What did the women of medieval times do when they were on their period?
Or the pioneers?
I don’t want to put pants on when I am menstruating, let alone haul water from a river or churn butter.
I can’t be the only person who thinks about this…
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About the Author: Brittany
Yeah, I usually just think about who thought to drink the liquid coming out of cows first.
I think you think about periods more than any other person I know. But I agree – no churning butter and bleeding at the same time. I’m more into the Red Tent idea.
Oooh I love The Red Tent. Both the book and the concept. We should totally still do that.
Regarding what they did, those women only had a few periods their entire lives. They started at about 15, got married shortly after and then spent the rest of their lives either pregnant or breastfeeding (and therefore not menstruating) before dying at 40ish. Women now have hundreds, thousands even, more periods than women did then. So yeah, not a lot of bleeding with the butter churning.
I still have periods while breastfeeding….
Some people do, most people don’t. Most of my patients go at least 6-8 months post delivery without a period if they’re breastfeeding.
Wow, I’ve thought about that too, but I was thinking about leaks – how did they keep from being a mess? I have to wear black pants for a week straight just in case I have an embarrassing moment.
It’s not so much that I /worry/ about what they did back then (although it has crossed my mind what a PITA it probably was)…actually, what freaks me out is that no matter what kind of smut I read no chick is ever on the rag. How is that?? Like, Glee smut, e.g. Do those girls just not have periods? When I was in HS, that was numero uno on the list of no sexytimes. :( Sorry about the TMI…I’ve just never seen it discussed anywhere. lol Love your blog Brittany!! You never fail to make me smile! :)
I read that smut too. Some of it historical smut. And you know what gets me? During sexy times, the author always writes about “her smooth skin” or whatever. Um, no. Her skin would not have been smooth. She would have be hairier than Robin Williams and Danny DeVito’s love child because women back then didn’t shave!
I wonder also, though I am ashamed to admit it, what did Bella Swan do about her period? Did her and Edward just not hang out that week? Book 4 says her period is like clockwork when she realizes that she’s late. A very important question, this is.
OMG I wonder that too! Do not be ashamed. This just means we’re practical. I mean for the love of God, the drop from a paper cut sent Jasper into a damn feeding frenzy! There’s no way she could have been near the Cullens while she was flowing the crimson tide.
Maybe she’s like, malnourished because she’s so skinny, you know and she doesn’t get it.
I think I would have loved the menstrual huts that the Native Americans used back in the day. My own place for a week–maybe longer if I could convince someone I was still bleeding. No one tugging on me, asking me for anything, or even talking to me? Heaven!!!!
Well, my great-grandma was born in 1900 and she used to say they used rags, no lie. That’s probably why people started using that term.
What *I* think about, is that in medieval times, they believed bathing would cause illness if you bathed too often, so they would only do it once every couple of MONTHS. Possibly, only twice a YEAR. Imagine tapping *that*. Ewwww.
I think about that too. And the breath. People didn’t brush their teeth. Egads the smell. Yeah that definitely would NOT put me in the mood. I would have entered a convent just to avoid the BO.
Maybe they were so used to the BO that it wasn’t BO anymore? BO was just your own alluring scent? Though I wonder with a diet so different from our own, would the responsible glands be quite as productive as ours? Plus, I imagine bathing varies by class and location. Like if you have a hut on the river, maybe you hop in the water for your bath while someone in a city would bathe approximately never.
But they ate herbs to help cover it, as well as apples. The the fiber in them is a natural teeth cleaner (if you can’t brush your teeth after lunch eat a few apple slices).
I have seriously pondered this before. Plus what did the olden times mommas tell their olden times daughters about the whys of Lady Time (my husbands term for my period)?
hollie! now i totally want a menstrual hut. i will call it the “woman cave”, and if you can’t prove that you’re bleeding i will stab you for trying to crash our party. although then you will be bleeding…but not from the right hole so we’ll still leave you outside to die.
Love it! I think we’re on to something here. But think of what your house would look like if you left your husband in charge for a week….
I think we should bring back the period huts. We’ll get those coupon freaks from TLC to stock them with pads, tampons, chocolate, ice cream and potato chips. Who’s in?
I’m in!
LOL I love “coupon freaks.”
Can’t say I’ve wondered that specifically, but I HAVE wondered what women who faint at the sight of blood do when they are on their period, lol.
So I’m one of those women. Literally, if I get a cut or something, I either pass out, or throw up. It’s super attractive. But it’s really weird because period blood doesn’t make me do that. My reasoning is that it’s SUPPOSED to happen. It’s nature. Sure, I still hate looking at it and I try not to spend too much time doing so, but if I catch a glimpse, I don’t freak out because it’s supposed to happen. That’s my reasoning, at least. :)
They went to the menses hut but there was chocolate, cookies and chips, wine and vodka there so no one minded. Secretly all the men wondered what went on there and were jealous.
I like THIS period hut.
I have totally wondered about this too.
I recently read the Outlander series, which is set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1700s. The heroine and her studly Scottish man are always riding their horses halfway across the world for weeks on end, and all I could think about was her just having one dress that whole time. What if she got blood on it? Did she bring along a supply of rags? What if she ruined a perfectly good leather saddle?
Ok…two replies in one post. I love those books!
I LOVE OUTLANDER!! :)
I worry about how people who are kidnapped poop. Or people who are trapped – like that guy who got his arm stuck in a furnace or the 127 Hours guy. IT STRESSES ME OUT
Jaime! My mom always told me to poop to AVOID being kidnapped. She would go to run into a store and leave me in the car and would say, “If anyone tries to take you, crap your pants.” I guess she thought no one would want someone with poo all over them? I would always be nervous that I wouldn’t be able to poop before they managed to kidnap me.
That made me laugh out loud! I would never have thought of that! Maybe I’ll have to try that with my own kids!
I think thats one of the funniest fucking things I’ve ever heard!!!
Oh my gosh, these posts are cracking me up!!!
Oh sweet Mary mother of God hold me. I am laughing so hard at that comment. I think I may print it out and keep it next to my bed.
Still laughing after reading this the 4th time!
OMG! Laughed so hard, tears, woke hubby, still recovering…
BAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH
I laughed so loud that I had to tell my co-workers what was going on. I am supposed to be working not reading comments!
Seriously, I thought the SAME EXACT thing this morning!
Everytime I watch Little House on the Prairie I wonder what they did. Doc Baker must have come up with something crafty.
My thoughts exactly! They never covered this on Little House or in the books!:/ I’m guessing rags that were burnt afterwards and that’s probably why they wore lots of layers of skirts/dresses…to hide the bloat!;)
Omg! I think about this ALL. THE. TIME. What I’d they use?? Fabric or cotton shoved up their hoo ha??? I need to know these important details!
I know I know!
They basically used cloth diapers. But they were folded bits of cotton and then used strips of linen or cotton or whatever they had and wrapped or pinned them to a girdle since they didn’t wear underwear. Which is also why they didn’t get yeast infections nearly as often as we do now! :D
Hurray for history!
They didn’t wear underwear!? NO! I’ve never heard of this! Another invention I can be thankful for!:)
I’ve had those thoughts on more than one occasion. And whenever I get whiney my husband says “what did the pioneers do??”
I support the menstrual hut idea! Every time I’m on my period, I think about The Red Tent, and wishing that I had something like that. Something that didn’t include vacuuming and doing laundry.
I actually remember my history teacher in junior high talking about this. They used strips and wads of fabric. And they just kind of washed them out. Pretty much like an old fashioned fabric period diaper. Sounds super awesome. I bet all the underwear they wore came in handy when they bled through every ten minutes. Dark colored clothing was probably crazy popular.
I think about this too… especially what did the really poor do?
Rags. And in really old times something naturally absorbent like moss. It’s all fun and games in the ladies’ nether region monthly outpouring rituals.
holy cow! seriously? moss?!?
Oh yes. Thank goodness for modern toiletries.
As to Survivor etc. Same as in the forces on active duty or on an expedition – injected contraceptive to stop periods till you return. Or the implant, that also works long term. I’m a font for all the weird.
I totaly wondered that about the military! Oh thank goodness! They have enough to worry about!
After thinking about this a bit longer, I’m guessing that’s why the ladies stayed pregnant so often. A-Ha! Seriously, though, I could never have survived that period of time (pun intended). It must’ve been pretty matter-of-fact between the men and women, though, like when she was washing out the rags 10x per day. It took me like 10 yrs of marriage before I’d ask my husband to pick up some pads at the store for me. Seriously. LOL
I think about this more than a healthy person should
I remember learning in Bible class as a kid about that chick who said she couldn’t stand up for her dad when he came into her Lady Tent looking for something because “the manner of women” was upon her. Turns out she was lying and hiding the thing underneath her. Lying about being on the rag = effective at getting rid of men since the Biblical ages.
..or the women on Survivor?
I remember hearing something like they wore layers of skirts? And removed them one at a time when they were soiled? or maybe that was about people somewhere else.
This has to be the most entertaining comment thread I’ve read in a while.
Steph
oh yeah oh yeah. but you know i think they were ok. i’ve heard all the sugar in our modern diets makes cramps worse. also they had pain relieving herbs before tylonel. :) it’s ok.
I think about this too! How lucky we are now to have scented, ultra-thin, and extra-heavy absorbing products. I also wonder at how those women dealt with childbirth, how they dealt with cutting off limbs during the civil war, and how they solved dental problems. I don’t think I would have been a very good pioneer!
This is my most favorite comment thread IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
You are ALL invited to my period hut. I’ll bring the wine and fudge rounds.
Some of them used sea sponges as tampons. For serious. Look it up. You can still by sea sponges to be used as eco-friendly tampons.
ugh i think that was when my debit card was being declined i tried to buy those dirty things. i might actually try the diva cup now bc apparently otherwise the chemicals give you endometritis and sometimes i have suspicious sharp pains that don’t even lead to farting and i haven’t even had the chance to use my ovaries yet. anxious thoughts about periods? Check.
NO! don’t use the cup catcher things. ONE fucking time and I spent a year of pap, chopping chunks off of my girl bits to make sure I didn’t have cancer, more pap, pap again. It turned out I had never had any cells, that stupid cup just caused my body to freak out a little.
On the upside, they worked great while “in”. Retrieval looked kind of like a murder. Sorry for the overshare.
http://www.alotoflayers.blogspot.com
I thnk I may have your answer. A few weeks ago I was pondering the same things:
http://www.insanemombrain.com/2011/04/having-uterus-already-sucks-what-kind.html
If you’re in the mood for a seriously long read, the Earth’s Children series by Jean Auel actually addresses this stuff…for prehistoric people. (also, and separately, the smut scenes AFTER the first book ends are GREAT). Trigger warnings, since there is rape in the first book, but that ends. The author did a great job of researching and theorizing and generally making that world into something you could imagine yourself in, Lady Time and all.
The latest book in the series just came out, and I’mma re-read them all.
There is a site, Museum of Menstruation. Tells all this good stuff, and most of it is pretty interesting! Take a look, will answer your question.
OMG!!!!! There is a freaking Museum??? Really, no? Surely? IDK, but wth? Bet there wouldn’t be a field trip for the kiddies to that museum. What an education they would get! Parents would freak the shit out when their kids got home talking about tampons n shit. lol
And I def need a period hut. I think I will name mine… The Period Place. Kinda cool, hip name, huh? Fully equipt with heating pads and body pillows. Stocked with chocolate, wine, cakes and loads of drugs for cramping and bloating. O, and big flowy shirts so they wont cling to our bellies and make us cramp m ore. Awesome!!
I think about this too!!!
I believe on the rag was spawned from this era or medieval era. Whatever.
I would have died without indoor plumbing. Plus the smell. Ugh the fucking smell.
*puking now*
I think about the smell all the time. Not of periods…but just of those people. Then. ::shudder:: I don’t even like the way I smell, fully showered, until I’ve got all of my products on. (Deodorant, lotions, hair stuff, etc.) And my clothes smell like fabric softener. Imagine just smelling like…”body”…and having your clothes just smell like…”cloth”. And what happens when you have sex? You just walk around with…sex all over you after that? Did everyone smell like sex?!
I know it sounds funny, but SERIOUSLY.
And that’s just the BODY stuff. There is a whole other mess of yuck to think about when you stop to consider dental hygiene.
So…I read this, then asked my mom. Her exact words were “They sucked it up and stuck some cloths down there, think like cloth diapers but not.” Then she asked me what was wrong with me for wanting to know that.
I admit, I didn’t read every comment, there were just too many, so if this has already been discussed, feel free to move on.
What about the women on Survivor? Or are they all too anorexic to have periods anymore? Do they just take a week off and let the crew and all the workers have some down time while the women all go menstruate and bitch on a beach somewhere? Just a thought.