The most notorious way used for carrying out executions, by decapitation, was with the use of a device known to the world as the guillotine. The guillotine consists of a very sharp and heavy blade, suspended above something similar to a cutting board by two arm-like pieces. The blade, which rests upright on the cutting board, is attached to a rope, which is attached to a rig that acts as a pulley. The blade is then lifted to the highest point of which the two arms extend to, and held there until a person places his or her neck under the projectory of the blade. The blade is then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head from his or her body. The device is noted for long being the main method of execution in France and, more particularly, for its use during the French Revolution.
The most notorious way used for carrying out executions, by decapitation, was with the use of a device known to the world as the guillotine. The guillotine consists of a very sharp and heavy blade, suspended above something similar to a cutting board by two arm-like pieces. The blade, which rests upright on the cutting board, is attached to a rope, which is attached to a rig that acts as a pulley. The blade is then lifted to the highest point of which the two arms extend to, and held there until a person places his or her neck under the projectory of the blade. The blade is then allowed to drop, severing the victim's head from his or her body. The device is noted for long being the main method of execution in France and, more particularly, for its use during the French Revolution.