What Viking Hygiene Was Like
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Date: 2022-12-29
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Comments and reviews: 20
Sarah
Finns and Swedes still wash all their clothes and bedding and have a sauna every Saturday (sometimes more often) and use a mini shower head attached to the bathroom sink to wash themeselves every time they go to the bathroom, but they are not fond of deodorant or heavily scented products (which really make you smell worse rather than better) and although my late husband used to joke about his slightly Neanderthal-like appearance (highlighted by his broken teeth, scarred face and long greying hair and beard) he never smelled bad.
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Finns and Swedes still wash all their clothes and bedding and have a sauna every Saturday (sometimes more often) and use a mini shower head attached to the bathroom sink to wash themeselves every time they go to the bathroom, but they are not fond of deodorant or heavily scented products (which really make you smell worse rather than better) and although my late husband used to joke about his slightly Neanderthal-like appearance (highlighted by his broken teeth, scarred face and long greying hair and beard) he never smelled bad.
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Kristn
Thank you for this excellent and accurate video on the vikings and their lives. Since most references for vikings that the western world uses, comes from christian Europeans, they get depicted in a very negative, mostly inaccurate way - usually with horns on their helmets (which they didn't have -probably to depict them as devilish, raping, filthy barbarians. There is a lot of actual nordic reference on the vikings, which this video is clearly based on.
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Thank you for this excellent and accurate video on the vikings and their lives. Since most references for vikings that the western world uses, comes from christian Europeans, they get depicted in a very negative, mostly inaccurate way - usually with horns on their helmets (which they didn't have -probably to depict them as devilish, raping, filthy barbarians. There is a lot of actual nordic reference on the vikings, which this video is clearly based on.
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leann
Don't the Japanese wash like that? The father & all the men go first. Washing & spitting, etc? Then it's passed along. The children are before the mother. She's last.
At least that's what a man living in Japan told me. It's not super common any longer but some families still honor that tradition.
He also told me by the time his wife's family would finish, the water was truly disgusting.
My feeling is to each his own.
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Don't the Japanese wash like that? The father & all the men go first. Washing & spitting, etc? Then it's passed along. The children are before the mother. She's last.
At least that's what a man living in Japan told me. It's not super common any longer but some families still honor that tradition.
He also told me by the time his wife's family would finish, the water was truly disgusting.
My feeling is to each his own.
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beatlesrgear
This man is trying to pronounce Icelandic as one would modern Norwegian. It is incorrect.
All Icelandic words (with 1 or 2 exceptions) stress the first syllable with the 3rd syllable getting lighter stress. The even numbered syllables are very lightly pronounced.
BYW: the toilet is not called a Kamar. It is called a Salerni.
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This man is trying to pronounce Icelandic as one would modern Norwegian. It is incorrect.
All Icelandic words (with 1 or 2 exceptions) stress the first syllable with the 3rd syllable getting lighter stress. The even numbered syllables are very lightly pronounced.
BYW: the toilet is not called a Kamar. It is called a Salerni.
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Denmark
My family has been asatro for generations, and we are not allowed to cut our hair before marriage, so therefore we have to take really good care of it, for the ends not to break. You can cut the sides and back of your hair, before marriage, but you need to let some be, this is because their is some magic in uncut hair.
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My family has been asatro for generations, and we are not allowed to cut our hair before marriage, so therefore we have to take really good care of it, for the ends not to break. You can cut the sides and back of your hair, before marriage, but you need to let some be, this is because their is some magic in uncut hair.
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beatlesrgear
I've been to Snorri's pool in Reykholt (not pronounced Kreykholt, but just 'rake-holt'.
Sometimes it is hot enough to scald you and other times it is just lukewarm. All depends on the day you're there.
When it's really hot, you can stir it up and it will be OK to get in (about 42 degrees Celsius.
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I've been to Snorri's pool in Reykholt (not pronounced Kreykholt, but just 'rake-holt'.
Sometimes it is hot enough to scald you and other times it is just lukewarm. All depends on the day you're there.
When it's really hot, you can stir it up and it will be OK to get in (about 42 degrees Celsius.
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Cynthia
Having short hair in the back might have been a way to not attract LICE as people learned that the back of the neck and head is where lice is attract too. American Indians did the same thing and claimed they didn't get lice or bugs because of lack of hair. Also it was easier to keep hair clean.
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Having short hair in the back might have been a way to not attract LICE as people learned that the back of the neck and head is where lice is attract too. American Indians did the same thing and claimed they didn't get lice or bugs because of lack of hair. Also it was easier to keep hair clean.
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greerops
As a Dane and true Viking ancestor I can only applaud this fine treatment of the subject. You also can't go completely wrong with a religion that includes a heaven that is devoted to constant eating and partying while incorporating a never ending meat supply from an immortal pig: -)
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As a Dane and true Viking ancestor I can only applaud this fine treatment of the subject. You also can't go completely wrong with a religion that includes a heaven that is devoted to constant eating and partying while incorporating a never ending meat supply from an immortal pig: -)
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Genta
A viking: Did something terrible
Judge: You have now sentence with the worse punishment there are, that you deserve!
Viking: Oh Odin, please not that punishment! Please i'll do anything but that!
Judge: Now, people will call you, Ulfrson the beardless!
Viking: NOOOOO!
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A viking: Did something terrible
Judge: You have now sentence with the worse punishment there are, that you deserve!
Viking: Oh Odin, please not that punishment! Please i'll do anything but that!
Judge: Now, people will call you, Ulfrson the beardless!
Viking: NOOOOO!
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Robert
That Ibn Fadlan was a character in Michael Creighton's Eaters of the Dead novel which was based off the story of Beowulf. Antonio Banderas played him in the film adaptation The 13th Warrior.
I was unaware he was a real person from history.
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That Ibn Fadlan was a character in Michael Creighton's Eaters of the Dead novel which was based off the story of Beowulf. Antonio Banderas played him in the film adaptation The 13th Warrior.
I was unaware he was a real person from history.
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christine
I'm completely amazed at how different cultures viewed cleanliness. It stumps me to think how some ancient cultures found cleanliness a requirement and some later cultures thought washing too much would open pores to diseases.
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I'm completely amazed at how different cultures viewed cleanliness. It stumps me to think how some ancient cultures found cleanliness a requirement and some later cultures thought washing too much would open pores to diseases.
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Rick
I was born, grew up in, and lived my life in the southwestern US. Bathing and cleanliness was important but did not have much precedence for the use of water. Cleanliness was usually accomplished with some form of waste water.
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I was born, grew up in, and lived my life in the southwestern US. Bathing and cleanliness was important but did not have much precedence for the use of water. Cleanliness was usually accomplished with some form of waste water.
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jim
I call Ibn Fadlan a liar. We already heard that to dirty another was punishable by being pronounced an outlaw. How big was this bowl of water? Several men can wash their hair in it and it remains full? Porky Pies Fadlan.
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I call Ibn Fadlan a liar. We already heard that to dirty another was punishable by being pronounced an outlaw. How big was this bowl of water? Several men can wash their hair in it and it remains full? Porky Pies Fadlan.
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education
Most of our assumption of dirty medieval people come from the British. Medieval Spain would do things like boil bedding to ensure its cleanliness. They knew it needed to be clean, just not exactly why.
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Most of our assumption of dirty medieval people come from the British. Medieval Spain would do things like boil bedding to ensure its cleanliness. They knew it needed to be clean, just not exactly why.
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Moose
Many examples of this, including ibn Falad, are portrayed in the movie The 13th Warrior. The book Eaters of the Dead, the source material for the movie, is even more graphic.
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Many examples of this, including ibn Falad, are portrayed in the movie The 13th Warrior. The book Eaters of the Dead, the source material for the movie, is even more graphic.
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Butterflywingz
I'd like to see a video on Medieval hairstyles. Women who wore their hair half-up were considered prostitutes. Different braid styles, defined your class.
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I'd like to see a video on Medieval hairstyles. Women who wore their hair half-up were considered prostitutes. Different braid styles, defined your class.
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Jack
Didn't almost everyone in that time period carry combs because of parasites like lice and fleas? That's probably why their graves are found with combs?
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Didn't almost everyone in that time period carry combs because of parasites like lice and fleas? That's probably why their graves are found with combs?
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Learn
But according to the account of Ibn Fadhlan, vikings wash their face using the water that has been used and spitted on by their fellow vikings.
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But according to the account of Ibn Fadhlan, vikings wash their face using the water that has been used and spitted on by their fellow vikings.
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Arthur
Filing teeth is supposed to intimidate? Gotta be damn close for that to happen. . At the point their breath might have been more dangerous
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Filing teeth is supposed to intimidate? Gotta be damn close for that to happen. . At the point their breath might have been more dangerous
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aileen
Oh my! Who would have thunk it! So bloody casual, as you make it! Thank you. Thank you! You make my heart light. Keep them coming please
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Oh my! Who would have thunk it! So bloody casual, as you make it! Thank you. Thank you! You make my heart light. Keep them coming please
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