Page "Assassins" Paragraph 53

Another one of Hassan's recorded methods includes hashashins appear to have been vilified by their contemporaries.

One story goes that Hassan al-Sabah set up a trick to make it appear as if he had decapitated one of his hashashins and the " dead " hashashin's head lay at the foot of his throne.

It was actually one of his men buried up to his neck covered with blood.

He invited his hashashins to speak to it.

He said that he used special powers to allow it to communicate.

The supposed talking head would tell the hashashins about paradise after death if they give all their full hearts to the cause.

After the trick was played, Hassan had the man killed and his head placed on a stake to cement the deception.