GENERAL — 27/262 — Execution place
Execution places were located on hills, crossroads and outside the city, as they were considered unclean places. These were desolate locations that everyone avoided; no craftsman wanted to work there for fear of losing their honour. The only person who frequently moved nearby was the executioner, who often lived close to the execution site. Ordinary people visited the execution sit only for one purpose: when and execution was taking place. Executions were a popular public spectacle, often attracting the entire town. Capital punishment could only be carried out by certain towns, and not all of them ahad and executioner.
TRIVIA
— Beheading with the sword was often considered a privilege reserved for nobles and higher-status criminals, while commoners were more likely to face the axe, hanging, or harsher methods.
Executioner’s swords were a distinct type of weapon, though they appeared later than many imagine. While decapitations in the 14th and 15th centuries were usually carried out with ordinary swords or axes, the earliest surviving swords crafted specifically for executions date to the mid-16th century. These swords were usually broad, heavy, and two-handed, with a squared or rounded tip rather than a point, making them useless in battle but well-suited for a clean slicing blow. Their appearance set them apart visually from battle swords, highlighting their role as tools rather than weapons of war.
— Some feature two to four holes near the tip of the blade, though their purpose remains debated. Theories range from practical to symbolic: they may have prevented the weapon from being re-forged into a pointed battle sword, served as decorative or religious motifs (such as references to the Trinity), or simply reflected regional style. Others suggest they were intended for hanging the sword or even to alter its balance, though concrete evidence for these functions is lacking.
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