Stories

Marjatta Pulkkinen (1997, 126) describes Silversmed’s execution in her book Tuohi-Antin mustalammas as follows: “The executioner stepped forward. The public held their breath. But if they expected screaming and swearing and resistance, they were mistaken. Meek as a lamb, Erkki let his eyes be covered, and he was lifted to the cart. The horse started to walk towards the execution site. An old nag, which had spent its best days in farm work, still served in such a task. A hairy horse, with its head down, its hooves slowly clopping on the street. The man with a hood on his head, the executioner next to him.”