What strange-sounding professions really existed in history?

 Throughout history, there have been numerous professions that might sound strange or unusual to modern ears. Here are a few examples:

Knocker-up: Before the widespread availability of alarm clocks, people employed individuals known as "knocker-ups" to wake them up in the morning. These knocker-ups would use long sticks or poles to tap on windows, or sometimes even pea shooters to shoot small objects at windows, to rouse their clients from sleep.

Resurrectionist: Resurrectionists, also known as body snatchers, were individuals hired to exhume corpses from graves. They often supplied cadavers to medical schools and anatomists for dissection and study when the demand for corpses for medical research exceeded the legal supply.

Town Crier: Town criers were official public announcers who were employed to make public proclamations, announcements, and news in towns and cities before the advent of widespread literacy and modern means of communication. They often used a bell or a drum to attract attention before delivering their messages.

Whipping Boy: In royal households during certain periods of history, a whipping boy was a young companion or friend of a prince or other young noble who was punished in his place for misbehaviour or failures in education. The belief was that the emotional impact of seeing someone close to them punished would help correct the noble child's behaviour without physically harming them.

Sin-Eater: In some cultures, particularly in medieval Europe, sin-eaters were individuals hired to perform a ritual where they would consume bread or food that had been placed on the chest of a deceased person. It was believed that the sin-eater would absorb the sins of the deceased, allowing them to enter heaven.

Groom of the Stool: In European royal households, the groom of the stool was a high-ranking court official responsible for assisting the king or queen with their personal hygiene, particularly with using the toilet. This position was prestigious and granted the groom of the stool significant access and influence over the monarch.

These are just a few examples of the many strange-sounding professions that have existed throughout history, reflecting the diversity of human societies and the specific needs and customs of different time periods.