Toilets of the World
Welcome to the Toilets of the World
Are you wondering why people hoard toilet paper? Wondering how to use a bidet, or even what a bidet is? Curious about what the toilets are like in other countries? Toilets from ancient history? Do you wonder who invented the flush toilet? (It wasn't Thomas Crapper!) You've come to the right place!
Toilets around the world:Belgium Bulgaria China France Greek Islands Japan Morocco Trinidad Russia and many others
Toilets from throughout history:
The Stone Age Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Bible era King Arthur's England Invention of the flush toilet To the toilets of the future
174 days until Thomas Crapper's birthday
233 days until World Toilet Day
Privacy and Power
The Throne Behind the Power
Attitudes about privacy have changed through the centuries, with much of that change coming very recently when most of the western world has become prosperous enough to afford it. National rulers and others wielding great power play by a different set of rules. This includes not caring about privacy while using the toilet. This goes back to the Bronze Age and continued through medieval times, but recent leaders such as U.S. President Lyndon Johnson have practiced Bronze-Age-style toilet habits.
The one theme constant from Biblical times to today is that one of the privileges of great power or high social station is the lack of concern for privacy. It wasn't so much about privacy as it was about power and privilege.
Actions or situations that might be distasteful or embarrassing for commoners were not to those in power. Royalty and nobility could behave however they pleased.
This same "open toilet policy" for aides and emissaries continued at least as late as the 1963-1969 administration of the U.S. president Lyndon Baines Johnson.
A water tank, out of sight behind us but shown in detail on the detailed page, would have provided a stream of water which would have flowed through the channel allowing the monks to clean themselves. Waste would flow downhill, away from us in this picture, to drain through the wall supporting this elevated wing of the abbey and fertilizing the orchard.
You can also compare this French monastic reredorter to the medieval English reredorter built and used during the same centuries at the Abbey of Glastonbury in southwestern England.
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