Viking habits

"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 many frivolous devices. In this manner their laid siege to the virtue of the married women, and persuaded the daughters even of the noble to be their concubines".

In the 12th century, a monk named John of Wallingford chronicled the habits of the Vikings, specifically the Danes living in England, noting how their customs stirred trouble among the locals.

The Norse were meticulous about their appearance, combing their hair daily—a practice so central to their culture that combs are the most common artifact found in Viking graves. This obsession with grooming set them apart from the Anglo-Saxon population.

The Norse also prioritized cleanliness, bathing daily when possible and reserving Saturdays for a ritualistic wash. This tradition is preserved in the modern Norwegian word Lørdag, meaning "washing day," derived from the Old Norse laugardagr (laug meaning bath).

In contrast, around 500 CE, the Catholic Church declared nudity an offense to God, leading many Christians to abandon bathing. The "heathen" Norse ignored this, continuing their hygiene practices unabated.

Clothing habits further highlighted the divide. Most people owned just one set of clothes, worn constantly due to the taboo around nudity, while the wealthy might have four sets, one per season. The Norse, however, frequently changed their garments, embracing cleanliness—a trait that reportedly made them irresistible to local women, causing social friction in medieval England.