Most historians agree that Richard was the last of his kind.

When he passed away in 1906, he took a centuries-old tradition with him to the grave, and that's

more than a little fitting considering the fact that his trade was centered around death.

Richard Monslow, you see, was a sin-eater.

Dating back to at least the Middle Ages, the sin-eater was a spiritual solution to a spiritual

problem. While some people had the time and forethought to see a priest before death and confess

their sins, those who passed away unexpectedly did not, and sudden death was probably one of the most

common ways to go back then. So the role of the sin-eater entered the picture to help offer peace.

They would arrive shortly after death and be ushered into a room alone with the body of the

deceased. Hours before, someone would have placed a piece of bread on top of the body,

and sometimes a nearby cup of wine, and it was the sin-eater's job to consume those items.

The goal was simple. If the person had died without confession, the sin-eater would take that sin

upon themselves through the act of eating. But of course, there were consequences to a job like that.

Most sin-eaters were social outcasts, and because that prevented other more traditional employment,

they were oftentimes very poor. Death and grief are guaranteed parts of our life.

Like taxes, they are something we can count on experiencing more than once. But despite that

element of dependability, we never seem to be ready for it. Do we? More often than not,

we're taken by surprise and left gasping for relief, so it's no wonder that cultures around

the globe have put traditions and beliefs into practice that are meant to help, a balm for an aching

soul, but also a grim reminder of the inevitable. Part of living is losing the ones we love,

and will take any help we can get to manage that. Even if it fuels our nightmares.

I'm Aaron Mankey, and this is lore.

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