re: Worst way to die?

I learned about the Blood Eagle watching Vikings.

quote:

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The blood eagle is a ritualized method of execution, detailed in late skaldic poetry. According to the two instances mentioned in the Sagas, the victims (in both cases members of royal families) were placed in a prone position, their ribs severed from the spine with a sharp tool, and their lungs pulled through the opening to create a pair of “wings”. There is continuing debate about whether the ritual was a literary invention, a mistranslation of the original texts, or an authentic historical practice.

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Apparently, if you cry out at all, you bring shame to your family and are not permitted into Valhalla.