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Nowadays, we can take a bath every hour if we want, with countless hygiene products available in stores. However, people in the Middle Ages could only dream of such luxuries and often had to rely on their ingenuity. Our editorial team became curious about the real state of hygiene during the Middle Ages. We delved deeply into this topic, examining various historical sources, and uncovered 10 fascinating facts.
In the Middle Ages, brides carried bouquets for 2 reasons. It was believed that flowers brought good luck, and the bouquet was also used to mask body odor.
At that time, most people bathed once a year, in May. June was a popular month for weddings because it was right after the bathing month. Wedding bouquets helped brides conceal returning unpleasant odors.
Before the advent of toothpaste, people invented various ways to maintain oral hygiene. In one part of the book The Trotula, which reveals beauty secrets for medieval women, there is an interesting recipe for teeth whitening.
Women are advised to remove the contents out of a walnut shell and rub their teeth with it 3 times a day, then rinse their mouth with salt water.
Try to imagine, instead of using pleasant toothpaste, you have to brush your teeth in the morning with a shell and salt water. The mere thought of it gives us goosebumps.
We now have a vast selection of hair care products, but people in the Middle Ages could only dream of such a variety. They used olive and almond oils for hair care and getting rid of lice.
The Battle-Merchant portal, dedicated to historical reconstructions, notes that lavender oil was the most popular remedy against parasites. People liked its pleasant fragrance, and it was also believed that lavender had an anti-putrefactive effect.
Also, to avoid lice infestation, people wore herbal sachets on their bodies or placed them under their pillows. The herbal mix usually consisted of wormwood, rosemary, and tansy.
In severe cases, people had to shave their hair completely, and then cleanse the skin with various herbal decoctions.
In the Middle Ages, rosemary was considered a remedy for almost all ailments. In the book Zibaldone da Canal, which was written by a Venetian merchant in the 14th century, one can find numerous ways to use this plant.
The author writes that brewed rosemary can be used to wash hair and skin, promising that it will make them beautiful. The book also includes a recipe for rosemary pasta, which was believed to protect against worms and other diseases.
At that time, dogs were considered a symbol of nobility and wealth. According to the Getty Research Institute, aristocrats kept such breeds as alaunts, greyhounds, mastiffs, and spaniels.
The illustrated manuscript Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry testifies that European nobility brought their pets to banquets. Dog owners thus demonstrated their status, wealth, and taste.
Another reason for dogs’ presence at feasts was that they helped dispose of waste. Dogs ate leftovers from the floor, or servants later fed them the remaining food.
In the Middle Ages, it was customary for peasants to regularly air out their clothes. They would hang them out overnight to get rid of unpleasant odors. As noted by the Battle-Merchant portal, which is dedicated to historical reconstructions, it was believed at the time that moonlight had purifying properties.
This is how harsh was the life of people in the Middle Ages, while we sometimes can’t choose between a regular washing machine or one with an integrated dryer.
To clean leather shoes, a mixture of wax and oil was often used. This mixture helped keep the leather supple and also protected it from dirt.
To tackle unpleasant odors, dried herbs were used, which were sprinkled directly into the boots. Most often, these were mint and sage. These herbs absorbed moisture and masked unpleasant odors with their aroma. Sometimes, essential oils were dripped into the shoes or birch twigs were placed inside.
In the 14th century in Europe, some people developed a fear of taking baths after numerous epidemics. It was believed that infected air could penetrate through cleansed pores.
There was an entire “miasma theory” proposed by Hippocrates back in the 5th century, which claimed that ailments such as cholera, plague, and other diseases arose from “bad air.” Therefore, ladies wiped their bodies with perfumed cloths, and dampened their groins and armpits with rose water. This means that some aristocrats preferred to take a bath without water.
The common people tried to conserve water, which is why the water in the bath was reused. The whole family would bathe in one tub. The historical portal History Collection explains that usually the father, the head of the family, would bathe first in the clean water, followed by the other men, and only then the mother and daughters could do it in order of age.
People would stand in the bath rather than sit in it, pouring water over themselves with a scoop. Only infants were fully immersed in the water, whereas older children were simply rinsed off with water.
Soap was expensive, so it was mostly reserved for laundry. But now we can just go and buy it in the nearest supermarket for a meager sum and with any scent, from melon to Shanghai rose. Isn’t that a wonder of the 21st century?
Life was not easy for people in the Middle Ages. After reading about some of the hygiene practices, you might feel the urge to take a shower several times for peace of mind. Do you enjoy reading or watching movies about the Middle Ages?
But regardless the hygiene, the Middle Ages were not boring at all. And here’s proof.
