this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2025
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My favorite example is when I talk about medieval hygiene and someone replies: "but yes, they were dirty in the Middle Ages, look at the French king Louis XIV for example, he never took a bath willingly for his all life". And then I look at them with a look that is both dejected and tired and I wait to see if they understands on their own.
That would require them to know when Loyis XIV ruled and when the Medieval period was. The former is unlikely for most and the latter depends on when/where they were educated as no one used "Medieval" around me in college in the 1990s.
I'm French, so the fact that Louis XIV isn't a medieval king should be common knowledge. And the Middle Ages are taught in the CM1 (9-10 years old children) and 5e (13-14 years old) in history classes; and it's mentioned in French, art history, … thorough school.
If you are in France that's an appropriate reaction but outside of it that would be downright silly to expect people to know.
I feel like the cross section of "people who knew King Louis XIV refused to take baths" and "people who don't know even approximately when Louis XIV ruled" would be relatively small. Is that not the case?
Apparently not, at least not in France.
But it's something I saw with a lot of subject: as soon as something bad occurred before the 19th century, it's in the Middle Ages in the mind of most people.