Before I begin this article, I humbly implore you to listen to the single “My soul’s demise” from the Dutch alternative band Black Briar’s 2023 album “The dark Euphony”. I won’t say it’s imperative to understand the piece of information I’m about to share. But it’ll definitely make this read a lot more interesting as you relate to this modern reference. So we’re all set now. Allow me to paint you a picture.
The Normal Life
It’s a quaint morning in a 17th-century English or Welsh village. You wake up to partake in the banalities of getting ready for work. You get dressed and head out of your house. People retreat and scoff as you pass them by. They don’t enjoy your presence around them. So you clutch your long cloak even tighter, hiding your face beneath it. You reach the church eventually, where a casket awaits you. A hearty piece of bread and a glass of wine are placed on it, waiting. You sit down as the reverend begins to read his sermon. And you, well, your work is simply eating the food kept over the casket before it is buried.
The Life of Sin Eater
This was the average morning of an alleged “Sin Eater”. Now I say “alleged” because the records regarding the existence of such a ritual are circumstantial. Sin eaters, in Welsh, Scottish, and English cultures, were the poor people, living on the fringes of society, who were tasked with the morally heavy job of carrying the sins of deceased people.
Now, we all know the basic principles upon which Christianity has been laid. And the impact of sins in one’s life (or afterlife) is not up for debate. For the sins of every mortal are to be judged on the judgment day.
So naturally, to get rid of the sins of adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting committed by a person in their lifetime, a sin eater was assigned. The job was to simply have a meal over the casket before the person was buried.
Necessary Activity for the Society
And this act was presumed to pass on the sins to the sin eater and absolve the person inside the casket. Hence, ensuring that their soul attains heaven. It was a job you were paid for. And it was usually for people with an unsightly socioeconomic background.
The poor people on the fringes of society. And these people were usually not treated kindly. Since they were supposed to carry the sins of tens of people, their presence was considered unholy and disgraceful. Some believed even a mere look into their eyes was enough to send one’s soul into damnation.
History of Sin Eaters and More
The last records of sin-eating date back to the late 1800s, and the previous known sin-eater was Richard Munslow. Now, he was an exception to the general rule. He was a respected farmer in his society, but took this job after four of his children died at an early age, including three of them who died in one week of scarlet fever in May 1870.
With nothing to lose, he spent the rest of his days carrying the deeds of other people. Some believe that the modern-day Dutch practice of making ritual cakes at funerals is a derivative of sin eating.
The Dilemma of Sin Eater
Now I pose a fascinating moral question. You see, there’s a great dilemma in this profession. For an atheist, it probably was just a job like any other, which provided you with money as well as free food in exchange for being ousted from society.
But imagine being a firm believer in Christianity and then doing this job. Flips the script. Doesn’t it? You know (or fully believe at least) that your soul will suffer and you’ll be eternally damned because you are carrying the burden of 30-40 people with you, along with your own. But you still do it like Richard. Makes it sound almost heroic, don’t you think?
Final Thoughts on Sin Eater
Modern-day references include the song I just mentioned in the preface and books such as Megan Campisi’s novel Sin Eater and Margaret Atwood’s short story of the same name. However, you choose to take this practice. Be it a morally heroic one or just an easy way out for people to get rid of their deeds, it definitely was an interesting one.