Dude. 1. They *all* stank their whole lives and so did everyone around them, so they were habituated to it. 2. Our modern idea that they had no personal hygiene is some Victorian snobbery. They did not shower every day but they did change their full-body undergarment every day, which took away a lot of the sweat and dirt, they aired out their woollen outer clothing, and they did, in fact, wash up.
I honestly would outlaw Renn Faires unless they were forced to douse the entire site in hog piss that had been left in open barrels to bake in the sun for a week first. Milady doesn't get to prance about in a flattering corset and his lordship doesn't get to LARP as a duke without some authentic stink forced into their noses at all times.
There should just be way more animals at historic sites doing what animals do -- shedding, pissing, shitting, whinnying, baaaing, hauling stuff, being milked, being sheared, etc. Really a cacophony of sensory inputs we've mostly forgotten. But RenFaires are a fantasy -- you wouldn't want to get cow pats and road apples on your Mylar fairy wings.
I'm reading through Dune for the first time, and there is like a half page dedicated to how much the sietch stinks the first time Paul and Jessica get there and how they have to use their Bene Gesserit training to not blow chunks and offend the Fremen. Something tells me that part's not gonna make it into Part Two, sorry Rafi
Nah. The reason "life expectancy" was so low is because it's an average that's brought way down by a lot of death in infancy, childhood, and childbirth. And the issue with "hygiene" is more public health and sanitation than personal cleanliness. There's a reason beer and cider were safer than the drinking water.
True that! On the other hand, historical epidemics were often spread by lice and fleas, which might have been less likely vectors if personal hygiene were better.
Dude. 1. They *all* stank their whole lives and so did everyone around them, so they were habituated to it. 2. Our modern idea that they had no personal hygiene is some Victorian snobbery. They did not shower every day but they did change their full-body undergarment every day, which took away a lot of the sweat and dirt, they aired out their woollen outer clothing, and they did, in fact, wash up.
Good point! You can get used to almost anything. Case in point: my wife no longer complains about my snoring...at least as often as she used to.
I honestly would outlaw Renn Faires unless they were forced to douse the entire site in hog piss that had been left in open barrels to bake in the sun for a week first. Milady doesn't get to prance about in a flattering corset and his lordship doesn't get to LARP as a duke without some authentic stink forced into their noses at all times.
There should just be way more animals at historic sites doing what animals do -- shedding, pissing, shitting, whinnying, baaaing, hauling stuff, being milked, being sheared, etc. Really a cacophony of sensory inputs we've mostly forgotten. But RenFaires are a fantasy -- you wouldn't want to get cow pats and road apples on your Mylar fairy wings.
Hi, I'm insufferably pedantic. Look what I found! https://going-medieval.com/2019/08/02/i-assure-you-medieval-people-bathed/
I'm reading through Dune for the first time, and there is like a half page dedicated to how much the sietch stinks the first time Paul and Jessica get there and how they have to use their Bene Gesserit training to not blow chunks and offend the Fremen. Something tells me that part's not gonna make it into Part Two, sorry Rafi
I presume this was an, "If you rant about it you, you have to blog about it" post and I'm here for it.
I mean, lack of hygiene is one of the main reasons that life expectancy in those times was like 27 and a half.
Nah. The reason "life expectancy" was so low is because it's an average that's brought way down by a lot of death in infancy, childhood, and childbirth. And the issue with "hygiene" is more public health and sanitation than personal cleanliness. There's a reason beer and cider were safer than the drinking water.
True that! On the other hand, historical epidemics were often spread by lice and fleas, which might have been less likely vectors if personal hygiene were better.