Cecil–Note that when you write, “people in the old days did stink to high heaven,” you’re basically writing about Europeans–white folks. Most other peoples were cleaner. After Europe’s wholesale conversion to Christianity, and as Roman technology degraded along with the Roman Empire, Christians began to believe that anything that involved bathing’s potent combination of nudity and pleasure had to be sinful, and the Church essentially banned it. When the Spanish and Portugese reached what they called the Americas, the indigenous inhabitants were shocked and dismayed by the way the white men–most of whom had never, repeat, never bathed in their lives–smelled. (Think about that “never.” Think about it in connection with the lack of other hygeinic tehnology, like plumbing. And paper …) It was, in fact, the Protestants who declared–AFTER the wealth of the New World began to enrich Europe and raise the standard of living dramatically–that “cleanliness was next to godliness.”
Welcome to the SDMB, Jayk.
A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/041217.html
True, this column address the European lack of hygine during a persiod of time.
The Japanese have a long history of bathing regularly. In fact they usually showered before soaking in the tub so as to not get the water dirty.
I’ve heard the Middle Ages refered to as “The Thousand Years When Europe went Unbathed.”
Another factor hinted at above was very specifically the cutting of the acqueducts to the cities by invading armies. This happened to Rome at some point in the mid sixth century; before that the fountains flowed and the baths ran, though in later years the sexes were segregated. Up to that day life in the city of Rome must have been much like it had been for the preceding 1200 years; the day after marked the end of bathing and easy access to water, and led to a population collapse over the next few decades.
Another significant factor was European deforestation, which raised the cost of fuel to the point where most people couldn’t afford to heat water for bathing.
I would think a good, cold shower would be just what the Bishop ordered.