Had one just today!!!
As abhorrent they are I just watched two current movies with beheadings: Hidalgo, and Wind Talkers. I think of even children's tales (Western) where the wicked King or witch shouts "Off with his head!!" The Vietnamese (North and South) as well as Cambodes dabbled in the taking off of heads.
It's not as rare as we would like to think and not confined to the Islamics.
The first case I can personally remember was my TAC in Training Group, Sgt Grogan. He was beheaded in RVN and his head mounted on a pole in a village for display.
