The pillory was originally a shaming device that metamorphosed into a torture device. There's a lot of accounts of people losing hands and feet to the pillory.
The most common crime from just post Black Death (late 1360s) to the 1600s that the pillory was used for was 'Being a Masterless Man' (this included both genders).
In this period, very much similar to the T2K period, there was no verifying a person's identity or allegiance unless they were vouched for by a person with status. Any slob just turning up at a settlement could be anyone, a spy, an arsonist ('incendiary') or other economic warfare specialist. So you were apprehended until they could find out just who exactly you were.
This is why the 'wandering adventurer' trope falls down, people have no idea who you are or what you actually want. If you had 'fame', that is word of your character, allegiances and activities preceded you it might stop you being pilloried but it definitely wouldn't get you a job.
"Move along and there won't be any trouble".
|