hygiene in the viking-age

During the Viking-Age, hygiene was an important aspect of Norse society. Cleanliness and grooming were highly valued among the Norse people. This is evident from archaeological finds, sagas, and chronicles.

Archaeological excavations have uncovered various hygiene tools. A common discovery is combs for hair and beards. These combs were often made from bone or wood, with some of the most impressive examples crafted from antlers. They could also serve as status symbols, featuring intricate carvings and stored in decorative cases, likely to show off one’s wealth. According to the chronicle of John of Wallingford, the Vikings combed their hair daily and bathed every Saturday, making them attractive to English women. Many English women left their families to live with Norse men, angering English farmers and eventually leading to violent conflicts.

“…caused much trouble to the natives of the land; for they were wont, after the fashion of their country, to comb their hair every day, to bathe every Saturday, to change their garments often, and set off their persons by many frivolous devices.  In this matter they laid siege to the virtue of the married woman, and persuaded the daughters even of the noble to be their concubines” (John of Wallingford’s Chronicle, 1220)

Other finds indicate that the Norse also used different hygiene tools. In Birka, objects interpreted as ear scoops for removing earwax, and tweezers likely used for personal care, have been discovered.

Written accounts by the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan provide another perspective on the Norse. He described how each morning, a slave woman brought a bowl of water to her master, who used it to wash. The bowl was then passed to other men, who used the same water. Ibn Fadlan, coming from a culture that practiced ritual washing five times a day, considered the Norse to be the dirtiest creatures under Allah’s sky.

“Every day, early in the morning, one of the slave girls brings in a large dish of water and gives it to her master, who washes his hands, face and hair in it. Then he combs his hair over the dish with a comb, blows his nose and spits in it. No dirt is removed from the water. When the first has finished, the slave girl carries it to the next, who does the same, after which she carries it from one to another until it has been all the way round. Every one of them blows his nose and spits in it and washes his face and hair in it.” (Ibn Fadlan. Translated and sourced from the Vikingeskibs Museet).

Photo: Ole-Andreas Sagmo

Despite Ibn Fadlan’s view of the Norse as unclean, they were still considered clean and attractive by the English. This focus on hygiene is also reflected in the Norse language; for example, the word “Saturday” comes from “laugardagr,” meaning washing day or bathing day, with “laug” meaning bath or bathing water.

In the Hávamál, a collection of Norse wisdom, there is also a verse emphasizing the importance of cleanliness:

“If you travel Clean and fed

To a public place

You shall not feel shame

About what you have

Or do not have.”