Many misconceptions about the medieval period stem from the fact that the average person doesn’t even know when the medieval period was. To most laypeople, the entire span of time between the fall of Western Rome and the Industrial Era is considered “medieval.” This is an incredibly broad stretch of history that can actually be divided into two distinct eras. The latter of these eras—spanning from the late 15th to the early 19th centuries, depending on the region—is often referred to colloquially as the Renaissance, the Colonial Era, or the Enlightenment. Most historians, however, use the broad term “Early Modern Era.”
Interestingly, many misconceptions about the medieval period actually originate in the Early Modern Era. For example, the famously gruesome methods of torture and execution often associated with the medieval period largely belong to the Early Modern Era. In comparison, torture and execution in the medieval period were relatively simple and practical. Similarly, in relation to the article, it was the people of the Early Modern Era—not the medieval period—who had truly questionable hygene.
There are a few key reasons why hygiene declined in the post-medieval world. The main factor was the rapid growth of urban centers, which led to nearby waterways becoming polluted with human waste. With clean water harder to obtain, people bathed less frequently. The introduction of sugar from the New World into the European diet also wreaked havoc on oral hygiene, and it took centuries for proper dental practices to develop. Finally, as the article points out, there were many widespread misconceptions about hygiene and its role in preventing disease, particularly with regard to the much-feared Black Death.
In short, William the Conqueror was likely a well-groomed man, while George Washington probably stank.
One thing I really like about Lemmys small size is how posts can remain relevant for some time. It’s very laid back for a social media. You can have discussions that last for days on Lemmy, and there’s no need to constantly update or FOMO if you don’t check in for awhile.
Reddit is far too busy. There’s just a constant sea of noise. It’s practically pure luck if a post gets noticed, and if you don’t comment early then you comment is basically lost. For the most part content on reddit loses all relivence within 12-24 hours, and having any real place within the community requires constant engagement.