I can totally get why nobility of old where disgusted by peasents, amirite?

That people didn't clean themselves before we all had running water is false. Being unclean meant being susceptible to diseases. Sure peasants didn't get baths in hot scented water, but they were able to clean themselves all the same.

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

Yeah! Everyone knows the first stream was invented in the year 200 BCE. The river, pond, and lake followed soon after! /J

by hillselliott 4 weeks ago

Fun fact Rain was invented in the Amazon rain forest. This phenomenon was quickly spread through trade when European colonists arrived in the 16th century. People have been using it to water crops ever since.

by Willie61 4 weeks ago

This just sounds like propaganda from someone whose username starts with "xeno." Obvious government psyop!

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

I am a human person.

by hilpertisaias 4 weeks ago

The church also shutdown the old Roman baths because men and women shouldn't mix esp. while nude and the whole movement towards being nakedness as sinfully. The d Roman baths were communal.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Actually there was a significant lack of regular bathing in underdeveloped parts of the ancient world (most of it). Bath houses were elaborate public infrastructure that only existed in the largest and richest cities, and puritans often shut them down cus of all the sex. People would bathe on schedules in local rivers often around late Spring, early Summer as not to pollute the water. Only the wealthiest could afford to have private baths. On special occasions families would bathe in tubs with heated waters, and this was because fresh water was a significant scarcity. Water is literally life and most would only bathe as a necessity or luxury

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

They cleaned themselves sure. They would definitely not be considered 'clean' by today's standards. You bathe in a river, with no sponge and soap once a week and tell me how clean you feel.

by Kasey50 4 weeks ago

They had soap homie. Even the Babylonians had soap in 2800 BC. They excavated a soap factory at Pompei.

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

From what I understand, most historians actually dislike the term "dark ages" because it gives the wrong idea about the time period. It wasn't some anti-intellectual period like the name implies. There was actually a lot of scientific innovation during the time period.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

You are correct. Nobody in the field really uses the term anymore. It's creates an unfair image in a persons mind.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

I mean compared to what the Greeks and Romans were on its definitely a decline.

by Kasey50 4 weeks ago

It was due to a perceived lack of societal progress, when compared to the classical age that came before it. Not because they regressed or lost technology.

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

Societal progress is inherently connected to knowledge and technology. How can a society progress without either?

by Kasey50 4 weeks ago

Ok you have to be trolling me. There's no other explanation for this level of obtuseness.

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

Answer the question bro.

by Kasey50 4 weeks ago

Yes. They were clean. I am going to sit here and tell you that.

by Ancient-Major 4 weeks ago

Now just imagine how bad it was if you were some slave building the pyramids in ancient Egypt. Or if you were traveling with your family on the Oregon trail. Or if you were a slave in the Antebellum South. Or a peasant living in a large urban center in Medieval Europe. I think we take our privilege to be properly clean nowadays for granted

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

I suppose thats true too!

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Buddy...you can't go to the middle ages right now and smell a person this is just anecdotes made based on old texts or even worse, centuries old games of telephone passing the knowledge down orally over countless years. People in medieval times would have smelled awful by the standards of today. They couldn't afford to bathe every day. The method they use to wash their clothing didn't remove all of the sweat that absorbed into the fabric. The work they tended to do was harsh physical labour so they sweat a lot. Peasants would have reeked but it was just part of how life is so nobody would have wrote down in a book "god henry smelled awful today" unless there was some sort of illness or infection of some sort that made them smell worse than normal. Tl;dr Middle age smelling normal was smelling horrid in comparison to nobles and especially compared to today.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

OP, you should say this to someone in real life and see what they say.

by hillselliott 4 weeks ago

Where?

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

"Sire, the peasants are revolting!" "You can say that again!"

by Acceptable-Guess 4 weeks ago

That's definitely one way to look at homelessness.

by kathrynemurphy 4 weeks ago

Whatever, peasant. Get back to your farming.

by Eldora87 4 weeks ago

Completely understandable. Considering many in Europe never used to bathe daily till the Industrial age, the stink they would give out been enormous. With nobles getting access to perfumes and peasants not so much. It is rather understandable. I am pretty sure bathing once a year and having beliefs propagated by the church that "bathing caused illness" helped compound the stink a lot. Proverbs like "throwing baby with the bath water", bride carrying flowers to the wedding, Passing the bouquet to bridesmaids should give you an idea. Even now many people still follow those old traditions that swimming themselves in perfume makes them superior, even if people in the lift gag from the cheap perfume. But then again if you look at it from classicist POV, where a peasant and serfs were too low in status compared to nobility and churchmen. Where there was this running idea, that church and the nobility were more superior because "insert many of their excuses," so the serf/peasant class would not realize that they made fools off and always be the available scapegoat for a noble's mistake, you can understand what the mentality of the nobles are. I am pretty sure it was more related to "I am more superior than you, because ..." and less related to "peasants/serfs stink".

by Margarett10 4 weeks ago

beliefs propagated by the church that "bathing caused illness" It comes especially from the time of the Black Death, before that people washed regularly and they even had public baths in the cities.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

I was talking more about medieval Europe.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Can you elaborate please?

by Margarett10 4 weeks ago

There were public baths in Europe in the Middle Ages, these baths disappeared because of the Black Death. like in France where thermal spas exist.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

Your opinion on this is trashier than any hobo

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

I've picked up thru hikers. I can handle it pretty well.

by CommercialExpert6697 4 weeks ago

The wealthy didn't smell great either, Queen Elizabeth only bathed once a year (even if by her words "she didn't need too") Most peasant also partook in some hygiene where possible, they'd be using what fresh water they could to get some grime off themselves with some maybe able to make their own soap this is heavily dependent on the time period btw. Not to mention Nobles would look down on peasants and actively work hard to make sure they could do nothing about where they were at. (though, not as different from today as it should be)

by izaiahschinner 4 weeks ago

Nobility of 15th century themselves didn't bath for weeks.

by Nwisoky 4 weeks ago

Correct me if I'm wrong, the nobility were the ones avoiding bathing weren't they?

by Alfonzocasper 4 weeks ago

This is why I don't take public transport

by FabulousCategory 4 weeks ago

And the reason why Henry VIII didn't use the Tube.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

The so-called nobles of that era were certainly no prettier smelling than the average peasant.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

What are you basing this off of, Monty Python?

by Nervous-Ad 4 weeks ago

Yeah, they saw peasants being spelled wrong and using where instead of were... no wonder they were disgusted.

by Anonymous 4 weeks ago

I rarely walk besides a homeless guy and think "uhh disgusting". If i think anything about them its just it must suck to be homeless. You have a problem mate

by ahagenes 4 weeks ago

Middle class person here! No. Uhm… that's a you thing pal. I only cross the street if I fear danger. Poor people and homeless people, don't give off that vibe. And even if they do, I'm not disgusted by them. I feel upset that they found themselves in that position.

by Magnusauer 4 weeks ago

But i bet the peasant could spell "were "

by Impressive_Bag_6819 4 weeks ago