Fun facts!

[Malagor the dank omen]

Usually, in Europe only nobles were executed by chopping their heads off while commoners were hanged. In southern countries like Spain and Italy, the headsman used an axe but in northern countries they used a special sword called "Executioners Sword". It was a greatsword with a flat tip and usually bible verses engraved in the sword. Rest to say the axe was much better than the sword since it usually decapitated the person in 1 swing while the sword had to take 3 or 4 swings depending on the strength and experience of the executioner.

 

[AnOminous]

Usually, in Europe only nobles were executed by chopping their heads off while commoners were hanged. In southern countries like Spain and Italy, the headsman used an axe but in northern countries they used a special sword called "Executioners Sword". It was a greatsword with a flat tip and usually bible verses engraved in the sword. Rest to say the axe was much better than the sword since it usually decapitated the person in 1 swing while the sword had to take 3 or 4 swings depending on the strength and experience of the executioner.

In England, it was traditional for those given the privilege of being executed by decapitation to tip the headsman to do a good job.

 

[DrJonesHat]

The movie studios fought tooth and nail to keep VCRs off the market. They lost a Supreme Court case, and they were allowed to be marketed, then the studios realized they could make lots of money by selling copies of movies that were no longer in theaters. By the time DVDs came around, they had learned their lesson, and threw their full support behind the new technology. That's why they took off so quickly.

Personal fun fact: My first cell phone came in a satchel, like those fancy Bibles with zipping covers.

 

[AnOminous]

The movie studios fought tooth and nail to keep VCRs off the market. They lost a Supreme Court case, and they were allowed to be marketed, then the studios realized they could make lots of money by selling copies of movies that were no longer in theaters. By the time DVDs came around, they had learned their lesson, and threw their full support behind the new technology. That's why they took off so quickly.

The actual case: Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984).

Personal fun fact: My first cell phone came in a satchel, like those fancy Bibles with zipping covers.

My first cell phone came in a bag that weighed almost 10 pounds and had a huge lead-acid battery in it.

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

Usually, in Europe only nobles were executed by chopping their heads off while commoners were hanged. In southern countries like Spain and Italy, the headsman used an axe but in northern countries they used a special sword called "Executioners Sword". It was a greatsword with a flat tip and usually bible verses engraved in the sword. Rest to say the axe was much better than the sword since it usually decapitated the person in 1 swing while the sword had to take 3 or 4 swings depending on the strength and experience of the executioner.

There was a particulalry nasty execution method in the papal state of Rome, where the condemned would be lead up on the scaffold, where his coffin was already waiting. The executioner would strike the prisoner with a hammer or poleaxe and knock him to the ground, then he'd slit his throat and sometimes even start to stomp on the chest to squeeze as much blood out of the person as possible.

When it comes to botched executions, one can't get past the name of Henri de Talleyrand-Périgord. He was sentenced to be beheaded in 1626, but due to a lot of back and forth, people tried to prevent his execution by paying off all the executioners to refuse to do it... so a different man that had been sentenced to death was used instead as a make-shift executioner:

The [replacement] was so unskillful that, besides two blows from a Swiss sword, which had been purchased on the spot, he gave him thirty-four with an adze such as carpenters use; and was obliged to turn the body round to finish the severing of the neck, the patient exclaiming up to the twentieth blow: ‘Jesus, Maria et Regina Cali!’

 

[Malagor the dank omen]

sentenced to death was used instead as a make-shift executioner

It was pretty normal by then to force other death row prisioners to be executioners. Normally, the job of executioner was something that passed from father to son and the families of executioners were in touch in order to arrange marriages so there were always executioners. But usually people became executioner by force because there was need of a new executioner and they needed someone who wasn't deterred by threats against loved ones, and so public servants or magistrates arranged a deal with a prisioner to become the new executioner in exchange for his life. One of the most famous was Thomas Derrick, a man convicted for rape and forced into become executioner in 1608. In his career he executed more than 3000 people, including the man that assigned to be the new executioner. Important about this man is that it's attributed to him the invention of the crane used to lift people in the gallows when they are about to be hanged and it was given his name: derrick.

 

[cactus]

The movie studios fought tooth and nail to keep VCRs off the market. They lost a Supreme Court case, and they were allowed to be marketed, then the studios realized they could make lots of money by selling copies of movies that were no longer in theaters. By the time DVDs came around, they had learned their lesson, and threw their full support behind the new technology. That's why they took off so quickly.

Personal fun fact: My first cell phone came in a satchel, like those fancy Bibles with zipping covers.

Wasn't that the case where Mr. Rogers testified how important the technology was so kids could record his and other educational shows? Mr. Rogers saved the VCR, such a great man.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

Wasn't that the case where Mr. Rogers testified how important the technology was so kids could record his and other educational shows? Mr. Rogers saved the VCR, such a great man.

One of my favorite Rogers stories is when he was presented with Eddie Murphy's SNL parody. Rogers, knowing that SNL aired at a time when children would be in bed, enjoyed the parody despite being for adults. This is in contrast with Bill Cosby, who was infuriated by Murphy's impression of him.

 

[Count groudon]

Usually, in Europe only nobles were executed by chopping their heads off while commoners were hanged. In southern countries like Spain and Italy, the headsman used an axe but in northern countries they used a special sword called "Executioners Sword". It was a greatsword with a flat tip and usually bible verses engraved in the sword. Rest to say the axe was much better than the sword since it usually decapitated the person in 1 swing while the sword had to take 3 or 4 swings depending on the strength and experience of the executioner.

Ah the executioner sword. One of the most metal weapons to ever come out of Europe. The sad thing is, most of its problems come from it being so damn unwieldy. It was only the length of a normal one-handed sword, and it lacked a point which made it more akin to a large double-sided meat cleaver, but because the blade was made to be pretty dense to help with slicing through flesh and bone it’s awkward proportions made the fucking thing a chore to swing properly even for the brawniest motherfuckers of the time. Usually two-handed weapons were carefully crafted to make them deceptively light with a huge range so that it’d hit hard and keep the wielder at a safe distance without wearing them down, but not this bastard. They were such a bother to use that eventually they just said fuck it and had them used as royal ceremonial decoration swords.

Spoiler

It’s inscription reads: “when I raise this sword, so I wish this sinner will receive eternal life” in German. Real paladin shit right there.

The east also had their own, much more effective version of the executioner swords. There’s we’re pretty much just large curved greatswords that were much easier to handle and required way less hassle to actually use. They’re still used today in a lot of middle eastern countries in fact.

Spoiler

Portrait of a famous Indian executioner with his big ass sword.

Sorry, I’m an ancient weapons and armor sperg.

 

[The Cunting Death]

One of my favorite Rogers stories is when he was presented with Eddie Murphy's SNL parody. Rogers, knowing that SNL aired at a time when children would be in bed, enjoyed the parody despite being for adults. This is in contrast with Bill Cosby, who was infuriated by Murphy's impression of him.

Here's another amusing story

One of the people working behind the scenes at Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was George A Romero. The guy who made Night of the Living Dead. Some of the crew from Mr. Rogers worked on Night of the Living Dead, and the only problem Rogers had was casting Lady Aberlin in the film, which he refused to have her do.

He saw both Night and Dawn of the Dead, and mentioned that both were a lot of fun, especially Dawn.

 

[Gordon Cole]

Here's another amusing story

One of the people working behind the scenes at Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was George A Romero. The guy who made Night of the Living Dead. Some of the crew from Mr. Rogers worked on Night of the Living Dead, and the only problem Rogers had was casting Lady Aberlin in the film, which he refused to have her do.

He saw both Night and Dawn of the Dead, and mentioned that both were a lot of fun, especially Dawn.

I just love the mental image of Mr. Rogers not only giving Dawn of the Dead the time of day, but actually enjoying it.

 

[Malagor the dank omen]

Sorry, I’m an ancient weapons and armor sperg.

I know that feel very well. Also, one funny thing about the executioners sword that i learned is that in England it was used everywhere except in Scotland, where the royalty had ties to the spanish nobility. Therefore, these nobles could choose to be decapitated either with an axe or with a sword. Not too hard of a choice knowing how the sword goes.

Also, now i'll be changing to economics and i will relate the story of a fallen madman who funded a sweet little empire. The name of this man was Anthony Ward, more commonly known in the economic lingo as "Chocfinger" due to his nearly insane obsession with cocoa beans. This wasn't part of some megalomaniac plan or just because he had cravings, but because he saw that especulating with basic commodities you could make absurd amounts of money. Therefore, this guy created a hedge fund to especulate with all things cocoa and chocolate and at the peak of his activities he managed to control 15% of the world's chocolate supply. He went as far as to build meteorological stations in Ghana and Ivory Coast and hire the top experts in meteorology in order to predict harvest outcomes in the most important cocoa production regions in the world. The fund was valued around 400 million dollars and it seemed like it would never stop growing, specially seeing as bad weather in Sierra Leone ruined cocoa crops and spiked the price of chocolate.

But suddenly everything stopped and eventually the fund was sold for 1 dollar. Why? Because despite having 15% of the world's chocolate, you cannot turn that chocolate into money if nobody is willing to buy it. Specially if you set the price so high everyone turns you down at the door.

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

One of the most metal weapons to ever come out of Europe. The sad thing is, most of its problems come from it being so damn unwieldy. It was only the length of a normal one-handed sword, and it lacked a point which made it more akin to a large double-sided meat cleaver, but because the blade was made to be pretty dense to help with slicing through flesh and bone it’s awkward proportions made the fucking thing a chore to swing properly even for the brawniest motherfuckers of the time.

I doubt the problem is the density of the blade and more that the blade doesn't taper to a pointy tip, meaning that the weight is distributed towards the tip rather than the hilt (which is pretty useful when hacking at someone's neck, though). As long as you don't try to fence with it, it should be fine though, an axe would have an even worse distribution of weight and people seem to be able to use those in various manners just fine. Also, the reason why there's no tip is to denote that this is not a weapon of war and more like a tool.

I do wonder why so many executioners had difficulty cutting someone's head off tbh and I think it's more a lack of training to propperly use the sword or simply shitty maintenance of the sword's edge. Not questioning the validity of the many accounts of botched beheadings, I'm just wondering where the problem lies, assuming you know how to use the sword and it being sharp, it should not really be much of an issue.

There's a festival in some shithole in the middle east where it's custom that some dude cuts off an oxen's head in one slice and I've seen videos of that happening. If it works on an ox, I'd assume it works on a human.
Similarly, there's the story of the two japanese WW2 soldiers that decapitated more than 100 people each in a sick challenge of sword skills.

Count Dankula has a neat video about a German executioner's diary:

 

[AnOminous]

I do wonder why so many executioners had difficulty cutting someone's head off tbh and I think it's more a lack of training to propperly use the sword or simply shitty maintenance of the sword's edge.

I doubt you'd get the highest quality of people in that particular job. And there wasn't much incentive to make the death penalty less scary and unpleasant.

 

[Francis E. Dec Esc.]

I doubt you'd get the highest quality of people in that particular job. And there wasn't much incentive to make the death penalty less scary and unpleasant.

Tony Robinson's The Worst Jobs in History did a whole segment on how being a medieval executioner was a terrible job,:

 

[Clockwork_PurBle]

The guy who plays The Chief on the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V", Martin Olson, is the voice actor for Marceline's dad in Adventure Time. His daughter Olivia is Marceline, Vanessa in Phineas and Ferb, etc.

 

[Positron]

Mammals stole the genes they use to make the placenta (the Syncytin genes) from retroviruses.

 

[Francis E. Dec Esc.]

The guy who plays The Chief on the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V", Martin Olson, is the voice actor for Marceline's dad in Adventure Time. His daughter Olivia is Marceline, Vanessa in Phineas and Ferb, etc.

Chris Elliot's father Bob Elliot (of 'Bob and Ray' fame) played his character's dad in the batshit insane early 90s sitcom 'Get a Life'.

 

[AnOminous]

Chris Elliot's father Bob Elliot (of 'Bob and Ray' fame) played his character's dad in the batshit insane early 90s sitcom 'Get a Life'.

This now little-known series was ultimately canceled for basically being too weird for TV, but among it's alumni were writer Bob Odenkirk, who later went on (with David Cross) to create one of the greatest sketch comedy series of all time, Mr. Show with Bob and David and then to star as corrupt attorney Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Less known is that Charlie Kaufman was also on the series. He went on to write movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Also, David Mirkin ultimately ended up with The Simpsons.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

Less known is that Charlie Kaufman was also on the series. He went on to write movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

He also wrote Adaptation, one of the most bizarrely meta movies ever made.