A man employed to pray for someone or to perform menial duties, often supported by charity or endowment.
From Middle English, combining bede (a prayer, from Old English bēd) and man. Bedesmen were often poor men given alms in exchange for prayers for a benefactor's soul.
Bedesmen represent a fascinating medieval system where wealthy people essentially hired poor men to pray for their souls—you could think of it as spiritual life insurance paid for in bread and lodging rather than money.
Medieval religious officer role defaulted to masculine 'man' despite women serving as bedeswomen in parallel charitable functions. The gendered bifurcation persists in historical terminology.
Use 'bede' or 'bede officer' in modern contexts, or specify 'bedeman/bedewoman' when discussing historical figures.
["bede officer","bede servant","prayer servant"]
Bedeswomen performed identical charitable and devotional work as bedesmen but remain less documented in historical records; their contributions to parish care were essential.
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