City of oriental baths in Europe. Baths of the Middle Ages or when Europe was unwashed
Scientists argue about the existence of national characters, but we, ordinary people, are convinced that they do exist, and we even know what they are like for each specific nation. Who is right? "The truth is out there somewhere," as they said in " The X-Files". The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to the national character of a particular people is really a set of stereotypes associated with this people. These stereotypical ideas about other peoples and other cultures prepare for a collision with a foreign culture, weaken the impact, reduce culture shock.
The most popular source of stereotypical ideas about national characters are the so-called international jokes, that is, jokes built on a template plot: representatives different nationalities, having found themselves in the same situation, react to it differently, in accordance with those traits of their national character that are attributed to them in the homeland of the joke. (I must admit that since childhood I loved this series of jokes and diligently memorized them. Therefore, now I am happy to present them here this article, taken from http://www.imc-iris.com/readarticle.php?article_id=78, where I came across some jokes that have long been familiar, although told a little differently)
Thus, in Russian international jokes, the British are usually emphatically punctual, taciturn, pragmatic, reserved, love cigars, whiskey, horse riding, etc. The Germans are practical, disciplined, organized, obsessed with order and therefore limited. The French are frivolous revelers, epicureans who think only about women, wine and gastronomic pleasures. Americans are rich, generous, self-confident, pragmatic, famous for their good expensive cars. 
Russians are reckless guys, unpretentious, alcoholics, fighters, open-minded, uncouth, love vodka and fights. In Russian international jokes, they all behave according to these stereotypes.
Here is the simplest joke of this kind: how people of different nationalities behave if they find a fly in a mug of beer. The German (practical) throws away the fly and drinks beer. The Frenchman (sentimental) takes out a fly, blows on it, spreads its wings - and does not drink beer. The Russian (unpretentious and fond of drinking) drinks beer without noticing the fly. The American (confident of his rights) calls the waiter, causes a scandal and demands another mug. A Chinese man (Chinese cuisine includes the most unexpected dishes) takes out a fly, drinks beer and eats the fly. The (mercantile) Jew drinks beer and sells a fly to the Chinese.
Another example. The UN commission decided to test different nations for survival and, as an experiment, placed representatives of different nationalities - two men and one woman - on separate uninhabited islands. Ten years later, a commission went to inspect the islands. On an English island, two gentlemen were playing tennis. “Everything is fine with us, we are in good athletic shape, there are no problems,” they said. “And the lady? We don’t know anything about her, no one introduced us.” On the French island, cheerful Marie said: “This is Pierre, this is Jacques, everything is fine with us, all three of us are very happy.” On the Spanish island, Maria told the commission that on the second day of the experiment, Jose killed Juan, and since then they have lived very happily. There were two Russian islands: pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary. On a pre-revolutionary Russian island, sad Olga reported that she had loved one, married another, and all three were deeply unhappy. On a post-revolutionary Russian island, two strong men were playing cards in a hut when the commission arrived. "We have everything in in perfect order, - said one of them. “We organized a collective farm: I am the chairman, he is the party organizer.” “Where is your lady?” the commission members asked. “The people? People in the field,” was the answer. (Note in parentheses that this expression - people in the field - entered the colloquial language as a saying.)
A widely circulated joke throughout the world about international competition for the best book about elephants in Russian version looks like this: The Germans brought a multi-volume work “Introduction to the Description of the Life of Elephants” on a cart. The British brought a book bound in expensive leather, “The Ivory Trade.” The French presented the jury with an elegantly illustrated publication, “Love among Elephants.” The Americans published a thin pocket book "All About Elephants." The Russians wrote a thick monograph "Russia - the Homeland of Elephants." The Bulgarians offered a brochure "The Bulgarian Elephant - younger brother Russian elephant". In Norwegian version According to this anecdote, the Germans are submitting the book “150 Ways to Use Elephants for Military Purposes” for the competition, the French are submitting “ Sex life at the elephants", Americans - "The biggest elephant I have ever seen", Swedes - "Political and social organization Elephant Society", the Danes - "150 recipes for elephant dishes", the Norwegians - "Norway and we, Norwegians."
And the last example from large number this kind of joke. Scientists decided to conduct an experiment: which nation tolerates the cold better? Representatives of different nationalities could take whatever they wanted into the freezer, and when it became too much to endure, they had to knock on the door of the chamber to have it opened. The Frenchman said: "Give me a lot of wine and pretty women" and went into the freezer. Half an hour later, a faint knock was heard, and the Frenchman, shivering from the cold, left the cell. The Englishman decided to take with him a cigar, a bottle of whiskey and one woman who had good self-control. An hour later there was a knock and the half-frozen Englishman was pulled out of the cell. The Russian wished for a drinking buddy, a bucket of vodka, two pickles and went to the freezer. Three hours later, the alarmed scientists opened the door slightly, fearing an accident. A fist appeared from the chamber, striking the experimenter, and the words were heard: “Here are the pigs! And it’s so cold, and they’re still opening the door,” and the door slammed. 
Such jokes can be continued for a long time, but the main thing is clear - the stereotypes of national characters in them are quite obvious.
English jokes ridicule the greedy Scots and drunken Irish. European stereotypes are clearly visible in the following joke: “Paradise is where cooks are French, mechanics are German, policemen are British, lovers are Italian and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where cooks are British, policemen are German, lovers are the Swiss, mechanics are French, and it is all organized by Italians Hell is where the cooks are English, the police are German, the lovers are Swiss, the mechanics are French, and everything is organized by Italians].”
The features of an exemplary European on a humorous postcard are based on contrast: he should be talkative, like a Finn; accessible like a Belgian; technically capable, like the Portuguese; generous like a Dutchman; patient, like an Austrian; timid, like a Spaniard; organized like a Greek; sober as an Irishman; famous as a Luxembourger; modest, like a Dane; reserved, like an Italian; he must drive like a Frenchman and cook like an Englishman.
The American joke about the nationality of Jesus Christ also clearly shows stereotypes of different cultures and ideas about different nationalities:
Three proofs that Jesus Christ was a Jew:
1. He continued his father's business.
2. He lived at home until he was 33 years old.
3. He was convinced that his mother was a virgin, and his mother was sure that he was God.
Three proofs that Jesus was Irish:
1. He never got married.
2. He never had a permanent job.
3. His last wish was to drink.
Three proofs that Jesus was Italian:
1. He spoke using gestures.
2. He drank wine at every meal.
3. He was engaged in carpentry.
Three proofs that Jesus was black:
1. He called everyone brothers.
2. He did not have a permanent place of residence.
3. Nobody hired him.
Three proofs that Jesus was Puerto Rican:
1. His name was Jesus. 
2. He was always in trouble with the law.
3. His mother did not know who his real father was.
Three proofs that Jesus was from California:
1. He never cut his hair.
2. He always walked barefoot.
3. He founded a new religion.
IN Lately Descriptions of real experiments began to appear in the press, caused by a fashionable passion for the problems of diversity of cultures and national characters. These experiments sometimes come close to the situations of international jokes, and sometimes leave them far behind.
Here is an example characterizing the features of national holidays: “The London Guardian talks about a series filmed by Channel 4 of British television documentaries about groups of vacationers from Germany, the USA, England and Japan who received vouchers to one of the boarding houses in Turkey. A hidden camera monitored their behavior in various situations.
For example, an actor who played the role of a bus driver on which tourists were supposed to go on an excursion got behind the wheel while drunk. The British, seeing this, refused to get on the bus. The Japanese remained unperturbed until the leader of their group pointed out to them a bottle of alcohol standing at the driver’s feet. The Germans began to worry that he might be fired from his job if they made a fuss.
During the excursions in which all four groups took part, the actor lit a cigarette, although smoking was prohibited on the bus. The British politely asked him to put out his cigarette. The Japanese, who did not want to disturb the harmony, chose to remain silent. The Germans first held a vote and only then expressed dissatisfaction, and the Americans began to smoke themselves.
At the bar, when the bartender left the bar, the actor began to take bottles of beer without paying. The British and Americans joyfully followed his example. The Germans did not steal beer, and the Japanese not only did not steal, but also reported what had happened to the boarding house administration.”
If you take national literatures Since these are the heroes of national literatures, what is first striking is their contrast with the stereotypical characters of international jokes. Indeed, the frivolous French, who think about wine and women, are represented at the level of their world-class classical literature by the dramatic heroes of Stendhal, Balzac, Hugo, Mérimée, Maupassant, Zola, solving complex human problems and having nothing in common with frivolous hero-lovers.
On the contrary, the prim and restrained to the point of absurdity, the English created from anecdotes a literature full of sparkling humor, irony, and sarcasm: the literature of Jonathan Swift, Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Dickens, Thackeray. Shakespeare, finally, who has 22 comedies for every five tragedies. No other culture values humor so highly.
Drilled by order (Ordnung!) and self-discipline, the Germans gave the world the most tender and profound poetry of Goethe and Heine from international jokes.
Finally, the anecdotal hooligans and alcoholics - the Russians - made a precious contribution to the treasury of world literature: the works of Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Chekhov, Dostoevsky. The heroes of these works, with their philosophical quests and subtle emotional experiences, are intellectuals among the characters of world classical literature (it is not for nothing that the word intelligentsia itself entered European languages from the Russian language).
So where is the Russian national character? In jokes or classical literature? Who is a typical Russian - a guy with a bucket of vodka in the freezer or Pierre Bezukhov?
Of course high literature is a reflection of the author’s subjective view, although it is based on deep observations, while an anecdote passed from mouth to mouth is a carrier of the national unconscious, and therefore a more truthful “we”.
Thus, international jokes, which are entirely based on stereotypical ideas about a particular people, do not so much reflect some of the most significant and typical features people, how many shape them both in the eyes of other peoples and in their own eyes. (How many Russians abroad drink vodka just to confirm the stereotypical Russianness expected of them).
The material was prepared based on the book: S. G. Ter-Minasova “Language and intercultural communication"Publisher: Slovo M. Year: 2000
I would be grateful if you continue the topic with anecdotes in the comments (but without insults!)
Myth or truth?
Christian preachers called for literally walking in rags and never washing, since this was precisely the way to achieve spiritual cleansing. It was also forbidden to wash because this would wash off the holy water that one had touched during baptism. As a result, people did not wash for years or did not know water at all.
Queen of Spain Isabella of Castile (late 15th century) admitted that she washed only twice in her entire life - at birth and on her wedding day. The Duke of Norfolk refused to bathe, allegedly out of religious belief. His body was covered with ulcers. Then the servants waited until his lordship was dead drunk, and barely washed him off. Louis XIV washed only twice in his life - and then on the advice of doctors. The washing horrified the monarch so much that he swore off ever taking water treatments.
“Water baths warm the body, but weaken the body and dilate the pores. Therefore, they can cause illness and even death,” stated a 15th-century medical treatise. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that air contaminated with infection could penetrate into cleaned pores. That is why the highest decree was abolished public baths. And if in the 15th - 16th centuries rich townspeople washed themselves at least once every six months, in the 17th - XVIII centuries they stopped taking baths altogether.
Louis XIII soaked in the bath every day
The examples given are completely real - monks who, out of excess of “holiness,” did not wash for years, a nobleman, who also did not wash out of religiosity, almost died and his servants washed him. They also like to remember Princess Isabella of Castile, who vowed not to change her linen until victory was won. And poor Isabella kept her word for three years.
But again, strange conclusions are drawn - lack of hygiene is declared the norm. The fact that all the examples are about people who took a vow not to wash themselves, that is, they saw this as some kind of feat, asceticism, is not taken into account. By the way, Isabella’s act caused a great resonance throughout Europe, and it was even invented in honor of her. new color, everyone was so shocked by the princess’s vow.
And if you read the history of baths, or even better, go to the corresponding museum, you will be amazed at the variety of shapes, sizes, materials from which baths were made, as well as methods of heating water. At the beginning of the 18th century, which they also like to call the century of dirt, one English count even had a marble bathtub with taps for hot and cold water in his house - the envy of all his acquaintances who went to his house as if on an excursion. Queen Elizabeth I took a bath once a week and required all her courtiers to bathe more often as well. Louis XIII generally soaked in the bath every day. And his son Louis XIV, whom they like to cite as an example as a dirty king, since he just didn’t like baths, wiped himself with alcohol lotions.
However, to understand the inconsistency of the myth of the “dirty Middle Ages”, it is not necessary to read historical works. Just look at the pictures different eras. Even from the sanctimonious Middle Ages, many engravings depicting bathing, washing in baths and baths remained. And even more late times They especially liked to depict half-dressed beauties in baths.
Not for washing at all
Simple people in the Middle Ages they washed about once a week. The washing technology, I believe, is known to many readers, due to seasonal shutdowns hot water: saucepans with hot water, basin and ladle. Little has changed here in a thousand years. Representatives of wealthier classes could afford to take a bath. In the absence of running water, this was a troublesome task and you couldn’t do it without servants - you had to heat the water, drag it into the bathtub, and then use the same buckets to scoop out the bathtub and pour out the water. The usual procedure for daily hygiene was wiping with a wet cloth.
Now about the “obscurantist clergy”. One of the most common myths is the story that, on the initiative of the church, public baths in cities were closed, and therefore everyone walked around dirty. Those who tell this do not take into account that these baths were really a hotbed of vice, and people did not go there at all to wash themselves. Well, much like now “a sauna with girls” is by no means a hygienic event. And it is unlikely that a person who does not regularly go to the sauna will now be considered “dirty.”
But there is another aspect, much less obvious to people unfamiliar with history. The case concerns issues of confrontation between Christianity and Judaism. A fair number of Jews lived in Europe, and many of them, in order to avoid persecution and infringement of their rights, formally accepted baptism, but continued to secretly practice the religion of their ancestors. From the point of view of Christian theologians, such behavior was classified as heresy and was strongly disapproved and persecuted. One of the rituals of Judaism is ritual washing through immersion in water to cleanse from ritual impurity. It is clear that the secretive Jews tried to disguise this ritual as household hygiene procedures. And that is why washing by immersion, especially of several people in the same water, aroused very strong suspicions about the possible ritual nature of these actions, and adherents of Christian piety considered it necessary to play it safe just in case.
This is precisely what is associated with the often quoted (without indicating the source and without understanding the essence) refusals of Spanish kings and queens to wash in the bathtub/pool. This is not a hatred of hygiene, but a refusal to perform one specific action - complete immersion in water.
Since the writing of this article, some of the bathhouses described above have closed, but new ones have opened.
UPDATE from this link: http://ledokolov.ru/saunas.html
In European countries, common or shared baths and saunas. Where men and women, as well as their children, wash together without swimming trunks or swimsuits. Frankly speaking, being in a bathhouse in a swimsuit or swimming trunks is a rather stupid activity. There is nothing more disruptive to normal bathing procedures than synthetic textile accessories on the body. This is, of course, if you didn’t just go to warm up, but deliberately came to the bathhouse precisely for what the contrast of a 100-degree steam room and almost 100% air humidity, and a cold shower or font gives your body. And also herbal tea, fruits, a shallow pool to relax and not swim at speed, meditative music, bathrobe and dim light.
In Germany and Austria, 70% of baths and saunas do not have separate sections for men and women; this would be too expensive. No one will build from 5 to 18 steam rooms for literally every taste and color and several pools of different depths and temperatures separately for men and separately for women. And being in a bathhouse in swimming trunks and swimsuits, as described above, is a rather harmful and ridiculous activity that does not allow a person to feel the beauty and depth of the bathing procedure. It happens, of course, that such an establishment organizes a separate women’s day. Once a week, for example, or once a month. So that women who can’t stand being around a lot of unfamiliar naked men can also come and relax. On other days, the vast majority of baths and saunas in Germany and Austria, including those at water parks, are general and “swimsuit-free.”
In Holland there are 100% of such baths; there are simply no others. In Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) there are about half of these baths. But despite the apparent stereotype, in northern Europe(Sweden, Finland and the Baltic states) there are very few such baths. I don’t know what it’s connected with.
In Moscow (St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Yekaterinburg and other cities of the former USSR) such baths do not officially exist. However, you would be surprised how many there really are. All of them are not of an official general nature or joint baths, but if you wish, you can easily find information about them in open sources.
How does this happen. There is a certain organizer who negotiates with some washing establishment that once a week (as a rule) he will rent the entire premises for a few hours for his company. Guarantees that this will happen constantly (i.e. without omissions) and receives a discount for this. And in general, it is beneficial for any enterprise to have regular, guaranteed customers. Next, the organizer first calls his friends, then they bring their own, then a group appears on VKontakte, Facebook or somewhere else. Where anyone can sign up (or friends of friends).
Among certain circles - visitors to such baths - information is gradually spreading that on Monday there is a bathhouse at such and such a place. And on Thursday, somewhere else - at someone else's. And so on. The information is also quite open and can be found if desired.
To be fair, we note that not all organizers are happy when strangers come to them straight from the street. Many people ask you to at least call in advance and tell them about yourself, where you got the information from, who you know, who you’re coming with, and so on. Phone numbers are published in the public domain. There is still a lot of “club” in such events in our country. In Europe, where this is official, there are naturally no organizers; you can come and go at any time, and the owner of the establishment, or rather his employees, monitors the adequacy of your behavior.
What can you say about the rules? The rules are the same everywhere: don’t use drugs, don’t be very drunk, don’t have sex. Many organizers do not accept alcohol at all. As well as heavy, unhealthy food on the common table. No one forbids making acquaintances and showing signs of attention. Just in case, I’ll write it a second time: sex is prohibited. No, of course there are even more closed meetings where they gather for sex. But now we are not talking about such establishments at all.
Believe me, where people gather for sex, no one is interested in the bathhouse as such. I'm interested in the presence of "relaxation rooms", but the steam rooms stand empty all the way. This is not why people gather there. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same people go to one bathhouse one day to wash, and on another day, excuse me, to have sex. Everywhere, as they say, has its own interest clubs. And to each his own.
I would also like to emphasize that the “club” nature of the events implies mutual respect, compliance with the rules of specific organizers (for example, they may ask you not to talk loudly, or not to bring beer, or to come only with your partner). If you are visiting for the first time, it is better to first take a closer look at how others behave.
So, in Moscow there are several common joint baths.
Baths in the Izmailovo Hotel on the 30th floor, in the Alpha and Vega buildings
Capacity - 40 people. The premises are almost symmetrical, but there are significant differences. There is only one, but large Finnish steam room in Alpha. In Vega, the Finnish steam room is smaller, but there is a Turkish hammam, and it is very hot, hotter than the required 40 degrees. In addition, Vega has a Jacuzzi bath, but Alpha does not. Both buildings have the same 3x5 meter pool.
Joint sessions are known on Fridays from 19:00 to 23:00. In Alpha - on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. On Saturday from 14:00 to 18:00. On Sunday there are two sessions from 14:00 to 18:00 and from 19:00 to 23:00. Nothing is known about the Vega building except Friday from 19:00 to 23:00.
Plant "Compressor", Aviamotornaya metro station,2nd st. Enthusiasts
Capacity - 20 people. Eat Finnish sauna, something like a hammam (just a warm room for 4 people with steam and wooden benches), a swimming pool 3x3 meters. The pool is always cold. Since this is a separate building, it is possible to go outside. A very homely atmosphere, a lot of things that accompany bath procedures. The owner of the bathhouse prefers to spend time with his guests.
Joint sessions almost every day on weekdays from 19:00 to 23-24:00 and on weekends either from 14:00, or from 16:00, or from 19:00.
Pool MPEI, st. Krasonokazarmennaya, 13 B
Capacity - 30 people. There is a small but very hot Finnish steam room, a plunge pool, and an infrared cabin for 1-2 people. Large recreation room with pool table. Some organizers have an agreement on free access to the pool (25 meters, swimming trunks/swimsuit and rubber cap required).
Joint sessions are held in sauna No. 2B on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays from 19:00 or 20:00 to 23:00. And although the place has been known among the general bath community for quite some time, finding information on the organizers is very difficult.
Bathhouse near Oktyabrskoye Pole metro station, on Narodnogo Opolcheniya Street, 43 k2
Capacity - 50 people. The largest space. Finnish steam room, 3x5 meter swimming pool, jacuzzi. Lots of rest rooms. One has a billiard table and a table tennis table. In another there is a massage table, in the third you can conduct sessions of energy or tantric practices.
Joint sessions on Fridays from 20:00 to 24:00, on Saturdays from 19:30 to 23:00, Wednesdays from 19:30 to 22:30. There are other days, but I don't know them.
Bathhouse near Vladykino metro station, Gostinichny Proezd, 8k1
Capacity - 30 people. Finnish steam room, large Turkish hammam, 3x3 meter pool. The hammam is huge - the bathhouse is called “Hamam” even from the street.
Joint sessions are regularly held on Sundays from 19:00 to 23:00 and occasionally on other days.
Bathhouse in Lotus-House (formerly "Women's World") on Poshtovaya Street
This is the newest space of all the ones listed. Made not according to Russian, but rather according to European standards. For example, there are no closed rest rooms with beds at all. But there are several steam rooms at once. Capacity - 30 people. Two Finnish steam rooms and two hammams. All with different temperatures. There is no pool. The shower cabins were made very interestingly - in wooden barrels.
Joint sessions on Fridays from 17:00 to 23:00 and on Sundays from 19:00 to 23:00.
How I took a steam bath in the nudist baths of Austria
I wanted to touch on a slightly fun topic about how it is customary for the Austrians to go to the bathhouse. I had to overcome myself and plunge into the nudist theme - visit public baths. Shock and embarrassment. Yes, it’s customary for them to go naked to saunas, and then plop into the pool.
Then I went to sauna events: they whipped me with a hot flag, smeared me with a sticky, prickly and cold thing, and forced me to sit naked in a sauna for 20 minutes.
I did this only for you, to write this story! Of course I didn't take any photos :-)
In the fall, Lena and I had a decorous and aristocratic holiday at a wonderful resort in Austria. People come to this retirement town for the thermal springs. How can you live in Bad Ischl and not improve your health?
We collected towels and bathing accessories and headed to the Eurothermen baths.
Eurothermen thermal springs
I'll tell you the system briefly. At the entrance you pay a ticket of €16 for 4 hours. You are given a bracelet watch. You apply them to the turnstile and the time is up. If you dare to take off all your clothes and go to the nudist area, you will be charged another €7.5 for the whole day. They will need to be paid upon departure.
We go to the locker rooms. They are common. Here and there naked bodies flash. Of course, we changed clothes in the cabins. I didn’t tell Lena that there was a cult of naturalists here, but she began to guess. :-)
Thermal pool complex
I'll tell you about the pools. (Most of the photos are from Daria Pismenyuk). At the entrance we are greeted by a warm swimming pool with mineral water. We immediately plop into it. So glad! Along the edges there are underwater loungers with a Jacuzzi, fountains for the back and neck.
I go through the turnstile. The display says that I will be charged about €7 more. I open the doors. They say that you are crossing a nudist zone and it would not hurt you to undress. At the entrance there is a large hall with sun loungers. Some are cooling down after the bath, others are just reading the newspaper. I exposed myself and covered myself with a towel just in case. I rinsed off in the shower and went to the saunas.
How many saunas are there! I walked around for about 10 minutes and studied them. I went to each one. You must remove your slippers upon entry. You cannot sit on your butt on wooden surfaces. All places where the skin comes into contact with the wood must be covered with a towel! That is, put it under your butt and legs.
Kaiser sauna, Country house sauna, Mine sauna, Gallery sauna, Stone bath, Steam bath, Saltwater inhalation grotto, Infrared cabins, Large saltwater pool, Hot whirlpool, Cold pool.
I don’t remember which sauna is called. Choose from the list above according to your meaning. At the entrance there are signs everywhere: what it’s called, what the temperature and humidity are, how long you need to stay there.
I went into the first sauna. I watched everyone lay out towels. I did the same. It seemed like no one was looking sideways at me. There were no grandmothers :-) There were ladies and men with decent physiques. Hot.
I went into the next sauna. It's not so hot there anymore. I sat and warmed myself. There are several girls around. One of them lies with her legs bent at the knees. He became embarrassed and moved on.
I looked into the bathhouse. It’s very humid and not hot – I’ll come here for the last time. I'm walking down the corridor. On the right, men are splashing in the jacuzzi. I don’t want to go to them :-) After each sauna you need to take a shower - I took a shower.
What is this foggy glass door? He opened it and went in. Still nothing is visible because of the steam. Here, apparently, you need to stand and breathe. I don’t know how many people stood and breathed next to me - I didn’t see anything. I felt somehow uneasy. Came out.
Ahead is a large swimming pool for naturalists. A naked old man is splashing in the water. There - on the back, back on the stomach. There are still people around the edges. I'll buy it later if no one is there.
The bathhouse attendant, with a towel on his hips, said something in German. Everyone obediently followed him. I came to get a report for you! I also had to go. What do I have to lose already?
Everyone went outside. It's kind of chilly there. There is another large round sauna outside! We all went there. The bathhouse attendant closed the door, put up some kind of sign, turned it over hourglass. I realized that I was stuck here for at least 20 minutes.
Everyone sat in a circle on wooden benches opposite the trolley. The bath attendant turned up the heat. The temperature began to rise. People laid out their bodies on towels in a relaxed manner. I sat quietly, not showing much of my charms. On the top shelf at the level of my shoulders, a couple of men sat down and started a conversation with each other. I wasn’t very pleased to be near their scrotums and I moved away :-)
While the temperature was rising, I timidly looked around at those around me. They were all quite young, 25-35 years old, with a pleasant build. Few men more women. How can I write more correctly? There is something to see :-)
Queue for white powder
Meanwhile, the temperature is rising noticeably! The bathhouse attendant came in and kicked everyone out into the street. Everyone lined up. Everyone dipped their hand into the barrel. I took white powder. And rubbed it on his sweaty skin. What is this?
It was my turn. He scooped up the white powder with his hand. He began to rub it on his skin. The grains were very large. It tore my skin like sand. It's salt! Everyone went back to the sauna to sweat.
Why is the bath attendant waving the Austrian flag?
The show didn't end there. Now the temperature was already approaching 80. The bathhouse attendant came in. Brought a flag. Added essential oils. Why does he need a flag? :-)
Not only did he bring the flag, but he also began to sing songs and wave it patriotically. It dawned on me - to make it even hotter! Now he approached everyone and waved the flag in front of their faces. The heat hit me so much that I was almost left without eyebrows and eyelashes. I'm already overheated. Time ran out and everyone began to leave. We took turns taking showers outside.
When I came to her, I couldn’t say anything due to overheating. My body and I were in shock. I wanted to tell her everything and take her there, but it was already ten o’clock. Time to go home. That evening I slept like the dead.
Second round with the bathhouse attendant. Who will win?
The next evening I managed to persuade Lena to take off her clothes and go to the kingdom of naturalists. Yesterday I looked at the schedule of bathhouse performances. I've already been to the salt plant. Now let's go together to learn some obscure German word :-)
We are now taking bolder steps into the clothing-free zone. Lena quickly undressed and wrapped herself in a towel. The bathhouse attendant again calls you outside to the round sauna. Turns the heat back on.
What has the cheerful mass entertainer prepared for today?
We sat in a circle. Lena sits wrapped in a towel. I'm a little more relaxed. That's it... break. Everyone comes out. Lena had to part with her towel. There is a queue outside for the bathhouse attendant. Everyone approaches him and he carefully sprays liquid from a spray bottle in front and behind. What is it this time? Salt? No!
Mint water. The sensations are unusual. We go back to the sauna. It’s somehow strange - the air is hot, but the skin is cooled. Mint stings the most in the folds, especially in the back :-)
Not as extreme as yesterday with salt and flag. But at least they didn’t traumatize Lena’s psyche. She accepted nudism with dignity. She didn't feel very comfortable there. I’m already used to it.
He sent her to a normal pool, and he continued his experiments. I looked into the sauna, where the steam could make you hang an ax. I walked along the walls by touch. It seems like I didn’t run into anyone backwards. I swam naked in the pool - I love that. We had the same thing in Kama :-)
Warmed up in a not hot, damp bathhouse. The bathhouse attendant came and offered homemade strawberry jam for the stove. I don't know where to put it, so I refused.
Sticky bodies
Time for a new show! Everyone enters the wet room. There are tiled benches instead of wooden benches. There are no towels here anymore. Nothing can hide you from prying eyes! Everyone washed the bench from the shower and sat down.
Mr. bath attendant gave everyone packs of sticky mass. Everyone diligently began to rub their thighs, legs, bellies, chests and arms. Well, me too. Lick it - it turns out it's honey. Okay, give me two!
I smeared myself properly and sat warming myself. The eyes themselves look at those around them. There are more women attending such spa treatments, young ones by the way;-) The main thing here is not to goof off. I can’t even imagine what I would have done if... But everything seemed to go well. Rinse off quickly in the shower. And then it’s already ten o’clock again – it’s time to go home.
Total
The thermal baths are definitely worth a visit. I did not touch upon the topic of health improvement here. There is a lot of information about this, but few personal impressions are shared. It’s not easy for me to pour out my soul to you either, but I took a risk - after all, today is April 1st. I won’t say what’s true and what’s fiction. Otherwise I’ll say that everything is true, and you’ll laugh at me. At the first opportunity I will visit the thermal baths again.
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It is well known that for Western European travelers of the 17th and 18th centuries the widespread use of bathhouses in Russian lands was a novelty. By that time, it had almost been forgotten that in Western Europe itself there had been a high bathing culture for many centuries, which disappeared only in the 16th century. Therefore, the idea of the European Middle Ages as “unwashed” is yet another myth and stereotype.
Original taken from gunter_spb in BATH-HYGIENIC
Judging by the ongoing last days discussions on the Black Death of 1348, it became clear that a significant part of the public was not free from stereotypes regarding hygiene of the High and Late Middle Ages. The stereotype fits into one phrase: “They were all dirty and washed only by accidentally falling into the river, but in Rus'...” - this is followed by a lengthy description of the culture of Russian baths.
Remember, a “patriotic” article about “pure Slavs” and “stinking Europeans” was circulating around the magazine - it seems I reposted it and d_pankratov , without bothering to understand the topic. Alas, this is nothing more than a myth.
Maybe these words will cause a slight break in the pattern for some, but the average Russian prince of the 12th-14th centuries was no purer than a German/French feudal lord. And the latter, for the most part, were no dirtier. Perhaps this information is a revelation for some, but the bath craft in that era was very developed and, for objective reasons described below, it turned out to be completely lost just after the Renaissance, by the advent of modern times. The gallant 18th century is a hundred times more odorous than the stern 14th century.
Let's go through publicly available information. For starters, well-known resort areas. Let's take a look at the coat of arms of Baden (Baden bei Wien), granted to the city by the Holy Empire Emperor Frederick III in 1480. A man and a woman in a bathing tub. Shortly before the appearance of the coat of arms, in 1417, Poggio Braccioli, who accompanied the dethroned Pope John XXIII on a trip to Baden, gives a description of 30 luxurious baths. There were two outdoor swimming pools for commoners
We give the floor to Fernand Braudel (“Structures of Everyday Life: Possible and Impossible”):
Baths, a long legacy of Rome, were the rule throughout medieval Europe - both private and very numerous public baths, with their baths, steam rooms and loungers for relaxation, or with large pools, with their crowded naked bodies, male and female interspersed. People met here as naturally as in church; and these bathing establishments were designed for all classes, so that they were subject to seigneurial duties like mills, forges and drinking establishments. As for wealthy houses, they all had “soaphouses” in the basements; there was a steam room and tubs - usually wooden, with hoops stuffed like barrels. Charles the Bold had a rare luxury item: a silver bathtub, which was carried with him across the battlefields. After the defeat at Granson (1476), she was found in the ducal camp.
The report of the Parisian provost (the era of Philip IV the Fair, early 1300) mentions 29 public baths in Paris subject to city tax. They worked every day except Sunday. The fact that the Church looked askance at these establishments is quite natural - since the baths and the adjacent taverns were often used for extramarital sexual intercourse, although, of course, people still intended to wash there. G. Boccaccio writes about this directly: “In Naples, when the ninth hour came, Catella, taking her maid with her and without changing her intention in any way, went to those baths... The room was very dark, which each of them was pleased with.” .
Here is a typical picture of the 14th century - we see a very luxurious establishment “for the noble”:
Not only Paris. As of 1340, it is known that there were 9 baths in Nuremberg, 10 in Erfurt, 29 in Vienna, and 12 in Breslau/Wroclaw. Reinmar von Belyau from Sapkowski's Jester's Tower may well have visited one of them.
The rich preferred to wash at home. There was no running water in Paris, and water was delivered for a small fee by street water carriers. Memo di Filipuccio, Conjugal Bath, circa 1320 fresco, City Museum of San Gimignano.
But this is, so to speak, “late,” but what came before? With the most "barbarism"? Here is Einhard, "Biography of Charlemagne":
He also loved to bathe in hot springs and achieved great perfection in swimming. It was out of love for hot baths that he built a palace in Aachen and spent the last years of his life there. He invited not only his sons, but also nobles, friends, and sometimes bodyguards and his entire retinue to swim and to the springs; It happened that a hundred or more people swam together.
Regular private bath, 1356:
About soap. There are two versions of the appearance of soap in medieval Europe. According to one, soap has been produced since the 8th century in Naples. According to another, Arab chemists began to make it in Spain and the Middle East from olive oil, lye and aromatic oils (there is a treatise by Al-Razi from 981, which describes the method of making soap), and the Crusaders introduced it to Europe. Then, as if around 1100, soap production appeared in Spain, England, and France - from animal fat. Encyclopedia Britannica gives later dates - around 1200. In 1371, a certain Crescans Davin (Sabonerius), started producing olive oil soap in Marseille, and it is often mentioned as the first European soap. It definitely achieved great fame and commercial success. In the 16th century, Venetian and Castilian soap was already traded in Europe, and many began to start their own production.
The soap looked something like this:
Picture of a public bath in France from 1470:
And here is Hans Bock, Public Baths (Switzerland), 1597, oil on canvas, Art Gallery Basel.
Here is a modern reconstruction of a standard public “soaphouse” of the 14th-15th centuries, economy class for the poor, budget version: wooden tubs right on the streets, water is boiled in boilers:
Separately, we note that in “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco there is quite detailed description monastery baths - separate baths, separated by curtains. Berengar drowned in one of these.
Quote from the Rules of the Augustinian Order: “Whether you need to go to the bathhouse or some other place, let there be at least two or three of you. Anyone who needs to leave the monastery must go with the one appointed by the commander.”
And here is from the "Valencian Code" of the 13th century: "Men should go to the bathhouse together on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; women should go on Monday and Wednesday; and Jews should go on Friday and Sunday; neither man nor woman should give more than one meach at the entrance to the bathhouse; and servants should be like men. , so women are not given anything; and if men are in women's days if they enter the bathhouse or any of the bathhouse buildings, let everyone pay ten maravedi; the one who spies in the bathhouse on Women's Day also pays ten maravedi; also, if any woman enters the bathhouse on a man’s day or is met there at night, and someone insults her or takes her by force, then he does not pay any fine and does not become an enemy; and a man who on other days takes a woman by force or dishonors him must be thrown out."
And it is no joke that in 1045 several important people, including the Bishop of Würzburg, died in the bathing tub of Persenbeug Castle after the ceiling of the bathhouse collapsed.
Steam bath. XIV century - So there were steam saunas too.
The maid in the bathhouse - note, with a broom. "Wenzelsbibel", ca. 1400
So, the myth evaporates along with the steam in the bath. The High Middle Ages was not at all a kingdom of total filth.
Natural and religious-political conditions contributed to the disappearance of the bathing business in post-Renaissance times. "Small glacial period"which lasted until the 18th century led to massive deforestation and a monstrous shortage of fuel - it could only be replaced in modern times with coal.
Note the sharp rise in firewood prices after 1550:
And, of course, the Reformation had a huge influence - if the Catholic clergy of the Middle Ages had a relatively neutral attitude towards baths (and washed themselves - there are references to even the Popes visiting baths), only prohibiting the joint washing of men and women, then the Protestants banned it altogether - not in the Puritan way This. In 1526, Erasmus of Rotterdam states: “Twenty-five years ago nothing was so popular in Brabant as public baths: today they are no longer there - the plague has taught us to do without them.” In Paris, baths practically disappeared under Louis XIV.
And just in the New Time, Europeans begin to be surprised by Russian public baths and steam rooms, which in the 17th century were already noticeably distinguished Eastern Europe from Western. The culture was lost.
Here's the story.
Albrecht Durer, “Men in the Bath”, 1497 - beer, conversations, music, steam bath caps. Let's pay attention to the water tap - if some Fomenko had turned up to us, he would have quickly concluded that Dürer lived in the 19th century
