Castle Quest - Reply to Topic

Forum:	Medieval Life And Culture
Topic:	castle occupations

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T O P I C R E V I E W
fierce_maiden Just wondering? Why was the laundress considered the lowest, most undesirable job in the castle, does anyone know? I would personally rather be that than the gong farmer. What other jobs would have been considered undesirable employment?
fierce_maiden
age 27
bent one The person who dyed clothing blue was disliked because his job involved boiling a plant that was similar to cabbage to get the color from it. a very smelly business.
Paul Here in the UK we recently had a TV show called
"The worst jobs in history".
More information can be found at http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/W/worstjobs/index.html
The woad dyer's job seems the worst.
Paul.
fierce_maiden Thanks Paul I will check that out!!! I always enjoy reading up on medieval life.
fierce_maiden
Steve-O-Gerst I suppose doing laundry was a good deal different back then. Let's think up some possible complaints:
-People wear their clothes till they're falling apart, and then get mad when they come back ripped.
-The dirty clothes are REALLY, REALLY dirty. Try hand washing the stablehand's socks yourself if you please!
-All the men that go by watch you doing work in a WET SHIRT, and there are no sexual harrassment laws.
-hand washing things all day leaves your entire arms wrinkled.
-cold water, cold climate... 16 hour work shift. Ever tried scrubbing out a stain with a runny nose?
-Fleas and lice were pretty common back then. Some got in the clothing.
-My sister went to a castle where they said the nobles would hang their clothes in the privy at night... They believed the fumes killed the lice and such, but I wouldn't want to clean it afterwards.
Does this help shift the scales against laundry in the middle ages? I dunno. Cleaning those stables still doesn't sound so great to me...