I’ve noticed a lot in video games and movies/tv that media tends to portray peasants and commoners as being really dirty all the time. However I’ve heard from some this is untrue and a stereotype. I’ve been unable to find any information on it though from decent sources. So I wanted to ask, were they really filthy all the time? Did they ever rinse their face off or rinse their hands? Or was it really as muddy and dirty as movies like to show?
We have parish records that show 'died washing in river' as a semi-common cause of death. More can always be said on the matter if anyone would like to address the topic; for the meantime, here's some previous posts on this matter: