, the Pope still claimed the authority to use it and did indeed use it, once. In recent times however, the Vatican has abolished capital punishment in its own jurisdiction, and recent Popes have condemned capital punishment where it is still practiced. This article is about the decapitation device. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... The Halifax Gibbet in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, was an early guillotine, or decapitating machine. ... For other uses, see Halifax. ... Charlotte Corday by Paul Jacques Aimé Baudry, painted 1860: Under the Second Empire, Marat was seen as a revolutionary monster and Corday as a heroine of France, represented in the wall-map. ... Gillo Pontecorvo (November 19, 1919 — October 12, 2006) was an Italian filmmaker, best known for La battaglia di Algeri (The Battle of Algiers), but directed several movies before its release in 1966, such as the drama Kapò (1960), which takes place in a World War II concentration camp. ... The Battle of Algiers (in Italian, La Battaglia di Algeri) is a 1965 black-and-white film directed by Gilles Pontecorvo. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). ...

Aristocratic heads on pikes - a cartoon from the French Revolution
Aristocratic heads on pikes - a cartoon from the French Revolution

Image File history File links Heads_on_pikes. ... Image File history File links Heads_on_pikes. ...

[edit] German Fallbeil

Many German states had used a guillotine-like device known as a Fallbeil since the 17th and 18th centuries, and decapitation by guillotine was the usual means of execution in Germany until the abolition of the death penalty in West Germany in 1949. In Nazi Germany, the guillotine was reserved for criminal convicts and political crimes including treason. A famous example of the guillotine being used was the members of the White Rose resistance movement, a group of students in Munich led by Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans. Contrary to popular myth, executions were generally not conducted face-up, and chief executioner Johann Reichhart was peculiarly insistent on maintaining "professional" protocol throughout the era, having administered the death penalty during the earlier Weimar era. Nonetheless, the Nazis' use of the Fallbeil was chillingly routine. It is estimated that some 40,000 persons were guillotined in Germany and Austria between 1933 and 1945. This number includes resistance fighters both in Nazi Germany itself and in those countries that were occupied by them. As these resistance fighters were not part of any regular army they were considered common criminals and were in many cases taken to Germany and decapitated. Decapitation was considered a "dishonorable" death, unlike an "honorable" death, e.g., by execution by firing squad. The Maiden, an older Scottish design The guillotine is a device used for carrying out executions by decapitation. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... This article is about the German resistance movement. ... Hans Scholl, Sophie Magdalena Scholl, and Christoph Probst, who were executed for participating in the White Rose resistance movement against the Nazi regime in Germany. ... Hans Scholl was born on September 22, 1918, when his father had his first position as mayor of Ingersheim near Crailsheim. ... Johann Baptist Reichhart[1] (29 April 1893 – 26 April 1972) was a German executioner. ... The Third of May by Francisco Goya Execution by firing squad is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in times of war. ...

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2536x3806, 795 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Decapitation ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2536x3806, 795 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Decapitation ... Ambrogio Lorenzetti (or Ambruogio Laurati) (c. ...

[edit] Scandinavia

In Scandinavia, decapitation was the usual means of carrying out capital punishment. Noblemen were beheaded with a sword, and commoners with an axe. The last executions by decapitation in Finland in 1825, Norway in 1876 and in Iceland in 1830 were carried out with axes. The same was the case in Denmark in 1892. The last decapitation in Sweden was carried out in 1910 with a guillotine. The last execution in Sweden carried out with an axe was in 1900. For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Axe For other uses, see Axe (disambiguation). ... This article is about the decapitation device. ...


[edit] Book of Revelation

It is of note that in the biblical Book of Revelation, beheading is named as a method of execution of Christian martyrs during a great persecution (Rev. 20:4). There is no historical record of precisely such an event, so certain commentators believe that this verse refers to a last great persecution of the church that some Christians believe will occur shortly before the Second Coming of Christ. For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... This article refers to the religious usage of the term. ...


[edit] China

In traditional China decapitation was considered a more severe form of punishment than strangulation although strangulation caused more-prolonged suffering. This was because the Chinese believed that their bodies were gifts from their parents, and that it was therefore disrespectful to their ancestors to return their bodies to the grave dismembered. The Chinese however had other punishments, such as the lingering death, that involved cutting the body into multiple pieces. In addition, there was also a practice of cutting the body at the waist, which was a common way of execution before being abolished in early Qing dynasty. Slow slicing (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: , alternately transliterated Ling Chi or Leng Tche), also translated as the slow process, the lingering death, or death by/of a thousand cuts, is a form of execution used in China from roughly CE 900 to its abolition in 1905. ...


[edit] Japan

In Japan, decapitation was a common punishment, sometimes for minor offenses. Samurai were often allowed to decapitate their inferiors (who were nearly everyone else) at will. James Clavell makes this point early in his novel Shogun. In addition, decapitation was historically performed as the second step in seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment). After the victim had sliced his own abdomen open, another warrior would strike his head off from behind with a katana to hasten death and to reduce the suffering. The blow was expected to be precise enough to leave intact a small strip of skin at the front of the neck - to spare invited and honored guests the indelicacy of witnessing a decapitated head rolling about, or towards them, whilst spraying blood; such an event would have been considered inelegant and in bad taste. The sword was expected to be used upon the slightest sign that the practitioner might yield to pain and cry out - avoiding dishonor to him, and to all partaking in the privilege of observing an honorable demise. As skill was involved, only the most trusted warrior was honored enough to take part. In the late Sengoku period, decapitation was performed as soon as the man chosen to carry out seppuku had made the slightest wound to his abdomen. Decapitation (without seppuku) was also considered the severest and most degrading form of punishment. One of the most brutal decapitations was that of a daimyo, Ishida Mitsunari, who had warred against Ieyasu Tokugawa. After he lost the Battle of Sekigahara, he was buried in the ground and his head was sawn off with a blunt bamboo saw: spectators were invited to help with the sawing, also described at the end of the novel Shogun.[citation needed] These unusual punishments were abolished in the early Meiji era. For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ... James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell (10 October 1924 – 7 September 1994) was a British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II hero and POW. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape... This page is about the James Clavell novel. ... Seppuku (Japanese: 切腹, belly-cutting) is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Disembowelment is evisceration, or the removing of some or all of vital organs, usually from the abdomen. ... For the human abdomen, see human abdomen. ... For other uses, see Katana (disambiguation). ... “Sengoku” redirects here. ... Daimyo Matsudaira Katamori visits the residence of a retainer. ... Ishida Mitsunari (石田 三成 Ishida Mitsunari 1560 - November 6, 1600) was a samurai who led the West side in the Battle of Sekigahara. ... Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (also (archaic) Iyeyasu; 徳川 家康 Tokugawa Ieyasu January 31, 1543–June 1, 1616) was the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, and is commonly known as one of the three great unifiers of feudal Japan (the other two are Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi). ... Combatants Forces loyal to Toyotomi Hideyori, many clans from Western Japan Forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Clans of Eastern Japan Commanders Ishida Mitsunari, Mōri Terumoto, others Tokugawa Ieyasu, others Strength Approximately 100000 Approximately 80000 Casualties 5000-32000 dead Otani Yoshitsugu Shimazu Toyohisa Unknown; but not excessive The Battle of Sekigahara... The Meiji period ), or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of Emperor Meiji, running, in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July 1912. ...


[edit] India

The Muslim rulers of India, especially the Mughals, treated their religious rivals with exceptional severity.The Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was openly beheaded at Chandni Chowk in Delhi by Aurangzeb after he refused to convert to Islam. To add insult to the injury he forbade any ritual cremation of the Guru. An infuriated Jaita the Rangretta, a sweeper-caste devotee of the Guru, snatched the head away from the executioners and brought it to Anandpur Sahib for the traditional ceremony. The headless torso was also stolen by another devotee of the Guru and cremated in Delhi. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Religions Sikhism Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib Languages English, Punjabi] A Sikh (English: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... Guru Teg Bahadur Ji (April 1, 1621 - November 11, 1675) was the ninth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on March 20, 1665 following in the footsteps of his grand-nephew, Guru Har Krishan Ji. ... Chandni Chowk ,New Delhi Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in central north Delhi, India. ... , For other uses, see Delhi (disambiguation). ... Aurangzeb (Persian: (full title: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abdul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, Padshah Ghazi) (November 3, 1618 – March 3, 1707), also known by his chosen Imperial title Alamgir I (Conqueror of the Universe) (Persian: ), was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from... Anandpur Sahib is a holy Sikh city and one of the five most holy places in Sikhism. ...


[edit] Decapitation in the modern world

Condemned Chinese about to be beheaded by Japanese soldiers, 1901
Condemned Chinese about to be beheaded by Japanese soldiers, 1901

[edit] Sharia law

Decapitation by sword has in modern times occurred in jurisdictions subject to Islamic Sharia Law. As of 2007, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Qatar all had laws allowing decapitation, but only Saudi Arabia was known to practice the sentence; a curved, single-edged sword is used, in public. This event is carried out in the main mosque of the city on Friday following prayers. Rape, murder, drug crimes, and religious crimes draw this public punishment. For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic religious law. ...


[edit] Terrorist "Decapitation"

Militant Islamic groups have, in recent years, begun carrying out beheadings with small knives, some as small as pocket knives: these beheadings begin with cutting the throat, then slowly severing the head, beginning with the spine. Historically, most methods of beheading use a heavy, sharp steel blade, cutting through the neck from behind, which quickly severs the spine, then cuts the blood vessels, trachea, and esophagus: a single stroke usually suffices. The gangs' frontal approach more closely resembles Ḏabīḥah, a method used to slaughter animals, thereby rendering the meat halal, in which the goal is to drain all the blood from the animal as quickly as possible. Ritual slaughter of this kind does not require decapitation, only the draining of all the blood: commonly—and controversially—the animal is hanging upside down before its throat is cut. Among those who practiced this nonritual slaughter were Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who confessed to beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl. Dhabiha (, ) is the prescribed method of slaughtering all animals excluding fish and most sea-life per Islamic law. ... Halal (حلال, alāl, halaal) is an Arabic term meaning permissible. In the English language it most frequently refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. ... Wikinews has related news: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: , , Abu Musab from Zarqa)) (October 20, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born as Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh (Arabic: , )was a Jordanian who ran a militant training camp in Afghanistan. ... Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: Prosecution Exhibit from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui Wikisource has original text related to this article: CSRT Summary of Evidence memo for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (Arabic: خالد شيخ محمد; also transliterated as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, inter alia, and additionally known by as many as twenty-seven aliases... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Daniel Pearl, see Daniel Pearl (disambiguation). ...


[edit] Bosnia and Herzegovina

During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995) there were a number of ritual beheadings of Serbs who were taken as prisoners of war by mujahedin members of the Bosnian Army. At least one case is documented and proven in court by the ICTY where mujahedin, members of 3rd Corps of Army BiH, beheaded Bosnian Serb Dragan Popović.[2][3] Combatants  Bosnia and Herzegovina Volunteers from Islamic countries Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia  Croatia Volunteers from Western Europe  Republika Srpska  Yugoslavia Various paramilitary units from FR Yugoslavia Volunteers from Eastern Europe Commanders Alija Izetbegović (President of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Sefer Halilović (Army chief of staff 1992-1993) Rasim Delić (Army... Mujahideen (مجاهدين; also transliterated as mujāhidīn, mujahedeen, mujahedin, mujahidin, mujaheddin, etc. ... Crest of Army of The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... The Tribunal building in The Hague. ... Serbs are one of the three constitutive nations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, predominantly concentrated in the Republika Srpska, although many also live in the other entity, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...


[edit] Colombia

Less orthodox instances of decapitation have also occurred in recent times in some areas of Colombia. Marxist FARC guerrilla as well as right-wing paramilitary groups such as the AUC have sometimes used this method to intimidate local populations and political opponents, and it has not been uncommon for criminal gangs of druglords to also make limited use of decapitation on occasion.[citation needed] The primary means of decapitation in these cases has been the use of a machete or a chainsaw. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–Peoples Army, in Spanish Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia–Ejército del Pueblo, also known by the acronym of FARC or FARC-EP is a communist revolutionary and armed guerrilla organization in Colombia. ... The AUCs logo The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, in Spanish), were formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary federation seeking to consolidate many local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each intending to protect different local economic, social and political... modern factory-made Machete For other uses, see Machete (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chainsaw (disambiguation). ...


[edit] Philippines

The militant Islamic separatist group Abu Sayyaf is known to practice beheading in the southern islands of the Philippines.[4] The Abu Sayyaf Group (Arabic: جماعة أبو سياف; , ASG),also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several militant Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern islands of the Philippines, in Bangsamoro (Jolo, Basilan, and Mindanao) where for almost 30 years various groups have been engaged in an insurgency...


[edit] Indonesia

In largely Muslim Indonesia, three Christian schoolgirls were beheaded and one other was critically wounded by Islamist extremists in October 2005.[5]


[edit] Saudi Arabia

In April 2005, Saudi Arabian authorities beheaded six Somali nationals for auto theft, causing tension between the two countries. Without a government however, Somalia couldn't intervene on behalf of its citizens. Somalis all over the world have protested the Saudi action.


Saudi Arabian authorities also beheaded four men in February 2007— Sangeeth Kumara, Victor Corea, Ranjith Silva and Sanath Pushpakumara. These four Sri Lankan workers were convicted in a Saudi Arabian court for an armed robbery committed in October 2004. Their deaths sparked reactions from the international human rights watchdog Amnesty International, which called on the Saudi authorities to abolish the death sentence. The court also ruled that the bodies of the four workers be crucified for public view as an example for others. In most of the cases the respective embassy gets notification only after the execution thereby eliminating chances for international or diplomatic uproar.[6] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience...


On January 12, 2008, an Indonesian housemaid was beheaded in Saudi Arabia after being convicted of killing her employer.[7] is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...


[edit] Thailand

In Southern Thailand, there were at least 15 cases where Buddhists have been beheaded in 2005. Thai officials suspect the attackers are part of the South Thailand insurgency who are seeking to separate the Muslim-dominated south from the rest of Thailand[8][9]. A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... Combatants  Thailand Mujahideen Pattani Movement (BNP) Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO) Pattani Islamic Mujahideen Movement (GMIP) Mujahideen Islamic Pattani Group National Revolution Front (BRN) Pattani Liberation National Front (BNPP) Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Commanders Bunrot Somthat Surayud Chulanont Wan Kadir Wan Che Casualties More than 3,000 killed 2,729 civilian...


[edit] Chechnya

Chechen rebels were known to practice beheading against the captured Russian Army soldiers during the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War. Four Western telecommunication workers (three Britons and a New Zealander) who were taken hostage for ransom in Chechnya in 1998, were eventually beheaded and their heads were found on a side of a road[10]. In 1999, a beheading video was widely circulated on the internet, depicting a Russian soldier being beheaded by Chechen rebels. The Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Noxçiyn, is a federal subject of Russia. ... Combatants Russian Federation Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Commanders Pavel Grachev Anatoly Kulikov Konstantin Pulikovsky Anatoliy Romanov Vyacheslav Tikhomirov Gennady Troshev Dzhokhar Dudayev  â€  Aslan Maskhadov Strength (December 11, 1994) Up to 50,000 soldiers and Interior Ministry (MVD) (December 11, 1994) 3,000 to 15,000[1] Casualties Military: At least... Belligerents Russian Federation Chechen loyalists Chechen separatists Caucasian Front Foreign Mujahideen Commanders Vladimir Putin Gennady Troshev Alexander Baranov Valentin Korabelnikov Akhmad Kadyrov â€  Ramzan Kadyrov Dzabrail Yamadayev â€  Sulim Yamadayev Said-Magomed Kakiyev Aslan Maskhadov â€  Sheikh Abdul Halim â€  Dokka Umarov Ruslan Gelayev â€  Shamil Basayev â€  Akhmed Yevloyev Khattab â€  Abu al-Walid â€  Abu Hafs... Colloquial term in the U.S. popularized during the War on Terror for videos released by Islamist militant groups depicting interviews by hostages taken by said groups. ...


[edit] Iraq

Jack Hensley, seated in orange, after his capture in Iraq, before being beheaded by the five men standing over him
Jack Hensley, seated in orange, after his capture in Iraq, before being beheaded by the five men standing over him

Beheadings have emerged as another tactic especially in Iraq since April of 2003. Foreign civilians have borne the brunt of the beheadings, although U.S. and Iraqi military personnel have also been targeted. After kidnapping the victim, the kidnappers typically make some sort of demand of the government of the hostage's nation and give a time limit for the demand to be carried out, often 72 hours. Beheading is often threatened if the government fails to heed the wishes of the hostage takers. Frequently the beheadings are videotaped and made available on the Internet. Image File history File links JackHensley. ... Image File history File links JackHensley. ... Jack Hensley, seated in orange, before his beheading by the five men standing over him Jack Hensley (September 22, 1955 – September 21, 2004) was an American engineer from Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia, near Atlanta. ...


Judicial execution is practiced in Iraq, but is generally carried out by hanging. Hanging is the suspension of a person by a ligature, usually a cord wrapped around the neck, causing death. ...


[edit] Australia

On January 12, 2007 in Armidale, New South Wales, a World War II veteran named Mark Edwin Hutchinson was beheaded in the backyard of his home by an unknown assailant.[11] Not to be confused with Armadale. ... NSW redirects here. ...


In May 2007, Matthew James Woodroffe-Hill, 41, from Tenterfield was charged with this murder. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1918739.htm


[edit] Ghulam Nabi (Pakistan)

A video obtained by the Associated Press on April 20, 2007 shows a young boy, looking to be around 12 years of age, viciously beheading a man identified as Ghulam Nabi, a Pakistani militant accused of betraying the Taliban. According to the AP report, "A continuous 2 1/2-minute shot then shows the victim lying on his side on a patch of rubble-strewn ground. A man holds Nabi by his beard while the boy, wearing a camouflage military jacket and oversized white sneakers, cuts into the throat. Other men and boys call out "Allahu akbar!" — "Allah is greater!" — as blood spurts from the wound. The film, overlain with jihadi songs, then shows the boy hacking and slashing at the man's neck until the head is severed."[12] The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Ghulam Nabi was a Pakistani militant involved with the Taliban and had fought against the pro-American Northern Alliance in Afghanistan during the US-led war in Afghanistan. ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are a Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement [2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance, United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ...


[edit] Somalia

On March 13 2008, it was reported that Hizbul Shabaab militants fighting the presence of an interim government backed by thousands of Ethiopian combat troops in Somalia beheaded three government soldiers. It was the first case of beheadings since the government and its Ethiopian military allies ousted the Islamists from power in late 2006, sparking a bloody insurgency characterised by roadside bombs and hit-and-run attacks.[13] is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hizbul Shabaab (Arabic, The Party of Youth)[1] or Al-Shabaab (Arabic, The Youth) is the militant youth movement wing of the Islamic Courts Union, and described as an extremist splinter group. ...


[edit] Famous people who have been beheaded

Salome and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, by Titian
Salome and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, by Titian

Salomé, by Titian The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Salomé, by Titian The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Coin of Salome (daughter of Herodias), queen of Chalcis and Armenia Minor. ... John the Baptist (also called John the Baptizer or John the Dipper) is regarded as a prophet by at least three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Mandaeanism. ... Also see: Titian (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Biblical Accounts

David faces Goliath in single combat. ... St. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Artemisia Gentileschis painting Judith Beheading Holofernes. ... Deuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Bible, in contrast to the protocanonical books which are contained in the Hebrew Bible. ... For other uses of Judith, see Judith (disambiguation). ... Saint James the Great (d. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ...

[edit] Christian Saints

Saint Acisclus (also Ascylus, Ocysellus; Santo Acisclo; Saint Aciscle) (d. ... For other uses, see Saint Agnes (disambiguation). ... For related place names see Alban Saint Alban was, along with saints Julius and Aaron, one of three Christian martyrs in Britain. ... Saint Ansanus ( SantAnsano) (d. ... Saint Anthimus of Rome ( SantAntimo) (d. ... For other uses, see Saint Christopher (disambiguation). ... Saint Columba of Spain was a nun who was born in Cordoba, Spain, died (c. ... Saint Columba of Sens born (c. ... Saint Columba (the Virgin) a female, Irish saint with dedications in Cornwall and France. ... For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Beheading of Cosmas and Damian, by Fra Angelico The Shrine in St. ... For other uses, see Denis (disambiguation). ... In literature, a trope is a familiar and repeated symbol, meme, theme, motif, style, character or thing that permeates a particular type of literature. ... Saint Denis of Paris A cephalophore (from the Greek for head-carrier) is a saint who is generally depicted carrying his head in his hands; in art, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been martyred by beheading. ... Saint Diomedes (Diomede) of Tarsus (d. ... Eurosia or Orosia is the patron saint of Jaca. ... Felicitas (Felicity) of Rome (2nd century) is a Christian saint. ... Saints Nabor and Felix were martyred under the reign of Diocletian in 303. ... Saints Firmus and Rusticus of Verona with an angel, by Sebastiano Ricci. ... Saint Gereon of Köln ( Géréon), who may have been a soldier, was martyred at Cologne, allegedly by beheading, probably in the early 4th century. ... Saints Gordianus and Epimachus were Roman martyrs, suffered under Julian the Apostate, 362, commemorated on 10 May. ... St. ... Saint Marcellus of Tangier (Marcellus the Centurion) ( San Marcelo) (d. ... Saint Maximilian is a Christian saint. ... Saint Nic(h)asius of Rheims (French: ) (d. ... Reims (English traditionally Rheims) is a city of north-eastern France, 98 miles east-northeast of Paris. ... This article or section should include material from Oliver Plunket Saint Oliver Plunkett Saint Oliver Plunkett (September 30, 1629 - July 1, 1681) is an Irish saint. ... Saint Pancras (Latin, Pancratius; Άγιος Πανκράτιος; San Pancrazio; San Pancracio) was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity, and was beheaded for his faith at the age of just 14 around the year 304. ... Saint Polyeuctus (Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos) of Melitene (d. ... Quiteria ( Quitterie, Quitéria) was a 5th century virgin martyr and saint. ... Saints Rufina and Secunda ( Ruf(f)ina e Seconda) (d. ... Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix (or Beatrice) were a group of Christian martyrs and saints at Rome during the Diocletian persecution (302 or 303). ... Saint Typasius ( San Tipasio) (d. ... Urith (more properly in Welsh Iwerydd, but also known in Latin as Hieritha and occasionally currupted to Erth), was a south-western Brythonic maiden, slain, possibly in the early 8th century and subsequently revered as a saint. ... Chittlehampton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. ... For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Saint Venantius ( San Venanzio) of Camerino (d. ... Camerino is small town of 7 000 in Marche, Italy and lies on the Apennines between Marche and Umbria, between the valleys of the rivers Potenza and Chienti. ... Saint Winefride (also: Saint Winifred, Gwenfrewi, Saint Gwenfrewy, Guinevere, Winfred of Wales) was a 7th century Welsh woman who had her head severed from her body by an enraged suitor, Caradog. ... Flintshire (Welsh: ) is a principal area and county in north-east Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... Portrait of Sir Thomas More, by Hans Holbein the Younger (1527). ...

[edit] Islamic