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Sin-Eaters, The People Who Were Paid To Go To Hell For You
For hundred of years, society outcasts were paid to symbolically assume the sins of the dead
There are some bad jobs, some of which can really impact you. Then there are vocations that can impact you permanently. Sin-eating was one such form of entertainment, where people took their work home with them, and to the afterlife, assuming there is one. That’s because those employed in this role were paid to literally eat the sins of other, more fortunate people. The baggage they took on was meant to allow their employer to be absolved of any transgressions, allowing them entry into heaven, and presumably leaving the eater after to death to go to the other place.
The term sin-eater refers to a custom found in various cultures, but predominantly in Western Europe and the British Isles, dating back centuries. The role of a sin-eater was to ritualistically assume the sins of a deceased person by consuming food and drink placed on or near a dead body. It was believed that by completing this act, the sin-eater would take on the burden of those sins, allowing the deceased to enter the afterlife with a clear resume.
Often associated with marginalized individuals in society, such as beggars, outcasts, or individuals who were otherwise considered…
