Medieval Europe left in world historyhuge bloody trail. And all because the death penalty in those days was set on a par with entertainment programs, so not a single weekend passed without this “entertainment”. The implementation of the death sentence could not have taken place without the executioners. They were the ones who tortured, cut off the heads and prepared the guillotines. But who is the executioner: cruel and heartless or forever damn unhappy man?
Ignoble vocation
The executioner was considered an employee of the judiciarysystems authorized to carry out punishment and the death penalty by the ruler of the state. It would seem that the profession of the executioner could well be honorable with this definition, but everything was different. He was not free to change his occupation, to go to public places.
Жить им приходилось за городом, там же где и housed prisons. He does all the work himself from the beginning to the end, that is, he prepared the necessary tools, and after the case was completed, he buried the corpse. Their work required a good knowledge of anatomy.
Существует миф, будто бы они носили черные маски.In fact, they did not hide their faces, and they could be recognized by their black attire and highly developed muscles. Hiding the face did not make sense, because everyone already knew who the executioner was and where he lives. They covered their faces only during the execution of the kings, so that their loyal servants did not take revenge afterwards.
Position in society
Парадоксальная ситуация:citizens enthusiastically watched the executioner, but they gazed at him. Maybe people would treat them with great respect, if they had a decent financial position. They received a small salary. As a bonus, they could take away all the things of the executed person. Often moonlighted by exorcists. In the Middle Ages, they were convinced that by torturing your body you could cast out demons, this was in the hands of professional torturers.
Но палач - что за профессия, если не имеет certain privileges. He could absolutely free of charge in the market what he needed. This kind of privilege is due to the fact that no one wanted to take money from the hands of the murderer. At the same time, the state needed such people, and therefore traders followed this rule.
Another way to make money for them wastrade in unusual gizmos. These included parts of the body of executed people, skin, blood, various potions. Alchemists were convinced that you could create special potions from such ingredients. They also bought hangers' ropes, according to some legends, it could bring good luck to its owner. Doctors bought the body completely and carried out on them their studies of the human body and internal organs. Mages bought skulls for their rituals.
Who is the executioner in his position, it was possible to understand, coming to church. Like any other Christian, he was allowed into it, but had to stand at the entrance and take the communion last.
Bloody dynasty
Кому же приходило в голову начать заниматься such a craft? The profession of executioner in the Middle Ages was inherited - from father to son. As a result, whole clans were formed. Almost all the executioners living in the same region were related by family ties. After all, for such a man, representatives of other classes would never have given their beloved daughter.
The low position of the executioner was able to tarnish the entire family of the bride. Their wives could only be the same daughters of executioners, gravediggers, flayer or prostitutes altogether.
People called executioners "whores sons" andThey were right, because they often became wives of executioners. In Tsarist Russia, no executioner dynasties were created. They were chosen from former felons. They agreed to "dirty" work in return for food and clothing.
Subtleties of mastery
At first glance it may seem that thispretty simple job. In fact, it took a lot of knowledge and training to decapitate the criminals. From the first attempt to cut off the head is not easy, but when the executioner knew how to do this, it was believed that he had achieved a high level of skill.
Who is the executioner as a professional?This one who understands the structure of the human body, knows how to use all sorts of torture devices, has enough physical strength to wield an ax and dig graves.
Executioner's curse
In the people there was a legend that was damnedexecutioner. Who knew this, understood that there was nothing in common with magic and the supernatural. This was connected with society’s view of the life of people engaged in ignoble trades. By tradition, becoming an executioner, it was no longer possible to abandon this work, and if a person refused, he himself was recognized as a criminal and executed.
So becoming a torturer-executioner by birth,man was forced to do dirty work all his life. No free will. Life is far from people, inability to change jobs and limited choice of life partner. For centuries in the dynasties of the executioners, more and more new hereditary killers were born.
