This question popped up during a Billy Budd discusion.
When one is hung, hanged, whatever, does the persons neck snap when the rope tightens or does it depend on were the rope is positioned.
This question popped up during a Billy Budd discusion.
When one is hung, hanged, whatever, does the persons neck snap when the rope tightens or does it depend on were the rope is positioned.
Pretty morbid subject, but: It depends on weight and distance. The you have to get the body moving fast enough that when the rope stops the head from moving, the rest of the body keep going for a little bit. If you don’t have enough distance of drop for the weight of the body, the person will just be strangled to death after awhile.
I don’t know how much rope positioning has to do with breaking necks. As long as the knot of the noose is positioned the same way (either to the side or back of the neck) it seems like the rope would tighten pretty much the same way. Most of the neck breaking is done by the weight of the man along with how far he falls. Although not everyone that’s hung has a broken neck…Some get the joy of being choked to death. I’m surprised you were more caught up on rope placement rather than auto erotic asphyxiation from being hung.
“Hanged” is preferred for executions. “Hung” is used for putting pictures on the wall, etc.
That’s why my style guide says.
I guess you should never refer to someone as being “Well-hanged”
It depends on a bunch of things. Being a hangman was (or still is) a difficult job to master if you want to do it right.
The idea is to break the hangee’s neck at the bottom of the drop. You have to use rope that doesn’t strech much and is of a large enough diameter. Usually hemp. Then you have to tie enough coils in the knot so that the diameter is large enough to pop the victim’s neck (usually to the right), hard enough to break it.
There is some math involved. The length of the drop has to be calculated by the weight of the victim. He hass to be falling at sufficient speed to break the neck ir he just hangs there and strangles to death. This can take up to 20 minutes and is not pleasant for anyone involved. If the victim is tiny, weights are sometimes added to their legs to help. Sometimes if the neck was not broken spectators would gather 'round and pull on the victim’s legs to help him pass into Graceland.
But the drop can’t be too far, either. In the case of a heavy fellow, a hanging is likely to tear his head right off his body when he ‘gets to the end of his rope’ (Yes, that’s where the saying came from).
I know, I left a bunch of stuff out…the name of the knot (hangman’s)…how to tie one…who supplies the best rope?..is a rope used for more than one hanging (no).
But if you really want more details, I will hang around long enough to look them up.
tcburnett, it’s time for you to find a new hobby. I weary to ask why you remember that info off the top of your head.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I’m smarter now because of you guy’s.
ps…
Demigod#5
please explain auto erotic asphyxiation, I’m curious.
The difference between hanged and hung…they are actually two different verbs. One is transitive (takes a direct object) and one is not.
I hanged a picture on the wall.
The picture hung on the wall.
The distinction is made in German as well. There are two verbs for hang (hangen) whose past participles are different, depending on whether the verb takes a direct object or not.
As for the style guide, I am not surprised that it avoids saying ‘hanged’. It may be grammatically correct, but it sounds really tacky.
MR
From Encyclopedia Americana:
Cecil has a column that makes me thing that hanging isn’t the worst way to go. “Autoerotic asphyxiation arose out of the observation that men executed by hanging often got an erection and sometimes ejaculated.” What’s the story on autoerotic asphyxiation?
bovary, thanks to the Straight Dope for answering odd ball questions, you now have a full story on autoerotic asphyxiation.
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_218.html
It’s nice to know that I can search for so many weird topics and find high quality explanations of them.
(1) I used to play ‘hangman’ when I was a kid.
(2) I fish a lot. Fishing is just like hanging, only backwards.
(3) I try to keep up with all the new technology involving my hobbies.
(4) It stems from my obsession with Monty Python.
(5) I am prepared for the inevitable call requesting a competent executioner for all the durn cattle rustlers here in Hawai’i.
(6) My comedy routines involve gallows humor.
However, I am open to suggestions. What kind of hobby do you suggest? I tried working with electric chairs, but fried the people up like bacon and the grease ran everywhere.
>> The difference between hanged and hung…they are actually two different verbs. One is transitive (takes a direct object) and one is not.
Maeglin you are missing the point and you are mistaken. Can you try again?
tcburnett, considering your skills and affinity for deadly objects, you might want to consider a hobby in the field of child care. Possibly start an agency renting out babies? There are many thirteen year old boys that would love to have someone with your knowledge of implements of death as a mentor. I suggest you become a big brother and leave your mark on society.
Actually, a while back, there was a death-row inmate in Delaware (I think???) who, because of the time at which he was convicted, had a choice among a few means of execution methods. He chose hanging because he knew the difficulty involved. If they failed to break his neck, it would be cruel and unusual punishment. If they did it too hard and his head popped off, same thing. And you have to remember that nobody really remembers how to do it right anymore. So the cost and time to research and prepare his execution was tremendous. His way of saying “f-you”, I guess.
TCBurnett
If you want to know lots more about judicial hanging(and you seem like a guy who might) then put Albert Pierrepoint into your search engine.
He was the hangman in the UK, compared to him others were shadows.
I remember reading his autobiography which goes into the mechanics in some detail, why the neck is broken, why it is considered to be a very fast and so relatively humane way of execution etc.
Everyone needs a hobby.
What a great idea! Unfortunately, I don’t have time at the present because I am coaching our Little League Gladiators to use the spears and nets effectively. They are so cute out there, hacking away with their little butcher knives (we don’t let them use swords until they are 9 years old).
Thanks Cas. We in the family called him “Uncle Al”. He was certainly a beacon and role model for all of us in the necktie business.
“My Patron Saint? Why, St. Atilla of course!”
Washington had a system that allowed several different methods of execution, but defaulted to hanging if the prisoner didn’t express a preference. One condemned man, I think the name was Mitchell Roupe (sp?), refused to choose, knowing that his obesity made the hanging difficult. He weighed enough there was considerable doubt whether his neck could support him. He knew the state wouldn’t go through with the execution if there was a chance of his head coming off.
Eventually, they changed the policy and he died by lethal injection.
Upon further consideration, I still believe it’s not the worst way to go, but it must be pretty nearly the worst way to come.
Not that I want to make this discussion any grosser than it already is, you understand…
I was once told by somebody I assumed would know that when the hangee is female, she has to be hanged in a bag because sometimes (brace yourselves now, here it comes) her guts will fall out from between her legs.
Can anyone confirm this?
I doubt this. They tied a rope around Mary Surratt’s (Lincoln conspirator) ankles on the outside of her dress to protect her modesty when she was hanged. If you stretch you imagination (and defocus you eyes) it could look like she was in a bag.