10 facts about an Executioner
We all know that an executioner is someone paid to execute a person who has be found guilty of a particular crime and condemned.
This is particularly a very disturbing job and you can’t tell for sure the activities of people with the job of execution.Here’s 10 facts about Executioners when they are not busy taking people’s lives.
1.) The traditional headdress is just in books and movies.
If you’ve ever seen a movie that featured an executioner you may have seen the headdresses that they wear. The real executioners in the Middle Ages didn’t wear anything to cover their faces. The only exception to this rule is if the executioner was working for medieval kings these executioners wore the headdress to show that they were working for royalty.
2.) the executioner could perform wedding ceremonies
Interesting facts about executioners. This could be the most bizarre executioners did well just end people’s lives. They also ended their singleness. Not only could an executioner legally kill they could also perform wedding ceremonies.
Some of the wedding ceremonies that were performed were consensual. However many of the women who were married by an executioner were forced into marriage and indentured servitude. The reason that executioners were the ones who performed these forced weddings is that priests often refused to perform a wedding ceremony that wasn’t consensual.
3.) The executioner had access to the belongings of the Executed individual.
The main income of an Executioner is whatever they could take from the executed for a while. The executioner could only take what was under the executed person’s belt. Later the laws changed.
The executioner was allowed to take all of the Executed individuals clothing and other personal items. The one thing that the executioner did not have access to was the belongings in the executed individual’s home. Those items were left for the spouse and the family of the Executed number for executioners were offered free food in the market. When an executioner walked through the markets they were allowed to take all the food that they wanted. At no cost. This was because they were not paid enough to feed themselves. The only way that they could afford to eat lunch to take what they needed from the markets the people who sold food at the market didn’t mind that the executioners were taking their food.
In fact if an executioner were to offer to pay for the food the sellers would usually not accept the money. Some people believe that they gave the food away just in case they ended up on the chopping block.
Market owners thought that the executioner wouldn’t be able to harm them if they were given free food.
5.) Executioners in the Middle Ages performed exorcisms (Removal of evil spirits)
In the Middle Ages. Executioners did more than put people to death. They were also expected to perform exorcisms as necessary.
The reason that the job was left to an executioner is that they were experienced in the art of torture. It was believed that torture was the best way to expel evil spirits from a possessed person. When the possessed person was tortured. It would force the demon to leave the body. This was only done if a priest evaluated the individual and was sure that they were possessed by an evil spirit.
6.) Executioners had to obey certain rules and church.
Executioners had just as much right to go to church and pray as everyone else. However they did have to obey certain rules when they were in church. The executioner was not allowed to sit down. He was forced to stand in the back by the door behind the other church worshippers.
Also when it came time to go to the front of the church and accept the sacrament the executioner had to wait until all of the worshippers had gone before him. They had to be the last one to approach the front of the church.
7.) There were also female executioners
In France men were not the only ones who held the position of an executioner. Women were also allowed to hold the position. In twelve sixty five at the Treasury of Lewis the holy. It was said that if a judge decided that a person acted illegally or if they were coerced they would be executed by a person of the same sex. If a woman were to be ordered to be executed it would be done at the hands of a female executioner. Number eight the rules regarding retirement. Just like any job. Eventually an executioner will need to retire when they are too old and not capable of handling the job any longer before the executioner is allowed to leave their job.
They would need to offer the city a reasonable replacement. This would be a candidate who possesses the qualities necessary to be an executioner until the retiring executioner is able to find a replacement. They would be unable to leave their post
9.) Executioners never held a high position in the society
when it came to their position in society executioners were considered to be low class. They fell into the same category as prostitutes and actors. If a person were to bump into an executioner and they just touched the person casually it was considered to be a very unpleasant experience. This was likely because of all the people that the executioner had killed.
10.) Executioners provided service to citizens
The job of the executioner was more than just taking lives. They also provided services to citizens. He would sell parts of corpses that would be used to make drugs things like the hand of a person who was executed or the rope that was used to hang them were also sold. This was a way that the executioner could supplement their very low income.