this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2024
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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).

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[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 45 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I am not sure I agree with people calling this kind of toilet flushable....

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 17 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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:

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 5 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Interestingly "garderob" is the Swedish word for closet

[–] azertyfun@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months 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...?

[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Might be a germanic word that developed different meanings over time

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 months ago

Quite possible

[–] EmoDuck@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 months 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@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

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