More than I ever wanted to know about potties...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

Okay, yesterday I said I needed to stop writing and making comments about movies because I had some reading to do and needed to come up with a class for our SCA [Society for Creative Anachronism] meeting. Well, in the course of doing my research I discovered more about Medieval potties and cleanliness than I ever really wanted to know.

These subjects (at least the cleanliness) are/is covered very thoroughly in The Compleat Anachronist #136: Hygiene of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Volume One: Personal Grooming and The Compleat Anachronist #136: Hygiene of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Volume Two: Domestic Arrangements by Jennifer Heise

The goddess was illuminated about gongs and jakes and gongfermors (the people who cleaned out cesspits), and I visited all kinds of websites that discussed the subject. One even showed off a padded seat! This cesspit was actually cleaned out by a tradesman known as "Monsieur Fifi. "

I read discussions about cities painting religious signs on buildings to keep urinators away and hiring people to clean out the "pissing corners." (and I thought I had a problem with people missing!) But I just hate to admit we can't eliminate in the medieval manner...there's no place on our property that would put us a "bow's shot away." And there's no handy Mullein bush for that wiping thing.

I've yet to see any lids on any of these seats though...

Till next time from a puzzled goddess who likes 20th century bathrooms