Spyke

Tbh milkmaids were the prettiest women because they would get mild cases of cowpox instead of skin wrecking smallpox and it was the origin of the smallpox vaccine (vacca means cow in latin).

144
Onomatopoeiareply
lemmy.cafe

And they had to be clean, so washed daily, and were always inside, in a very clean environment.

58

You are a milkmaid?

Edit: My joke was based on a corrected typo, "we're". IDGAF about online typos unless they have a humorous aspect. Cheers!

35
CluckNreply
lemmy.world

Huh I didn’t know humans could get mild cowpox

26

Yes, it’s super interesting. The reason the word β€˜vaccine’ derives from the Latin β€˜vacca’ (cow) was because we observed that people who contracted the cowpox gained some protection from smallpox. We investigated that connection, did a bunch of testing and research (which included early scientists infecting themselves on purpose in some rather gross ways), and developed the theory of vaccines.

The history of early modern medicine is very cool.

27

for consumption by children and by servants.

I don't know what's wrong with your toddler, he has barely touched his lager.

22

This is largely a myth. It would only apply to large cities, and then, the fresh water sources were frequently protected by law in cities.

Alcohol itself doesn't actually destroy the pathogens in question- booze was made by microbes, after all, and as for bacterial... only beer and liquors was boiled, and simply adding it to already-contaminated water wouldn't make it safer; since that only happens at much higher concentrations of alchohol than you'd find, even in liquors. It does inhibit bacterial growth, though, usually people were mixing booze into water to make things taste better. (Similar to how modern restaurants will frequently add lemon slices to cover the taste of tap water.)

in terms of maintaining hydration, alcohol- even weak alcohols- are very much not good for that, even 3% alcohols, particularly in high-heat or under activity.

Boiling water was discussed in Roman and Greek writings well before the medieval period, as well- mostly in the context of making it not taste funky; and usually they were talking about filtering it to remove contaminants (for example, near mining operations.)

Again, streams rivers flowing were generally safe for consumption and would only become unsafe as a result from urban pollution, of which, there were controls in place to protect at least some water ways and wells.

22
Korhakareply
sopuli.xyz

Deploying patches at work sober is an exception.

8
lemmy.world

Do medieval shows only hire conventionally unattractive men? I always thought the convention was to have attractive people play important parts or "good" characters, regardless of gender, but admittedly I don't really watch many medieval shows.

75
TwoBeeSanreply
lemmy.world

Witcher?

Game did a good job of having the ugliest polish man with a pitchfork in the town...

Then the local alchemist has a dump truck ass with eyeliner on.

50
lemmy.world

If you're talking about my girl Keira Metz, she's a witch, not a standard alchemist. Woman definitely engages in performance enhancing magic

32
TwoBeeSanreply
lemmy.world

Had to look up. Got alchemist and herbalist confused.

It was tomira. I did remember the ass lol

31
GTacreply
lemmy.world

I looked her name up on google and half the images are indeed about said dump truck lol

18

*Attractive evil villain enters scene*
"...they're gonna get a tragic backstory and sacrifice themselves for some noble cause."
*3 seasons later*
"Oh goddamit."

34

By "important or 'good' characters" I wasn't trying to say "protagonists and morally good characters", though there are certainly plenty of authors and directors who follow that rule.

10
wiesonreply
feddit.org

Yep just look at the guilds. The Hansa (Hanseatic Trade League) owned several cities and harbours in the Baltic and North sea.

In Frankfurt, an inventor developed an early form of steam engine, but was bullied and denied by the boatsmakers guild.

Many interesting stories who are more than just peasants rolling in filth.

And even the city republics would destroy the primitive view of Hollywood on the freedoms of the medieval person. Not to speak of the Dithmarschen peasant republic or the swiss confederation and their wars of independence against the HR Emperor.

8
vga
sopuli.xyz

This is what bothered me slightly in the Witcher games.

34
felykiosareply
sh.itjust.works

I don't agree with you there are really attractive male characters in the witcher.

15
sunbytesreply
lemmy.world

Yeah but all boobs on anyone (maybe apart from Ciri) were the exact same every time. Massive and perfectly round.

18
Epherareply
lemmy.ml

That's just the comic artist's style.

41
lemmy.world

This is a trope in all middle ages media I've seen. I've been watching someone play KCD2, and it's not as bad... but still there and jarring.

The only place where I can think of where it seems more fair is, ironically, some animation? Barring anime's sexism... problems, there's less incentive for that, heh. I liked Avatar's peasants:

28
RebekahWSDreply
lemmy.world

But that's because Avatar was good and stuff! I like the peasants though. They all seem at like the same level of dress and stuff! Look at that (Earth Kingdom?) people in the first picture! That's real nice!

23

It's Bolin/Mako's Lower Ring family! And, clockwise, Jang Hui fishing folks and Republic City homeless.

Folks like this (along with some notably badass women) are the bread and butter of the shows, though. I don't ever remember hitching to think 'huh that farmer lady looks like a skimpy model'

15
scrionreply
lemmy.world

The comic highlights the differences in the portrayal of women and men in media, often oversexualizing women in any number of contexts.

A medieval maid milking the cows would probably not have looked (or smelled) like a supermodel.

78
discuss.tchncs.de

tbf humans are the most intensively bred species on earth

i mean, humans have selected favorable animals in their livestock since the beginning of domestication, but the same applies to humans as well. it's very probable that humans have selected for hot-looking women since the very beginning of humanity. it's only logical to assume that we're seeing the results today, i.e. hot-looking women in general

-12

Unless you're claiming ugly people don't get laid, that makes zero sense. And at average historical childbearing ages, in the late teens - early twenties, youth is a great beauty potion.

6
lemmy.yachts

Female character during a time where only royals could afford cleanliness and health: is fit, healthy, and conventionally attractive

Male character during the same time: fuckin filthy, feeble, and gross

41
lemmy.world

Afaik that's a myth. People of all classes, always washed themselves and tried their best not to smell. Especially in the middle ages where it was widely believed that bad smells transmit disease.

72
ddplfreply
szmer.info

It may vary from region to region, I once visited the Museum of Soap and History of Dirt in Bydgoszcz, Poland (wonderful experience!) and it was all au contraire to what you just said

And everytime I heard historians scratching that topic, they would always confirm this information. So historically not much hygiene in Eastern Europe, I suppose.

30

"The past" ^TM is a big place and a lot of very different things happend in a lot of different places at different times.

The same way it is true that "In the past people believed that fat was super unhealthy and suger was super healthy" and at the same time "in the past people believed that fat was super healthy and suger was super unhealthy".

Both statements are correct for different times and regions.

18
Rolderreply
reddthat.com

But trying your best as a medieval peasant versus as a medieval noble would have significantly differing results

19

We should bring back some of those traditions. It would be great it people cleaned more often.

5
lemmy.ml

The girl's shirt in the first panel is my favorite part of this comic.

16
Bashnagdulreply
lemmy.world

The problem is not the realism or lack thereof. It's the discrepancy between sexes and their portrayal. If it were equally unrealistic, it would be less jarring.

24
iiireply
mander.xyz

The funny thing is that it's also mostly 'heterosexual' men that are into the steroid strong hero aesthetic.

1

A lot of the unrealistic male body images u see aren't steroid builds. They simply have unhealthy level of muscle definition. For instance every Chris Hemsworth scene with his shirt off he has dehydrated himself for a day and sat in an ice bath. And if u have ever watched a movie that includes that with a woman or a gay man u would understand that its not just for the het men.

1
iiireply

Exactly, let us look at some hot farmer dudes working a sweat

2