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[–] 144 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

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).

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  • [–] 58 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Huh I didn’t know humans could get mild cowpox

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  • [–] 27 points 1 year ago

    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.

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  • [–] 76 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    they're both drunk, though. so that's more than normal.

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  • [–] 62 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Alcohol would be considerably safer to drink than most water you could find

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  • [–] 35 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    And it was way tamer than what we commonly drink now.

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  • [–] 22 points 1 year ago

    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.

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    [–] 75 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 50 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 32 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    This is what bothered me slightly in the Witcher games.

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

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  • [–] 33 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    What's wrong with their noses?

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    [–] 28 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    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:

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  • [–] 23 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    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!

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago

    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'

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 78 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 41 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    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

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  • [–] 72 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 30 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago

    "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.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

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

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