The first modern flushable toilet was invented in 1596 by Sir John Harrington who installed one for his godmother, Elizabeth I.

Occasionally, some brave knights would conduct sneak attacks by entering the castle via the shaft connected to the garderobe. Throughout history, there have been a number of famous people who died on the toilet. Several of them were stabbed from below while in the process of defecating.

These people include King Edmund II of England (30 November 1016), Jaromír Duke of Bohemia (4 November 1035), Godfrey IV Duke of Lower Lorraine (circa. 26-27 February 1076), Wenceslaus III of Bohemia (4 August 1306) and Uesugi Kenshin (19 April 1578).

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      171 year ago

      It’s not:

      In 1596 Sir John Harington…[described] a forerunner to the modern flush toilet installed at his house at Kelston in Somerset. The design had a flush valve to let water out of the tank, and a wash-down design to empty the bowl. He installed one for his godmother Queen Elizabeth I at Richmond Palace.

      Pictured in the OP are garderobes. Inside view’s something like:

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          21 year ago

          Nah it’s French, “garde robe” means “clothes[ancient french] holder[literally guard]”. So literally just wardrobe.

          Interesting that it became a loan word in Swedish tho, what a mindfuck. Dunno why the English borrowed it to describe toilets… I guess it does kinda look like a closet…?

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        41 year ago

        I know it’s not necessarily an unknown fact but he’s an ancestors of Kid Harington, aka John Snow from Game of Thrones

    • @AnUnusualRelic
      link
      English
      41 year ago

      No need to flush, all you need is a weekly peasant with a shovel. Very ecological!

  • qyron
    link
    fedilink
    English
    341 year ago

    Getting poked to death when taking a dump…

    That has to be close to the top of sorryful ways to die.

    Imagine the epitaph.

  • SonnyVabitch
    link
    English
    191 year ago

    This was interesting to read on the toilet.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    101 year ago

    Notice that section of the wall is slightly discolored from the part to the right? You’re welcome.

  • guyrocket
    link
    fedilink
    101 year ago

    If they were to design that so the waste fell into the moat then it seems like a great design.

    Just don’t drink out of the moat.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      2
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      In some cases they had serves who’s job it was to clean the area under the pooper

      Human waste can also be used in tanning leather so it might have been reused for that

  • ivanafterall
    link
    fedilink
    81 year ago

    Do the poops bounce down Plinko style? Did the poor people stand underneath?

  • no banana
    link
    English
    51 year ago

    It was a pain in the winters since it was incredibly cold to use it.

  • @givesomefucks
    link
    English
    -181 year ago

    Man, if GoT hadn’t ended on a such a shitty season, this would still be common knowledge.

    But if you’re young enough that you didn’t watch the early seasons while the hype was up, it’s very unlikely you started after it finished.

    • @Idreamofcheesy
      link
      English
      191 year ago

      Yeah the early seasons were full of scenes of poop falling from castles. Close-ups of people pooping left and right. Really added to the plot.

    • snowe
      link
      fedilink
      English
      41 year ago

      You don’t need to be young to have not wanted to watch. I’m glad I never watched past the first thirty minutes of the first episode. Saved me a lot of time down the line.