Executioners Crafts

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The profession of executioner dates back to ancient Egypt and Rome; in Europe, it reappeared again in the 13th century. Before that, executions were carried out by judges themselves, or prosecutors or relatives of the condemned, or other individuals. It was only with the advent of the executioner that all tasks shifted to them.
Although executioners made decent money from their profession, and having their own executioner was a status symbol for every town, executioners themselves lived on the fringe of society. Associating with an executioner meant a loss of honor for respectable persons, and the executioner themselves had to face many discriminatory measures – separate place in church and at the inn, exclusion from social events, etc.
The executioner was responsible for punishments such as hanging, breaking on the wheel, burning at the stake, and torture, as well as quartering and beheading. They had assistants – henchmen – who helped with the preparation and disposal of executed bodies. Other tasks of the executioner included the removal and disposal of dead animals, catching stray dogs, and sometimes even cleaning up filth from the streets.
The executioner also sometimes oversaw the city brothel, had partial knowledge of surgery, could treat fractures, reset dislocated limbs, or amputate them in case of gangrene.
Sometimes, the executioner deceitfully sold items directly related to executions to superstitious people, such as ropes or fingers of the hanged, or amulets made from their hair.

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