Can you even imagine the smell?

[Lliam]

Take Western movies, for example, where cowboys, trappers, miners and what have you show up in town after months without a bath. They go to the saloon and avail themselves of the whores in the rooms upstairs. The whores entertain one man after another.

But before indoor plumbing, hot water and hygiene, it was common for people all over the world to got for long periods of time without washing.

Can you imagine the filth? Both men and women must have absolutely reeked. And reek is an understatement.
The thought makes me ill.

In the movie Appaloosa, the Ed Harris character falls head over heels for the Renee Zellweger character and tell the Viggo Mortensen character one of the reasons. With absolute awe, he says "She bathes EVERY DAY!" ROFL

[TrueConfection]

That thought has occurred to me every time I've watched a western movie/show. Don't forget the lack of oral hygiene too! Puke!

I personally can't stomach body odor, but in some countries it's totally normal and some people enjoy eachother's... aroma.

[Lliam]

Right?
I guess it's whatever you're used to.
I remember reading that Napoleon sent a message to Josephine saying he was returning from the Russian campaign and telling her not to bathe. WTF?

[TrueConfection]

Hahaha! I don't think the French even use deodorant.

[exitseven]

@TrueConfection. In an episode of Supernatural, Dean gets sent back in time to the old west. He wants to meet some saloon girls. In the movies they are all hotties but in reality they are all skanks with bad teeth

[TrueConfection]

@exitseven yuck

[TrueConfection]

Thank you for the MHO ❤

[musicbrain5]

I imagine they would be used to it, because they wouldn’t have known any different.

[Lliam]

That's absolutely true.

[musicbrain5]

It’s almost like how every house has a smell, but you can’t smell the typical odours in yours because you’re used to it. But when you visit someone else, you can definitely pick out the smells in their house.

[Lliam]

Great example. Yes!

[lightbulb27]

True, and that's in the southwest where it be hot as heck, sweat, dirt, etc.

In Europe in the old days, people bath twice in their life.

I guess it works since both are filthy... and maybe in essence, they were more healthy in a sense because of all that nasty bacteria vs us "clean" people?

But no, I don't want to imagine the smell... probably why they had to drink a lot... lol

[exitseven]

I saw that movie. Yes, people too a bath every spring whether they needed it or not. I guess you just get used to the smell. It probably gets to a smelly state and can't get any worse.

[Lliam]

"bathed every spring whether they needed it or not." LOL Thanks for reminding of that phrase. 🤣

[Sevenpointfive]

they did have perfume, cologne and soap back then, but everyone was too wasted to care

[Lliam]

I also read that it's why women carried bouquets at weddings and why they wore corsages when then got dressed up. And why there were flowers at funerals.

[Sevenpointfive]

i think i've heard that but it's been forever. it's funny how the traditions are kept without knowing why

[AimeeKyle]

I can imagine and it would be very aromatic…. and not in a good way.

[Lliam]

LOL .

[Fireguy17]

that is what the Lilac water was for.
Pretty much everyone smelled the same so then did they really smell if everyone smelled the same?