Why is bathing considered sinful during the medieval period?

This is a common misconception. First, the idea that Medieval people were all miserable, filthy peasants who never bathed, is simply incorrect. read more

As for the "bathing was sinful" idea, it is not so true. The act of bathing was seen as good, pure, holy, and necessary. What was considered sinful were bathhouses -- holdovers from the Roman era wherein prostitution and sexual misconduct often took place. But the fact is that most people in the Middle Ages bathed at home. read more

Medieval writers saw bathing as a serious and careful activity. One medical treatise, the Secreta Secretorum, has an enitre section on baths. It notes that the spring and winter are good times for bathing, but it should be avoided as much as possible in the summer. read more