Really
Weird Jobs From The Past That Thankfully Don't Exist Anymore!
Whatever they were thinking, our
ancestors were quite a bunch of creative people. Jobs that exist today existed
back then but there was a world of difference between how they were
performed.
Before the modern world came into
being, people were killing rats using their bare hands and planning Roman
orgies! Sounds gross, yes, but don't you go discounting them just yet. The
professions we have today may sound just as preposterous to our progeny
tomorrow.
Come, let's brush up a few
historical facts..........
1.
Rat catchers
Rat catching was as real a
profession in the Victorian era as food tasting is now (apologies for the most
bizarre comparison ever!). It reads exactly how it was - men used to hunt rats
in the sewers and every place else to control the growing menace of the pesky
rodents. They did, occasionally, make use of rat poison and traps as well, in
case you are wondering.
2.
Roman orgy planners
The Romans took their orgies
rather seriously. Folks in Ancient Rome were tasked to organise these special
get-togethers for the rich and powerful. Their planner included every little
detail from food to location and of course, guests. Gaius Petronius was
the most well-known orgy planner who even penned a satire on his experiences.
3.
Knocker-ups
Alarm clocks didn't always exist
and people didn't always wake on time all on their own. They hired folks known
as 'knocker-ups' who would either tap or shoot peas on windows at a
pre-ordained time and jolt the snoozing public awake.
4.
Computers
Forget robots slowly taking over
our life, there was a time when humans were known as computers. They did
everything that the twentieth-century machines do for us. A computer was a job
title at NASA where people crunched numbers and did impeccable mental
calculations. And call it women empowerment because the job was held by more
women than men.
5.
Lector
Podcasts were still lightning
years away. Employees at work didn't really have any recreation they could try
their hand at. Enters a lector - a man who would sit high above the
factory workers and read out daily news to them. The lector would read out
everything from Les Miserables and Don Quixote to keep the
workers entertained.
6.
Barber-surgeons
In the late 1550s, the
barber-surgeons performed jobs that today have branched out into several other
disciplines. Not only did they cut hair and trim the beard, but also removed
lice and pulled out teeth! Yes, they performed the role of a dentist as well
and thinking about it is giving us jitters.
7.
Dog whippers
This profession must have won the
title of 'lamest job ever'. In the Elizabethan era, knock knobblers were men
who were tasked with shooing away dogs from churches. Not only this, when they
weren't driving away dogs, they were busy kicking naughty kids out of the
worship halls.
8.
Bowling pin setters
Way before mechanical bowling
alleys came into existence, people hired young boys to set pins manually - a
job that paid a low wage and almost amounted to child labour. They worked odd
hours but the situation changed in 1930s when mechanical pinsetters were
invented. From thereon, it became a one-person job to ensure that the pinsetter
worked properly.
