
A Short History of the Executioner (2014) - lermontov
http://theappendix.net/posts/2014/06/a-short-history-of-the-executioner
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erric
Hardcore History’s latest podcast is one about capital punishment through the
ages. He touches on some of the stigma or awe these persons were given.

It’s not for everyone as Dan is very descriptive.

[https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-
series/](https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/)

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mhuffman
Thank you so much for the heads up! I love HH and have been sorely missing a
new episode.

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trhway
>executioners only entered the city to perform tasks relating to their office.
Those entailed the duties, of course, of torturing or killing the condemned,
but they also included a variety of basses oeuvres with peculiar perks, such
as the exclusive right to clean cesspools (and any valuables contained
therein), the right to claim stray animals

reminded - some [or is it everybody's job duty?] animal control employees do
put to death all those cats and dogs. When i see an animal control it causes
very mixed feelings as i hope that i'm looking at a good person who does
his/her best and/or doesn't know better while s/he really may be just a
typical executioner and even a sadist enjoying the job and power over his/her
victims.

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neverartful
I get what you're saying about Animal Control, but you may be overlooking one
of the kindest things they do - keep your lost pet in safe area until you find
it.

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Theodores
It seemed that there was a past where every town and village would have an
executioner or hangman. I did not know they were outcasts though, with a
system for that.

The funniest is the American guy who did the Germans at Nuremberg, he blagged
the job and probably botched it really, making those poor Germans have even
more misery than afforded by a clean execution. He was not from any genuine
background of family profession.

~~~
georgecmu
_I did not know they were outcasts though, with a system for that._

Indeed, in _La Reine Margot_ [0], one of the protagonists escapes the
brodequin[1] by simply having shaken the executioner's hand in the past:

    
    
         Monsieur, dit Caboche, vous êtes le seul gentilhomme
         qui m'ait donné la main, et l'on a de la mémoire et un
         coeur, tout bourreau qu'on est, et peut- être même 
         parce qu'on est bourreau. Vous verrez demain comme je 
         ferai proprement ma besogne. 
       

His more socially selective friend was not so fortunate.

[0]
[http://www.dumaspere.com/pages/bibliotheque/chapitre.php?lid...](http://www.dumaspere.com/pages/bibliotheque/chapitre.php?lid=r38&cid=58)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodequin_(torture)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodequin_\(torture\))

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lurquer
Sigh... Got all excited to read an article about Mack Bolan. Oh well...

