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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