Page 139 - Adlard Coles "The Knot Bible"

Hangman’s knot

It’s probably the most famous knot in the world, instantly recognisable to KNOT SCORE
almost anyone due to its morbid associations. It has inspired fi lms, books Strength
and songs – and there are superstitious beliefs about exactly how it should Security
be tied. Yet the hangman’s knot does have other uses, apart from hanging Diffi culty Tying
people. And it’s up to you how many turns you put in it. Diffi culty Untying
Usefulness

‘Did you ever see a hangman tie a presumably to underline the to attach an eye in the end of a line,
hangknot?/I’ve seen it many a time condemned person’s bad luck, while in place of a splice.
and he winds, he winds/After another says nine, so that ‘even if a In practice, the number of turns
thirteen times he’s got a hangknot.’ man has as many lives as a cat, there you put in depends on how slippery
(Woody Guthrie, Hangknot, Slipknot) shall be a full turn for each one of the line is and also how easily you
There are several knots that can them’ (Ashley’s Book of Knots). want the noose to run: the more
be used for hanging, including the Either way, the hangman’s knot is turns there are, the greater the
ichabod and gibbit (pages 133–134) particularly suited to the task, partly friction, and therefore the tighter the

and the scaffold knot (page 140). because it’s difficult to untie, but also knot’s grip. In most of the above
Even a common running noose such because it’s more likely to break the instances, six to eight turns should
as the honda knot (page 120) or person’s neck, which is the desired usually suffi ce.
running bowline (page 132) will result, rather than strangle them. Back to Woody for the grand fi nale:
serve the purpose. But the most Aside from this morbid function, ‘I don’t know who makes the law for
iconic by far is the hangman’s knot. the hangman’s knot does have other that hangknot/But the bones
As Woody Guthrie suggests in his applications. Anglers know it as the of many a men are whistling in the
1963 song, the number of turns in ‘uni’ knot, where its multiple turns wind/Just because they tied their
the knot is significant. One school can tame even the most slippery laws with a hangknot.’

of thought recommends 13, line. Aboard ship, it can be used

1 Put a pair of bights in the end 2 Pass the working end over 3 Keeping the bights in situ, wind
of the line. both bights. the working end around both bights,
working from the bottom upwards.

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