20 Gross Facts About Hygiene In The Mongol Empire That Are Not For The Faint-Hearted

When you picture Genghis Khan, you probably imagine him at the head of a huge army of brutal raiders. The Mongol Empire was one of the largest in human history, after all. But they weren’t fighting all of the time. Like all normal humans, the soldiers and their families had to sleep, eat, drink, and go to the toilet. And this is where the bizarre truth about the clan comes to light. Yup, for all of their forward-thinking and tactical prowess on the battlefield, the Mongols were, er, a little backward when it came to hygiene. To be frank, some of their practices were downright gross. Here’s a look at 20 of the most nauseating.

Don’t wash your hands

It seems that the Mongols weren’t that big on washing their hands before or after meals. Even when members of the clan ended up covered in bits of meat, fat, and grease, they apparently preferred to wipe it on their garments than find some water. Yuck!

Greasy insulation

That obviously meant these people’s clothes were then covered in animal oils and lard. That sounds horrible, but there was actually a logic behind it. All of this fat on their attire would serve as a sort of insulation, which came in handy when they were exposed to the often harsh elements of their territory.

Don’t dare drink from your own cup

Every culture has its traditions when it comes to people sharing a drink together. The Mongols, though, had quite a strange one. Rather than a group of people clinking glasses and taking a sip from their own cups, they were known to all share the same one. Not exactly that hygienic, folks.

Poison precautions

But there was a logic behind this custom, too. The Mongols were terribly afraid of being poisoned, you see, so this was a way of protecting against it. And it wasn’t just a drinking habit – Ghengis Khan made it the law!

Fire’s no safety issue

In their time, the Mongols figured out something profound about fire. They realized that when objects were passed through it, they would then become purified. They were actually onto something with this, as extreme temperatures are, indeed, usually enough to kill germs. But while they had the right idea, generally speaking, they got a little lost on the specifics.

Feel the burn

Fire was understood as a spiritual phenomenon for the Mongols, not a scientific one. And their use of it may have been a little problematic. Not only did they pass inanimate objects through the flames in order to purify them, but they also apparently forced people to feel the burn. Ouch!

Big hair, big importance

The more affluent female members of the Mongol empire would style their hair to the extreme. They’d place jewels in their locks, which were tied up in the most intricate ways imaginable. But how did they manage to achieve such designs? With the hardened fats of a sheep, of course.

Hairstyles fit for Star Wars

If you want an idea of what these hairstyles may have looked like, just throw on The Phantom Menace and take a look at the scene where Queen Amidala gives a speech to the Galactic Senate. Her hairdo and outfit here were inspired by the Mongol style.

Boil, boil, boil your food

The Mongols are said to have enjoyed their meat. They were happy to eat things that we’re familiar with today, such as lamb. But they also tucked into animals such as rodents and even dogs. And the way that these dishes were prepared doesn’t sound particularly appetizing.

"Spiritual benefits"

Far from grilling meat to perfection, the Mongols tended to boil it instead. This, they thought, would help the foodstuff to retain its supposed spiritual benefits. Before eating, the Mongols used the broth water to rinse the plates they intended to use. But it was a little pointless, as they’d simply pour it back into the cooking pan afterward.

Make your own DIY blood fountain

One would presume that being a part of an empire that’s constantly expanding would be quite exhausting at times. Fighting battles and traveling great distances must have been thirsty work, but sometimes, water could be difficult to come by. What could be done in such a grim situation?

Poor horses

Well, the Mongols developed a pretty gruesome alternative to drinking water from a flowing stream. When the situation was dire, they would turn to their horses for help. They’d open up a cut in the animal’s neck and drink the blood that flowed out — while it was still alive. Desperate times called for desperate measures. But yes, fetch the sick-bucket all the same, please. 

Enjoy gone off milk

People from all different cultures and historical eras have enjoyed a nice glass of milk. But the Mongols put a bit of a twist on the classic drink. They fermented horse milk, which made the stuff alcoholic. In theory, then, these people could get drunk by downing milk. Hilarious!

Still around today

This boozy milk had a name: kumis. It was a slightly fizzy drink, containing around one to three percent alcohol. If this sounds a little strange, then you might be surprised to learn that it’s still around today. Yep, people living in the regions of the former empire are still fond of kumis.

Keep your food down — or die

If you found yourself choking on some food in the Mongol empire, you were really in a perilous position. Even if you managed to spit the blockage out, you could still end up in big trouble with the law. That’s because the Mongols thought choking was the result of demonic activity, so spitting was just spreading wickedness. Uh oh!

No spitting allowed

The Mongols felt so strongly about spitting that extreme measures could be taken to deal with those doing it. A person would be punished for the act, with the penalties being more severe if the spit traveled a greater distance. And in the worst-case scenario, a person could even be put to death for their crime.

Go to toilet in public

A Flemish monk named William of Rubruck once traveled to the Mongol empire, where he was exposed to the quirks and practices of its people. William naturally struggled to communicate because of the foreign language spoken there. But that was far from the worst culture shock that he experienced.

No shame

William wrote of the incident that so appalled him. He recalled a time when he was with some Mongol people who “were seized with a desire to void their stomachs. They did not go away from us farther than one can throw a bean: they did their filthiness right beside us while talking together.”

Wash yourself by mouth

The Mongols didn’t particularly like to wash with water, but sometimes that was unavoidable. Still, they went about it in an odd way. As William of Rubruck wrote, “When they want to wash their hands or head, they fill their mouths with water, which they let trickle onto their hands, and in this way, they also wet their hair and wash their heads.”

Watch your water

The Mongols revered water, which seems to be at the root of this strange practice. They didn’t want water that had come into contact with someone’s face to drip back into its source. Emperor Genghis Khan, it’s said, ruled that anyone who let this happen should pay with their lives. So the people came up with odd ways of ensuring it never occurred.

Don’t wash your clothes in water

It seems that the Mongols avoided washing their garments in sources of running water, but historians disagree about the specifics. Some, for instance, believe that this rule was only in force if a thunderstorm happened to be raging at the time. William of Rubruck, though, understood things a little bit differently.

Fear of thunder

According to William, the Mongols avoided using water to clean their clothes because they thought a thunderstorm would come as a result. And that was to be avoided at all costs, as they feared such weather events terribly. For that reason, Genghis Khan would have his subjects beaten if they were caught doing it.

Don’t waste your food... ever

When the Mongols were preparing meat for a meal, they really made the most of it. They lived in a pretty challenging environment, after all, so waste was unacceptable. So after all of the meat had been stripped, they then got stuck into the marrow found at the center of the bones.

The more blood, the better

The Mongols also had a gruesome means of making the most out of their meat meals. When they were slaughtering a creature for food, they did so in a way that kept as much blood as possible inside the animal’s body. They then made sausages out of all this blood.

Don’t whiz in the water

The Mongols were meant to be totally respectful of water, so they couldn’t just go and taint it. That meant peeing into a river or lake was strictly prohibited. And if you were caught doing so, things could get extremely bad for you. Yup, your life would be hanging in the balance.

The price of peeing

If you could prove that you’d only peed in water by accident, then you might escape with just a fine. The money would then be used to clean your home, which would hopefully ensure no evil spirits started to run amok. But if it was judged that you purposely whizzed in the water, then you could be executed.

Keep yourself warm inside the dead

If one of the more prominent members of Mongol society was injured, then a strange and bloody means of treatment might be attempted. The ailing person would be taken over to a dead ox — and forced to rest inside the beast. This was to ensure that the individual was warm enough. It makes you think of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant perhaps...

Cozy carcass

There’s a record of such a thing happening to one prominent military official in 1274. This man, Bayan, was struck with multiple projectiles. The leader of the time, Kublai Khan, then commanded someone to “cut open the belly of a water buffalo and put [Bayan] in the inside of it. [After] a good while, then, he revived.”

Eat your soul food

Some of the Mongols’ ideas about diet and nutrition were pretty out-there, it has to be said. In some ways, they understood that the food a person consumed was really important for their health. Our own culture would agree with that sentiment, as seen in our adage, “You are what you eat.”

A spiritual diet

Yet the Mongols held very different ideas about what constituted healthy grub. Rather than nutritional value, these people thought more in terms of the spiritual worth of food. So, animals deemed to be highly spirited — such as wolves, marmots, and donkeys — were all apparently good for you. Eating these things could supposedly cure illness and even depression.

Do your duty and suck blood

As they went about the arduous task of expanding their empire, the Mongols obviously picked up quite a few injuries here and there. And there were deaths, of course. Wounds from arrows piercing the soldiers’ bodies were particularly concerning, but the people thought up a bizarre and, quite frankly, gross treatment to deal with the injuries.

Counterintuitive

Rather than having a properly trained nurse or medic deal with an arrow wound, the Mongols trusted the job to special servants. These people didn’t treat the laceration with medicine, but they utilized another method. Basically, they sucked the blood right out of the stricken person’s wound. Which is disgusting. And… won’t exactly stop blood loss.

Cook a steak on your horse

A French writer named Jean de Joinville once wrote of a bizarre practice from the Mongol empire. He claimed that the people of the realm would sometimes prepare meat for their meals by placing it beneath the saddle of their horse. They’d then ride around, tenderizing and heating the stuff up.

Put some meat on it

This practice may well have taken place, though some argue that there was another reason why it was done. It might have been the case that the Mongols thought the meat would help to ease any saddle sores on their horses’ backs. Either way, it’s still odd.

Kick your way to better health

Gout was a big problem for some people in the Mongol empire, especially those who enjoyed the more luxurious lifestyle. The condition can flare up in people who eat too much red meat and drink too much alcohol, you see. And as it’s an extremely painful affliction, the Mongols had to think up a way to treat it.

You put your right foot in

What they came up with, unfortunately, left a lot to be desired. The afflicted person was encouraged to jam their foot right into a deceased horse’s open chest. And if that didn’t work, a human’s stomach might instead be employed for the job. You really couldn’t make it up...

Throw diseased bodies at the enemy

Despite some of the Mongols’ wackier ideas about medicine and health, they did understand a certain amount. They knew, for instance, that disease was contagious and that an infected person should be quarantined. Their perspective of disease was very much rooted in spirituality, of course, but they were still on the right path.

Biological warfare

But the Mongols weren’t above using their understanding of contagion to their advantage. Records exist that claim they used to toss huge numbers of dead people at their enemies during battle. This was to infect their foes, which is a pretty horrendous tactic for winning a conflict. The smell alone was presumably nightmarish.

Experience the world’s most painful massage

If somebody was suffering from tummy issues in the Mongol empire, a rather unorthodox solution was available to them. Rather than drinking lots of liquid and resting up, a more proactive approach could be called for. All you’d need would be some camel’s milk and a set of cups made from silver.

How does this help?

The milk — which had come from nine white camels — would be applied to the body, while the cups were employed as tools for massage. But it was by no means a gentle process. The cups stood the chance of becoming worn, such was the intensity of the massage. One imagines that it didn’t help with the bellyache at all.

Shaved heads

Believe it or not, the hygiene practices of ancient Egyptians might've been even more disgusting than those of the Mongols. For both men and women in ancient Egypt, lice proved to be a major nuisance. They evicted these pests simply by shearing all their hair off! Granted, the elite did wear wigs as a status symbol.

Chewing herbs

Would you freak out if you saw a scribe with food stuck in his teeth? At least it might have been a sign that he had decent smelling breath. Egyptians munched on all kinds of fragrant leaves to fight halitosis.

Eyeshadow

Based on their heavy eye makeup, Egyptians would've loved the pop-punk trend of the 2000s. In addition to the striking visual effect, the eyeshadow and mascara helped deter the harsh rays of the Saharan sun.

Digging potties

Only the very rich and powerful could afford indoor toilets, and even those were a far cry from the porcelain thrones we enjoy today. Everyone else had to dig out a small pit to heed the call of nature.

Lots of laxatives

Medical men of the day believed the body needed to be flushed out regularly to prevent disease. Their method of choice was a powerful laxative, which was tough news for the majority of folks who had to dig their own toilets.

River washing

Depending on where you live, doing your laundry in a nearby body of water might not be a bad option. But because the Nile was once a dumping ground for human waste, their "clean" clothes came out less than pristine.

Moisturize with animal fat

To protect their skin against the arid desert air, women rubbed their faces with tallow — globs of rendered animal fat. Not only did it work, but the melting fat helped keep them cool!

Homemade toothpaste

The early Egyptians were surprisingly forward-thinking when it came to oral care. Using bristled sticks, they brushed with a homemade paste, which often counted salt, eggshells, and burnt ox hooves among its ingredients.

Bathe with strangers

Only a few people had the luxury of enjoying a private bathtub. Most Egyptians took care of their cleaning in public facilities, which were indoors if they were lucky!

Use insect-based makeup

Actually, a number of modern makeup lines contain animal products. Egyptian lipstick was no different, as it relied primarily on mashed up ants and beetles for pigmentation. That had to make kissing interesting!

Unorthodox pregnancy test

Ladies of Egypt devised an interesting way to find out if they had a bun in the oven — or a Moses in the basket. They would urinate on separate piles of barley and wheat, and if either seed grew, it indicated they were expecting.

Spray tons of perfume

The popularity of cinnamon and myrrh-scented aromas around the Nile wasn't just to cover up the stink. Many Egyptians believed perfumes had religious associations, as they represented the essences of the gods.

Regular manicures

Should you ever get trapped in the past due to a time travel malfunction, the good news is that you can still keep your nails looking fine. In fact, manicurists were held in high esteem.

Eyebrows on fleek

Even today, a professional eyebrow artist would be impressed at the tools that Egyptians had in their glamour arsenal. To keep their brows looking sharp, they developed all kinds of tools you might recognize...

Shaved eyebrows

If you can believe it, they had versions of scissors, tweezers, and even mirrors. It's comforting to know that vanity isn't just a twenty-first century trend! Granted, some Egyptians chose to shave their eyebrows completely.

Elevated insect repellent

Long before the invention of bug spray, wealthy Egyptians fought off gnats and mosquitoes in a very expensive way: they built their bedrooms on top of towers! Supposedly, winds that high up would deter swarms of pests.

Plenty Of henna

Using powder gathered from the crushed henna plant, Northern Africans were among the first to decorate their arms, bodies, and faces. In particular, brides sported these intricate designs during their weddings.

Circumcision

Male slaves and pharaohs alike practiced circumcision, which promoted physical and spiritual cleanliness in their minds. The part that would freak out modern people, however, is that they treated it as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood.

Headache cure

The Sphinx may have lost his nose, but other Egyptians had it worse. Like other ancient cultures, they practiced trepanning — the practice of drilling a hole into the skull to relieve pressure.

Men rocked the clean shave

Most of the men preferred to shave themselves from head to toe. Women normally wore a wig that could be easily exchanged when it became too invested with lice. Lovely. There was probably a whole pile of these nasty lice wigs sitting around somewhere.

Flashing seamen

One activity that ancient Egyptian men enjoyed was flashing women as they sailed past them. This was a part of a religious festival. They’d take the entire family and head to Bubastis for the celebration with a huge crowd of people.

Taking the bait

Along the way, men would flash the pretty girls they saw. They hoped the women would jump in the water and swim after them because they were so impressed with their “display.” It’s so weird historians generally leave that out when they write about this civilization. 

Life after death

Speaking of lovely displays, when King Tutankhamen’s tomb was uncovered, historians were stunned: so many mysteries of the ancient Egyptians were unlocked. They also realized the king was buried in a, um, state of arousal.

Borrowed bits

And oddly, King Tut is so far the other pharaoh with this added flair. There’s a theory that the phallus isn’t even his! Some scholars suspect that Tut’s member was replaced with a more aesthetically pleasing specimen instead. 

Desperate times call for desperate...

Women were left wanting for contraception options in ancient Egypt. Some chose to mix honey with certain herbs and other ingredients, and others were partial to using crocodile poop and leaves. The mixture was then inserted into a women’s birth canal to prevent pregnancy. Gross.

They kept things spicy

Men even used birth control. Theirs consisted of taking an onion, juicing it, and then rubbing it on their parts before sex. Once again, not sure why this was left out of history books. Who wouldn’t be ready to go after this?

They really loved their mummies

Another issue in ancient Egypt was necrophilia. This was the fate that awaited powerful or beautiful women when they passed away. Embalmers had been caught in the act by their employees, so this wasn’t just a nasty rumor. Officials came up with a solution.

Some things don't age well

To fight this deplorable practice, women were left to rot for a few days in the hot Egyptian sun before they were sent to the embalmer. Problem solved. 

Ancient airbrushing

It turns out that the supposedly gorgeous, slim royalty portrayed in historical images and preserved paintings actually forced their artists to draw them in a conventionally beautiful way. Body dysmorphia and low self-esteem even plagued the ancient Egyptians!

Feasting pharaohs

Because the pharaohs and their relatives were actually obese and extremely unhealthy. Each day they would scarf down wine, cakes, fatty meats and a host of other artery-clogging food. This was such an issue that ancient doctors were already warning people about the health concerns related to being this overweight.

Crash diet

Even though the royals spent much of their time eating, they were still very concerned with their weight. To fight this, they would clear out three days of the month and take a castor oil laxative. This was something literally on their calendar to do.

The purge

After ingesting the oil, they would spend the entire day on the toilet. When Egyptians were done ridding themselves of every ounce of liquid in their bodies, they would clean up the mess by hand. Another gem for the history books. 

Egyptian shepherd

Fun fact: the ancient Egyptian word for proctologist was “shepherd of the anus," which does make the job sound more pleasant. At this point in time, proctologists mainly just gave people enemas. And their customers were huge, huge fans of the procedure.

All praise Thoth

Egyptians had a holy connection to enemas. They told a story of the god Thoth developing enemas and then sharing that sacred knowledge with humanity. Thoth seems like an okay guy.

The breath of life

Doctors would also try putting some garlic or onion inside a woman overnight. He’d smell her breath the next morning, and if he could smell the onion or garlic, she was fertile.

The red stream

Another condition ancient Egyptians were prone to was schistosomiasis. This made people feel feverish and pee blood. But, because it was so nasty everywhere, people just kept getting this disease.

False fertility

In a similar vein, schistosomiasis was so common that men thought they were experiencing periods, like women. It was seen as a good thing to pee blood, as it apparently showed fertility in men.