The Vikings were Scandinavian seafaring warriors who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries. They were known for their advanced sailing and navigational skills, and for their warrior culture.
One question that often comes up about the Vikings is whether they used toilet paper. Toilet paper is an essential personal hygiene product for most people today, but modern soft, disposable toilet paper only came into widespread use in the 20th century. So what did the Vikings use instead?
Viking toilet habits
Like other Europeans at the time, Vikings did not use toilet paper as we know it today. However, they did have ways of cleaning and wiping themselves after using the toilet.
The Vikings had simple toilets called “necessaries” built above cesspools inside or adjacent to their longhouses. These were basic wooden seats with holes cut in them. Vikings would sit over the hole and relieve themselves. Afterwards, they would need to clean up.
Archaeological evidence indicates that Vikings may have used things like moss, leaves, grass, wool, rags, animal furs or smooth stones for wiping and cleaning after toilet use. Water and snow may have also been employed when available.
Vikings placed a high cultural value on personal hygiene. Despite the lack of modern amenities, they made efforts to keep clean and groomed. This included practices like bathing, washing hands and cleaning up after bathroom use.
Viking toilet paper alternatives
Here are some of the likely materials and methods Vikings used for wiping, cleaning and primitive “toilet paper”:
- Moss – Abundant along coastal Scandinavia. Soft and absorbent. May have been preferred for wiping.
- Leaves – Also readily available. Leaves from plants like dock and nettles could have been used.
- Grass – Cut fresh grass could serve as wiping material.
- Wool – Scraps of wool or fleece from sheep may have been employed as a wiping rag.
- Rags – Bits of old cloth, fabric or discarded garments could be wiped with.
- Furs – Soft rabbit or other animal skins may have been cut and used as a primitive wiping tissue.
- Snow – In winter, snow could be gathered and used as a cleansing wet wipe.
- Seashells – Smooth seashells may have been used to scrape and clean after defecation.
- Wood – Sticks or chips of wood could be used as scraping tools after wiping.
- Water – A bucket or bowl of water would have aided in rinsing and washing up.
Vikings also had crude brooms made of twigs which may have been used to sweep and clean toilet areas. And Viking villages and settlements usually had streams or waterways nearby that could have been used for rinsing off.
Toilet paper in Viking times
Toilet paper as we know it today was not used in Viking Age Scandinavia. However, the Vikings did use primitive versions of toilet paper and had methods of cleaning themselves after bathroom use.
True paper originated in China, and slowly spread westward via the Middle East. By the 1100s, papermaking reached Europe through Spain. But paper remained expensive and relatively rare in Viking times.
The Vikings did not manufacture paper products like modern toilet paper. But they may have occasionally obtained some paper from southern sources like the Arabs, and used bits of it for wiping and hygiene along with other cleaning methods.
Other old world toilet paper
The Vikings were not the only ancient culture lacking proper toilet paper. Here are some other pre-modern wiping and cleaning methods:
- Ancient Romans – Used sheep’s wool soaked in salt water on the end of a stick.
- Ancient Greeks – Relied on stones, broken pottery pieces and other abrasive objects.
- Ancient Indians – Used water and the left hand for wiping and washing up.
- Colonial Americans – Depended on things like corn cobs, leaves and newspaper.
Proper hygienic toilet paper only entered common use in the late 1800s and early 1900s with the advent of cheap wood pulp paper. This allowed mass production of softer, disposable toilet tissue.
Viking cleaning rituals
Despite not having modern toilet paper, Vikings did place importance on washing and cleaning themselves. This was connected to their spiritual beliefs as well as hygiene.
Vikings bathed at least once a week, more often than some other Europeans at the time. They used saunas, hot springs and steam baths for cleaning the body.
Hand washing was also ritualistic, using small basins and water at meals. This may have extended to washing up after toilet use.
Vikings also groomed themselves using tweezers, razors, combs and other tools. They valued clean hair and beards, washing and combing them regularly.
Overall, Vikings aimed for cleanliness, considering it tied to spiritual purity and Godly favor. They lacked toilet paper, but used substitutes along with bathing, grooming and hand washing.
Mythbusting Viking hygiene
The Vikings are often stereotyped as unclean barbarians. But this is a myth. In reality:
- Vikings bathed weekly, unlike some Europeans who might bathe only a few times per year.
- They washed hands frequently using basins of water kept near eating areas.
- Grooming like combing hair and trimming beards was important.
- Toilets and facilities for waste disposal existed in Viking villages, like cesspools.
- Textile scraps, furs, moss and other natural materials served as toilet paper.
- Snow, seashells and sticks helped in post-toilet cleaning and wiping.
While Vikings did not meet modern standards of hygiene, they placed more value on cleanliness than is often assumed. Lacking toilet paper, they still had ways to clean and wipe after bathroom use.
Conclusion
Toilet paper as we now know it was not used by the Vikings. However, they did use various natural materials for personal hygiene and wiping after toilet use. Archeological evidence shows that Vikings had facilities for waste disposal and made efforts to stay clean.
It is a common myth that Vikings had poor hygiene. In reality, they bathed more often than some other Europeans. They lacked proper toilet paper, but had substitutes like moss, wool, snow and more. Overall, Vikings found ways to stay reasonably clean despite not having modern sanitation or tissue products.