The first 100 years or so of the United States’ existence was filled with travesties like the Civil War and the enormous slave trade which flourished in the South. In addition, manifest destiny and the inherent racism involved with the “white man’s burden” led to a number of horrible massacres of the Native American population. Some are well-known, like the Wounded Knee Massacre, but there are other terrible examples that we shouldn’t forget.

10 Sand Creek Massacre

At Sand Creek in the Colorado territory in 1864, the Cheyenne village of around 800 was supposed to be protected territory. Chief Black Kettle had brokered a deal with a nearby US Army fort for his people’s safety, but this proved to be an outright lie.

Colonel John Chivington had decided that winning battles against local Native American tribes was the best way to become a territorial delegate to Congress. When spring 1864 proved fruitless for battle, he used a 700-volunteer militia to burn Native American villages.

On November 29, just one day after Black Kettle’s deal, the Colorado Volunteers attacked Sand Creek. Nearly all the Cheyenne men were out hunting, leaving the women, children, and elders with no one to protect them. Between 100 and 400 Native Americans were slaughtered.

Although Chivington was denounced by much of the country, he was never formally charged with anything.

9 Camp Grant Massacre

Shortly after the start of President Ulysses S. Grant’s “Peace Policy” toward Native Americans, the Camp Grant Massacre occurred in southern Arizona on April 30, 1871. The local Apache had recently agreed to live at Camp Grant via an order by Lieutenant Royal E. Whitman, who also pledged to provide the tribe with food.

Unfortunately, public opinion turned against the military in Arizona, declaring them unable to protect the territory’s citizens. A handful of Americans, some Mexicans, and some rival Native American tribesmen sneaked up on the peaceful village in the middle of the night.

Most of those killed were women and children because the men were out hunting for food. The perpetrators of the massacre had used unfounded claims of Apache depredations to justify murder. Although 104 men were charged with murder, all were acquitted at trial.

8 1860 Wiyot Massacre

In an act of genocide on a small tribe, the Wiyot Massacre took place on February 26, 1860. (Smaller attacks on the Wiyot tribe took place later that week.)

For at least 1,000 years, the tribe had lived off the northern coast of California on what is now called Indian Island. The peaceful Wiyot had just completed their annual world renewal ceremony, marking the start of their new year.

The men were out gathering supplies when a small group of white men crossed Humboldt Bay and slaughtered women, children, and the elderly. From 60 to 200 people died.

The local sheriff lied, citing revenge for cattle rustling as the reason. In reality, a local militia wished to be federally recognized as a state militia to receive money from the government. The militia leader believed that massacring local tribes would accomplish that goal, but it didn’t work.

7 Bridge Gulch Massacre

The Bridge Gulch Massacre against the Wintu tribe of northern California took place on April 23, 1852. Shortly before the attack, a man named John Anderson was killed, with his riderless mule returning to a nearby corral. Nearly 70 men set out after the perpetrators, who were reportedly members of the Wintu tribe, though they were of a different band than the ones who were brutally murdered.

Surrounding a part of the small valley known as Bridge Gulch, the men attacked early in the morning, shooting nearly every man, woman, and child they saw. Over 150 Native Americans were killed, and only two small girls survived. They were taken back to the town and “adopted” by white parents.

6 Cypress Hills Massacre

One of the driving forces behind the creation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Cypress Hills Massacre took place in 1873 in what is now Saskatchewan. People of the First Nations had occupied the territory for thousands of years. Meanwhile, Montana fur traders had recently set up trading posts in the area, with tensions rising as the traders’ stocks began to dwindle.

Eventually, some disgruntled wolf hunters arrived, tired from tracking another Native American tribe who were supposedly horse thieves. When another horse went missing, the Assiniboine tribe was blamed.

The drunken Americans went to take one of the tribe’s horses as payment, but a handful of the Assiniboine, drunk as well, challenged them to a fight. The Americans slaughtered the Assiniboine, killing at least 20 of them.

Canadian officials tried in vain to prosecute those responsible, managing to capture three of them while they were still in Canada. But they were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

5 Three Knolls Massacre

By 1865, the Yana tribe’s population had dwindled to fewer than 100 in northern California around Lassen Peak. After the murders of several nearby white people during a raid, hunters tracked the culprits to Three Knolls, where the Native Americans slept.

Determined to rid the area of any remaining natives, the settlers attacked, killing dozens of Native Americans. Only a handful escaped.

A Yana tribesman named Ishi was present at the massacre as a small child, and he and his family eventually hid in some nearby mountains for almost 40 years. 1n 1911, he emerged as a frail, elderly man—the last of his people—to tell his fantastical story.

4 Marias Massacre

The deadliest massacre of Native Americans in Montana’s history was a mistake. Colonel Eugene Baker had been sent by the government to “pacify” a rebellious band of the Blackfeet tribe.

Eventually, Baker’s men tracked the tribe to a village along the Marias River. On January 23, 1870, the men surrounded the village and prepared to attack.

But a scout recognized some of the painted designs on the lodges and reported to Baker that this was the wrong band. Baker replied, “That makes no difference, one band or another of them; they are all [Blackfeet] and we will attack them.”

Most of the Native American men were out hunting, so the majority of the 173 massacred were women, children, and the elderly. When Baker discovered that the survivors had smallpox, he abandoned them in the wilderness without food or shelter, increasing the death toll by 140.

3 Yontocket Massacre

The Tolowa people laid claim to territories in northwestern California and southern Oregon that were continuously encroached upon by white settlers. By 1853, a “war of extermination” had been going on for a while, with settlers forming makeshift militias and slaughtering any Native Americans they encountered.

In the fall of that year, the Tolowa and other tribes came together to pray at Yontocket, the spiritual center of their universe, and to perform the world renewal dance. Unknown to them, a group of white people, led by J.M. Peters, was slowly creeping upon the camp.

Surrounding the Tolowa, the men began firing, indiscriminately slaughtering everyone in sight. Peters, who lost no men during the massacre, reportedly said that “scarcely an Indian was left alive.” By the end of the violence, hundreds of people had been killed.

2 Clear Lake Massacre

An island in Clear Lake, California, was renamed Bloody Island after the massacre of the indigenous Pomo tribe there in 1850. Thanks to severe mistreatment, including rape and murder, at the hands of white men who had taken various members of the tribe as slaves, the Pomo people attacked, killing two men and escaping to a nearby lake.

Captain Nathaniel Lyon, a soldier in the US Cavalry, and other men set off into the woods to find the offending tribe. The men discovered the hidden camp a short time later.

After failing to successfully reach the tribe, which had taken refuge on an island in the lake, the soldiers built a handful of boats, loaded them with cannons, and attacked. From 100 to 400 Native Americans were killed.

A local newspaper originally declared the massacre to be tantamount to state-sponsored genocide but reversed course four days later, calling it a “greatly exaggerated” story.

1 Bear River Massacre

Perhaps the deadliest massacre of Native Americans in US history, the Bear River Massacre has remained in obscurity largely because it occurred during the Civil War. The Northern Shoshone called present-day southeastern Idaho home, and it was there that they were attacked.

Mormon settlers had been progressively taking more land from the Native Americans, appropriating nearly all of the arable territory. Striking back at those stealing their land, the Shoshone soon saw themselves in the crosshairs of Colonel Patrick Connor and 200 California Volunteers, who vowed to take no prisoners.

At daybreak on January 29, 1863, the soldiers attacked, brutally killing nearly 250 Native Americans. They raped any women who hadn’t been killed, used axes to crush the skulls of the wounded, and set fire to all the lodges.

Game of Thrones is clearly inspired by the jostling of power that has happened in the British Isles for thousands of years—with a few more dragons peppered in. In reality, British history is littered with tales of murder and betrayal that make the Red Wedding look like . . . well, a normal wedding.

Here, we detail 10 of the most fascinating and gruesome historical British massacres that have taken place in the name of conquest or just sheer bloodlust.

10 The Harrying Of The North

William the Conqueror successfully invaded Britain in 1066 and spent most of the rest of his life attempting to consolidate his power in one way or another. Three years after his initial invasion, his most notorious attempt came in the form of the Harrying of the North.

English rebels in the North had been employing guerrilla tactics—attacking when William’s Norman forces were off guard and then retreating. William found it incredibly hard to engage his enemy or get them to agree to any fixed battle in order for both sides to settle their differences swiftly. Therefore, William decided to fight dirty.

At the end of 1069, he launched a campaign of total annihilation in the North—burning down entire villages and slaughtering the inhabitants. He didn’t stop there. All food supplies in the North of England between the Humber and the River Tees were destroyed to guarantee any survivors would starve to death during the winter. It’s believed that over 100,000 people died.

The massacre was chronicled 50 years later by Benedictine monk Orderic Vitalis:

Never did William commit so much cruelty; to his lasting disgrace, he yielded to his worst impulse and set no bounds to his fury, condemning the innocent and the guilty to a common fate. [ . . . ] I assert, moreover, that such barbarous homicide could not pass unpunished.^[1]

9 The Massacre Of Glencoe

In 1692, 15 years before the Act of Union between England and Scotland, James VII was in exile in France as William of Orange looked to consolidate his power within the British Isles.

The clans of Scotland were bound to an oath they had made to James, and as such, William felt the need to clarify his newly acquired authority. He gave them a deadline of January 1, 1692, to declare their allegiance to him or face “the utmost extremity of the law.”^[2]

So loyal were the clans that they waited for word from James, still clinging to the idea that he might return and regain power. It took James until December 12, 1691, to admit to himself that it was impossible, and then he released the clans from their oath. It took a further 16 days for the message to reach the Highlands, leaving the clans only a few days to meet William’s deadline.

The MacDonalds of Glencoe struggled to meet the date. Their leader, Alastair MacIain, set off to sign a declaration of loyalty on December 31. Due to the amount of red tape and travel, his signing couldn’t be completed until days after the deadline. This pleased John Dalrymple, Scottish secretary of state, who had a particular dislike for Highlanders. He rejected the late signing and ordered the eradication of the MacDonald clan.

Commander Robert Campbell of Glenylon arrived at Glencoe 12 days before the massacre took place. The soldiers accompanying him had not yet been given their orders. They were friendly with the MacDonalds and requested shelter. The MacDonalds let the soldiers stay in their own houses.

During the night of February 13, Glencoe was caught in a blizzard. While the MacDonalds slept, their guests’ orders were finally laid bare. Thirty-eight were murdered, including MacIain. Of those who managed to escape, 40 more died of exposure in the hills.

8 The Massacre Of The Jews At York

On March 16, 1190, an estimated 150 Jewish people lost their lives. It was arguably the worst day in the history of York.

There was a strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism throughout Great Britain in the Middle Ages. In this case, the people of York were successfully riled up by four men in particular. They were William Percy, Marmeduke Darell, Philip de Fauconberg, and Richard Malebisse. The men’s motives were born out of financial incompetence and greed.

They had borrowed a large amount from Jewish moneylenders based in York and saw the increasing unrest in the city as an excellent opportunity to wipe their debts clean. Under the cloak of carnage, they were able to access all records of their financial failings and destroy them.^[3]

So successfully incensed was the general public that every Jewish person of York became a target and thus was forced to take refuge in the city’s castle. Even there, they were not safe. The crowd remained at fever pitch, unwilling to disperse. Many Jewish people inside the castle’s walls recognized this as an impossible situation and decided to take their own lives rather than eventually face the primal mob.

In the castle’s keep, patriarchs of Jewish families killed their wives and children before setting fire to their surroundings to kill themselves.

7 The Wihtwara Pagan Massacre

In 686, Caedwalla, the king of Wessex, conquered what was then known as Wihtwara and is now known as the Isle of Wight. It’s a strategically useful island off the south coast of England.

The island had changed owners quite a lot. Each time, the occupying power pushed its own beliefs on the existing inhabitants. However, once the dust had settled and the captors had moved onto bigger mainland projects, the people of Wihtwara would routinely revert to good old-fashioned paganism. It was a belief system that was abhorrent to Caedwalla, who professed the importance of Christianity.

To lay lasting claim to Wihtwara and to begin its proper Christianization, King Caedwalla gave every pagan islander a choice. He or she could either sincerely convert to Christianity or be killed. Caedwalla must have doubted many of the islanders’ sincerity because most people are believed to have been killed.^[4]

Records are kind of sketchy on what the actual death toll was. Only one survivor is recorded—the king of Wihtwara’s sister, who was married to King Egbert of Kent.

6 The Betrayal Of Clannabuidhe

No entry on this list has acted as a greater inspiration for Game of Thrones and, in particular, the Red Wedding than the Betrayal of Clannabuidhe in 1574.

Sir Brian MacPhelim O’Neill, leader of the O’Neill clan of Clanaboy in what is modern-day Northern Ireland, had been well-liked by the English. He was knighted in 1568 in recognition of his service to the Crown. However, in the six years following his knighting, O’Neill fell progressively out of favor with the English.

The English were suspected of plans to garrison major buildings in Clanaboy, which strongly contributed to the dissolution of the alliance and O’Neill’s preemptive destruction of those structures to make the plans impossible.^[5]

It was in the name of peace that he invited the earl of Sussex to a feast at his castle at Castlereagh, and indeed, everything was amicable until the feast’s end. At that point, O’Neill and his close family were seized as English forces slaughtered between 200 and 500 unarmed, unsuspecting guests. O’Neill, his wife, and his brother were then taken to Dublin Castle, where they were hanged, drawn, and quartered.

5 St. Brice’s Day Massacre

St. Brice’s Day occurs on November 13 and has become synonymous with the massacre that took place on it in 1002.

Fed up with persistent Danish raids in the preceding years by Danish King Sweyn I, the English King AEthelred the Unready decided to take extreme measures. Fearing further Danish attacks and to prevent an uprising, AEthelred decided to kill every Dane already living within his territory.

The exact number of deaths is unknown, but it’s believed that many people died. Most likely, the campaign of extermination only took place in areas of England that were not in the Danelaw. Naturally, those places were protected by Danish law and had been for over 100 years. Any attempts at slaughter in the Danelaw would have been met with significant resistance.

We do specifically know that there were a lot of deaths in Oxford. AEthelred wrote of an incident at a local church:

All the Danes who had sprung up in this island, sprouting like cockle among the wheat, were to be destroyed by a most just extermination . . . those Danes who dwelt in [Oxford], striving to escape death, entered this sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make refuge . . . but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the planks and burned, as it seems, this church.^[6]

In 2008, during an excavation at St. John’s College, Oxford, the charred remains of at least 35 men were found. Further tests found that they were Vikings.

4 The Storming Of Bolton

The Storming of Bolton (aka the Bolton Massacre) most likely resulted in the greatest loss of life of any massacre during the nine-year English Civil War. It occurred on May 28, 1644, when the Roundhead (Parliamentarian) town of Bolton was attacked in the night by the Cavaliers (Royalists), under the command of Prince Rupert.

His army consisted of 2,000 cavalry and 6,000 infantry. In the dark during a heavy rainstorm, Rupert’s forces adopted a slice-first-ask-questions-later policy that resulted in the deaths of around 1,600 people. This included civilians as well as off-guard soldiers.

As is often the case, the numbers are disputable. The death estimate comes from Roundhead sources. It could have propagandistic roots, with the Roundheads inflating the number of unarmed casualties to heighten perceptions of Cavalier barbarism. Only 78 Boltonians’ deaths are noted in the town’s parish register.^[7]

3 The Peterloo Massacre

In the years leading up to the Peterloo Massacre on August 16, 1819, there had been a tremendous amount of unrest in the entire Lancashire area. The textile industry was largely concentrated in the northern areas of England and was badly affected by a national economic depression.

Factory owners had cut the wages of their workers by as much as two-thirds. Also, the Corn Laws had been introduced in 1815, which enforced tariffs on grain. When these measures were combined with pay cuts, factory workers could no longer afford food. This affected around one million working-class people in the Lancashire area, yet they were represented by only two Members of Parliament.^[8]

Politicians such as Henry Hunt became incredibly popular with the working class during this period by championing parliamentary reform and the repeal of the Corn Laws. The massing of 60,000–80,000 people on August 16, 1819, was centered on hearing Hunt and others speak about such issues as well as sending a message that change was needed to the greater powers that be.

It’s been documented that the gathering was fairly calm. People brought their entire families and had picnics during the day. However, when Henry Hunt began to give his speech, the chairman of the local magistrates ordered his cavalry to arrest Hunt.

The cavalry was separated from Hunt by the crowd and decided to simply use their sabers to hack away all who stood in their way. It took 10 minutes for the crowd to flee, and 11–18 people suffered injuries that resulted in death. The number of nonfatal injuries has been estimated to be as high as 700.

As a direct result of this incident, a newspaper called the Manchester Observer was formed to report the truth about the Peterloo Massacre. Two years later, this morphed into The Manchester Guardian, which is now simply known as The Guardian.

2 The Massacre Of Berwick

When Margaret, Maid of Norway and recognized Queen of Scots, died in 1290, no clear heir was apparent. As a result, many people claimed that the throne was rightfully theirs. This prolonged period of uncertainty meant that the Guardians of Scotland, then serving as de facto heads of state, asked King Edward I to help arbitrate the dispute. Ultimately, he chose John Balliol to become the king of Scotland.

Edward thus expected a level of loyalty from Balliol that was not received. Edward ordered Scotland to send troops to help fight in England’s war against France. Not only did Balliol refuse, but in direct response, he formed the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France in 1295.

King Edward retaliated by sacking the economic stronghold of Berwick, which lies on the border between Scotland and England. The greatest atrocities happened in the days after the sacking, as documented in the 15th-century chronicle The Scotichronicon.

It states, “When the town had been taken . . . Edward spared no one, whatever the age or sex, and for two days, streams of blood flowed from the bodies of the slain, for in his tyrannous rage, he ordered 7,500 souls of both sexes to be massacred.”^[9]

Edward’s troops continued marching north through Scotland, decisively winning the Battle of Dunbar and forcing John Balliol to abdicate soon after.

1 The Menai Massacre

The Menai Massacre took place during the Roman conquest of Anglesey in either AD 60 or 61. Anglesey is the largest island in Wales and was the home of many druids, the spiritual leaders of the native people.

It also was a place of refuge for many tribesmen who fled Roman rule. Thus, the Romans came to see Anglesey as a particularly troublesome place and the site of a possible uprising. As such, the decision was made to massacre the island’s inhabitants.

By the time that Roman General Suetonius Paulinus and his legions reached the Menai Straits, the inhabitants of Anglesey realized that there was no escape. Roman historian Tacitus detailed what happened next:

On the shore stood a dense array of armed warriors, while between the ranks dashed women . . . with hair disheveled, waving brands. All around, the druids, urged by their hands to Heaven and pouring forth dreadful imprecations, scared our soldiers by the unfamiliar sight. [ . . . ] Then urged by their general’s appeals and mutual encouragements not to quail before a troop of frenzied women, they bore the standards onward, smote down all resistance, and wrapped the fore in the flames of his own brands.^[10]

The actual number of casualties is unknown. All traces of the druids were obliterated. However, it is clear that not everyone on the island was killed as the Romans established a garrison in Anglesey in which the native tribes were indentured.

David is a freelance writer and Creative Writing MA student. You can read more of his articles at CultureRoast.com. Follow him on Twitter and Like him on Facebook.

Humans have been killing each other in droves since the dawn of times. Wars, massacres, genocides and holocausts are depressingly common occurrences in the history of mankind, as many lists on this site can attest. But there were also many times in history when animals were massacred in large numbers — cats, dogs and other animals that men had under their power, for reasons other than eating (i.e. for superstitious, religious, economic or political motives, or for mere entertainment). Here are some of the most curious and terrifying instances. [WARNING: disturbing content]

10 Absurd Sleep Habits Of Wild Animals

10 The B.C. Sled Dog Execution, Canada, 2011

After the end of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the number of tourists who wanted to take a ride in sleds pushed by dogs diminished considerably. The sled dog tour industry went into crisis, and some companies were not able to continue into business if they did not cut costs – which really meant reducing the numbers of dogs they maintained. One of the companies forced to cut costs was called Howling Dog Tours. It was aptly named, for the dogs howled in desperation as they were chased and shot execution-style, or had their throats slit by the manager and owner of the company, who could not afford to maintain a large number of dogs, at the time more than 300.

Dozens of dogs were killed by him in one single terrible night. The curious thing is that the affair was only discovered because the manager himself filed a claim with the provincial worker’s board asking for compensation for having suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the killings (he got it, too). Later, mass graves containing the remains of 56 dead dogs were found, although in the claim the number of victims mentioned goes over a 100. The case drew international outrage, and the only positive outcome was that it triggered a task force that toughened provincial animal cruelty laws.^[1]

9 The Puerto Rico Pet Massacre, 2007

In 2007 in Puerto Rico, a company called Animal Control Solutions was hired by the local government to help control the number of stray dogs and cats. Unfortunately, their “solution” involved throwing the live animals from a bridge. Worse, most of them were not even stray dogs or cats, but pets with regular owners, although most were persons who lived in projects in a poor part of the city. As the residents woke up, they found their beloved pets dead or, if they were lucky and survived, with broken bones near the bridge. After the event, thousands of Puerto Ricans took to the streets to protest, and eventually those responsible for the company were tried for animal abuse, something rare in the country. However, they were found not guilty and soon released.^[2]

8 The Ukraine World Cup stray dog killing, Ukraine, 2012

Many animal rights associations denounced a supposed killing of stray dogs led by the Ukrainian government during the build-up for the Euro 2012 soccer championship. As many other more impoverished countries in Eastern Europe, Ukraine has lots of roaming street dogs, and that, authorities feared, reflected negatively on how visitors would perceive the country. So they hatched up a plan to clear that bad image, and clear the streets of cats and dogs. However the plan did not work, for then they got the reputation of puppy-killers. While exact numbers are hard to find, some say that at least 9,000 animals were killed in three different cities. A few photos showing the carcasses of dead animals became viral and, bowing to international pressure, the Ukrainian government announced a six-month ban on the killings and ordered the local municipalities to build more animal shelters for the stray dogs instead of culling them. However, it is not clear if the measures were followed the local authorities or if it was just a way for the government to save face.^[3]

7 The Great Pre-War pet culling, England, 1939

An almost untold story of the Second World War is how after the panic of the oncoming war set in, the British government mounted a huge campaign to counsel citizens to get rid of their beloved pets in order to avoid their death or suffering during the bombings. As many as 750,000 pets were put down in just one week in 1939. While their deaths were humane, some argue that they were not necessary at all and merely represented a symptom of war hysteria.

More than the bombings, the main threat for pets was the lack of food, since there were no rations for animals and food was scarcer during wartime. However, many pets were not abandoned by their owners and were able to make it, and sanctuaries established for dogs and cats functioned during the war and saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals.^[4]

6 The Ueno Zoo Massacre, Japan, 1943

The following is also a story of preventive killing of animals during wartime, only it does not involve cats and dogs but the animals kept in a Zoo. The Japanese government believed that the animals could escape during the bombings and become dangerous, so they devised a plan to destroy them before that could happen.

It was a heartbreaking event, not so much because of the number of animals killed, between 25 and 50, but because of the way in which they died: the larger animals, including three elephants and two hippos, were simply starved to death. It took weeks for the elephants to die. Other animals such as tigers and panthers were poisoned. The event was also used as war propaganda, to prepare the population for the reality of the oncoming air attacks. The animals were described as “martyrs” that were dying for their country, even though they did not freely chose that fate.^[5]

10 Horrifying Massacres In First World Countries

5 The Zanesville Killing Fields, Ohio, U.S., 2011

In 2011, a Vietnam veteran who was heavily in debt, had been abandoned by his wife and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, decided to end his misery. Before shooting himself in the head, however, he opened the gates to liberate all the 56 exotic animals that he kept in his private farm, including bears, lions, leopards monkeys, wolves and 18 Bengali tigers – a species in grave danger of extinction.

The idea of lions, wolves and tigers roaming free among the local human population did not make anyone feel very secure, and soon the police was called to intervene. They attempted at first to shoot a tiger with tranquilizers, but that only made him more enraged, so they decided to shoot to kill. In the final count, 48 of the 56 animals ended up dead, including the 18 beautiful tigers. One monkey was still seemingly at large for weeks after the event, but the police called off the search believing it was probably eaten by one of the felines after the liberation.^[6]

4 The Great Cat Massacre, Paris, 1730

In 1730 in Paris, a group of printing apprentices, as a revenge for what they believed were bad working conditions, tortured and killed all the cats that they could find, including the beloved pet of their master’s wife. This true story is based in the diaries of a printing apprentice, who together with an accomplice killed hundreds of cats in one night. The young men that worked in the printing shop received only crumbs to eat and believed to be generally mistreated, while at the same time they saw their masters pampering their cats. So they decided to take revenge on the felines. Several cats, including the pet of their master’s wife, were captured and put into sacks. Many were killed on the spot with an iron bar. Others had to suffer a mock trial, in which they were finally ‘condemned’ to be hanged, all to the amusement of the workers of the printer’s shop, and to considerable less amusement of the masters.^[7]

3 Cat-burning and cat-throwing festivals, Europe, Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, cats were associated with witchcraft and Satanism, so it was not uncommon for them to be killed in high numbers. In most cases they were burned in giant fires in the main square of the cities, as people danced and cheered around. In one of those occasions, even the King of France took part. In some occasions, however, they suffered other more original forms of death. In the city of Ypres, Belgium, for instance, they were traditionally thrown from the belfry tower into the square below, to the amusement of the crowds. Today the macabre killings are remembered every three years during the Kattenstoet parade, which is however a cat-friendly event in which only toy cats are thrown from the tower, and people dress as cats and dance in the street, perhaps in a request of forgiveness to cats for their former ways.^[8]

2 The Swine Flu Killing, Egypt, 2009

During the swine flu scare of 2009, Egypt ordered the killing of its whole population of pigs. More than 300,000 animals were killed in a short time. While no cases of swine flu were ever documented in Egypt, the culling was announced as a preventive measure, in order to avoid possible contamination. Others, however, say that it was a punishment measure against Christians, since they are the only ones who raise pigs in the country, because Islam prohibits the consumption of swine. Be as it may, none of the pigs killed had the flu, and they were disposed of without their flesh being consumed. However, the measure later backfired badly on the government. In Egypt, the pigs were traditionally fed with the same organic trash that otherwise littered the cities. The swine were basically used as recycling machines. After their sudden disappearance, the streets of Cairo became literally covered with tons of trash, ironically exposing people to all sorts of diseases. It is possible that this added to the general discontent of the population with the government and helped the dethroning of Mubarak during the Arab Spring, a year later.^[9]

1 Gadhimai Festival, Nepal, today

The largest animal sacrifice festival in the world happens every five years in Nepal. It is called the Gadhimai Festival, in honor of the Hindu Goddess of power, Gadhimai. We tend to think of Hindus as vegetarians who would not hurt a cow, which they consider sacred. That may be true for cows, but apparently it does not apply for water buffaloes, chickens, goats, pigs and rats, which are sacrificed in the numbers of hundreds of thousands. In 2009 it is estimated that between 250,000 and 500,000 animals were killed during the three days of the festival, which was witnessed by at least a million of worshipers. The way it works is that participants bring their own animals to the feast. The animals are then decapitated with traditional khukuri knives by 250 authorized slaughterers. The blood of the animals is supposed to bring good luck. Afterwards the remains are sold to tanneries or eaten. The next Festival will take place in 2024.^[10]

Top 10 Surreal Animals That Really Exist

About The Author: Tom Creus is a freelance writer, translator and teacher. He blogs occasionally at tomwaiting.wordpress.com.

Disturbingly enough, massacres have been committed throughout human history and across the world. Evidence of this can be found during archaeological excavations as mass graves are sometimes well-preserved.

Ancient texts can also provide detailed information on past atrocities. Together, this shows the dark side of human nature and the horrors that may result from it.

10 Pit Of Severed Limbs

Among 60 Neolithic pits discovered near Bergheim, France, 14 contained human remains. One of these stood out from the rest with its morbid collection of severed limbs. The pit had severed arms, hands, and fingers from at least seven different people, including one teenager, dating to 5,335 years ago. All the bones had marks indicating they had been cut off with a knife or axe.

Underneath this were the remains of a man missing an arm, and on top of the severed limbs were the complete skeletons of seven other people consisting of two adults, four children, and one infant. A while later, 5,245 years ago, the body of a woman had been placed above these individuals.

However, these remains showed no evidence of violent trauma, just like the human remains found in the other pits in the area. As the severed remains were the only ones covered in injuries and were deposited at the same time, researchers think they are the result of warfare or armed conflict and that they were all killed in the same event.^[1]

9 Executed Immigrants

A grave containing nine skeletons was discovered near a known Neolithic settlement in Halberstadt, Germany. The settlement was part of the Linearbandkeramik culture dated to 5500–4900 BC, the first full-time farmers in Central Europe.

As most graves from the period consist of individual inhumations with the occasional cremation, this mass grave stood out. The grave consisted of seven adult males, one young adult female, and one probable teenage male. There were no grave goods, and the skeletons seemed to have been thrown into the grave as they were positioned in a disorderly fashion.

Seven of the skeletons had well-preserved skulls, revealing that each had at least one injury to the cranium from a blunt force trauma. One individual had at least two such injuries, while another had at least five.

All the injuries had been sustained at around the time of death and were likely the cause of death. Isotope analysis of six of the skeletons revealed that five of them were immigrants, having moved to the area not long before death.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopes also revealed that their diets were very different from that of the locals. Researchers thus believe that the nine were potentially immigrants who were executed and dumped into a mass grave.^[2]

8 Obliterated Village

Yet another massacre from the Linearbandkeramik culture in the Neolithic was discovered in Schoneck-Kilianstadten, Germany, in a 7,000-year-old grave. It contained the remains of at least 26 people. Most of them had signs of blunt force trauma to their heads, and many had had their lower legs broken around the time of death.

As there was such a large group of people in one grave (at a time when people were usually buried separately), no grave goods (which were highly common at the time), and a high rate of violent injuries, this is believed to have been the result of a massacre which would have decimated the village.

Half the individuals were children, but there were no teenagers. Of the adults, only two were female. Thus, women and teenagers may possibly have been taken as captives or they may have managed to escape.^[3]

7 Magi Genocide

Shockingly enough, an annual holiday in the Persian Empire was a celebration of a genocide committed against the Magi, a group of people living in Media (which is now in modern-day Iran). They were conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 549 BC.

Although they followed a different type of Zoroastrian religion and had many norms and beliefs that differed from the Persians, the Magi found their place in the new land. Most of them became priests and took up important positions in society.

However, in 522 BC, 27 years after they were conquered, the Magi were brutally massacred by decree of Darius I. He claimed that Cyrus the Great’s son, Cambyses, had gone crazy and sent an assassin to kill his brother, Smerdis, who was next in line to the throne. Then Cambyses accidentally killed himself by falling on his sword.^[4]

Supposedly, the Magi leaped at the opportunity and put an impostor on the throne, pretending that he was Smerdis so that they could rule. Darius I gathered his men and stormed the castle, beheading the supposed impostor and any other Magi present. The king’s men then ran into the streets and ordered everyone to grab any weapons and kill any Magi they could find. The people obliged and spent the rest of the day hunting down the Magi.

For years afterward, the Slaughter of the Magi was an annual holiday in Persia where people feasted and celebrated. On this day, any surviving Magi had to stay in their houses. If found outside, they could be freely beaten and left to die. According to historians, Darius I most likely made up the story of a king-impersonator as an excuse to take over the throne himself.

6 Pyramid Pits

In China, a massive step pyramid from around 2300 BC was recently excavated, leading to the discovery of six pits containing decapitated human heads. The pyramid is 70 meters (230 ft) high with 11 steps. At the time of its use, it was surrounded by a giant city, named Shimao in modern times.^[5]

On top of the pyramid, there was a large residential complex for the city’s elite and an area for craft production. The skull pits were discovered below the pyramid and may have been a building sacrifice.

The skulls most likely belonged to people from the neighboring city of Zhukaigou. They may have been captives from an expansion of Shimao who were sacrificed to show the power of their conquerors. All the skulls belonged to young females, but further information has not yet been revealed.

5 The ‘Great Death Pit’ Of Ur

In Ur in ancient Mesopotamia, six burial pits were discovered and named “death pits.” Most of these consisted of a single burial of a high-status individual. However, one stood out. It was named the “Great Death Pit” as it contained 74 individuals, six males and 68 females.

The males were placed at the entrance of the pit and had helmets and weapons. They have been interpreted as guards of the burial. The females were placed in rows throughout the tomb.

One of the females had a highly intricate headdress that was much more elaborate than the simple headdresses worn by all the others buried there. She also wore expensive jewelry. Due to this, it is believed that the other 73 individuals were sacrificed when she died and then buried to accompany her in the afterlife. It is unknown whether this was voluntary or not.^[6]

4 War Remains

Throughout history, massacres have commonly resulted from battles during wars. The excavated mass grave from Visby, Sweden, is a vivid example of such warfare.

Visby is located on the island of Gotland, which was an important medieval trading spot. King Valdemar IV of Denmark sent a large army to attack the island in AD 1361, both to gain their wealth and supposedly as a personal vendetta as the inhabitants were said to sing rude drinking songs about him.

As the Danish army was made up of highly skilled mercenaries and the Swedish army consisted of untrained men, the residents of Gotland were brutally massacred. The bodies were buried in several mass graves that were excavated in the 20th century.

The graves revealed that a third of the defenders were children, elderly, or crippled.^[7] The bodies were also buried wearing their armor and carrying their weapons. Some even had weapons from the attackers still inserted in their bodies. As the remains are so well-preserved, these graves are a unique discovery.

3 Shackled Skeletons

During the excavation of a large cemetery from the ancient city of Phaleron near Athens, Greece, a mass grave was discovered. The cemetery contained around 1,500 burials from the eight to the fifth century BC.

The mass grave was made for 80 individuals and stands out as 36 of them were shackled with their arms above their heads. This grave is dated to 650–625 BC based on the pottery shards found within it.^[8]

Due to the date of the grave and the way the people were buried, piled together, and bound, it has been speculated that they were rebels from the revolt in 632 BC. At this time, a former Olympic champion, Cylon, had raised a group of people to try to take over Athens.

However, when he failed, Cylon escaped and left the rest of his group to be captured. Though the story matches the grave, there is presently no way to say for certain that this was Cylon’s group of rebels.

2 Fort Massacre

A partial excavation of a ringfort at Sandby borg on the Swedish island of Oland revealed a potential massacre of its inhabitants in the fifth century AD. The fort is made up of an oval wall surrounding over 50 houses.

Only a handful of houses have been excavated. But so far, they have revealed over two dozen human remains, an unusually high number for such a small excavation.

The individuals are spread out across the houses and the roads. Some are articulated, and some are disarticulated. Two discovered in the same house were partially charred, indicating that there was a fire for unknown reasons.

Several of the skulls, one individual’s shoulder, and another person’s hip have blunt force trauma. All the injuries are on the back or side of the bodies indicating that the people were fleeing rather than fighting back. All the individuals whose sex could be determined are males, so women may have either been spared or taken as captives.^[9]

1 Child Sacrifice

The largest child sacrifice discovered so far is located on the northern coast of Peru and was committed by the Chimu Empire somewhere between AD 1400 to 1450. On a bluff near the ocean, 140 children and 200 llamas were discovered.

The children were 5–14 years old, with most aged 8–12. They had a red pigment made from cinnabar smeared on their faces. Their chests had been cut open at the time of death, potentially to cut out their hearts, and they were mostly buried facing west toward the ocean. The llamas were all juveniles, 18 months old or less, and most of them were buried facing east toward the Andes.

There were also three adult humans buried nearby. They all had blunt force trauma to the head and were buried without grave goods. All the burials are believed to have been from a single event.

Footprints were also preserved from the time, showing adults, children, young llamas, and dogs moving around. They indicate that the children were brought in from the north and south and met in the middle of the bluff for the sacrifice. DNA analysis reveals that both boys and girls were sacrificed, and isotopic analysis indicates that the children came from all over the empire.^[10]