Weird Histories 6 | Medieval Toilets

Introduction

Ancient History ended when the Medieval Ages began and before Modern History – even though nobody knew it at the time. Over those years (500BCE until today or about 2,500 years in total) human toilet behaviour has changed beyond recognition. Once you have finished reading this and other articles in this most learned series you will probably be extremely grateful that human toilet behaviour has changed.

Weird Histories – Number 6: Toilet Behaviour in Medieval Times... back to basics with bogs!

This article considers how much our toilet behaviour has changed since the time of our Medieval ancestors, about 900 years ago.

• The Fall of The Roman Empire and their Toilets in Western Europe

Soon after the Roman Empire ended and while it was ending, Germanic tribes took over Roman lands. They took over their bath and toilet facilities too but these were soon left to fall into ruins. For the people of the countryside it was life as usual – if they didn’t already, they went back to digging ditches for their toilets.

In the towns, which continued and which were founded over the years there were often no places to dig ditches. People used “pysse pots” in their homes and when it came to empty them they’d do this onto a “midden”.

• What was a Medieval Midden?

A midden was a pile of faeces and other household rubbish which ran the length, down the centre of roads – or more precisely the avenues between houses.  The avenues were often very narrow and the middens were often too wide to be avoided.

• The IMPORTANT Rule for Emptying Pysse Pots onto Middens

Because the rows between houses were often narrow it was possible to empty one’s pysse pot from the upstairs window of your house. When doing so it was good mannered to warn unfortunate people who just happened to be walking by, by shouting the phrase “gardez l’eau!” or “look out for the water!” This is perhaps the clean version of what they actually shouted but there is no need to discuss this with your children when recounting this tale.

Oh how times have changed!

Aren’t you glad that people are able to flush nowadays? How lucky we are when we go walking by our neighbours homes!

• Further Activities:

1) Get into the habbit of shouting ““gardez l’eau!” and alternating it with the English translation “look out for the water!” to teach some rudimentary French. 2) Use the terms “midden” and “etiquette” in daily conversation to improve their vocabulary.

TIP: Pronounce the “pysse” in “pysse pot” as “peas”, thus not teaching your children any foul language while you are educating them about their ancestors.