"Moreover," he adds, "among the barbarians, where heads are chopped off with great rapidity, nothing of the kind has ever occurred." Aristotle was doubtless familiar with the story of the singing disembodied head of Orpheus and Homer's image of heads severed so rapidly they seemed still to be speaking, and Latin examples could be attested.
He emphasizes that in barbarian societies where decapitation is common, such an event has never occurred. Aristotle was likely aware of the stories of Orpheus' singing head and Homer's depiction of heads severed so quickly they still spoke, as well as examples from Latin literature.