hangmans knot

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: rudolph@cis.umassd.edu (Lee Rudolph)
Subject: Re: hangman's noose
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 12:06:23 GMT

>My dad insists that a Hangmans noose has to have at least 13 turns/coils in
>the (k)not to break the neck. I agrued that a simple slip (k)not would do just
>fine. Can anyone farmiliar with execution technology confirm or debunk
>this story.

Clifford W. Ashley, in _The Ashley Book of Knots_, has this to say, in
his section on "Occupational Knots" (between "The Hammock Maker" and
"The Horseman"):

	366. THE HANGMAN'S KNOT.  There are several knots 
	recommended for this purpose, and there are several 
	variations of the one gien here that may be found 
	in the chapter on Nooses.  But this knot of eight 
	turns appears to be the standard one, and it may be
	counted upon to draw up smoothly and snugly when it
	fulfills its office.  The noose is always adjusted
	with the knot slightly below and immediately in back
	of the left hear.  This is to provide the sidewise
	jerk, which is one of the refinements of a successful
	hanging.

	Hangings at sea were infrequent.  Such an occasion
	furnished a bit of extra-routine labor, in which the
	boatswain took especial pride, and in which no bungling
	was tolerated.  A boatswain's reputation would be
	forever ruined if there were any hitch on such an 
	occasion.

	Although most of the details were left to him, there 
	were certain well-established conventions which had to be
	observed.  These are given in detail in an old work on
	seamanship. A fall was led through a single block at the
	fore yardarm and thence to a second single block under
	the fore cap.  Between the two blocks was a SHEEPSHANK
	KNOT (#1154), the upper bight of which was not _half
	hitched_, as is customary, but was merely _stopped_
	with light twine.  This stopping would carry away 
	the instant the knot was hauled against the block, 
	so spilling the SHEEPSHANK.  The weight at the _noose_
	end at once dropped to take up the slack given by the
	spilled SHEEPSHANK, and it was brought up with a jerk
	by a toggle which fetched against the yardarm block.
	The toggle was _marlingspike hithced_ (#2030) and 
	seized to the rope at a point which allowed for an
	exact six-foot drop outside the rail.

	In preparation for this the fall was laid at length
	along the deck ``ready to be hurried aft'' when
	``twenty stout fellows seized the rope.''
 
Later, in the chapter on Nooses, we find

	1119.  THE HANGMAN'S KNOT.  This is the knot generally
	used for the purpose suggested by the name, because it
	may be counted on to draw up smoothly and not let go.
	...  It is sometimes contended that there should be nine
	turns to the NOOSE, so that ``even if a man has has many
	lives as a cat, there shall be a full turn for each one
	of them,'' and I have heard thirteen turns urged as the
	proper number on the assumption that there is some 
	connection between bad luck and being hanged.

	However, I learned the knot ... with only eight turns, and
	I have found the preponderance of authority in favor of
	eight turns only.

I believe this 620-page hardcover, first published in 1944, is still
in print from Doubleday; ISBN 0-385-04025-3.

Lee "your knottage may vary" Rudolph

January 25, 1995