Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Medieval castle bathrooms




I don't know what made me look this up..I'm always reading about something or other and somehow I found these Medieval bathroom pics. Are you kidding me? I grew up dirt poor and I didn't think anything could top using an outhouse in the dark when it's 15 below zero.....I was wrong. At least my freezing bare ass wasn't suspended in a shaky shit shack hundreds of feet up tinkling into a moat. "Hello, dahling, have you smelled the moat?" They had it rough. No window glass, no plumbing, no heat, common kitchens and halls used by everyone including dogs and horses, food contamination, no medical care. Gawd! It sure wasn't a fairy tale. Look at that first picture and imagine it in pitch dark, a candle to light it. Spiders, rats, cobwebs, no TP, smelly.....yuk.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

Forget the cobwebs, no TP???? NO TP????


That's as horrible as losing the TV remote. Gotta have TP for the bunghole.

Tonya said...

Did it just, like, fall into the moat?

Dirty Disher said...

I'm sure someone did!

Dirty Disher said...

Oh, you meant the poo..yep. Just dropped right down.

Dan Zinski said...

I want one.

Anonymous said...

Better than bedpans maybe.

Anonymous said...

how in the world is that wooden one anchored in to the stone? imagine it giving way when you were sitting in it.

i know they used a rag for tp back then, everyone had one to use.

forget the primitive bathroom issue, think of the poor women during their time of the month! no modern products, they didnt even have underwear like we do.

here is one for you to look up dd, medieval feminine hygene & condoms! i saw a show years ago & they said they used thick cotton things like socks for condoms! imgaine! ewwwwwww!

Nissa said...

Damn I would hate to be walking under one of the things, especially after chili night! I think I would have to just go outside and use the bathroom. I don't think I could deal with doing my business sitting 100 feet up in the air LOL

Unknown said...

Anon, I read somewhere they used sheep bladder or something like that for condoms. Like, eww.

Anonymous said...

Look at the stain going down the side of the tower in that last picture. Gross. Can you imagine the smells? People with their poopy or peed on rags walking around, and the aroma of the moat floating in the windows. Yikes. Gimme the current century.

Christina

Melissa said...

Yeah, stench was all around - that's all they knew... Hey, at least they had privacy, right? ...

just wondering said...

Talk about taking a flying shit!!

Anonymous said...

Are you kidding? They went to the bathroom *inside*. That's one step up from an outhouse. The moat should be disgusting. If it was a beautiful body of water, how would it keep people out? Meanwhile, if you're heading to India, don't wade in the Ganges.

Anonymous said...

Read a historical romance once where an assassin was disposed of down the hole in one of these things...interesting.

Anonymous said...

His and hers?, right?.

Jarhead

Anonymous said...

The last time I was in unisex Europe it only cost be a euro to use the restroom at Mcdonalds. And the lady gave me a number and 3 count em 3 squares of tp. She has one of those good union jobs with benefits. Oh and for the guys it was a trough mounted to the water with no privacy.

Nadine said...

They used bedpans and the maids had to clean them in the morning. If you visit any historical castle that is part of the story they tell, because someone always asks.
I've never seen one of those "added on outhouses" on any of the castles I've seen in Germany, they had little rooms with holes in the floor, God knows where these holes led to. Most german castles didn't have moats either, most are on top of hills, so I guess all those nice mountains had built in cesspools and that is why the forests are so lush and green... Ewwwwwwwwwwww,,,

Anonymous said...

My grandmother used a chamber pot as well. In Georgia back in the 30's, 40's. The maid did come in every morning to empty it. No way the ladies of the house were going to go to the toilet at night. Jeez..sometimes I wish I had a catheter or a chamber pot myself! Esp when I was pregnant. I used to dream of a catheter strung all the way to the toilet so I could just stay in bed instead of getting up 10 times a night.
rox

miss tia said...

casanova used sheep intestines as a condom!

alot of those toilets were in towers that went to cesspools in the basement....and in some cases enemies were wounded and then thrown down in those pits....ew....

Dirty Disher said...

I wish you'd get me pics of German castle toilets, Nadine. Have fun on your trip!

Nadine said...

Most of the castles are closed for sightseeing in the winter months.... people don't do much wandering in the woods and stopping at castles... but the next time I go in the summer I sure as hell will get you some.. :)
thanks ... I'm sure I'll have fun, I always do.... I love PR but it's nice to go back "home" every few months....

coffeebean said...

Actually saw one of those in person in Wales. Castles were not the most comfortable living arrangements!! The moat was dry and they had planted a garden in it. I was just imagining how much poop must be in the soil when I was walking around.

Anonymous said...

This post was very interesting!! I just finished watching Season 1 of the Tudors.

I can't help but picture a big flying turd coming out of there. ugh..lol

with3love said...

All I could think of was....if a woman accidentally gave birth in one, like so many women have mistakenly done...have you seen TLC's 'I didnt know I was pregnant?'