Top 10 Worst Punishments in Human History

1. Hanging, evisceration and quartering

The death of St. Erasmus. Author: Attributed: Heinrich Vogtherr - http://www.asn-ibk.ac.at/bildung/faecher/geschichte/maike/mittelalter/Mabilder38.htm , Public domain, Link

One of the most famous items on this list. This punishment was imposed for high treason in the UK and in some Western European countries. In particular, it was used to execute Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up the House of Lords in London, and the murderers of King Charles I. Few, however, know that at the first stage the executioners did not have the task of killing the condemned man. They strangled him to inflict torment. Nevertheless, Guy Fawkes died at this stage of the execution, depriving his enemies of any joy from further mockery of his corpse. Further, the bellies of the criminals who were still alive were opened and their insides were taken out. Finally, the bodies were chopped into pieces, which were then put on public display in different parts of the city. Specifically in London, severed heads were impaled on a pike at the Tower.

2. Elephants

Louis Rasselier's engraving showing the execution by an elephant, "Le Tour du Monde" in 1868. Public domain, Link

The most dangerous predator on Earth is man. He is able to kill not only animals that are many times bigger and stronger than him, but also the whole planet. However, if you take brute physical strength in terms of one living being, then few people here can compare with elephants. Which, by the way, do not use it very willingly, and are considered very peaceful animals. Unless, of course, the same person takes up the task of "educating" them. In East Asia, elephants have traditionally been used as executioners. They could have been trained to crush the condemned both slowly and quickly. Sometimes sharp blades were attached to their legs, and then the execution became even more bloody. Using these animals, the rulers demonstrated power not only over their subjects, but also over nature itself. It is believed that something similar was practiced in ancient times - in Ancient Rome and Carthage. In Asia, elephants could not help their owners in the confrontation with the British troops. After the establishment of the colo.

3. Cooking live

Avtor: Don't know=( - https://www.amazon.com/Antique-Print-BOILING-BURNING-OIL-DEATH-SENTENCE-Pl-25-Luyken-1740/dp/B00DKSNCRC , Public domain, Link

It's pretty simple here. In the past, people were quite often boiled like potatoes, eggs or crayfish. Despite the obvious banality, this method of execution made it possible to make the death of the condemned person as painful as possible. The executioners didn't just use water. There are precedents in history for the use of oil, molten lead, wax, lard and even wine! In 1531, a law was passed in Great Britain that officially established this method of execution as punishment for poisoners. Poisons at that time were regularly used to eliminate competitors, enemies and other undesirable persons, so murderers in English squares were cooked with enviable regularity. Servants in the era of the Tudor rule generally made it a habit to get rid of their owners with poisoned food. For example, a cook named Richard Rose tried to eliminate the Bishop of Rochester by putting poison in oatmeal. A purely English murder, isn't it?

4. Rats

This incredibly brutal execution was shown in "Game of Thrones" - a television series, characteristically, just with a terrible ending. And, most likely, the picture was historically accurate. Vile rodents in the Middle Ages were often used to punish people who were then considered criminals. One of the methods of their application looked like this: rats were put in a bucket of water, covered with the stomach of the unfortunate victim, and then a fire was lit under the whole structure. The animals, trying not to cook alive, were desperately looking for a way to escape - right through a person. They gnawed and scratched through him. A special chic among the executioners was considered to be the picture when they got out of the victim's anus. According to some evidence, rat torture has also been used in recent times, in particular by Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

5.Leather armchair

On the left — "Arrest of the unjust Judge Sisamn"; on the right — "Execution of the unjust judge Sisamn". Author: David, Gerard - Image from Web Gallery of Art(WGA has given permission to use of images on Wikipedia.), Public domain, Link

Most of this list describes punishments that were used regularly during a particular historical era. This case was an isolated one, very vivid and testified to the presence of someone with an extremely rich imagination. By the way, its authenticity cannot be established, since it is described by a man whose many stories have not been confirmed. So, according to Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century BC in Ancient Greece, the king of Persia Cambyses II somehow faced a small problem. He found out that the judge, whose name was Sisamnes, had taken a bribe. This was a disgusting manifestation of corruption, and the ruler ordered the skin to be flayed from the wicked. Then this material was filled with the chair on which he presided in court, and the son of the executed man was seated in it. A picturesque depiction of this scene in the representation of one of the medieval European artists can be seen in the Town Hall of Bruges.

6.Burial alive

Japanese soldiers bury Chinese alive in Nanjing (1937 or 1938).  - First published in: A Faithful Record of Atrocity of Japanese Troops, 1938最早发表在：《日寇暴行实录》. 军事委员会政治部编. 汉口: 1938. 35页 Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara The Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, Public Domain,Link

Religion played a very prominent role in the life of Ancient Rome. There were many traditions associated with it, including cults dedicated to a significant circle of deities of one level or another of popularity. Probably the most important of them was the one that glorified Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, home and family. In a magnificent temple in the very center of the capital of the state, she was served by Vestals, who were all called to preserve chastity. Their duties also included maintaining the eternal sacred fire. If a priestess violated the vows of virginity given at the beginning of her career or, showing blatant negligence, allowed the flame to fade, she was buried alive. The ancient Romans were famous for their attachment to violent entertainment, but just in this case they dispensed with bloodshed. According to their beliefs, death in the ground allowed the Vestals to preserve the purity for which they were so immensely respected by the ancient church believers.

7.Scafism

Ancient Persia is considered the epitome of cruelty towards criminals sentenced to death - largely due to the Greeks, who traditionally fought with this state and were not its biggest fans. Among all the variety of perverted punishments attributed to the Persians, Scaphism stands out in particular. This execution could last for weeks, but the dying man suffered terrible torment every second of it. The victim was placed between two small boats, which were tightly nailed to each other. Slits were made in them, through which the head and limbs of the condemned man stuck out. Honey and milk were poured into his mouth daily, causing and maintaining copious diarrhea. Waste products accumulated inside the boats, attracting the attention of insects. Man rotted and was devoured alive by worms and maggots. However, there is no evidence that scafism was used in practice. This method of execution was described by Plutarch, who quoted another ancient.

8. Poena cullei (Execution in a sack)

By This file is from the Mechanical Curator collection, a set of over 1 million images scanned from out-of-copyright books and released to Flickr Commons by the British Library. View image on FlickrView all images from bookView catalogue entry for book. , Public Domain, Link

The ancient Romans were also no stranger to ingenuity in punishing criminals. For example, for the murder of relatives, especially the father, they were drowned here. And not just like that, but in a sewn-up bag. Together with innocent animals - a dog, a snake, a monkey or a rooster. Thus, the convict did not have the opportunity to go to the other world quietly, simply accepting his fate. He had to suffer from the bites, pecks or scratching paws of the unfortunate beast until the last moment of his life.

9.Impaling

The execution of Anna Charbonniere during the massacre of the Piedmontese Waldensians (1655). An engraving from the "History of the Evangelical Church of Piedmont" by Samuel Moreland, 1658 by the author:: Samuel Moreland - Samuel Moreland "History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piedmont", p.345., Public Domain,Link

This punishment was characterized by extreme straightforwardness. The perpetrator was stabbed with a sharpened stick. It was actively used in the Middle Ages throughout Europe and the adjacent regions of Asia, in particular, in the Ottoman Empire. The execution only seems uncomplicated, especially in comparison with some other items on our list. The fantasy of the executioners played out here too. The victim could be killed quickly, impaled on a stake like a fly or a beetle. More often, she was forced to suffer by directing the instrument of execution so that it did not touch vital organs. Perhaps more famous than others in the use of stakes was the notorious Vlad Tepes, the ruler of Wallachia, the national hero of Romania and the prototype of Dracula. In the 15th century, he impaled about twenty thousand of his compatriots and up to thirty thousand Turks. The latter decided with unfriendly intentions to look into a country headed by an excessively cruel ruler, for which they bitterly paid.

10. The Bloody Eagle

Drawing a pattern on the back of a warrior. The image on the sacrificial stone from Gotland. The symbol of Odin is depicted above the warrior — the valknut. Author: Sacrificial_scene_on_Hammars_(I).JPG: Berigderivative work: The Man in Question (talk) - Sacrificial_scene_on_Hammars_(I).JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

The legendary execution attributed to the Vikings. It is believed that they marked the outline of an eagle spreading its wings on the back of their enemies, after which they cut out the ribs with a sword and pulled them out. The final touch of this ancient art was the lungs, which were put on top. According to some accounts, it was in this way that Ella II, King of Northumbria, was executed in 867. It was the revenge of the Danish Viking leader Ivar the Boneless for the murder of his father, Ragnar Lodbrok. The described legend was reflected in the series "Vikings", which was broadcast with great success a couple of years ago on the relevant television platforms. In this case, there is also no convincing evidence that the medieval inhabitants of northern Europe really dealt with their enemies in this barbaric way. This may also be an invention of later authors.

This is the end of our post. Thanks to everyone who read the post =)