Cleanliness

It's so difficult writing about intimacy when dealing with a society where hygiene was about making sure your hand didn't slip on your sword hilt. We take cleanliness so much for granted, nowadays, that a historically accurate description of the grooming methods of the past would revolt most readers. However, it's on record that the Celts of Gaul and Lower Germany made soap so I see no reason why the skill wouldn't have been known and practiced in 6/7th century Scotland. Animal fat and ashes were in plentiful supply. I'll just draw a veil over the fact that my protagonists most probably smell of mutton rather than cologne! :D

This thought brought to you by a discussion about the tin bath hanging on the back of the shed when I was a kid and the loo being a quick scamper down the garden. And we ALL thought that was normal!