The sound of a shearing, falling blade is the stuff of nightmares and brings to mind a head falling into a waiting basket...portrayed in comedy, cartoon and horror films alike, however on the 25th April 1792 it was used for the first time in France for real.
The first 'customer' for the angled blade was highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier and the guillotine (named after inventor Joseph-Ignace Guillotine) remained as France's principle method of execution right up until the abolition of capital punishment in 1981! Very much in living memory for those of us at a certain age.
The last person to be put to death by guillotine in France was Turkish farm worker Hamida Djandoubi also known as 'The Pimp Killer' on 10th September 1977, he was found guilty on all counts of horrific crimes which included the kidnapping, torture and murder of his ex-girlfriend Elisabeth Bousquet. This event was also the last time a western country executed an person by beheading.
Thursday, 25 April 2019
Friday, 19 April 2019
Gorleston-on-Sea Black Dog
While on duty at the rescue headquarters on the 19th April 1972, Graham Grant is said to have watched a very large black dog running on the sand, it would stop every so often to look around, then before his eyes vanished in the middle of the beach!
There are lots of books about Norfolk Folklore, here's a good place to start:
There are lots of books about Norfolk Folklore, here's a good place to start:
Thursday, 18 April 2019
On this day in 1857 - The Spirits Book.
On this day - April 18th in 1857 - the famous book, regarded as the most important in the spiritist movement was published, The Spirits Book by Allan Kardec.
It is composed mainly of a collection of questions about the origin of spirits, what the afterlife entails, the concepts of good and evil and ultimately the purpose of life. The answers were provided by a group of spirits who called themselves 'The Spirit of Truth' and he communicated with them in many sessions during the 1850's.
It contains many concepts that we still grapple with today, and is still available (on Amazon would you believe it?! See link below) including do spirits pre-exist and survive physical matter, are there good and evil spirits, reincarnation and guardian 'angels'. Fascinating stuff, and groundbreaking especially for the time.
It is composed mainly of a collection of questions about the origin of spirits, what the afterlife entails, the concepts of good and evil and ultimately the purpose of life. The answers were provided by a group of spirits who called themselves 'The Spirit of Truth' and he communicated with them in many sessions during the 1850's.
It contains many concepts that we still grapple with today, and is still available (on Amazon would you believe it?! See link below) including do spirits pre-exist and survive physical matter, are there good and evil spirits, reincarnation and guardian 'angels'. Fascinating stuff, and groundbreaking especially for the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)