Decapitation (redirected from Beheadings)

Decapitation

See also Headlessness.

Antoinette, Marie

(1755–1793) queen of France beheaded by revolutionists. [Fr. Hist.: NCE, 1697]

Argos

lulled to sleep and beheaded by Hermes. [Gk. Myth.: Metamorphoses, I]

Boleyn, Anne

(1507–1536) beheaded by husband, Henry VIII, for adultery and incest. [Br. Hist.: NCE, 325]

Gawain, Sir

challenged by the Green Knight, Gawain cuts off his head. [Br. Lit.: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Benét, 934]

Grey, Lady Jane

(1537–1554) English queen beheaded at 17. [Br. Hist.: NCE, 1146]

Guillotin, Joseph

(1738–1814) physician; advocated humane method of capital punishment. [Fr. Hist.: Wallechinsky, 164]

Holofernes

Assyrian commander-in-chief beheaded by Judith. [Apocrypha: Judith 13:4–10]

Hydra

nine-headed serpent beheaded by Heracles. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 489]

John the Baptist

head presented as gift to Salome. [N.T.: Mark 6:25–28]

Medusa

beheaded by Perseus. [Gk. Myth.: Hall, 206; Rom. Lit.: Metamorphoses]

More, Sir Thomas

(1478–1535) English statesman beheaded by King Henry VIII. [Br. Hist.: NCE, 1830]

Queen of Hearts

constantly orders beheadings. [Br. Lit.: Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland]

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Decapitation 

(1) Cutting off the heads of animals in physiological and biochemical experiments. Decapitation is used in order to remove nervous and humoral (through the blood) influences of the brain on the spinal cord, organs, and tissues. (Decapitation is necessary, since, when the spinal cord is cut below the medulla oblongata, only the nervous influences are excluded, and the humoral ones are retained.)

(2) Removal of the apical point from the stem of a plant.