Decapitation is one of the oldest forms of execution, representing the head of a living creature from the body.
Since ancient times, it was considered a privileged execution and was carried out in public. In ancient Rome, only Roman citizens were cut off, while others were crucified on the cross. Decapitation was widespread both in Europe, mainly in relation to the nobles, and in the East, but, as a rule, for people of the non-noble class.
Both the crusaders and the Arabs decapitated their captive opponents (the latter, however, also cut off the tips of the fingers in this case). In Japan, decapitation was carried out during the ritual suicide of seppuku and was carried out by the victim's partner, kaishaku, as the final stage of the execution.
Usually the execution was carried out with a large crowd of people with a special wide ax, two-handed sword or guillotine. In “field” conditions, the head was cut off with a sword or saber (yatagan), battle axes, due to their rather narrow blade, were almost never used.
The most famous victims were Thomas More, a philosopher and lawyer of the Renaissance, who accepted death with the words "Gentlemen, the only difference between me and you is that I will die today, and you - tomorrow!", The commander of the Landsknechts, Diez von Schaunburg, who got up and ran 30 steps with a severed head and thus securing pardon for four of his soldiers, the pirate Klaus Stertebeker broke this record by running past 11 people for the sake of pardon and falling only from the kick of the guard.
Today this execution has survived in Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.