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5:45 pm
January 2, 2014
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That’s it, really!
I know he had a Groom of the Stool, or Stool Closet, who was an intimate advisor. Was wiping the king’s bottom part of his duties? And what did they use? Is that why we call our excrement ‘stools’?
My apologies if I have lowered the tone!
7:33 pm
November 18, 2010
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THe groom of the stool attended the king while performing his natural functions and supervised the disposal of the remains. Whether the groom actually wiped the royal botty is a matter of debate. It’s possible that a groom wiped an overweight or handicapped kings bot if he was unable to do so hmself. So it’s possble that Henry’s later grooms dd but hd earlier ones didn’t.
It's always bunnies.
8:11 pm
January 3, 2012
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In the later years I think he may have needed help to even locate his bottom let alone wife it.. A guess a compass a set of instructions wouldn’t have gone a miss there. LOL
In all serious ness he probally did hve someone to wipe his bum even when he was younger.. How true it is or even if it is true. I saw in the shadow of the crown series that Henry Tulip’s doctor could tell a lot about his health from a stool sample how I don’t know.
I bet old face ache wouldn’t have tolerated the puppy running off with the Andrex for too long either…
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
8:56 pm
February 24, 2010
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LOL. Okay, I agree that in later years Henry would definitely have needed help with cleaning up. I have just read where they used a cloth to clean themselves. Is this true? If not, does anyone know what was used? When he was younger, I am not sure.
Groom of the Stool was a very prestigious and desirable position. The person who had this job had the king’s ear. He was the king’s confident and well trusted. I’m thinking he probably helped him with his clothes and quite possibly helped clean the royal bottom.
9:19 pm
November 18, 2010
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Sharon. thanks for mentioning about the clothes. Certainly with all those points and laces a second person would be needed to make the king presentable certainly if he was in one of his state or court costumes.
It's always bunnies.
9:40 pm
February 24, 2010
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I was actually thinking of Elizabeth. Thinking of Henry in the bathroom was killing me. Can you imagine trying to manage the dresses that Elizabeth wore? Come to think of it all the women at court wore those clothes. I think they all probably needed help.
9:55 pm
November 18, 2010
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oh yes…women’s clothes. I was watching one of those “Say Yes to the Dress” type of shows and one woman was wondering how she was going to use the bathroom in one of those huge white dresses. Basically she was told to use the disabled stall and at least 2 friends.
IIRC Victorian women wore panties which a split in the seam so they could go the bathroom unaided.
It's always bunnies.
11:03 pm
January 3, 2012
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I hate to think how long it would take for a man to try and get through all of the layers of clothes to the woman below, must have seemed like at times they were peeling an artichoke..
But the again it was perhaps a rudimentary form of birth control too beause by the time they got to crux of the matter they would have forgotten what to do.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
9:37 pm
January 2, 2014
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I can’t imagine what else they might have used other than cloths of some sort … Leaves?! Lol. Groom of the Stool isn’t a job that I’d like to have, King’s ear or not. Can you imagine the bowel problems he probably had, with all that overeating? Not nice.
As for the women, I thought they didn’t wear underwear? Lots of material and weight to negotiate, but at least they didn’t have to pull their pants down!
5:57 am
October 28, 2013
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Yes,the poorer people used grasses and leaves or even their hands if nothing was available.Someone a little higher up may have used linen or old blankets cut up and then at the most highest in society they had sponges on sticks.
Also women used something called a portaloo(not sure if I’m spelling correctly on that)but it was a gravy boat like object that the women just slipped under their gowns,did their business and then dumped themselves or had someone else dispose of.Women’s undergarments sometimes had slits cut into them as well so you could just pick the dress up and squat down without having to remove anything.
I think the groom of the stool probably didn’t actually wipe bottoms unless it was absolutely necessary.
8:40 am
January 3, 2012
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Sponges on sticks were used in Roman times.
Egyptians I believe used something that which was shaped like a spoon and finished off the last little bits with a with papyrus maybe. I’ve seen pictures of these things (Google it)
I believe Ladies used lace to wipe their bottoms, and it’s possible I suppose that they used to wash their privy parts after they had been, even during their monthy cycles.
Men of the gentry or royal circles would maybe use silk cloths, and again if they had a dose Montasuma’s revenge I would have thought they would have wanted to wash themselfs.
Given that Lard arse wore bright and colourful clothes the last thing he would want is any unsightly marks on his hose.
Leaves, moss and grass or even hay and straw were quite common in the peasentry to use I think it was a case of needs must or making do there.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
9:23 am
October 28, 2013
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Boleyn, sponges on sticks carried over from Roman times to the medieval period(which I know ended in the 15 century but I’m sure they were still used) and I would think that the more well off you were the better your toilet paper.
9:34 am
January 3, 2012
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Thinking about this it’s very likely that sponges were still used. Brain is a bit wooly this morning, all the rain we’ve been having has rusted up the inside of my nut. LOL.
Certainly if you could afford the best you would have had it, that’s for sure. it’s very likely too that Vellum was used too, that would have been the modern equivilant of of Andrex I should imagine.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
