Gallows

Gallows are a really big, tall, and scary looking structure that are used to hang people. The structure usually has a long vertical pole with a sturdy vertical support at the base. Attached to the top of the pole is a crossbeam that has a rope dangling from it in the middle.

When someone is sentenced to hang, they are usually escorted to the gallows where they are given a chance to say their last words – like goodbye or something else important they want to say. Then, a rope is placed around their neck, and the other end of the rope is tied to the beam above them.

Once everything is set up, either someone pulls a big lever or a trapdoor opens under the person's feet. When this happens, the person falls down, and the rope pulls tight around their neck. This can cause the person to die from suffocation as their throat is crushed, or from a broken neck bone.

Gallows may seem scary and cruel, but they were once used as a form of punishment for serious crimes like murder. Nowadays, hanging people as a form of punishment is illegal in most countries.