Demystifying the Dirty Life of Medieval EuropeIn today's Europe, we are accustomed to clean environments and good hygiene. However, looking back at history, we will see how dirty and disgusting medieval Europe was. Imagine walking down the street, littered with stinking droppings and live lice bouncing around your head. The noble manor smelled of it, and even the noblewomen had a foul smell. What was the disgusting nature of Europe at this time? Let's uncover the secret together. In medieval Europe, people's awareness of hygiene was very low. In particular, in order to cover up the stench on their bodies, the ladies began to sprinkle various spices on their bodies, and some even made perfumes and carried them directly on their bodies. Imagine that mix of aroma and stench, and it makes you want to shut yourself up when you smell it.
What's even more incredible is that the European royalty of the time took pride in not bathing, as they believed that bathing would lead to infection. Believers even believe that germs are mainly spread through skin-to-skin contact, and if you don't bathe for a long time, a natural barrier will form on your body. In order to avoid getting sick, the nobles also developed the habit of not bathing. Louis XIV, for example, never bathed again in his life, except for two baths when he was born and when he was married. And those bathing scenes and smooth skin that appear in the film are probably just the director's fantasy of medieval Europe. In medieval Europe, not bathing and having lice crawling on the head became the norm. The ladies often wore lice on their heads, went to the toilet in the skirts, and talked and laughed with people. This is not an isolated phenomenon. If you don't bathe for a long time, almost everyone will have parasites such as lice on their body. If you're lucky, you might even witness lice dancing in these people's hair.
They are not embarrassed by the situation, and although the lice cannot be removed, they do their best to hide it, such as wearing a towering European top hat. This way, although you can't tell the presence of lice on their heads, over time, lice will crawl all over the bedroom. You might be wondering, why don't they take a shower? However, in medieval Europe, there were no toiletries to buy, so they had to let lice breed, and they felt that dry cleaning lice would not be a problem. Coupled with the cover of a top hat, no one could see their embarrassment. In addition to not bathing and having lice crawling on their heads, Europeans have an incomprehensible habit. Did you know that they defecate on the street without underwear? Young and beautiful women often wander the streets without underwear, and if the internal urgency is solved directly in the skirt. The long skirt is not for the image of a lady, but only for the convenience of their toilet use.
When the ladies attend a dinner party, they are often embarrassed by the layers of dresses, and in order to solve the problem of urinary urgency, they usually solve it directly on the spot, anyway, the skirt is big enough and thick enough that no one else can see it. Rumor has it that the walls of Europe at that time were covered in thick excrement, but few people cleaned it up. They believe that this will solve physical problems and also prevent enemies from climbing the walls, killing two birds with one stone. However, this practice is not actually necessary. In medieval Europe, the toilet had not yet been invented, and people had to find a place to solve the three emergencies. They will choose a high place and fall straight down from the upper floors when they are done. If you happen to pass through there, you're in luck. In order to avoid this embarrassing situation, the ladies often opened their umbrellas while shopping and used it to block their view. So when you walk the streets of Europe, you will see excrement all over the ground.
To solve this problem, the European government at the time introduced a law requiring people to notify before they defecate. However, this is of little use, and the excrement that fills the streets is still disgusting. In order not to stain their shoes, the ladies had to walk on tiptoe. It's an eye-opener, can't they all be in one place? After all, they are a country, don't they need to think about their image in other countries? Looking back at medieval Europe, we can't imagine how dirty and disgusting it was there. People's ignorance and lack of attention to hygiene have led to various outrageous practices. However, today's Europe has changed dramatically, and we enjoy a clean environment and good hygiene. However, we should also learn from the sordid life of medieval Europe and cherish the living and sanitary conditions of the present.
Let us never forget the past and at the same time remain vigilant for the future of hygiene and the environment. What do you think about the dirty life in medieval Europe? How do you think we should maintain good hygiene? Please share your thoughts in the comments.