Impalement is an ancient method of execution . The practice differed from place to place and throughout history. However, usually in impalement, a long stake or pole with a pointed end was pushed through the human body. The other end of the stake was often forced into the ground, suspending the victim in the air until the victim died from the injuries. Some impalements suspended the victim with sharp hooks through the body, often through the ribs. In other instances, the victim was thrown down on a hook or smaller stake fixed in the ground. People commonly suffered great thirst and begged for water. Some begged to be killed.
The most famous ruler said to have used impalement was the prince Vlad III Dracula (1431-1476) of Walachia (a region in what is now Romania ) during the Middle Ages . The term Middle Ages refers to the period in European history from about the 400’s through the 1400’s. During Vlad’s lifetime, stories began to appear about his practice of impaling tens of thousands of his own subjects, as well as his enemies. Whether the stories were true is questionable. However, the narratives remained in the public consciousness and Vlad III was nicknamed Vlad the Impaler. Many other rulers and governments have also used impalement to frighten people into obeying the law.
Impalement was usually used for punishment in the most severe crimes. But some authorities used it for crimes that are now considered minor. Impalement was intended to cause victims suffering for hours before they died. Another purpose of impalement was to send a clear visual message to others that punishment for crimes would be severe. The practice was considered humiliating as well as cruel.
Impalement can also refer to another practice. In the past, various cultures drove stakes of metal or wood through the bodies of the dead prior to burial. This practice, more commonly called “staking,” was performed for different reasons from place to place. For instance, some cultures staked corpses because they believed the ritual prevented people from returning from the dead.
