10 Worst Ways People Have Been Tortured To Death

The term flaying simply means the removal of skin, but when it is employed as a means of torture and execution, it is practically an artform. Flaying was often reserved for high crimes including treason, the denial of an afterlife, and apostasy, which is to turn from one's religion.

A victim was tied up, often against a post or tree in a public square where their torture was done in a place all could see. The torturer was often highly skilled in the art and they would approach the victim with the goal of removing their skin, but keeping it intact.

Ideally, a flaying would involve removing the skin along the extremities and moving across the body while keeping the removed skin in one piece. The torture would take a long time to complete and it was done best when the victim remained alive for most, if not all of the process.

A flayed victim would often die due to shock, but other causes could include infection, blood or bodily fluid loss, and hypothermia. Flaying has been practiced throughout history across numerous cultures including the Assyrians, Persians, Catholics, English, French, Ottomans, and many more.