Modern solutions
Back in the enlightened times, the men in power would try women and hand down appropriate sentences. The women were given a fair trial- well, they had a hearing to determine what their punishment should be. The courts then relied on the wisdom of wise men to judge the women. Many times the wise men were important members of church but they were able to put their connection to the church aside and use their wisdom sentence the women. It was not uncommon for the women to be sentenced to death.
As jail space was short the women were condemned to be burned at a stake in the town square. The women often did not understand the justice they were about to be subjected to when they were brought to square and tied to the stake to be burned to death. The crowds were always thick as they came to see the woman burned. There was little sympathy for the woman dressed in scrappy rags.
The women would often declare their innocence as they were bound for the last time. Her pleas were ignored and she was burned to death, giving off inhumane howls as her rags burned from her body and her hair shriveled away as the flames licked at it.
Of course not all women were burned at the stake. Wealthy women often were sentenced to be executed. Their crimes could be infidelity or not bearing a child. The courts were as stern with these women in condemning them to death, but at least they were spared in indignation of being burnt in the square.
Women of the elite class were spared the humiliation of being burned but they were still sentenced to death. Often they would be beheaded. This was done in a party-like situation. The woman would be dressed in her finest gown and allowed to bid farewell to her friends.
Then she would be brought to the chopping block where her head would be removed. She would knell before the block that was covered with a fine cloth.
The neatly dressed headsman would show her the axe, assuring her it was adequate to remove her head with a single blow. The woman would remove her gown from her shoulders and lay her neck on the block. She could feel the smooth cloth on the face of her neck and the hard block beneath it. She was comforted that when she was beheaded it would swift and neat.
It would take just one hard blow to remove her head. The executioner would hoist her head up and display it to the guests.
There is no confirmation that her eyes blinked or her lips moved after she was beheaded.
Of course beheading women cost a considerable amount of money. There was food and drink that had to be provided to the guests that can to see the woman beheaded. The headsman would have to be paid (and a tip was expected for her decapitation). Most common folk could not afford such an execution so women burned to death was the most common form of execution.
This also had drawbacks. There was Miss Moore who was condemned to be burned at the stake. She had been found guilty of seduction and unnatural acts of fornication. She was found guilty of soliciting a man she was not married to and have intercourse with him. This was outrageous enough but the man was married and his wife was deep into her pregnancy with their third child. The man’s indiscretion was of course forgiven as he willing confirmed Miss Moore had seduced him to her bed.
Miss Moore cursed everyone there to see her burned to death. It seems no one believed her claims they had a long term and mutual relationship.
The pyre was lit, and Miss Moore cussed at everyone there till the flames took her life.
The crowd loudly approved of her execution but there were mumblings that followed her burning that there should be a neater and more civil way to execute the criminal women…
Back in the enlightened times, the men in power would try women and hand down appropriate sentences. The women were given a fair trial- well, they had a hearing to determine what their punishment should be. The courts then relied on the wisdom of wise men to judge the women. Many times the wise men were important members of church but they were able to put their connection to the church aside and use their wisdom sentence the women. It was not uncommon for the women to be sentenced to death.
As jail space was short the women were condemned to be burned at a stake in the town square. The women often did not understand the justice they were about to be subjected to when they were brought to square and tied to the stake to be burned to death. The crowds were always thick as they came to see the woman burned. There was little sympathy for the woman dressed in scrappy rags.
The women would often declare their innocence as they were bound for the last time. Her pleas were ignored and she was burned to death, giving off inhumane howls as her rags burned from her body and her hair shriveled away as the flames licked at it.
Of course not all women were burned at the stake. Wealthy women often were sentenced to be executed. Their crimes could be infidelity or not bearing a child. The courts were as stern with these women in condemning them to death, but at least they were spared in indignation of being burnt in the square.
Women of the elite class were spared the humiliation of being burned but they were still sentenced to death. Often they would be beheaded. This was done in a party-like situation. The woman would be dressed in her finest gown and allowed to bid farewell to her friends.
Then she would be brought to the chopping block where her head would be removed. She would knell before the block that was covered with a fine cloth.
The neatly dressed headsman would show her the axe, assuring her it was adequate to remove her head with a single blow. The woman would remove her gown from her shoulders and lay her neck on the block. She could feel the smooth cloth on the face of her neck and the hard block beneath it. She was comforted that when she was beheaded it would swift and neat.
It would take just one hard blow to remove her head. The executioner would hoist her head up and display it to the guests.
There is no confirmation that her eyes blinked or her lips moved after she was beheaded.
Of course beheading women cost a considerable amount of money. There was food and drink that had to be provided to the guests that can to see the woman beheaded. The headsman would have to be paid (and a tip was expected for her decapitation). Most common folk could not afford such an execution so women burned to death was the most common form of execution.
This also had drawbacks. There was Miss Moore who was condemned to be burned at the stake. She had been found guilty of seduction and unnatural acts of fornication. She was found guilty of soliciting a man she was not married to and have intercourse with him. This was outrageous enough but the man was married and his wife was deep into her pregnancy with their third child. The man’s indiscretion was of course forgiven as he willing confirmed Miss Moore had seduced him to her bed.
Miss Moore cursed everyone there to see her burned to death. It seems no one believed her claims they had a long term and mutual relationship.
The pyre was lit, and Miss Moore cussed at everyone there till the flames took her life.
The crowd loudly approved of her execution but there were mumblings that followed her burning that there should be a neater and more civil way to execute the criminal women…