Durran Korr wrote:The Indians were revolted by the smell of the Europeans when they first came to North America.
Well, in early Christianity (This is also a reply to Mike), bathing was okay - Christians were, after all, Romans, then. But then the Roman Empire fell and in came Barbarians who would sooner smash a bath tub than enjoy it.
There was a potential revival of the concept of cleanliness under Charlemagne and the Frankreich. Charlemagne liked bathing, and had a heated bath in his palace.
Unfortunately, this was also the era of religious fanaticism against Jews and Muslims, and in particular the gradual
reconquista of Spain. There, it was believed that one of the ways you could tell if someone who had converted to Christianity but secretly maintained their Jewish or Muslim practices of faith was if they.... Yep.. Bathed.
So cleanliness was perceived as a sign of being Muslim or Jewish, and being filthy, holy christianity. Thus, by the time we landed in the New World, with witchhunting fervour approaching its fevered pitch and religious War abrew in Europe, the only safe thing to bathe in within the confines of the European continent north of the Danube was mud.