It’s the tournament no one wants
to experience first-hand - which country around the world created
the worst punishment of all time? In the red corner, we’ve got Greece,
putting on quite a show. Italy’s going with an iconic horror from the past.
But can anyone beat Scandinavia’s Viking roots? And it looks like Russia’s
coming in with quantity, not quality! Who will win? We already know who the
losers are - whoever is unfortunate enough to experiences any of these punishments! Let’s start in France, where they have one of
the most iconic punishments of all time - the guillotine. Although it became one of the more
popular ways to relieve someone of their head- in the middle ages, the “headsman” was one the one
who fulfilled the guillotine’s job. This was a man hired especially to chop off the heads of convicts
with maximum precision - which usually depended on how drunk the guy was that day. Those who showed
up at an execution never knew what kind of show they were going to experience- fast and brutal, or
slow and bloody. But it was getting harder to find qualified headsmen in the late 1700s, and one man
decided there must be a better way. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin wanted to make sure the process
of execution would be as humane as possible. Instead, his name would be
forever associated with horror. The guillotine was a simple device - a wooden
stall that would hold the condemned in place with their head trapped in a narrow hole, and a
sharp blade overhead. When the cord was released, the blade would come rocketing down and
neatly cleave their head from their shoulders. No more worrying about drunken headsmen or
dull axes - as long as the blade was polished regularly, the execution would be foolproof
each time - maybe a little too foolproof. It was designed for executing criminals -
but then the French Revolution happened. Soon the King and Queen found themselves
under the guillotine, followed by anyone accused of counter-revolutionary activities. The
executions became more and more common, and Mr. Guillotin could only watch as his humane execution
device became a symbol of mass political murder. But at least it was quick, right? Maybe…maybe not. While the device
was designed to kill immediately, people have observed the eyes of the severed
head staring intently in the moments after the execution. Some have even reported them
reacting to stimuli. While it’s impossible to survive an execution by guillotine, because
the head is disconnected from all vital organs, no one knows exactly how long it takes for
the victim to expire. That uncertainty is what has made the guillotine France’s most
horrific punishment. That, and the fact that it turned making heads roll into an industrial
process that could be done dozens of times a day! Now, let’s head just over the border to
Spain, where they’re taking it much slower. If you were told you were about to face “the
Spanish Donkey”, you might not be too scared. What’s the worst that could happen? Some
ornery beast that tries to kick or bite you when you’re trying to clean out its stables?
No, this isn’t some everyday burro - it’s an ingeniously simple torture device created by
the sadistic forces of the Spanish Inquisition to take their captives and force them to share
information - or just confess to whatever crime they needed to justify their execution. And
it looked not much different from your average hobby horse - if hobby horses were designed
by someone with no regard for human anatomy. It was one of the easiest forms of torture for the
inquisition to use - you just place the prisoner on the horse, with their hands tied behind their
backs, and leave them there. We’ve all had some very uncomfortable seats over the years, and
there are ways to deal with that. Maybe you shift position, even stand up briefly, or sit on your
hands to relieve pressure. None of those are an option for a victim of the Spanish Donkey, where
the sharp triangular point is sticking up directly where the sun don’t shine. While this would be
deeply uncomfortable for anyone sitting on it, most of the victims were men - and there it could
do permanent damage. Many of those who were forced to sit on the Donkey at length suffered from
impotence and incontinence as a result of the damage to their genitals, plus permanent issues
with walking due to how it affected their hips. It was highly effective - and it stuck around. While the Spanish version is the most common
- and often the most painful - it became an effective form of ad-hoc punishment and torture
around the world. It even made its way over to the United States, where it was used to punish
Confederate prisoners during the civil war - and later as a method of abuse in the South against
former slaves. A variation called “Riding the Rail” had prisoners straddling a fence as they
were paraded around town to jeers and assaults. While almost everyone survived this form of
torture - unlike Madam Guillotine - most who were subjected to it suffered some form of
permanent damage - giving Spain a memorable entry into the worst punishments
sweepstakes for sheer spread alone. But for sheer scope, no one tops
Europe’s neighbor to the east. Most of these torture methods were centuries ago
and have long since fallen out of favor - but today, there are still countless people with
roots in Russia or the former Soviet states who feel a chill when the hear the word “Gulag”.
As soon as the Soviet government took power under Vladimir Lenin, they wanted to create a new
system of punishment for crime. The gulags were an elaborate network of labor camps around
the massive territory of the Soviet Union, and they were set up to punish those convicted
of anything from petty crime to disloyalty to Soviet ideals. Ostensibly, the goal of
the camps was rehabilitation through labor, with the prisoners producing goods
that would be used for the greater good and eventually being released to
become productive Soviet citizens. But intentions do not always turn into fact. Under Lenin, the gulags were a relatively
limited system. Under his successor, Joseph Stalin, they exploded - and soon all of
the Russian countryside was dotted with them. Many were located in the brutal frozen region of
Siberia. Those sent there were often members of whole villages, or entire classes of farmers
who were deemed enemies of the state. By the end of 1940, the population of the gulags had
topped 1.5 million people - and it’s believed that up to fourteen million people passed through
this brutal system over its lifespan until it was largely abolished by Stalin’s successor.
But while many lived to tell about it, it’s estimated that a full ten percent or
more of gulag residents ultimately died. And that statistic may be
much worse than it sounds. The gulags were not designed to be execution
methods, unlike the brutal Nazi death camps where people were worked until they were no
longer useful and then eliminated. But the combination of malnutrition, brutal climate
in Siberia, abusive guards, and a lack of oversight from Moscow meant that conditions were
often horrific. When people were no longer able to work due to being seriously ill, they were
often released - and then they died soon after, their deaths no longer classified as being
due to the gulag. It was not until the end of the Soviet era that the full extent of the
system was revealed, and many of the survivors have told harrowing tales of just how hard it
was to survive. But many others were likely too scared to do anything but keep their heads
down and avoid another encounter with the gulag. Now let’s head out of Europe - and way south,
to the most modern punishment on this list. South Africa was a brutal place in the 1980s,
and that led to brutal resistance. The apartheid government cruelly suppressed the majority black
population, and leaders like Nelson Mandela were imprisoned for life. Others weren’t as lucky -
protestors could be brutally beaten by police, and anti-apartheid leaders like Steven
Biko were murdered. The rebel movement had largely become convinced that the
only thing left to do was to fight back by any means necessary - but not everyone in the
community agreed. Some were too scared to resist, others would even collaborate
with the local white authorities. And extreme figures within the movement
were determined to make an example of them. It was 1985 when the first reported example
of necklacing took place - a brutal form of vigilante justice against accused collaborators.
A young woman named Maki Skosana was attending a funeral when she was kidnapped. Her attackers
took a rubber tire, placed it around her neck, and soaked it in petrol. The tire was then lit
on fire, and she was slowly burned to death in a disturbing modern-day version of the classic
execution method of burning at the stake. Her crime? She was accused of being an informant,
but there is no proof that she actually was - and she was attending the funeral of four youth
activists who had been killed by the government. And as an ad-hoc vigilante
execution, the horrors vary. Some victims of necklacing had their hands tied
behind their backs to prevent them from taking the tire off - while others reportedly had
tendons in their arms cut. Some cases saw the victim brutally beaten before their necklacing,
while others had them killed quickly by having a rock dropped on them in the middle of the
burning. Unlike the others on the list, this wasn’t a government punishment - which
meant it could be whatever the mob wanted. And while the number of necklacings was
dwarfed by the countless executions and murders by the apartheid government, the
brutality of this punishment meant it was widely feared throughout the era
until the apartheid government fell. Heading to Asia, few execution
methods were a better show than this one - but not for the person at the center. Is there any more impressive beast out there than
the elephant? The largest land mammal alive today, these tusked beasts are marvelous from
a distance - and can be terrifying up close if you’re a poacher or an abusive circus
tamer. While they’re not aggressive by nature, the large herbivores can attack viciously -
and surprisingly fast - if they feel they or their children are being threatened. Still,
in India in particular the elephant has been an important part of their society. They
can be trained and are very useful beasts of burden that can carry massive loads
with relative ease, if treated well. And their potentially deadly nature was
only a positive for some cruel rulers. If an elephant actually wants to kill
you, you’re probably not getting out alive - and your odds go down even more
if you’re restrained with an entire court of onlookers cheering on the elephant. That
was the brutal reality of death by trampling. Starting in 200 BCE, the rulers of India would
commonly use elephants to execute criminals - for crimes as small as stealing property. This
was also used to execute prisoners of war, and it would usually be a large show
with countless people turning out to see the elephants do their work. While it might
seem like a brutal reality of ancient times, it continued for well over a thousands years -
and was witnessed by Alexander Hamilton himself! And in this one, both the executioner
and the elephant often had their say. How horrific was execution by elephant?
That depends on the day and the mood. If the elephant was carrying out a lot of executions
that day, the odds are the executioner would just want them to go down the line. The most
efficient way to kill someone using this method is stepping on their heads - in which
case it probably looked a little something like when you stepped on old halloween pumpkins
as kids. Anyone in the splatter zone, don your ponchos now. But if it was a particularly loathed
prisoner, like a would be political assassin - or if the ruler just had a sick sense of humor -
the elephant could be guided to do it slowly, crushing one limb at a time before eventually
doing the victim in by pressure on the chest. It could even be survivable, leaving a horribly
maimed prisoner with crushed limbs. But did anyone ask the elephants how they feel about
this? They remember everything, after all. This method of execution was largely done away
with in India when they were colonized by the British - but the British were no slouches
in the department of horrible punishments. Ah, Jolly old England. Home to charming accents,
fine tea, and public displays of horror! In the middle ages, you might be walking the streets
and find a cage hanging - and inside, the body of a criminal. This was known as the gibbet,
a way to shame the worst criminals out there by taking their body after execution and putting
them on display in the public square. It was hoped that this would deter future criminals, especially
those from similar gangs. This was why this was a common way of dealing with the bodies of pirates
or traitors - if not an especially sanitary one. But what’s the big deal? It’s not like the
dead care what’s done with them, right? Well, not everyone who was subject to the gibbet
was dead - yet. Also known as “hanging in chains”, this was often used as one of the most prolonged
forms of execution. The convict would be placed in the gibbet that would be their tomb - often in
very tight quarters that kept them from moving more making much of a scene. They would then be
hung from the gallows-like structure as people came and mocked the doomed individual. This would
occasionally be used as a way to lead up to the execution, putting the condemned on display for
public shaming and humiliation. But just as often, they would simply be left there in the blazing sun
or freezing cold until thirst or exposure won out. And you’d better hope you’re not downwind. Once the criminal was dead, their punishment
was over - but it was pretty common for the body to be left up there in the gibbet for a long
time, no matter how ripe it got! This was common for monarchs to place enemies of the crown on
display as a way to warn people not to cross them - but it often backfired. If you had to walk
by the body of your executed leader every day, would you be more or less likely
to continue rebelling against the crown? But that didn’t make it any less
common - as of the Murder Act of 1751, gibbeting because standard issue in England,
no matter how many people were disgusted. But it wasn’t the most infamous way
to put the condemned on display. Let’s head south to Italy, where back in Roman
times they created one of the cruelest execution methods of all time - and certainly the only
one millions of people are exposed to in church daily. Everyone knows the most famous person who
was crucified - but how many people were subject to this horrible punishment overall? Would you
believe it was a mass form of execution? The Roman General Varus alone crucified two thousand Jewish
people right before the calendar switched from BCE to CE, and it’s believed to have been a mass
form of execution during the next few centuries. And for those who experienced it, it
was a question of what got you first. Crucifixion is deceptively simple, and doesn’t
seem to actually put the victims to death - yet they die very soon all the same. A more violent
version of gibbeting or the stocks, it takes the condemned and nails them to a large T-shaped
piece of wood - their feet to the lower part, and their hands spread out to each end of the
T. The cross is then erected and the victim is left to bake in the hot sun - but they most
likely won’t be around to die of exposure. This method manages to kill its victims
much sooner than expected. For one thing, the blood loss and infection from the wounds
will do a lot of damage - but the true killer is usually the posture. With the person’s
arms spread out and even the slightest movement causing agonizing pain, the act
of taking a breath is near-impossible. The intense pressure on the lungs means
the victim will asphyxiate before long. And for those who experience
it, that would be a relief. Crucifixion is a long process, with the mounting
of the cross being the final part. First, the condemned is usually forced to bear the
cross on their back and carry it to the field where they’ll be mounted - often being brutally
whipped along the way by the Roman guards. By the time they arrive at the execution field,
they’ve already been beaten bloody - which will speed up their eventual death. It’s a brutally
effective system, one that’s almost foolproof, horribly painful - and serves as a warning
to anyone else who might want to commit a grave crime against the Roman state. You
know, things like being a petty thief or believing in a different religion. Crucifixion
mostly died out with the end of the Roman empire, but a brutal method like this will
always find admirers - there are even isolated examples of it being used
as late as World War 2 by Soviet forces. Let’s stick with the Mediterranean, as we look at one of the most infamous punishments
of all time - straight from Greece. Say you’re a particularly sadistic tyrant king,
and you love nothing more than executing your enemies. But after a while, it starts to get a
little old-hat. You’ve done beheadings. You’ve done hangings. You’ve done throwing them off a
cliff. Sure, every victim is a little different, but where’s the flair? That was the problem
facing Phalaris, the tyrant of Akragas. The island in what’s now Siciliy was part of the
Greek empire, and the cruel leader was known for his brutality. But one inventor named
Perilaus wanted to impress the king, and so he worked tirelessly to create a new execution
method that would amuse the all-powerful madman. It might have worked a little too well. Meet the Brazen Bull. No, it’s not
a labyrinth with a killer bull-man inside - although we’re sure Phalaris would have
loved to have one of those. It’s the convergence of style and function, a new way of burning
people alive - in a giant bronze sculpture of a bull. The bull has a door in one side, in
which the condemned are shoved. At which point, a fire is lit under the bull, and the
condemned is locked inside and burned alive. But that’s not the unique part - like a
deranged version of a childhood speak-and-spell, it had an acoustic apparatus that changed
the screams of the condemned into a lower sound resembling the mooing of a bull. The
cow says “Oh, God, get me out of here!”. Perilaus knew his target
audience - a little too well. The mad king wanted to see it tested immediately
- so he ordered the inventor shoved inside it as the first victim. But what goes around comes
around, and reportedly the device was used to execute Phalaris when he was overthrown.
The device was only used briefly and has long since been lost to history, but some historians
have claimed it may have been propaganda by his successors to make him look like a madman.
There’s just one problem with that - there are a lot of reports of it being used, including
later tales of both the Romans and the Visigoths building their own to terrorize their enemies.
So if the Brazen Bull wasn’t created by Phalaris, the Greek storytellers who created it
may have accidentally brought it to life. Now let’s head over to the far east, where they
have their own flair for cruel punishments. Many of the most famous execution
methods are either fast and brutal, like the guillotine or hanging, or largely kill
someone through letting nature do its work, like crucifixion. But in China, the practitioners
of lingchi believed that doing something right was worth putting in the effort. One of the most
prolonged and extended methods of execution, it’s been given the nickname “The Death of a Thousand
Cuts”, and usually only requires a pole, a rope, a knife, and an executioner who doesn’t mind
taking as long as needed to deal out some pain. And there was more than one layer to this torture. The actual method was simple enough - the
condemned would be tied to a wooden frame, usually in public, and their flesh would
then be carefully sliced away from their body. It’s similar to the ancient
punishment of flaying or skinning, but much slower and with less likelihood
of going into shock and dying quickly. It could be used as a method of interrogation, a
public torture of an outsider seen as an enemy, or as an execution method for a particularly
cruel criminal such as a murderer. But there was another element to this
punishment that might have been even worse. Lingchi wasn’t just seen as torture for
the body - but for the soul. According to the principles of Confucius, altering
or cutting the body was considered an affront against filial piety and would keep
the spirit from being intact after death. So with every cut, the condemned knew their
afterlife was being destroyed as well. The torture would continue until the executioner
decided they had enough - at which point they would receive one final cut to the throat,
which at that point usually came as a relief. Now it’s just a quick jump
across the pond to Japan, where they had a very different
method of punishing the condemned. Capital punishment in the Edo period in Japan
was common and brutal - but they didn’t really have their own distinct horrible punishment.
The condemned could face decapitation, hanging, burning at the stake, being boiled alive,
or even crucifixion for the worst crimes like the murder of a parent - a veritable
greatest hits of torture! Those executed would also face public humiliation before and
display of their body after. But for those who wanted to avoid this horrible fate, there was
another option - although not an appealing one. They were offered a death with honor
- but it came with a horrible cost. Being a samurai came with a privilege - the
privilege of being able to avoid capital punishment by taking matters into your own hand. A
disgraced samurai was still considered a nobleman, and if he committed a crime harsh
enough to warrant the death penalty, he would be given the option of seppuku.
This meant that they gave their sword one final victim - themselves. This was seen as
a death with honor, but it wasn’t exactly voluntary - they would often be ordered to do this
in lieu of being given a commoner’s execution. And there was a specific
ritual for this ugly affair. If the samurai was found guilty of a
capital crime, they would be given a sentence of death and a deadline to commit
seppuku. If they refused or tried to escape, another samurai would be given the job of carrying
it out - and usually decapitate the samurai. Unlike the traditional seppuku, this did not carry
the benefit of absolving the samurai of his sins, which meant that his family would likely
be stripped of their ranks and perks as a result. So for the disgraced samurai, the call
of the sword was feared - but usually followed. Now, let’s head to the great white
north for a punishment so cruel, it became the stuff of legends. The Vikings were feared warriors -
depending on who you ask, they were either fierce defenders of their territory,
or sadistic marauders. The answer…probably depended on which Viking you met. But there’s
no question that if you crossed the wrong one, you were probably in for a very bad time.
They frequently killed people in duels, beheaded their enemies, and burned
entire villages to the ground. But did they have a particular punishment that
may have eclipsed all the others in sheer torture? If you look at the ancient Icelandic
texts known as the Sagas, the answer is yes. Get ready to meet the Blood Eagle.
Appearing twice in Norse literature, it seems to be more a unique torture method
for enemies rather than an actual common execution method - and that’s probably
a good thing, because it wasn’t easy to pull off. The victim would be placed in a prone
position, and the torturer would use a knife to sever their ribs from their spine. They would
then pull the lungs out through the opening, creating a pair of “wings” that would move as the
victim breathed and they inflated and deflated. It was horrific - so horrific that
some wonder if it actually happened. It appears several times in the texts, usually
done to the family members of deposed royals. Some historians proposed it could have been a form of
human sacrifice to Odin, while others said that it was too outlandish. It was questioned whether it
was survivable - and the answer seems to be yes, if not for very long at all. Was it a Christian
myth aimed at making the ancient Norse look like barbarians, or a real execution method practiced
by particularly sadistic rulers? The texts point to the latter - but there’s no one around
to ask, and we’re pretty glad about that. These probably don’t match up - thankfully
- but why not watch “Worst Punishments Kids Received From Their Parents” next! Or
check out “10 Most Brutal Punishments Prison Guards Have Given Prisoners” for
how bad things can get in the big house.
