8 Bizarre Things You Might Not Know About Christianity

5. The fascinating story of sin eaters

Illustration of a sin-eater who was offered bread and ale placed on the chest of the corpse to absorb all the sins of the deceased.

Sin eating was practiced in the 18th and early 19th centuries in parts of England, Wales, and Scotland. A sin eater was a person who consumed a piece of bread and ale, placed on the chest of the deceased. It was believed that this practice would release the sins of the dead person.

Gradually, the church condemned this practice and the sin eaters were outcast from society. Richard Munslow was probably the last sin eater who started this practice when he lost his young children in order to protect other villagers from sins.