Did People in Medieval Times Really Not Bathe?

[@TodayIFoundOut]

Please do check out Backblaze: backblaze.com/brainfood They are a service we have used here at TIFO for years before we even had a KZbin channel. They are great, super cheap for the unlimited automatic backups they are offering at just $6 a month. Thanks for supporting this channel by using our sponsors. :-) And for those interested in our video on whether people used to chuck fecal matter out of their windows, you can find that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3vaY6KtbM91pMU

[@SevCaswell]

hmm... I have a question for you, who was the first youtuber to use the term 'smash that like button'?

[@rohlen6215]

I already have a backblaze account and love it. Also I think Simon should be the next host of Jeopardy

[@err0r0b0]

I read the thumbnail as _"Spunk like a wild animal"_ . I was immediately intrigued..

[@skywalkeruni4460]

You're talking about after the so called black people, which you called Moores. Came and taught you how to wash yo ass ? Because we took over all of europe in the year 711.

[@skywalkeruni4460]

Stop lying.

[@blatherskitenoir]

I read some journal entries from a noblewoman in Versailles who mentioned wiping off with vinegar and a sponge, rather than a full bath. The astringency of vinegar would help remove body oils and smell, making it a good choice in a time where water was labor intensive. And a lot of early baths weren't full submersion baths, like modern swimming pools, but steam baths, since again, this took less water.

[@Muaddibize]

Yes they had a real hard time in the middle ages at backing up their digital files.

[@Bacopa68]

Yeah, you used to have to take your files to the monastery and it would take the monks months to copy them. Cost a lot more than Backblaze too.

[@justthatgirl-ct4jo]

Lol

[@LIZZIE-lizzie]

LMAO 👍

[@uncrunch398]

@@Bacopa68 Yes. Even though you were likely not to have much in your possession or ownership. A small community could push their start time on your job to a few months from the time you ordered it.

[@timothycsauer1]

I'm a plumber during the academic portion of my apprenticeship I learned that according to the CDC the development of Modern Plumbing has saved more human life than has Modern Medicine. Nothing prevents more diseases than bathing, clean drinking water, sanitary disposal of sewage.

[@timothycsauer1]

If person of today went back in time even 100 years ago and walked into a crowd of even the wealthiest of people. They would be sickened by the smell of BO.

[@justinfilipovic8939]

yep and people naively think it was vaccines everybody should read this www.vaclib.org/basic/hadwen.htm

[@xhaltsalute]

So very true.

[@mattiemathis9549]

So very, very true.

[@jacobcasmus1882]

​@jackmiddleton7944 Why? Why would you say that? What good would that do? And if you think that, would you be willing to be in that "Majority"?

[@Dervraka]

Constant bathing is really a new thing that has only been around for about 50 years. Like most folks these days, I usually take a shower in the morning before work and another one in the evening when I get home. But my grandma, who is 84, talks about when she was growing up, she said it was highly uncommon to bath more than once a week (usually Saturday night for church on Sunday). Although she did say that they would always fill a wash basin and "clean up" every evening, so it's not like they weren't doing anything through the rest of the week.

[@mattiemathis9549]

Due to the cost of electricity (heating the water) all of us but my dad took a bath once a week, Saturday night. My little sisters were first, then me, then mom then dad. Then dad would change the water and take another bath. Dad was the only one to bathe during the week, but he was a field hand and got super dirty.

[@elizabetherne556]

My mom grew up in a house without running water. This was back in the 50’s and 60’s. They took baths once or twice a week. They did wash up everyday. She has five siblings. I bet my grandma went through quite the ordeal heating water up to bathe that many kids. They did later on install plumbing into the house. But after that, they bulldozed the house down and it’s gone. They lived on a farm with my great grandparents across the driveway. They had plumbing. But then I also remember that house was heated by wood burning stove. When I was a kid they had a furnace put in. But the old stove sat in the kitchen and never was taken out. It’s actually been more recent everybody got hooked up to gas, water, and electricity. Out in the country people didn’t have the money to hook up and did as they could.

[@magnumopus6742]

You mean it’s been new for WHITE PEOPLE!💯 Please speak with clarification. You ALL were living in squalor & filth in Europe Until THE MOORS came with alcohol, ammonia and other elixirs to clean your people’s FILTH!!! And still to this day you people try to justify how it’s ok to not bathe for days!!!💯

[@JeremyWS]

I really like how this show is always answering the questions that I didn't think needed to be answered or even asked. I really like that about this show. That's what makes it awesome.

[@ernestosborne3895]

batmanfanforever08 lo

[@crimsonhalo13]

Forget the Middle Ages, just walk through any major metro centre today and you'll encounter plenty of people who never bathe.

[@chloejohnson6861]

Maybe we should bring back cheap public baths and showers. Bathhouses were still around as late as mid 20th century in some cities.

[@lp.shakur]

@CHIEF TICKLESBALLSWITHFART the f is wrong with you man?

[@Jabba1625]

Especially Ipswich Qld bro at the big shopping centre, it's like a collection of BO, Ice body BO and the smell of defeat,

[@bobbullock1963]

Know what you mean it's hard to tell whose legitimately homeless and whose not .

[@MM-wr4ok]

Or a yugioh tournament

[@chill2025]

I know people in modern times and a lot still don’t bathe

[@PACKERMAN2077]

Sadly I know several people that are mentally disabled, and it's not _entirely_ their fault, they just refuse to accept the concept of hygiene. No amount of explaining will convince them otherwise.

[@holdmybeer]

i get off on my own stank. 1 bath in 2 weeks is my rule.

[@andywright8803]

I have a dialysis line in my chest, and therefore need to put on a waterproof cover on before bathing. I also have a broken shoulder so it's impossible for me to put it on on my own. I work full time, as do the rest of my household. I work two evenings a week, and have dialysis three evenings a week. As a result, there is only opportunity for one bath a week. This has been going on for months (my shoulder is inoperable due to my kidney condition). As I am a tutor in adult education, I am always coming into contact with lots of members of the public. Nobody has yet mentioned that I don't smell too good, espe ially my wife who is always first to mebtion anything that I do wrong.

[@solanumtuberosa]

Meh. I just take out my skin and throw it in the washing machine.

[@holdmybeer]

@@solanumtuberosa washing machines use 4 times more water than a shower.

[@Z.Ulysses]

Surprised there wasn't any reference to that dear Monty Python bit "Oh he must be royalty" "Why do you say that?" "He isn't covered in $#%&"

[@hez859]

Damn, German Medieval bath houses sound dope AF

[@three7446]

Someone’s horny from a history channel

[@marzouk6270]

Ikr

[@blickluke]

Imagine a lovely cold pint of pilsner in a bath

[@Camrographer]

One thing to note about heels. They were initially used by horsemen in Persia to remain in saddle, shoot bows while riding and control the horse. If I recall the French court brought it into vogue for western Europe.

[@patrickregan3302]

That may b so, but they were also popular because the streets were covered with animal feces from the horses and other beasts of burden.

[@FireflowerDancer]

I heard the same thing, but Spanish horsemen. Maybe that style of boot was Arabic.

[@Camrographer]

@@FireflowerDancer Yes, as you know they came over to Spain.

[@bamcr1218]

I’ll be unavailable for the remainder of the evening as I will be bath feasting

[@kingjames4886]

careful your buns don't get soggy.

[@chivalryalive]

Beware the deep end of the tub... Remember that you could cramp in the water after eating! :-D

[@humblesoldier5474]

Hey he smells like flowers again. He must have went to that bath house again.

[@shadowmatrix0101]

@@chivalryalive Only for the first hour, then you're okay. *thumbs up*

[@chivalryalive]

Rose C -- I know... My friends and I didn't worry too much about it. --I grew up on a small lake in west Michigan during the 1980s.... Me and the fellas used to grab a sandwich, eat it quickly, then grab our water skis and just jump right in! :-D Of course we always had on our ski vests /life preservers too! :-) Boy! Those were the good ol' days... Speed boats, jet skis and sailboats all day long! (We also worked a little bit to afford the gas though. --We weren't entirely spoiled!) :-O

[@Babarudra]

having done multiple week hiking and camping excursions, no where near bathing facilities. An occasional cleaning in a stream tends to do a better job than most people realize. Yes you tend to smell a bit of sweat, but if you don't eat crappy food, you'd find that your sweat doesn't smell as badly as when you eat processed foods.

[@Equiluxe1]

I read an Elizabethan book giving instructions for new brides as to the management of the household. The one instruction that really stuck in my mind was "Servants should be given a new set of cloths and a bath once a year whether they needed it or not".

[@scottmantooth8785]

servants should be seen and not heard and remain downwind of lord or lady of the household at all times

[@humblesoldier5474]

I don't know about you, but I'd consider it to bragging rights if all my servants smell like flowers and herbs and are clean and wearing clean clothes every day.

[@scottmantooth8785]

@@humblesoldier5474 that might have been considered overly grandiose and living above their means by others who were exceptionally wealthy and blurring the accepted lines of the stratified class system...

[@humblesoldier5474]

@@scottmantooth8785 Maybe, but I am looking at it from a modern lens.

[@scottmantooth8785]

@@humblesoldier5474 true enough...i'm just pointing out the fact that at the time upper and lower class were nearly a caste system in their own right..very unusual for the two to view each other as equals let alone speak to each other with the type of respect you see today (well mostly) personally...i'd insist on anyone working for me and especially around my house and family to be cleanly dressed and well scrubbed to the point of being nearly shiny... and not reeking of tobacco or booze

[@joemengler1666]

Bring out your dead Here’s one He’s not dead Yes he is No I’m not

[@HetaliaGirl1]

I don't want to go on the cart!

[@Aligirl77]

I'm getting better!

[@hyperhare0624]

I feel Happy.

[@SirDoots]

I feel happyyy!!!

[@Whisper_292]

"Who's that, then?" "I don't know. He must be a king." "Why?" "He hasn't got s*** all over him."

[@Jaqen-HGhar]

That's why I love The Last Kingdom so much because they not only show them bathing regularly but they also show Uhtred regularly using a twig to clean his teeth.

[@alklazaris3741]

Using products with pungent herbs.... You know the more I learn about history the more I see we are still living in it, just with a lot more plastic and mechanical production.

[@austenhead5303]

Yep. What with wage slavery, mortgages and all, we're basically serfs with smartphones.

[@austenhead5303]

@karen madeiras You are not. Vote for Bernie.

[@jgkitarel]

It took you this long to figure this out? I learned a long time ago (back in the distant and forgotten ages known as the 1980s and 90s) that this was the case.

[@0hn0haha]

It's funny how technology has convinced many people that we don't live in a fundamentally Medieval World when in reality we're never going to get away from it. All our civilizations are one step away from collapse and its technological elitism to think otherwise

[@briancrawford8751]

You had me with "particularly good smelling prostitute."

[@realname2404]

Was searching for this comment

[@humblesoldier5474]

You must have been to that bath house again. What makes you say that? You smell like flowers and herbs again

[@karentucker2161]

I thought it was interesting

[@Cjnw]

" Me so clean, me so clean, me wash up long time, soap just five for dollar "

[@wwaitkus]

They tried marketing the ones who were in the nude mud/horseshit wrestling matches before that, but for some reason there were no takers.

[@thehorseformerlywithoutana2522]

Whoever said that fingers are natural forks has never tried poking a steak.

[@rachelb4398]

Or fishing a chunk of meat out of some boiling pot

[@humblesoldier5474]

Or holding down a freshly cooked chunk of flesh. You'll cook your own palms with the carry over heat.

[@matheusavila2688]

1. You tear the steak with you teeth. 2. You drink you stew from a bowl, no hands on nedded 3. You wait 5-10 minutes for the meat to cool down There, done, stop whining

[@karentucker2161]

Hold it with two hands than lol 😂

[@thehorseformerlywithoutana2522]

@@matheusavila2688 Do us all a favor and stop washing your hands.

[@Kurtlane]

The French were particularly smelly at that time. Part of it was because of major faults in designing the Versailles palace. There weren't enough bathrooms, so the milords and miladies used staircases. Moreover, the source of water for the palace was contaminated, so everyone avoided using it. But even before Versaille was built, Catherine de Medici was horrified when she came to France from Italy in 1533. Italians bathed regularly. The good that came from all this: French perfume is the best in the world.

[@kristofantal8801]

That is no longer the Middle Ages, but the Early Modern PeriodR! I see you have problems with chronology... xd The earliest time of the end of the Middle Ages is the middle of the 15th century, while the latest time is the beginning of the 16th century (1453, 1492, 1521).

[@bilis2866]

so, the aristocracy of modern France didn't bathe, what about the ppl tho

[@TheSilkKing1]

The Italians did live in what was once the heart of Roman civilization which adored their bathhouses. So it makes sense. The Italian city states also had extensive trade (and maybe a little war) with the Eastern Roman Empire based out of Constantinople. These were the same baths that influenced the Turks and Islamic peoples who got their baths in the Middle East from the...bath houses that were already there from the Roman period.

[@robertphillips6296]

When the family bathed the head of the household went first and then each in turn according to their rank in the family, with the baby or babies going last. This is were the term “Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water” came from, because the bath water would be less then clear by the time the baby was bathed and you might lose the baby in the dirty water.

[@paulheap1982]

@MinecraftPro15 thats cause he's wrong.

[@johnhouse6889]

Karl?

[@karan.kk.h]

They really should have done it with the babies and children first considering the fact that they get ill or die from diseases more easily...

[@doomermeme9975]

@@karan.kk.h When you think in context of a time where people would have to fetch the water for a bath/heating said water the bread winner of the household while arguably probably the dirtiest would get first pick.

[@gicky-gackers]

@Robert Phillips Did you grow up with a couple of lads who had big heads and webbed fingers?

[@MrTazboii]

I'm glad Simon is keeping these videos coming ! I have learnt so much through this channel and feel Simon is key to this channels success

[@imacat8476]

He reuploads all of his videos

[@scottmantooth8785]

making your brain bigger with every video watched....

[@briancrawford8751]

No Simon, no TIFO, etc.

[@Glory_inthe_3rd77]

I think it is incredibly stupid to assume that nobody in medieval times thought to wash the smell of stink off of them I think that's pretty ignorant to even think that

[@MatthewStinar]

My mom grew up sharing a bath with her family. They pumped bath water by hand and heated it on the wood stove in the kitchen. This was on a rural farm in the mid 20th century. She didn't get running water until she moved away as an adult.

[@Tempe1962]

I'm 61 and your story reminds me I had a friend who told me they had an outdoor toilet.And I grew up in a house that had a coal furnance.

[@LikaLaruku]

I remember a documentary that said people would attempt to bathe in a rapidly moving ice cold river, catch hypothermia, & drown, & that even getting buckets of water for drinking had the same risks. & latter in history when people could get hot water indoors, they had a bad habit of falling asleep in the tub & boiling alive, or dying from gas inhalation.

[@meerkatnip892]

I always wondered this for fictional romance set in the past, like Outlander (1700s or so I think). All the dirt and grime and the lack of hand-washing always made me question how someone could prefer living at that time and especially coming into physical contact with another human being.

[@mangot589]

There’s a book called “how to be a Tudor” that has a chapter in it on this very subject. She actually did the linen undergarment thing and said it was pretty effective.

[@Nyctophora]

Thanks for the tip!

[@mangot589]

Yvw

[@faithlesshound5621]

Europeans of the 17th and 18th centuries knew that the Romans bathed regularly, but they felt it was no longer necessary since they had invented linen underclothes and could change and wash them instead.

[@BrokenEyes00]

When did humans first begin playing with the concept of “pure bred” when it comes to domestic animals like dogs, cats, horses, etc? I’m not so much referring to the general practice of breeding animals for specific traits but rather when we started to associate those traits with specific breeds, Ie German Shepard’s for guard dogs, Golden Retrievers for bringing back water fowl, terriers as ratters and so forth.

[@richardpotter6313]

Terriers were bred to catch rats and varmmits. Hunting animals were unlawful to have because they (lowly citizens) weren't allowed to hunt on royal property, therefore we see bigger and more powerful special bred animals being called terriers that actually weren't. Terriers were the only legal dogs common folk could own.

[@greatskytrollantidrama4473]

I'm sure Romans had types, or, kinds ... but breeds... I read once... breeds were an early Victorian royalty method to posses something noone else had. Then the explosion of the middle class increased pet.. and therefore dog ownership. The commons wanted these new "breeds" perpetuating these. But that doesn't account for Asian and Arab breeds.. I dont think. Hmmmmmm

[@uzefulvideos3440]

Don't know, I guess humans just like categorizing things.

[@xxportalxx.]

@@greatskytrollantidrama4473 commas man

[@2degucitas]

I want him to do this video NOW!

[@softy8088]

2:17 "The fork at one point was actually viewed as sinful to use, for a variety of hilarious reasons." And yet this video censors classic art because boobies are -sinful- demonetizing. How far we've come...

[@doug6531]

@Aggressive Tubesock HAHAHAHA oh lord. That's a good one. Can't wait for you to discover the wonders of Islam and its allowance of 4 wives and unlimited sex slaves.

[@mikeguy1899]

@Aggressive Tubesock I mean, in some Islam countries women cant even show their faces but ok

[@davidm5707]

More of the genius of the Church.

[@patrickperry6945]

softy8088 You mean “demonizing”. Totally different meaning.

[@davidm5707]

@@patrickperry6945 He may have been right. From what I hear, if you put up certain kinds of content, YT won't pay you.

[@fleabiskit5649]

I love the black bars over the ‘naughty bits’ in the painting. 😂 Are we Neo-Victorians because of KZbin?

[@NickRoman]

We are neo-Victorians because of the people pressuring advertizers to pressure KZbin into it.

[@karyannfontaine8757]

Victorian or banned it seems. Isn't it silly?

[@SonnyinPhx]

supposedly, there was a Senator or Congressman or some such who had the statues in the Capitol building covered because they were Nekkid!!! OMG!! Someone may see them there naughty bits!! God(s) save us from ourselves...

[@BangtaiL_WitcH]

Get out the white wash "nipples cause fainting" and reduce those man bits to fig leaf size. Meanwhile those who call adult nudity sinful are the worst hypocritical pervs on the planet

[@ryugo7713]

If you look closely, there’s a vagina they forgot to censor.

[@starwish2467]

A lot of people seem to think that a shower makes you smell clean all day, and don't use deodorant.

[@Damarlo36]

His voice was perfect for the thee thou parts!!!

[@fjdyyh2542]

What accent is that

[@rosiecallender2679]

If everyone smells the same then no one smell bad.

[@dannyaumua106]

I see you've been to India

[@adammoore7059]

Idiot

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

But if one smells really good then the ones who all smells the same, smells bad.

[@dimitriosmakropoulos8641]

Problem is, everyone smells different, but equally bad, so that each new person you meet is another awful olfactory insult.

[@adammoore7059]

@@dimitriosmakropoulos8641 your butt stinks

[@t.j.payeur5331]

You can't even show "The Bathers" by Renoir in it's entirety? That's just sad...

[@2degucitas]

I find the blacked out nipples humorous

[@stevepowsinger733]

He could have. YT usually allows artistic nudes.

[@Hadrian1616]

Can't get demonetized.

[@kingjames4886]

they censored the dick on a legit anatomical diagram the other day too... youtube has the scare on creators big time.

[@MatthewStinar]

He should have covered them with KZbin logos in protest.

[@luminousmoon86]

Some modern medical professionals are actually starting to warn that some modern people are bathing TOO frequently. Excessive bathing can actually lead to health problems, it dries out the skin and washes away natural skin oils that protect the body and skin from disease.

[@apophisstr6719]

Like everything, doing it excessively will lead the negative effects. However, too many lazy & filthy people are using this as an excuse to not shower/bath. Once a day is not frequent at all, just don't rub your skin like a madman.

[@dafttool]

Even my dog knows to not shit where he eats, or sleeps, or spends most of his time

[@Jabba1625]

But he is a dog, of course he knows. On the other hand, politicians do exactly what your dog doesn't do, all the time.

[@austenhead5303]

When my dog had puppies, I could observe her teaching them this as it was happening. No pee or poop allowed anywhere near the den. Kinda gross, as a dog's only method of cleaning is its tongue, but impressive nonetheless.

[@DarkWarchieff]

Even ants build lavatory rooms in their colonies.

[@gwyneth2869]

If only mine did

[@dafttool]

Gwyneth Lowery Yeah, I used to have a cat that was 21, & had dementia at the end. He got eating & pooping all confused. It was quite sad at the end.

[@pohldriver]

The Illuminati really did a good job on that animatronic replacement of Simon!

[@colinp2238]

I'm sure it must be me but when Simon spoke about the men wearing tights and high heels he looks down as if he's hiding a guilty secret but I'm sure it's done in the best possible taste.

[@deepseavalkyrie559]

"Hey! It's a different way to get food from your plate to your mouth!" "This is an affront to GOD!"

[@emilyhope3333]

DeepSeaValkyrie why did this actually make me laugh out loud

[@GeekOfAllness]

I so wish I'd known about this when I was five. I would have quoted the church every other meal.

[@Muzikrazy213]

Looking at today's evangelicals.. pretty much everything EXCEPT ACTUAL AFFRONTS TO GOD are considered affronts to God🤦🏻‍♂️

[@justinboyett8843]

There are several points here which I feel invite comment. It boils down to the idea that bathing would be limited due to cold weather or the difficulty of hauling in water. I can tell you from personal experience while serving in the Army, that a field bath requires very little water, and can be performed in any climate. All you need to do is warm a pot of warm, grab a cloth, and get to work. You could even do it while mostly clothed.

[@Slimdulla87]

When I went to King Ludwig castle he didn't have a tub. He had one of those water spout things to hand wash and a bucket behind a decorative curtain to use the bathroom. This was the first question I've ask the tour guide when I was in his room. But it was a very nice castle.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

KNIGHT: I need to get out of this armour. SQUIRE: Any problems,sir? KNIGHT: You'll smell it later...

[@katiearbuckle9017]

Oh this made my day.

[@kimberlylewis2185]

😂😂😂😂

[@HosCreates]

That's why you went before you put it on.

[@Nunyabeeswax777]

It is sad that you must censor art in your videos

[@danilejai7801]

I don’t think they have too, I think they did this either ironically or as a preemptive move to avoid getting a strike from anyone wanting to complain about it.

[@hubbitut]

@@danilejai7801 yes they HAVE to then thats whats sad, prob did cause against youtube monetizing rules ... again forced, sad indeed ..

[@Nunyabeeswax777]

@@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718 KZbin recognizes when you are utilizing adblock, and the youtuber gets no money.

[@rhodesianwojak2095]

@@Nunyabeeswax777 ye

[@DarkerThanBlack88]

@@Nunyabeeswax777 I use adblock as well but I also support Simon on patreon. So I have a valid reason to be using adblock.

[@aejalheart7340]

this video came out at 5:30am for me, i'm watching it at 5:30am, i've been up all night, why am i watching something about medieval bathing at 5:30am... what has my life come too...

[@TodayIFoundOut]

If it's any consultation I've been up for 22 hours about 17 of which have been spent finishing up a script which I'm now going to go record and then spend a few more hours cutting the video to get it in a form our video editor can spend many hours doing his thing to... It's a living. :-) -Daven

[@aejalheart7340]

Today I Found Out well, you defiantly got me beat on this no sleeping thing, i hope the recording and the editing goes well!! :)

[@terribletelevision6980]

Today I Found Out you do great work, Dav! The hard work really shows!

[@user2144]

Aejal Heart My question is, why are you repeating 5:30 a.m.? 🤔

[@aejalheart7340]

PA -Mail cause it's 5:30am (well now 5:59) and my brain is becoming mush

[@billiondollardan]

3:32 LOL that moment when you realize corporate America is more Puritanical than any Puritan ever was. THEY HAD TO CENSOR THE NIPPLES ON A 150 YEAR OLD PAINTING! hahahahaa

[@omarduncan4904]

OMG😁😂 You're right!

[@shekelboob]

KZbin demonetisation really is a bitch.

[@three7446]

Who knows, back then that painting could have been too risqué also but they don’t have black censor bars

[@shekelboob]

@EmperorJuliusCaesar ayup

[@kimwhitehead9096]

That isn’t America. That is the emperor YouTUBE.

[@jonathandelong1968]

I love the channel and the info provided, which is why I find the comments starting at 14:20 really... bizarre. It cites "The Book of Samuel" (Not specifying 1st or 2nd Samuel, as is generally standard), Chapter 2, verse 13 as proof that priests' assistants would commonly use a three-pronged fleshook in the performance of their duties. It completely ignores the context from the rest of the chapter that the forks were used by corrupt priests (specifically, the sons of Eli) to take more than their fair share of food from the people's sacrificial offerings. Not only does this context not support the channel's narrative that Christians in the medieval period were ignoring Scripture in their condemnation of the fork, but it shows an extraordinary failure of scholarship on the part of those that researched this episode. I mean, I think that the condemnation of the fork was idiotic, too, but damn, someone on your research team is clearly phoning it in.

[@slinkerdeer]

So glad Simon is ok, I heard he had some trouble with the Freemasons !

[@TodayIFoundOut]

A simple matter of a little cloning here, a dash of memory reconstruction there, and a healthy bit of indoctrination to the glory of our Lizard People overlords (may they reign forever). -Daven

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

@Lost Aquarian the programmers are in a higher dimension than the 11 we live in.

[@lagitanavderoscio]

Glad he's okay, too. What was the trouble?

[@fvckyoutubescensorshipandt2718]

@@lagitanavderoscio too long to explain. watch the previous video.

[@billrentz]

See his recent video on the All Seeing Eye on the Dollar Bill.

[@regularfather4708]

10:40 Simon appears to have missed the rather happy gentleman in the illustration.

[@wavion2]

I don't know, 2-5 days on bread and water seems totally worth it for some Friday Night Bathhouse Shenanigans.

[@Lindamorena]

Truth in a nutshell: common people of those times did not bath regularly, they clean the most odorous areas and there hands and face when they got dirty. They were clean clothes daily. When they began to smell people visited bathhouses(not the fun ones) to cleanse. This was not a daily or regular activity, the idea of germs and dirt was foriegn and had not been discovered at that time.

[@karenwright6479]

I certainly admire how you move right along. You cram so much in our heads in so little time!! Bravo.

[@dawnrichardson8230]

Can you imagine being the object of King Louis affection and having to do “it” with him? Barf!

[@briancrawford8751]

I can imagine it. However should His Majesty require more than just friendship, I'd get myself to an apothecary and buy up all their laudanum, then drink it.

[@adorabledeplorable5105]

Dawn Richardson Can you imagine what that object of affection looked like ?🤮

[@DeadlycheesePeople]

Dawn Richardson he had money, so she got over it as all women do

[@humblesoldier5474]

Unless she was forced. If he stunk that bad as history records. No amount of gold would have been worth it.

[@freakaknight]

@@humblesoldier5474 keeping your head might've been tho eh? :')

[@Tacticslion]

16:30 - the age and power of the spork is truly great.

[@uss_04]

Thanks for the bonus facts of the “Sinful fork”, I remember reading about it years ago but totally forgot about it.

[@helenaconstantine]

There is a passage in Irish epic in which the princess is built up as a paradigm of beauty one of the points made was that she actually went down to the river to bathe and wash her hair once a week.

[@stellingbanjodude]

I work at a car dealership and we had a customer come in recently that stunk so badly that the waiting room had to be ventilated while they were there. You could smell them 7-10 feet away. After leaving the whole waiting room had to be sanitized and cleaned. The worst smelling people I’ve ever been around

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

I always took long hot showers for granted....until I became a mother. A very interesting episode! Thank you!

[@nirajay6132]

Apparently, the Vikings were the cleanest at the time, known to be taking bath with hot springs and grooming themselves quite regularly

[@Mare_Man]

14:36 I will now only refer to forks as "fleshhooks". Thank you ancient clergymen.

[@agnostic47]

They hadn't been subjected to years of advertising from cosmetics companies trying to sell stuff like shampoo and shower gel. The term "BO" was coined by a cosmetics company, to sell soap.

[@delerocky]

9:34 was the part I find most interesting with Louis the 14th smelling like a wild animal. People actually had to endure this because he was King! I want to puke just thinking about how nasty that must have been.

[@LEDewey_MD]

Fascinating! Always useful to learn more about how people lived before our current time, (i.e., before clean running water, sewage system infrastructure, and vaccines.). Many people take for granted what we have today. Have you done a video about the influenza pandemic? (The one that wiped out a quarter to a third of the entire human population near the end of WWI?)

[@davidyetter5409]

Like the old saying goes: " Didn't have a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out of". Describing the poor homeless people.

[@jaym5602]

I know it is a bonus fact but how the spork and the utensils we use came about sounds like an interesting topic.

[@fazbell]

Outstanding report, as usual. Thanks for a great series.

[@callmebigpapa]

Never commented on a sponsor of a video before but Backblaze is the only cloud storage with the guts to put out the failure rate of their storage and name brands ....I am looking at you Seagate. Big thanks to them for sponsoring Simon and for their good work!

[@weareorigin]

I feel so dirty after watching this episode. Time to shower.

[@AFmedic]

You shouldn't feel "that" dirty. They were nice enough to block the "naughty parts" in the art work so you wouldn't be a filthy pig for looking at naked breasts.

[@briancrawford8751]

Showering doesn't get your naughty bits and feet all that clean. Take a bath, stinker.

[@AFmedic]

@@briancrawford8751 Yup! nothing gets you cleaner than sitting in dirty water. LOL

[@robertgibson6687]

If you smell poop, there are microscopic particles in your nose. That means it's also in your mouth!

[@eyecomeinpeace2707]

Showering and bathing doesn't guarantee that all the nether parts and including between the toes get clean. Rather, it is best to clean them separately first, then shower or bathe.

[@nathancarter8239]

Me: *uses a fork to eat meat* Priest: Why do you insist upon playing god?

[@youngmasterzhi]

The church banned the fork, because they considered them to be tools of the devil

[@SACHINYadav-sn4op]

@@youngmasterzhi why did people even trust the church???

[@karena3333]

@@SACHINYadav-sn4op So many still do! Look at the Southern minister's telling their flocks to come to church over Easter despite C19.

[@exosproudmamabear558]

​@@youngmasterzhi Even in worst times most of religions didn't do shits like this. I wonder how many shroom you need on your wine to make up those weird shits.

[@nuclearwarhead9338]

@@SACHINYadav-sn4op the believer would ask the question "Why don't you believe?"

[@acoffeewithsatan]

Nobody: The priest against bathhouses: *Thou, Thou hast*

[@Mullkaw]

them nude and they thee? if thou hast...

[@Strype13]

An early rendition of Rammstein's "Du Hast?"

[@Cjnw]

Normie

[@acoffeewithsatan]

@@Cjnw :(

[@Shiftypop]

Thou hast mich

[@darthashpie]

People in Europe didn't bathe and some still don't. France is a modern example.

[@matthewkudray4840]

It’s crazy how they had better hygiene than half of my middle school

[@stumccabe]

Personal experience. Several years ago I had a skin condition that my doctor, having run many test, couldn't diagnose. One possibility suggested was one of many possible allergic reactions, so I cut down bathing to about one bath a month and stopped using soap altogether. I did not have unpleasant body odour and felt perfectly clean.

[@effieboo9275]

Unless I smell or am sweaty I don't shower. My skin is dry, sensitive and my hair is dry too. I don't use products with sulfate b/c of this. People think this is weird for some reason. It is actually not good for your skin to bathe super often and with certain products because it damages thenatural skin barrier and microbiome that protects us.

[@gallaghim]

I smashed that Like button. You owe me a new phone.

[@kimberlypatton9452]

Truly clever! Love that!

[@vixendoe2545]

LMAO!!!

[@SparkleP8nter]

gallaghim 🤣🙌 I like you

[@gallaghim]

@@SparkleP8nter heh thanks

[@theFLICKpick]

Watching this as I take a bath….

[@josiahsophia8938]

I haven’t bathed in 22 months. The first month or so is kinda tough but once your body realizes it doesn’t have to overcompensate with oil to correct the effects of soap it’s good living. Sometimes people even tell me I smell good, when I tell them my secret they usually think I’m lying. Showering is, like, a social construct, man.

[@naseerahvj]

Many people still use miskwak (sticks) to clean their teeth today(my son just got one from school). Because of the benefits of the plant miskwak toothpastes are popular around the regions where it grows.

[@Nifilheimur]

In Icelandic the name of saturday is Laugardagur meaning bath day. That stems from viking era and was a common practise to bathe every saturday.

[@scottmantooth8785]

must have combined those drinking songs and bathing rituals into a very unique experience...

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

Does it really take 17 minutes to answer the question "did people bathe?" Here's an answer: yes.

[@taataathe3rd341]

@Tom Voke Here's a fact why do they bathe? Your answer: So they don't stank!

[@Icanfigureitoutintime]

For grownups, yes. Now go off and play.

[@DoingMoreKustoms]

It'$ all about the Benjamins nowadays! !!

Suggestion for a follow-up episode: "The Myth of the Dark Ages." Who made up and spread all this nonsense about the people and culture of the Medieval time (and why). Another suggestion for further episode: "The Myth of the Wild West."

[@narichey1981]

Agreed. Might be a good one to discuss medieval European literacy rates, as those seem to be pretty widely misunderstood. A lot of what we think we know about the middle ages is distorted by Renaissance and Victorian myths denigrating the time period. There are pretty good indications that medieval societies had reasonably high literacy rates if you use a modern definition of literacy instead of the one they used in the middle ages (ie you were not considered literate for record keeping/official purposes unless you were fluent in ecclesiastical latin grammar vs literate in the vernacular). Virtually everyone in medeival Europe knew the Latin alphabet and what the sounds were from church mass. There is a great deal of evidence of personal notes, graffiti, business ledgers, etc indicating that use of the Latin alphabet to phonetically spell vernacular languages was very widespread even among the lower classes. There were instances of purely peasant revolts were the literacy to go into court records, find, and destroy land ownership and debt documents pertaining to the peasants was displayed. Etc etc. A good lowest estimate is that most likely at least 1 member of any given family would have been literate in the native language, using Latin script phonetically. It was probably very much higher in larger cities and towns.

[@polarvortex3294]

I've heard that some of the disparaging myth-making came from the desire of some Protestants to portray Medieval (Catholic) times in a poor light to contrast it unfavorably with the living standards and life existing after the Reformation. This makes sense because almost all new leaders or regimes seek, subtly or unsubtly, to put down that which came before them if the previous leader or regime possessed a markedly different approach, outlook, or philosophy, etc. Another source of the "nonsense" about the people and culture of the Medieval times comes from the degradation and deterioration of the artifacts that have been passed down from those days. Most of their proud castles have become ruined; most of their fine weapons have rusted or rotted away; many of their beautiful artworks have faded or been lost; their colorful and splendid feasts have vanished -- the happy feasters dead and buried, their lively music forever stilled. This, of course, can give a false impression to succeeding generations if they possess a poor imagination when they look at what remains, or are filled with a distorting pride and hubris regarding the achievements of their own time period. Also, the fashion of the day plays a part in the portrayal of earlier ages and of the Middle Ages in particular. Whereas, say, back in Errol Flynn's day, the dominant portrayal of those times (and of biblical and Roman times) was of pageantry, honor, round-tables, etc., today, even in fantasy worlds, the fad is to portray such times as unrelentingly dark and dirty. It's what the people seem to want and expect for some psychological reason. It's how you end up with The Passion of the Christ looking as if were an episode of The Walking Dead, and The Lord of the Rings looking as though it was shot in black and white. Anyway, I'll shut up now.

[@faithlesshound5621]

Simon says rather vaguely that the frequency of bathing has varied between places and times. In the late 19th century Americans visiting the UK said the smell of the unwashed was the first thing they noticed on getting off the boat. There was also an Australian saying, "The Poms don't tub." Houses for ordinary working people in the UK were built with outside toilets and no bathroom up to WW I. Adding bathrooms to older houses was a major national project after WW II, but bathing once a week (or less) was the norm for decades. Although the early modern objection to bathing was "scientific," it was taken over by the churches and missionaries were urging the heathens to stop bathing, or at least do it less often, well into the 19th century. This partly explains their poor success in Japan, since you could easily tell who had been successfully converted.

[@mikeaustin4138]

50 years ago I spent a lot of time on the NYC subway system (I was a messenger at the UN) and I noticed a *lot* of Japanese holding handkerchiefs over their nose and mouth when they were on the subway. I asked someone at the UN about this and was told that Japanese people felt that Americans smelled like rancid butter.

[@sunnyma969]

I agree with the Japanese.

[@grmpEqweer]

I'm sure the knights used backblaze before they went on crusade.

[@CharlesCowart-x2w]

Vikings were known to actually be quite hygienic ;)

[@nightsong81]

The Saxons, on the other hand...

[@heathera.685]

Except for all those intestinal parasites. (Seriously, there are special genes found only in people with Viking ancestry that were advantageous in dealing with intestinal parasites. All those raw and undercooked fish, yo.)

[@brandonlyon730]

Well when they are at home they are, but out in sea there is hardly much opportunity to get yourself clean on a boat. Then again this could apply to any sailors at this time period.

[@saraqostahterra4548]

There are sources that prove otherwise.

[@GiasJulii]

@@saraqostahterra4548 if you are talking about the Muslim sources you have to take into account their many issues on "cleanliness" with the Scandinavians. ibn Fadlam even made mistakes in some of his observations in that early on he accuses them of thinking him a witch for bathing in water, then later (after he has been with them a while) that one man had started bathing daily to attract a free woman. He also had huge issues with their sexual practices both during and after lol. You also have to take in comparison to the rest of the Christian Europeans of that time, many of whom boasted of not bathing due to thinking them pagan rituals. I remember one story of a nun who bragged at 70 on her death bed she had never washed any part of her body but her finger tips when going to mass.

[@LeeLee007]

9:36 I just can’t stop laughing at this part 😭🤣

[@melanietoth1376]

I'm grossed out by bathing because of the sensation of the water, the potential of germs in the bath, and the wetness of getting out of the bath. It's a human stew. I also hate showers for much the same reasons. I'm autistic and its difficult to get over. I do shower every other day but I hate it so much. I love the feeling of being clean and dry...so that helps. I wont swim either, lol. I know, weird.

[@pacshiesty]

tard

[@shanemoore8055]

I lived in Germany 50 years ago, people only took a bath once a week. The weather in northern Europe isnt hot,even during summer, there is no need to bathe everyday .

[@gailcbull]

If you want to learn more about life in Europe's Medieval period, there are 2 really good experimental archeology documentaries here on KZbin that looks at how people lived in the 1300s and 1500s. The 1300s series is called Secrets of Castle and looks at the life in work camps built around castles and the techniques used to build castles (kzbin.info/aero/PLjgZr0v9DXyKmVKVANS17e3Xn-gSHu9SG). The other is called Tudor Monastery Farm and looks at the life of the tenant farmers of the Monastery farms in the 1500s (kzbin.info/aero/PLjgZr0v9DXyK9Cc8PG0ZhDt2i2eQ_PEvg). Both series are hosted by a domestic historian and 2 archeologists who dress in period clothes and live out the daily tasks and local practices as closely as possible in modern times.

[@AtaMarKat]

“until bathing caught back on, except for some peoples” And ‘oo would zat be, monsieur?

[@larryscott3982]

The movie McCabe and Mrs Miller, the whore house had a customer must bathe first rule. Don’t know the accuracy, but it seemed plausible.

[@2degucitas]

Seems like great foreplay

[@sugarnads]

I believe many have this requirement

[@mesee557]

One of these days I'm going to shock the shight out of friends & family when playing trivia pursuit with all the knowledge I've received from all your videos!!!

[@erikgranqvist3680]

You can have good hygien thru and thru with just a small basin. Its not even take that more work - you just have to think a bit different then with a bath or shower.. But it is widespread technique in militaries out in the field in basic conditions. You can wash the whole body with less then 2 litre water if you are carefull.

[@jascrandom9855]

So those Bathhouse scenes in Isekai/Fantasy Anime were actually correct?

[@uss_04]

Jasc Random maybe inJP

[@humblesoldier5474]

Yes. As even as far back as Rome. There were bath houses in Europe. And the Asian side of the continent never let their bath houses go for anything ever. And the same goes for the Islamic and Jewish regions of ancient times. Humans have always hated being dirty. So, if there are magic spells for say water and fire, or enchantments for these. Making a Bath house/ restaurant makes perfect sense. Or even an enchanted appliance store. Need a single studio hot plate? Go down to the local enchantments supply store.

[@jascrandom9855]

@@humblesoldier5474 I knew about Rome and such. But didn't think that there would be any in the Middle ages on account of the Puritan Christianity reigning over the land.

[@varana]

@@jascrandom9855 Incidentally, Puritanism is an invention of the post-medieval world. ;D In the end it's a combination of a linear view of history (we're going forward all the time, so if things were bad a century ago, they must've been even worse before that), deliberate demonisation of the Middle Ages by the Renaissance and Enlightenment, and not caring about changes over time (the Church, esp. the Protestant ones in the Anglo world, were pretty puritan in the 17th till 19th century, so people just assume that the Catholic one in the Middle Ages must've been the same). These assumptions aren't really true.

[@RaithGyaron]

Where did he term "give it the old college try" come from?

[@plinkitee]

How appropriate that I'm watching this while having a bath. 🛁

[@pvtsiltmanfoxx464]

Simon... Your voice is like David attenborough.. I could listen to it all day and fall asleep to it

[@aikanedelahay7143]

They bathed regularly in the Spring-Fall. They didn't in the winter because they were afraid of getting pneumonia. They would sponge bathe in the winter indoors. The very wealthy bathed all year round. They had bath houses, servants to warm the water and plenty of towels, clean clothes and assistance.

[@rachelb4398]

Thank you so much for your videos; I love listening to your voice Simon, even when you mispronounce words! And you always look like you smell very nice :) Y'all are all very talented at what you do, please keep up the good work! Now for everybody else: I feel the need to go on a little rant. I hate having an excellent sense of smell. I've noticed a drastic increase in the number of smelly people over the years. I work in a grocery store, and my number one pet peeve at work is stinky customers. I understand that bathing or not is usually the individual's choice, but it is a choice that affects the people they come into contact with. It just seems so inconsiderate, similar to choosing to smoke a cigarette around non-smokers and then blowing the smoke in their faces. I'm talking about odors so strong that they leave a trail of stench behind them, that lingers long after they have left. Odors that are so bad, they make me gag...and I am not talking about the homeless or the mentally ill. These are people who have the resources to bathe, but choose not to, for whatever reason. And when you don't bathe, the smell stays embedded in your clothes, even after you wash them--it just adds to the stink. Also, I understand the concern for the environment and using the reusable cloth grocery bags, but please take into account that they need to be washed once in a while. You may be nose-blind to your smelly cloth bags, but others are not, especially the poor soul bagging your groceries for you. And people who smoke pot and then go grocery shopping. That smell is so bad, it's like there's a skunk following them...it's so nasty. Ok, I feel a lot better now!

[@alexisandme4eva]

Odd, last time I heard that Simon the bold man has some trouble with the Freemason group and heard a shotgun going off..... looks like your ok

[@6447912]

"Or SPNife" Somehow his pronunciation of that particular cutlery item.

[@6447912]

Don't get me wrong, I couldn't pronounce it any better..

[@eddiepiszczek4820]

While in college, I read an account of a nun (I regret that I can't remember the name of the book) that at near the age of 60, the only part of her body that had been washed, were the tips of her fingers where she dipped them in holy water. If I recall correctly, this was France circa 1130. It may have been a sect of catholicism not in line with the church in Rome.

[@edisonlima4647]

But was it a first hand account from her or a text saying that this character suposedly said that? 'cause there is a LOT of Victorian fabrications about the past still going around.

[@eddiepiszczek4820]

@@edisonlima4647 As I recall, it was supposedly a first hand account, but to be honest, it was so long ago, I couldn't say for sure.