Medieval Hygiene: A Disturbing Reality

Medieval royalty bragged about never bathing. Queen Isabella of Castile proudly

admitted she only bathed twice in her entire life at birth and before her wedding.

Most weddings happened in June because May was the annual bath month, making brides temporarily

clean. Meanwhile, homeowners just yelled a warning before dumping waste

from windows onto streets below. Rotten teeth became a status symbol since only the wealthy

could afford rare sugar. And those fancy medieval hats? Not fashion statements.

Women wore them to keep lice from their long, infested hair from falling into their

food. Medieval hygiene was absolutely disgusting.