Grimy Middle Ages

The book by historian and re-enactor Ekaterina Mishanenko is dedicated to debunking popular myths about the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, people were dreadfully dirty and smelly — they never washed, didn’t clean their clothes, knights would relieve themselves... right where they stood, in their armor, and wide-brimmed hats were worn to protect against slops and the contents of chamber pots, which were constantly thrown out of windows. Queen Isabella of Castile vowed not to change her underwear until the Moors were expelled from Spain and only washed twice in her life. Louis XIV smelled "like a wild beast." King Frederick Barbarossa nearly drowned in filth. And scented curtains were hung on the windows of the British Parliament to protect against the stench coming from the Thames. Which of this is true and which is fiction? How was a medieval bath or toilet actually arranged? How did parts wash clothes and what perfumes did medieval people use? Let’s turn to the facts.