In the impression of many people, Europe is a very civilized and developed place. Men are polite and women are elegant and generous. The Palace of Versailles in Paris, France, the Renaissance water city of Venice, and the ancient Roman Hippodrome dedicated to slave owners, nobles and commoners, highlight the cultural heritage of Europe everywhere. But in European history, there is also an unforgettable experience. That was medieval Europe.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > medieval Europeans did not like to bathe</h1>
Europe's thousand years from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD to 1500 AD are known as the "Middle Ages", and this period of history is recognized as a period of cultural decline and even "darkness". The reason for this "darkness" and "cultural decline" lies mainly in the dominance of the Christian Church in Europe. Because the struggle between clerical and royal power has been intensifying in the 12th century-long European feudal society, the entire European society is in a state of obscurity, and the performance in all aspects is not satisfactory.
pope
For example, when it comes to bathing, medieval Europe regarded it as a flood beast. In ancient Roman times, both nobles and commoners loved bathing, so many bathhouses were built, and even the "co-bath culture" appeared. Later, the Germans destroyed Western Rome, believing that the main reason for the decline of Rome was that the local people were addicted to enjoyment. And the typical sign of their indulgence is their love of bathing. So after the Germans occupied Western Rome, they banned this bathing culture.
Europeans who died of the Black Death
And this was not the main reason why medieval Europeans did not bathe, the real reason for their failure to bathe was the spread of the Black Death and the shackles of religious thought. From 1347 to 1353, the Black Death ravaged all of Europe, claiming the lives of 25 million Europeans, accounting for 1/3 of the total population of Europe at that time. Because medieval European physicians did not understand germs, they believed that plagues were transmitted through poisonous air, and these toxins came from poisons emitted by the Jews, or from strange poisonous insects from the Eastern world, or from some strange substance in the universe. The main way to prevent the spread of the Black Death is to isolate the skin from contact with toxic air.
Doctor's Birdman costume
In the eyes of these doctors, thick clothing is the first barrier against toxic air, and the body dirt accumulated in adulthood is the second barrier. Because these body scales can block the pores tightly and prevent germs from entering the body. At the same time, the doctor warned everyone that stripping naked is a very dangerous move, and washing the body with water is tantamount to suicide. As a result, medieval Europeans rarely bathed.
Louis XIV
One of the most typical examples: St. Abraham, the hermit, who did not bathe or wash his feet for 50 years; A holy woman in Sylvia, more than 60 years old, and her insufficiency is difficult to heal, at most she only washes her two fingers with water, and she is reluctant to wash any other body parts; The 130 nuns in a monastery, who never washed their feet, were said to vomit when they heard the word "bath"; St. Simmons Dilet, allowing maggots to squirm on his inflamed and festering wounds, never cleansed.
Europeans go to the toilet
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > medieval Europeans defecated openly</h1>
In addition to the common people and monks, even the rulers and nobles of the country also pursued a policy of no bathing. For example, the famous "Sun King" Louis XIV, he rarely bathed. In order to block the odor emitted from the body, the craftsmen invented perfume. That's why France's current perfume industry is so developed. Queen Elizabeth I, although known as the "Queen of Glory" and "Queen of Wisdom", she also bathed once a month at most. So these kings and nobles hid fleas on their bodies.
Europeans walking with their noses covered
In addition to not bathing, medieval Europeans were also very unhygienic about the problem of going to the toilet. They don't have fixed toilets, and they go out to defecate on the ground, even in the royal palace. In order to solve this problem, Louis XIV had to order people to move constantly to avoid the feces in front of the door and on the steps. As for the streets of ordinary towns, it is even more stinky. So the whole of medieval Europe was a representative of ignorance, backwardness and darkness.