Rakkers and nightmen in Rønbjerg and surroundings
Briefly about the professions and their origins: Rakkere og natmænd ca. 1500-1850
Razors were introduced by law in 1522 by Christian II, but there are indications that they were present in some Danish cities before then. In this respect, as in others, Christian II was inspired by German models. Their work consisted of two main tasks; firstly, to dispose of the dead and bury them in the “rakkerkulen” outside the city walls and secondly, to assist the executioners in their work.
The night men’s occupation was more closely linked to emptying the latrines, which for the citizens were beneath them and associated with disease, dishonesty and the devil.
As with the executioners, the work resulted in social ostracism due to the occupation’s contact with “dirty things” and unclean acts in the form of dead animals, corporal punishment and emptying latrines. This mindset was widespread and can be understood as part of a prevailing understanding of miasma during the period. Another point where the profession was closely related to the executioner’s deed was that criminals could be sentenced to point out their job.
Over time, the distinction between the occupational titles became blurred and used as functional synonyms. Similarly, over time, the original occupations did not necessarily become the mainstay for all rakers and their descendants. Biblical occupations such as glazier and plumber became not uncommon for male Rakkers, while both women and men could support themselves by begging. Later, some were in the poor farms.
The social consequences were many, and there are examples of children of night people and rakers being denied access to schooling in the 1700s. There are also accounts of midwives who refused to assist in childbirth when it was a ragamuffin child that was to be born. Nor were the burials of rascals always held on the churchyard’s consecrated ground, as they were also denied access here.
In Romanticism, the night men and rascals were admired by Steen Steensen Blicher and Jeppe Aakjær.
The Rønbjerg rascals:
Rønbjerg Hede was home to rakkers for many generations. They lived and built wherever they could, sometimes on land that was not their own. An example of the latter is known from around 1770, when Morten Hansen built a house on Estvadgård’s land without permission. Initially, the family was granted a leasehold agreement, but could not uphold the requirements for this. Then Morten Hansen’s descendant, Abraham Mortensen, obtained a contract for the actual acquisition of the house, naming it “Natmandshuset”.
The so-called Abraham family was widespread in the area around Rønbjerg and Estvad, and it was also this family that Abraham Mortensen was a part of. The name of the family and the designation “Natmandshuset” supports the fact that those who were part of the Abrahamic family were probably descendants of night people and not Tatars or others.
It is difficult to calculate the number of Rakkers who were in the area at a given time, as there is doubt as to whether they have been counted in the various censuses over time.
During the 19th century, there was a gradual integration of the rakers and nightmen into society and especially into the business world. The many new emerging industrial enterprises required labor. In the Rønbjerg area, some of them may have been involved in peat digging, which grew with the advent of the railway and the industrialization of the industry in the second half of the 19th century.
The surnames of some of the last rakers are known. Trine Smut/Mimme, Stærke Hans, Smal Hans and Røde Mads are some of the preserved names of the rakers.
In Estvad you can see the Tater Stone, which was erected in 1984 as a memorial to one of the Rakkers in the area.
Literature:
Krogh, Tyge: “Bødlens og Natmandens Uterlighed” in Historical Journal, Volume 16. series, 3 (1994) 1, 1994, from https://tidsskrift.dk/historisktidsskrift/article/download/53590/71632?inline=1, last visited 19-12-2024
Laustsen, Svend: “Estvad og Rønbjerg sogne. 1. del : Hovedtræk af sognenes historie indtil 1880”, Skive Museums Forlag, 2000
Skive Byarkiv: “Taterstenen ved Estvad, ca. 1984” from https://arkiv.dk/vis/5369315, last visited 18-12-2024
Tulinius, Bjørg: “På dasset råder Djævelen og alle hans gerninger” from https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/historie/paa-dasset-raader-djaevelen-og-alle-hans-gerninger, last visited 18-12-2024