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Living Garden Gnomes and Royal Pooping Assistants- Bizarre Jobs From History
Being gainfully employed sometimes meant vastly different things in the past than what they do today
At one time or another we have all likely had at least one job that was so weird it was hard to explain, or jobs that we hated. This is no recent development, as throughout history people have found gainful employment in some truly bizarre fields, including these three gems.
Garden Hermit: If you have a garden or even a lawn, chances are you also have had at least one garden gnome as a decoration. While they are now made of plaster, plastic or some other material, their early equivalents were actually flesh and blood. Known as garden hermits, the wealthy used to employ hermits to live in small sheds or even caves on their property, and dress like Druidsto dispense advice and be sources of entertainment.
Gordon Campbell, a professor from the University of Leicester, believes that Francis of Paola, a 15th century Italian, may have been the first garden hermit. He lived in a cave on his father’s estate but later found more dignified work as a confidant and advisor to King Charles VIII of France. Although duties could vary, these hermits typically were paid a small stipend in addition to their modest…
