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!
