In the novel "Shogun," The Samurai who became Shogun sentenced his rival to die of old age. That rival was buried up to his neck, there was a bamboo saw nearby, and passersby were allowed to take a saw at his neck. He died eventually, a very old man indeed.
This sounds like they hated this rival guy so much, they wouldn't "spit on him if he was on fire," rather leaving him to slow decay in his own feces, starvation, and to be eaten away by insects and bacteria
He didn't starve because after a few days of people sawing at his neck, that's what killed him. But, it was such a prolonged and tortuous way to go, that "he died a very old man indeed." He didn't expire of natural old age, as we normally construe "die of old age."
Comments