Head taking is also a way to ensure that your victim is not resurrected, or returns as a zombie or vampire or ghoul. If you have spent enough time fighting vampires and their allies, taking the heads of the dead might not only seem reasonable, but might also be a sign of a particularly ANTI-chaotic inclination.
Years ago I wrote a (heavily RQ specific) article about what people might do to ensure that their powerful enemies stay dead in a world with resurrection. Taking heads is a simple first start.
Which may have been part of how it started. Taking the head thus shows that you have total victory, from which there can be no return. Its obvious how thus displaying the totality of your victory could become such a custom.
Cheers David
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