Discussion: Anne's Execution

"Perhaps this has been asked before, but does anyone know the translation of the French words that were engraved on the sword used to execute Anne? Thanks!"

"Perhaps this has been asked before, but does anyone know the translation of the French words that were engraved on the sword used to execute Anne? Thanks!"

"It has always bothered me that a person is still conscious for a few seconds after he or she is beheaded. My husband once explained the medical reason for that, but I can't remember the details. Maybe somebody else knows. I bet it was especially true with Anne, since the beheading was so quick and easy. I've heard that her lips and eyes continued to move for about eight seconds. How gruesome!!!!"

"It has always bothered me that a person is still conscious for a few seconds after he or she is beheaded. My husband once explained the medical reason for that, but I can't remember the details. Maybe somebody else knows. I bet it was especially true with Anne, since the beheading was so quick and easy. I've heard that her lips and eyes continued to move for about eight seconds. How gruesome!!!!"

"Englishmen and women come to see the first English Queen exectued. Around the scaffold itself the faces she knew so well; Thomas Audley, the lord chancellor, whom she had last seen at her trial; "

"From what I understand it has something to do with the lack of oxygen to the brain. In other words, there is still oxygen going to the brain but after the head was severed oxygen was still in the brain for at least 8 seconds. I also know of another (true) story about the effects of oxygen in the brain after a person was severed at the waist but was still 'alive' for 8-10 seconds and they didn't realize what had happened to them."

"Ok, so I don't remember who it was, but in one of my history classes we learned about an early scientist (of course, anyone who experimented with anything was called a scientist back in the day, LOL) who was sentenced to execution by beheading (maybe this was during the French Revolution?). He decided he wanted to make his death an experiment, so he asked his friends in attendance to count how many times he blinked his eyes after his head was lopped off. For as long as he could, he purposefully blinked his eyes. His friends counted something like 20 blinks (now that is dedication to science).

So, now anytime I see or hear about someone being executed by beheading, this is all I think of. There is consciousness for a little while...how horrible to know your head is no longer connected to your body, but I don't know if pain is felt (although I would think pain receptors and nerves would still send info to your brain? Maybe not)."