After Kim Jong-un had his uncle executed on December 13, 2013, a strange story made the rounds: Jang Song-Thaek was allegedly thrown to a hungry pack of dogs. Given the North Korean dictator's reputation, this brutality did not even seem unbelievable. It took a month for the horror story to be exposed as a fable.
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The "damnatio ad bestias" was already very popular in ancient Rome. At that time, however, African big cats were used instead of dogs. Compared to other historical methods of execution, however, this death is downright unimaginative. In past centuries, poor sinners were crucified, skinned, thrown from rocks, broken on the wheel, burned alive, suffocated in ashes, gassed or put on the electric chair. Here are the ten cruelest - and most bizarre - methods of execution in history.
1. Death by elephant
This punishment for serious crimes, which dates back thousands of years, was common in South and Southeast Asia, especially in India. Specially trained elephants were used for this purpose. A convicted person could be killed relatively quickly by trampling on their skull, for example. In this way, the delinquent could also be deliberately tortured by the animal slowly crushing them or tearing off their limbs. This punishment disappeared during the 18th and 19th centuries, possibly as a result of the European colonization of Asia.
2. Execution by cannon
The convicted person was tied over the muzzle of a large-caliber cannon and the gun was then fired. The method was practiced worldwide from the 16th century onwards - especially by European colonial powers and their vassals. This type of execution was used - among others - in the suppression of the Indian uprising of 1857.
Anthropologist and linguist George Carter Stent described the process as follows: "The prisoner is tied to the cannon so that the upper back rests on the muzzle. When the gun is fired, the head usually flies straight up 40-50 feet. The arms fly off to the left and right and come to rest 100 yards away. The legs fall to the ground in front of the gun; and the body is completely blown away. No remains are visible."
3. Gibbet Irons
The condemned man is locked in a body-fit cage and hung. The latter is usually done along elevated roads or crossroads, as this was the preferred punishment for highwaymen and murderers who targeted travelers. In the 18th and 19th centuries, this was mainly used as a warning to those who had already been executed, but previously condemned men were imprisoned alive. In Afghanistan, this practice continued until the early 20th century.