Vikings used simple, outdoor latrines with cesspits, chamber pots, or went over the side of ships, sometimes with a "tow rag" for cleaning; while lacking indoor plumbing, they had dedicated waste areas, often incorporating waste into fertilizer, revealing surprising sophistication in their sanitation, with specific finds like wooden seats and analysis of cesspit contents showing details of their diet and health.
Vikings and other medieval cultures like the Anglo-Saxons and the Scottish also used moss (perhaps in conjunction with other things like shells) to wipe. Moss is soft and absorbent so it trumps many of the alternatives here, but it is not available in all landscapes.
Carved from durable timber and strategically positioned over a waste pit, the toilet reflects the Vikings' understanding of hygiene and waste management. The preservation of the wood, aided by the moist, anaerobic soil conditions, has allowed archaeologists to study its original construction in extraordinary detail.
Aboard sailing ships and during the era when all hands aboard a vessel were men, the heads received most of their use for defecation; for routine urination, however, a pissdale was easier to access and simpler to use.
Leaves and Grass: This was the most common solution globally. Large, soft leaves from plants like mullein (often called "cowboy toilet paper") were especially prized. Moss and Tundra: In colder, northern climates like Scandinavia, Vikings likely used handfuls of soft moss.
Discovered in 1972 by construction workers in York, England, this 1,200-year-old Viking coprolite is the largest fossilized human excrement ever recorded. At 8 inches (20 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, it was left behind by a Norse warrior who had a diet heavy in meat and bread—but also suffered from parasites.
Yes, it's highly likely there were gay people (men and women) among the Vikings, but their experiences differed greatly from modern LGBTQ+ identities, with same-sex acts sometimes tolerated if societal duties (marriage/children) were met, but passive roles in male-male sex stigmatized as unmanly (ergi), leading to insults and potential punishment, especially after Christianization, though evidence for lesbian relationships is scarce in sources, according to historians.
Viking girls, often considered adults by 12-15, were trained from childhood in household management, cooking, textiles, and animal care, preparing them for marriage, which could happen as young as 12, and running a farm while husbands traveled; while some women were abducted for slavery, Viking society offered women more autonomy, including property rights and divorce, than many contemporary cultures.
The Colonial Americans were dependent upon the core center cobs from shelled ears of corn, whereas the Eskimos used handfuls of snow. Finally in 1880, the British invented the first actual toilet paper that was designated for wiping.
They could also serve as status symbols, featuring intricate carvings and stored in decorative cases, likely to show off one's wealth. According to the chronicle of John of Wallingford, the Vikings combed their hair daily and bathed every Saturday, making them attractive to English women.
Instead we used newspapers to wipe. We would tear a piece and we would crumple it together and the more we crumbled it the softer it got. Now my family uses store-bought toilet paper. I'm so happy that they upgraded their life.
Compared to other Northern Europeans of the time, the Vikings were clean-freaks - obsessed with personal hygiene, grooming and looking good. Archaeologists have uncovered many objects from Viking digs that show just how concerned they were with their appearance.
The xylospongium or tersorium, also known as a "sponge on a stick", was a utensil found in ancient Roman latrines, consisting of a wooden stick (Greek: ξύλον, xylon) with a sea sponge (Greek: σπόγγος, spongos) fixed at one end.
Not all countries or cultures use toilet paper to wipe their bums. This can be because of cultures that have traditionally used alternatives to toilet paper and therefore never really used it or lack of access to toilet paper.
The Groom of the Stool was responsible for managing the king's personal hygiene, including wiping his rear after using the royal close stool (a portable toilet). But the role went far beyond that.
The basic underdress is, essentially, a T-tunic. There have been more complicated archaeological finds; the Viborg shirt2 is mind-numbingly complicated, and quite a lot of Swedish underdresses were pleated from the 10th century onwards.
Tissues: Egyptian people do not typically use toilet paper, and you often will not find it in bathrooms. Instead, they use a bidet, which is much more hygienic, and in my opinion, far superior to toilet paper!
Did you know before tp was invented in 1871, people used to wipe themselves with stones, clay, sponges, leaves, and all sorts of 'natural solutions'? Australians used to use waxed paper until Sorbent pioneered the first commercial roll of Dry Crepe Toilet Paper in 1952, going from not so soft, to extra soft.
Before the availability of mass produced toilet paper in the mid-1800s, humans had to resort to using what was free and available, even if it didn't provide the most effective (or comfortable) results. Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells.
Viking women married young—as early as 12 years old. By the age of 20, virtually all men and women were married.
In addition to exchanging rings, Viking brides and grooms gave each other swords to acknowledge their union. The sword given to a bride from her groom would be a family heirloom—and would eventually be passed down to the couple's future sons.
Women that fought were in the Norse literature called vakyries or shield-maidens (skjoldsmøyer). There were several kinds of female warriors.
A range of evidence indicates that Viking-Age Scandinavian societies practised both polygyny, meaning that men could take multiple wives, and concubinage — a semi-formal relationship in which men and women engage in sexual activity and sometimes cohabit without marrying.
A study of over 6000 Northern European skeletons from the Early Middle Ages reveals that the average male height was about 5'8” and the average female height was about 5'2”. That is not much less (but certainly no more) than people today. Scandinavian skeletons matched these average numbers.
kærr - dear or beloved - adj. ástin mín - my love or my dear - n. hjartað mitt - my heart - n.