Interesting trivia on traditions, health and hygiene. There is no way I would ever want to live in these times!
Between 1600 and 1700, when visiting the Palace of Versailles in Paris, you can note that, despite its magnificence, the palace had no bathrooms.
In the Middle Ages there were no toothbrushes, deodorants, perfumes and much less toilet paper. Human excrements were thrown directly out the windows of the building.
In modern depictions, we often see characters of the time fanning, but the reason was not the heat: a strong smell spread under the skirts of women, as there was no real intimate hygiene. Showers were rare due to the cold and the near-total absence of running water.
In the Middle Ages, most marriages took place in June, the beginning of summer. The reason? First bath of the year was taken in May, so in June the smell was still bearable. However, to conceal any bad odor, brides wore bouquets of flowers next to their bodies, hence the tradition of the bridal bouquet.
Baths were taken in a large tub filled with hot water. The head of the family had the privilege of diving first, followed by the other family members in age order. The newborns were the last ones, and the water was so dirty it could become lethal to them.
Those who could afford it used tin plates, but some foods, like tomato, rusted the material, causing fatal poisoning. For years, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Tin glasses were used to drink beer or whiskey, and combining alcoholic beverages with tin oxide could cause states of unconsciousness similar to narcolepsy. Anyone passing by could think that the individual was dead, and the body was carried and prepared for the funeral.
The deceased was placed at the kitchen table, where family and friends watched, ate and drank, waiting to see if he would wake up. Thus the tradition of the wake was born.
In England, due to the lack of space in cemeteries, graves were repurposed. The remains were removed and placed in ovaries. When opening old coffins, scratch marks were often found on the inside of the lid, indicating that the person had been buried alive.
From there came the idea of tying a rope to the deceased’s wrist, passing it through a hole in the lid to a bell placed on the outside of the tomb. One person stood guard for a few days and, if the “dead” woke up, he would move his arm and rang the bell.
“Saved by the Bell,” an expression we still use today, comes from this very practice.
