Why Axe Execution Victim’s Head Not Locked In

Execution by beheading is one of the most recognizable forms of punishment from European history. Images of the condemned prisoner kneeling before a wooden block while an executioner stands behind them with a huge axe has appeared in paintings, books, and films for centuries. Yet, there is something surprisingly simple about the execution block itself.

In most cases, there was no complicated device for locking the condemned prisoner’s head into position. Instead, the victim simply placed their neck on the block and was expected to remain still while the executioner swung the axe. This might seem extremely dangerous. If the condemned person suddenly moved their head, the executioner could miss the neck completely.

Yet, the execution block was generally designed to position the neck rather than physically restrain it. Some blocks had a curved or hollowed section where the prisoner could rest their neck. This helped the prisoner place it in approximately the correct position and provide some stability. However, there was not normally held in place with a clamp.

There was no hinged collar or metal mechanism locking the head down. So, why was this? One reason for this was the executioner needed a completely clear target. An execution axe was large and heavy as a weapon and it had to strike the neck with considerable force. Placing wooden or metal restraints immediately around the neck could interfere with the blade.

If an axe struck an iron fitting instead of the neck, it could damage the weapon, too, deflect the blade, or cause a horrific injury without completing the execution. A simple wooden block therefore gave the executioner plenty of space in which to deliver the blow. More importantly, the execution system depended heavily upon the cooperation of the condemned person.

Public executions were highly ritualized events. Prisoners were expected often to walk calmly to the scaffold, listen to some prayers, make a final statement, and prepare themselves for death. Those being executed by beheading were usually instructed to kneel or lie down and place their neck correctly on the block.

This was especially significant when the condemned person was a nobleman or noblewoman. Beheading was frequently regarded as a more honorable form of execution than hanging. Although practices differed between countries and periods. A noble prisoner could use their final moments to demonstrate courage, religious faith, and dignity.

Remaining calm on the block became part of that final performance. There was also an extremely powerful reason for the condemned person not to move. Well, doing so could make their death much worse. Once the executioner began swinging the axe, he could not change his direction easily. If the prisoner suddenly raised their head, twisted their body, or pulled backwards, the blade might strike the skull, shoulder, or upper back instead of the neck.

Rather than preventing death, movement could result in terrible injuries and force the executioner to then strike again. Even when prisoners remained still, beheading did not always work cleanly. One very famous example of this occurred during the Tudor period during the execution of Mary Queen of Scots inside Fotheringhay Castle on the 8th of February, 1587.

Mary, the Scottish Queen, knelt at the block after being blindfolded. The executioner’s first stroke failed to sever the neck completely and allegedly embedded in her shoulders. Another stroke was required before the execution was completed. Her death demonstrated that even a carefully prepared beheading could go badly wrong, even if the Queen had ordered it.

Another example, an earlier one, was the execution of Margaret Pole, the Countess of Salisbury in 1547 under the reign of King Henry VIII. Her case frequently is associated with a botched beheading. Later stories claimed that the elderly Margaret refused to cooperate and even moved around the scaffold while the executioner attempted to kill her.

Some of the dramatic versions of the story appeared considerably later and should not automatically be accepted as eyewitness fact. One even claims that she carried on running around the Tower of London with her head half hanging off. But what does appear clear is that her execution acquired a reputation for being particularly badly performed.

Prisoners could also be restrained in other ways. Their hands might be tied and guards or executioner’s assistants were normally close by. Once a prisoner was kneeling and leaning forward of the block, their position itself also limited their ability to move easily.

The authorities did not necessarily need to clamp the head into position. Blindfolding could also help. Although blindfolds had symbolic and psychological purposes, preventing the condemned person from seeing the executioner’s movements may have also reduced the possibility of an instinctive reaction. Seeing a large axe being raised could cause almost anyone to flinch.

If the prisoner could not see exactly where the executioner was preparing to strike, they might be more likely to remain still. The executioner could also wait until the prisoner was correctly positioned before delivering the blow. Unlike a machine, the executioner could adjust his position according to exactly where the prisoner’s neck rested.

He could judge the distance, examine the angle, and then swing when he believed the target was correct. This helps explain why later mechanical beheading devices were different. The French guillotine, for example, incorporated a neck restraint commonly called the lunette. It consisted of two sections with semicircular openings that the neck and helped hold the condemned person in the correct position beneath the blade.

The reason was simple. The guillotine blade traveled along a fixed path. The machine could not adjust its aim if the prisoner’s neck was in the wrong position. The prisoner, therefore, had to be positioned precisely underneath it. With the axe, the situation was reversed. The executioner adjusted himself to the position of the condemned person.

This was one of the fundamental weaknesses of execution by axe, though. Everything depended on human skill. The prisoner had to remain still. The executioner had to judge the distance correctly. The axe needed to be sharp. The swing required sufficient force, and the blade had to strike the exact correct part of the neck.

If any of these things went wrong, several blows might be necessary. For centuries, though, this relatively simple system was considered sufficient. The executioner’s block was not intended to imprison the condemned person’s neck. It was intended to present the neck to the executioner. Cooperation, positioning, and the skill of the executioner were expected to do the rest.

It was only with the development of mechanical beheading machines like the French guillotine that securing the neck of the condemned became much more important. The difference can be summed up very simply. With an axe, the executioner could adjust his strike to the prisoner. With a guillotine, though, the prisoner had to be positioned to match the blade and then locked into place.