How do people become executioner?

In some cases, butchers were roped in to become executioners, or convicts were offered the job as an alternative to their own deaths. But typically, executioners came into the jobs through family ties; most in the profession were men whose fathers had been executioners before them, Harrington explained.

Why do executioners hide their faces?

An executioner is said to have worn this mask before delivering the final blow, with either an axe or sword. Executioners often wore masks to hide their identity and avoid any retribution. They were often booed and jeered, especially if the person to be executed was a popular or sympathetic figure.

What is the role of the executioner?

Retired police officer Tim Dees gives his response below. In the U.S. prison system, there is no single “executioner.” At the time of execution, the warden or superintendent usually reads the execution order from the court, and gives the order for the execution to be carried out. He is usually the only one with a sole-person responsibility.

How much do you get paid for being an executioner?

However, on all the days that no one needs to be executed, Jerry Springer, Tyra Banks, and TV microwave dinners it is! The pay varies from state to state, but is usually only a few hundred dollars per “job.” Career planning for this job may vary as training varies depending on execution method.

What were the alternatives to being an executioner?

Alternate work was limited to jobs nobody else wanted. This included all manner of things, from disposal of corpses (animal and human), emptying cesspools, collecting taxes from the diseased and prostitutes, etc. Oddly, at least from a modern perspective, another common profession for a well trained executioner was that of a doctor and surgeon.

Why do executioners have such a good knowledge of anatomy?

These two things, combined with the close-knit community of executioners sharing their knowledge amongst themselves, resulted in lifelong executioners generally having exceptional knowledge of human anatomy, and thus they were commonly called on to treat various medical maladies.