How Exactly Did One Become an Executioner in Medieval Times?

What Was Life Like for Medieval Executioners?

The Perception of Executioners

• Executioners in the Medieval era are often viewed negatively, depicted as cruel figures. However, many approached their role with reverence and a strong sense of duty.

The Responsibilities and Risks

• Executioners aimed to minimize the suffering of those they executed, as a botched execution could endanger their own lives. Professionalism was crucial in this line of work.

Becoming an Executioner

• The path to becoming an executioner varied significantly across regions and time periods. Many were former criminals or coerced into the role due to its unpopularity.

• In Scandinavian countries, it was common practice to maim executioners (e.g., cutting off ears) for public identification after they took on the job.

Branding and Social Stigma

• Some executioners were branded on their heads to signify their profession. For instance, a thief in Sweden became an executioner to avoid hanging and was branded accordingly.

• In Germany, historically, the role of executioner was often forced upon a victim's oldest male relative rather than being a paid position.

Societal Isolation

• Many people believed that taking on the role of an executioner would lead to damnation in the afterlife. Despite some absolution by church decree in certain areas, societal ostracization persisted.

• Executioners typically lived outside towns or near undesirable locations like latrines or brothels due to social stigma associated with their profession.

Legal Restrictions and Family Impact

• Laws often restricted interactions between executioners and society; for example, dining with them was forbidden in places like Memmingen.

• The children and spouses of executioners faced similar shunning from society, leading to generational cycles where families remained within this marginalized profession.

Economic Challenges

Executioners: The Dual Role of Torturers and Healers

The Profession of Executioners

• Executioners were often seen as both executioners and medical practitioners, possessing extensive knowledge of human anatomy due to their dual roles in torture and execution.

• Frantz Schmidt, a notable 17th-century German executioner, treated over 15,000 patients while executing only 394 people, highlighting the medical aspect of his profession.

• Schmidt's career began under duress as he inherited the role from his father but eventually gained respect for his professionalism in a stigmatized job.

Challenges Faced by Executioners

• In Germany, laws mandated that an executioner could be condemned to death if they failed to execute someone properly (more than three swings), emphasizing the high stakes involved.

• Executioners faced constant danger from vengeful relatives or hostile crowds; incompetence or cruelty could lead to mob violence against them.

• Schmidt documented instances where crowds turned violent during executions, illustrating the precarious nature of their work and public perception.

Training and Preparation

• Becoming an executioner required extensive training through a lengthy apprenticeship involving education from parents and practical experience with animals before handling human executions.

• This rigorous preparation aimed to ensure proficiency since mistakes could provoke violent reactions from onlookers.

Economic Aspects of Being an Executioner

• Despite its dangers, being an executioner could be financially rewarding; skilled individuals traveled for work due to a shortage of willing candidates in their localities.

• Extra income was often earned through bribes from condemned individuals or families seeking leniency or comfort during executions.

Additional Roles and Benefits

• Executioners had unique privileges such as claiming property worn at death and mediating disputes among marginalized groups like prostitutes or lepers for additional fees.

• In some regions, they had rights over stray animal carcasses which provided further economic benefits through valuable materials like hides or teeth.

Executioners in Medieval Times: Pay and Perception

Earnings of Executioners

• Executioners in medieval times earned relatively good pay compared to their social standing, with an executioner in a small German town around 1276 earning about 5 shillings per execution.

• This amount was equivalent to what a skilled tradesman could earn in approximately 25 days, highlighting the financial disparity between these professions.

• By the 1400s in England, executioners reportedly earned up to 10 shillings per execution, which was roughly 16 times more than a skilled tradesman's daily wage.

Workload and Wealth

• Despite the seemingly lucrative pay per execution, many executioners did not amass wealth; for instance, Frantz Schmidt executed around 400 people over nearly five decades.

• The workload suggests that while the hourly pay might have been decent, it wasn't sufficient for significant wealth accumulation.

Social Stigma and Identity

• Contrary to popular belief, the practice of executioners wearing masks to conceal their identities was not common; they were often publicly known figures due to societal branding.