I assure you, medieval people bathed.

This article challenges common misconceptions about medieval hygiene, emphasizing that people in Europe during the Middle Ages were far from universally dirty or ignorant of cleanliness practices. Contrary to stereotypes, bathing and washing were routine for many, though methods varied by class and period. Public bathhouses, laundry using lye soap, and handwashing at mealtimes were common. The Black Death (1340s) led some to associate water with disease transmission, shifting attitudes temporarily but not eradicating hygiene entirely—people still rinsed clothing and prioritized cleanliness in key areas.

The author critiques the modern myth of medieval “filth” as a harmful oversimplification that ignores historical nuance. They argue such myths often serve colonialist or imperialist narratives by framing pre-modern societies (or non-Western cultures) as backward, while unfairly glorizing “progress” in later eras. The article also highlights how medical practices of the time—such as humoral theory—shaped ideas about health and cleanliness, showing that medieval people had structured understandings of hygiene.

Key sources cited include Katherine Ashenburg’s Clean and Georges Vigarello’s work on changing attitudes toward cleanliness, which demonstrate continuity in personal care across centuries. The piece urges readers to reject reductive terms like “Dark Ages” and recognize the complexity of medieval life, stressing that accurate historical understanding prevents harmful stereotypes and colonialist historiography. Ultimately, it calls for respecting medieval societies’ agency and knowledge rather than dismissing them as primitive—a lesson with implications for how we view both history and modern issues like public health.