>>17911885
>>17911866
Hanging has its roots in Germanic human sacrifice rituals, dedicated to the one eyed God *Wothnaz. This is not a joke, you won't find references to "hanging" as a method of execution before the migration era.
In Havamal, Odin hangs himself on the world tree Yggdrasil ("terrifying mount," a kenning for gallows?), impales himself on his own spear Gungnir ("swaying") and hangs for the 9 days and 9 nights (the number 9 is a recurring theme in Norse mythology) refusing food or water, in order to learn the secret of writing with runes.
The motif of hanging prisoners by the neck, especially from trees (oak or ash in particular) is uniquely germanic, and is documented by Roman times by Roman authors. As these tribes spread out and took over Western Europe, they brought with them their legal customs, which included execution by hanging. Even after they converted, they still unconsciously followed the custom of their ancestors in veneration of the mad God.
The motif of hanging wicked men from trees, which are sacred in Germanic religion, is long lasting. During the American civil war, "Oh we'll hang Jeff Davis from a sour apple tree" was a popular pro-Union song as early as 1861. This means Americans were calling for human sacrifice to Woden as recently as 150 years ago. A "sour apple tree" is used instead of Oak or Ash, because crabapples are not particularly large trees, or because the sour taste of the fruit implies particular insult to the sacrificed. Also notable is the fact that American officers still wear oak leaves as a symbol of rank (Oak leaves are a symbol of Thor, as Oak trees have always been associated with thunder by Indo European peoples).
Even today, many nations all over the globe use hanging as a method of execution, because of influence from European nations. This means that when the Taliban execute political prisoners by hanging, they are unwittingly creating human sacrifice toward a one eyed Germanic God of wisdom.