Execution by burial Premature burial

chinese civilians being buried alive japanese soldiers during nanking massacre



jan luyken s drawing of anabaptist nl:anna utenhoven being buried alive @ vilvoorde in 1597. in drawing, head still above ground , priest exhorting recant faith, while executioner stands ready cover upon refusal

tacitus, in work germania, records german tribes practiced 2 forms of capital punishment; first victim hanged tree, , victim tied wicker frame, pushed face down mud , buried. first used make example of traitors; second used punishment of dishonourable or shameful vices, such cowardice. according tacitus, ancient germans thought crime should exposed, whereas infamy should buried out of sight.

in ancient rome, vestal virgin convicted of violating vows of celibacy buried alive being sealed in cave small amount of bread , water, ostensibly goddess vesta save innocent. practice was, strictly speaking, immurement (i.e., being walled , left die) rather premature burial. according christian tradition, number of saints martyred way, including saint castulus , saint vitalis of milan.

in denmark, in ribe city statute, promulgated in 1269, female thief buried alive, , in law queen margaret i, adulterous women punished premature burial, men beheading.

within holy roman empire variety of offenses including rape, infanticide , theft punished live burial. example, schwabenspiegel, law code 13th century, specified rape of virgin should punished live burial (whereas rapist of non-virgin beheaded). female murderers of own employers risked being buried alive. in augsburg 1505, example, 12-year-old boy , 13-year-old girl found guilty of killing master, in conspiracy cook. boy beheaded, , girl , cook buried alive beneath gallows. jurist eduard henke observed in middle ages, live burial of women guilty of infanticide frequent punishment in city statutes , landrechten. example, notes in hesse, bohemia, tyrol. berlinisches stadtbuch records between 1412 , 1447, 10 women buried alive there, , late in 1583, archbishop of bremen promulgated (alongside milder 1532 constitutio criminalis carolina punishment of drowning) live burial alternate execution method punishing mothers found guilty of infanticide.

as noted elias pufendorf, woman buried alive afterwards impaled through heart. combined punishment of live burial , impalement practiced in nuremberg until 1508 women found guilty of theft, city council decided in 1515 punishment cruel, , opted drowning instead. impalement was, however, not mentioned live burial. eduard osenbrüggen relates how live burial of woman convicted of infanticide pronounced in court verdict. example, in 1570 case in ensisheim:

the verdict commanded executioner place perpetrator in grave alive, , place 2 layers of thorns, 1 beneath, other above her. prior should place bowl on face, in had made hole, , give through reed/tube mouth, jump 3 times upon her, , lastly cover earth

in particular case, however, noblewomen made appeal mercy, , convicted woman drowned instead.

dieter furcht speculates impalement not regarded execution method, way prevent condemned becoming avenging, undead wiedergänger. in medieval italy, unrepentant murderers buried alive, head down, feet in air, practice referred in passing in canto xix of dante s inferno.

in 16th century habsburg netherlands, catholic authorities made prolonged effort stamp out protestant churches, live burial commonly used punishment of women found guilty of heresy. last executed anna utenhoven, anabaptist buried alive @ vilvoorde in 1597. reportedly, when head still above ground given last chance recant faith, , upon refusal covered , suffocated. case aroused great deal of protest in rebellious north provinces, , foiled peace feelers king philip iii @ time extending dutch. thereafter habsburg authorities avoided further such cases, punishing heresy fines , deportations rather death.

into seventeenth century in feudal russia, live burial execution method known pit , used against women condemned killing husbands. in 1689, punishment of live burial changed beheading live burial of jews in such countries ukraine reported; example instances occurred during chmielnicki massacre (1648–1649) in ukraine.