# Guillotine-Stopping Hair **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417 "2005-01-18T20:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/21 "2005-01-19T03:45:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Over 23, 000 were either shot, drowned, or, in Lyon, **blown to bits by cannon.** My bolding. Were they blown to bits British-mutineer style? Or are there other ways to blow someone to bits with a cannon? I’m curious, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/22 "2005-01-19T04:26:31Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > [Ann Miller](http://ann.star-wisher.com/pics9.htm)’s hair not only could have stopped a guillotine, it would have bounced the blade right back up to the top! “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Mansfield, that time slot is already booked by Ann Miller. Perhaps we could reschedule when you return from Louisiana?” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/23 "2005-01-19T04:33:47Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > Were they blown to bits British-mutineer style? Or are there other ways to blow someone to bits with a cannon? I’m curious, is all. IIRC, they were forced to stand by open mass graves, and shredded by grapeshot. Not quite the way the British dealt with the Sepoy mutineers, but ugly enough in its own way. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/24 "2005-01-19T11:41:38Z")
See, I always assumed that the hair was cut, or put up, or pulled aside to allow the neck to be properly aligned on the block – with hair down the neck, they might get the victim too high or too low, so that the blade bites into the thickest part of the neck, down by the upper back/ shoulders, or :gulp: into the base of the skull. Messy. Same with beheading by ax or sword – they’d need a clear view of the neck to be able to aim the weapon at the narrowest point of the neck. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/25 "2005-01-19T13:13:44Z")
> [@Danalan](#): > > Hair is quite resilient, and spreads to both sides of the neck. It may be trapped by the blade, rather than cut. This could result in the head not properly falling straight into the basket – it may dangle by a few hairs, or be pulled to the side, thus rolling into the crowd. Then you get people fighting in the stands over who gets to keep the foul head. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417/26 "2005-01-19T15:07:34Z")
> [@Slithy Tove](#): > > “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Mansfield, that time slot is already booked by Ann Miller. Perhaps we could reschedule when you return from Louisiana?” Yeah, like they would’ve been able to tie Jayne Mansafield face-down on the pallet anyway . . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guillotine-stopping-hair/285417.md?page=1)