Ep 10: The Bearer of Burdens

Picture this… 

You’re in a dimly lit room. There’s a hushed gathering of mourners.

The air is heavy with the scent of tears and smoldering incense, its tendrils of gray smoke curling like a restless spirit. 

At the center of the room is a solitary figure, he’s cloaked in tattered garments and kneeling beside a crude wooden table. 

On it, is a woman, recently deceased. She’s holding a plate of crusty bread upon her chest. 

The cloaked, and kneeling man reaches for the bread and eats it. He then reaches for a glass of wine beside him, and drinks it. 

In this solemn communion, the man has just absorbed the sins of the departed, taking on her transgressions as his own. 

The woman’s soul was set free. But the man remained as he always had— called upon only when the world craved absolution, and then promptly shunned… for being a sin eater. 

According to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, sin eaters were poor people hired at funerals in olden days to eat beside the corpse, taking on the sins of the deceased, so that the soul might be delivered from Purgatory.

Commonly practiced in the British Isles in the 17th, 18th and 19th-century, it might be difficult for us to believe there was ever a time where the town pariah could absolve you of all your wrongdoings. 

Perhaps even more difficult to believe knowing that 54% of Americans between the ages of 13-38 years old dream of becoming a social media influencer. 

But dig a bit deeper, and take a closer look…you’ll find many a modern-day, unsung hero – be it sanitation workers, caregivers, or call center operators – toiling away.

You see, both groups perform gritty and underappreciated tasks for the greater good. Just like sin-eaters of yore, today’s essential workers valiantly navigate irate customers, grueling hours, and chronic stress for very little in return. 

It's a painful parallel – the realization that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Join us as we unravel the tales of sin-eaters, and discover the rituals, beliefs, and profound impact they had on the communities they served.

I’m Kate Naglieri. Welcome to The Bygone Society Show, episode 10: The Bearer of Burdens.

Research, writing and hosting by Kate Naglieri
Production and sound by Jamie Eichhorn

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