Were medieval people really as filthy, crude, and unhygienic as they’re often portrayed? A newly translated text from the early 13th century suggests otherwise. The Book of the Civilised Man, written by Daniel of Beccles, offers a glimpse into the rules of etiquette and personal care expected of young men in noble or clerical households. With over 2,800 lines of verse, the guide is surprisingly thorough—covering everything from trimming your beard to avoiding “secret winds” in public.
We know little about Daniel of Beccles, but he may have been in the retinue of England’s King Henry II. He begins his work by explaining its purpose:
If you, dear reader, want to be polished with morals and manners, if you want the esteem of worthy men, or want to lead a civilised life among noble lords, to be a shrewd overseer of your property, keep these everlasting verses in mind, which I have decided to write in unadorned plain speech for untrained boy-clerks.
It appears the work was intended for boys and young men—perhaps those being trained in noble households. What follows are over 2,800 lines of advice given in verse, which deal with a wide range of topics. Daniel explains how to behave in church (don’t fall asleep), during dinners (don’t steal the cutlery), and what to do with gifts (don’t re-gift them). He describes many typical scenes of social interaction, always stressing the importance of being respectful to those of higher status. The text covers everything from dietary guidance to how to defend a town.
Some of the parts we found most interesting deal with personal hygiene and manners. Here are five excerpts about taking care of yourself:
Your Appearance
This passage offers grooming advice, covering everything from beard care to nasal hair.
Your hair should be neatly styled and evenly cut. A full beard should be trimmed if it becomes shaggy. If you have difficulty seeing, seek medical help. Your hands ought to be clean, and your sleeves should be laced. Do not let your nails be ugly or your teeth dirty. There should be no great number of long hairs in your nostrils.
Washing Your Hands
Before eating, Daniel reminds his readers to relieve themselves and wash properly—preferably with warm, clean water.
When you are hungry and ready to eat, first empty your bowels. Afterwards, an attendant should give you a washcloth and water. If it is winter, you should be given warm water. The washcloth should be white and the water should be from a clean stream.
Nose-blowing and belching
Even small bodily functions like coughing or blowing your nose were expected to be handled discreetly at meals.
Do not be a boorish nose-blower or throat-clearer while dining. If you need to cough, suppress that urge. If you feel the need to belch, remember to look at the ceiling. If you empty your nose into your hand, do not look at the filth in your palm.
Urinating
The rules of relieving oneself depended on one’s social status—but timing and location were key to maintaining decorum.
Do not get up after the meal to urinate in the bushes, nor to void your bowels, unless nature compels you. Guests, messengers, and servants should not urinate on the premises. The master of the house can urinate in his own home. Guests may urinate indoors, if they so wish, at night after they have retired.
The “secret wind”
Finally, Daniel tackles the delicate matter of flatulence, advising that it should never be noticed in public.
In public, your bottom should emit no secret winds past your thighs. It disgraces you if others notice any of your smelly filth. If it happens that your intestines are caught in a windstorm, look for a place where you may relieve them in private.
While some of Daniel of Beccles’ advice may sound amusing today, it reflects serious concerns in medieval society about discipline, cleanliness, and social respectability. His verses offer a rare glimpse into the daily expectations placed on young men learning how to navigate the world with dignity. Far from being indifferent to hygiene or manners, medieval people had their own detailed—and sometimes colourful—ways of encouraging civility.
You can read The Book of the Civilised Man: An English Translation of the Urbanus magnus of Daniel of Beccles, translated by Fiona Whelan, Olivia Spenser and Francesca Petrizzo, and published by Routledge. Click here to visit the publisher’s website or buy this book on Amazon.com
Top Image: Engelberg Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 339 fol. 71
Were medieval people really as filthy, crude, and unhygienic as they’re often portrayed? A newly translated text from the early 13th century suggests otherwise. The Book of the Civilised Man, written by Daniel of Beccles, offers a glimpse into the rules of etiquette and personal care expected of young men in noble or clerical households. With over 2,800 lines of verse, the guide is surprisingly thorough—covering everything from trimming your beard to avoiding “secret winds” in public.
We know little about Daniel of Beccles, but he may have been in the retinue of England’s King Henry II. He begins his work by explaining its purpose:
If you, dear reader, want to be polished with morals and manners,
if you want the esteem of worthy men, or want to lead a
civilised life among noble lords, to be a shrewd overseer
of your property, keep these everlasting verses in mind,
which I have decided to write in unadorned plain speech for untrained boy-clerks.
It appears the work was intended for boys and young men—perhaps those being trained in noble households. What follows are over 2,800 lines of advice given in verse, which deal with a wide range of topics. Daniel explains how to behave in church (don’t fall asleep), during dinners (don’t steal the cutlery), and what to do with gifts (don’t re-gift them). He describes many typical scenes of social interaction, always stressing the importance of being respectful to those of higher status. The text covers everything from dietary guidance to how to defend a town.
Some of the parts we found most interesting deal with personal hygiene and manners. Here are five excerpts about taking care of yourself:
Your Appearance
This passage offers grooming advice, covering everything from beard care to nasal hair.
Your hair should be neatly styled and evenly cut.
A full beard should be trimmed if it becomes shaggy.
If you have difficulty seeing, seek medical help.
Your hands ought to be clean, and your sleeves should be laced.
Do not let your nails be ugly or your teeth dirty.
There should be no great number of long hairs in your nostrils.
Washing Your Hands
Before eating, Daniel reminds his readers to relieve themselves and wash properly—preferably with warm, clean water.
When you are hungry and ready to eat,
first empty your bowels.
Afterwards, an attendant should give you a washcloth and water.
If it is winter, you should be given warm water.
The washcloth should be white and the water should be from a clean stream.
Nose-blowing and belching
Even small bodily functions like coughing or blowing your nose were expected to be handled discreetly at meals.
Do not be a boorish nose-blower or throat-clearer
while dining. If you need to cough, suppress that urge.
If you feel the need to belch, remember to look at the ceiling.
If you empty your nose into your hand,
do not look at the filth in your palm.
Urinating
The rules of relieving oneself depended on one’s social status—but timing and location were key to maintaining decorum.
Do not get up after the meal to urinate in the bushes,
nor to void your bowels, unless nature compels you.
Guests, messengers, and servants should not urinate on the premises.
The master of the house can urinate in his own home.
Guests may urinate indoors, if they so wish, at night after they have retired.
The “secret wind”
Finally, Daniel tackles the delicate matter of flatulence, advising that it should never be noticed in public.
In public, your bottom should emit no secret winds past your thighs.
It disgraces you if others notice any of your smelly filth.
If it happens that your intestines are caught in a windstorm,
look for a place where you may relieve them in private.
While some of Daniel of Beccles’ advice may sound amusing today, it reflects serious concerns in medieval society about discipline, cleanliness, and social respectability. His verses offer a rare glimpse into the daily expectations placed on young men learning how to navigate the world with dignity. Far from being indifferent to hygiene or manners, medieval people had their own detailed—and sometimes colourful—ways of encouraging civility.
You can read The Book of the Civilised Man: An English Translation of the Urbanus magnus of Daniel of Beccles, translated by Fiona Whelan, Olivia Spenser and Francesca Petrizzo, and published by Routledge. Click here to visit the publisher’s website or buy this book on Amazon.com
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts