He notes that he is disgusted by the fact that Vikings sharing the same bowl to wash their faces and blow their noses. He further observes that every day Vikings must wash their faces and head. Zoroastrianism also contains some specific cleansing rituals. He is particularly offended by the Viking approach to defecation and urination, along with their failure to wash after sex (orgasm). It can be considered likely that Ibn Fadlan's opinion was guided by the requirements of his Islamic faith and its specificity regarding certain cleaning rituals as described in the Quran. The report by a later Arab writer Ibn Fadlan may be a little misleading. The Persian explorer/geographer Ibn Rustah comments on their cleanliness. There are also early 10th Century writings describing the cleanliness of the Vikings. Albans reports that "thanks to their habit of combing their hair every day, of bathing every Saturday and regularly changing their clothes, were able to undermine the virtue of married women and even seduce the daughters of nobles to be their mistresses." In fact the original meaning of Scandinavian words for Saturday (laurdag / lørdag / lördag) was ‘Washing Day’.Ī later writing often credited to the Abbot of St. This was at a time when an Anglo-Saxon might only bath once or twice a year. Vikings bleached their hair as it seems blond hair was highly valued in the Viking World.Īccounts of Anglo-Saxons describing the Vikings who attacked and ultimately settled in England suggest the Vikings might be considered to be ‘clean-freaks’, because they would bathe once a week. We also know that the Vikings made a very strong soap which was used not only for bathing, but also for bleaching their hair. In fact combs seem to be the most common artifact found from the Viking Age. Items such as razors, tweezers and ear spoons have been found. What we do know from the excavation of Viking burial mounds is that personal grooming tools are some of the most common items found.
While there is no doubt Hannibal was masterful general, he did make make more than one strategic error.) The reality of what a Viking was seems to be very different than conventional wisdom. (This is not unlike the Roman habit of portraying Hannibal as a great and gifted military commander because it made the Roman victory more impressive. To this day it is the writings of these Christians which give us the impression that Vikings were physically powerful, terrifying, and dirty savages. A Christian writer would have had a strong bias to present the evil pagans in the worst light.
The Christian writers were writing about a fearsome group of pagan people who were ravaging Europe. A Viking writer would not be likely to give an account of the general cleanliness of his people as a whole. It's important to remember that most of our accounts of the Vikings come from Christian writers. However, close examination of the facts seem to dispel the myth of the filthy Viking. Even in modern day films the Vikings are usually portrayed as dirty savages. The Vikings have long had the reputation of being filthy, wild animals. Home > The Vikings > Cleanliness - Did Vikings Take Baths? Cleanliness - Did Vikings Take Baths?
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