|
The story of the
guillotine is one
in which many accepted
truths are false,
and some shocking
'myths' happen to
be real.
Although the mechanical
blade is forever
bound to the legacy
of post-revolutionary
France, the first
recorded use of
a decapitation machine
occurred in Ireland
in 1307.
The famed Dr. Guillotin,
for whom the modern
device is named,
proposed the concept
as a single, 'humane'
method of executing
commoners and royalty
alike. In previous
days, nobility was
beheaded by an axe
or sword while lessers
were hung on the
gallows.
The blueprint of
the device was drawn
by Dr. Antoine Louis,
and the resulting
guillotine was built
by a harpsichord
maker named Tobias
Smith. The machine's
distinctive, oblique
blade was a later
refinement to ensure
a cleaner slice.
Is a guillotined
head aware of its
state after its
severing? Though
only the dead know
the state of consciousness
after a swift. decapitation,
there are many credible
accounts of seeming
responsiveness and
awareness displayed
by the heads of
the executed for
up to 30 seconds
after the cut.
| 
