As a parent, keeping your child’s finger from his nostrils can be difficult. In order to solve this problem, you decide to make up a nonsense consequence of nose-picking, such as “your fingers will be stuck”, or “you will receive a visit from an enraged snot monster.”
Nose-picking has been seen as bad manners in today’s society, but did you know that it was considered bad manners in the 15th century as well? In a 15-century book titled “Lytille Childrenes Lytil Boke”, which was recently digitized by the British Library, there’s a warning for children to “Pyke notte thyne errys nothyr thy nostrellys”, which translates to, “don’t pick your ears or nostrils”.
One of many so-called courtesy books—a genre popular in Europe between the 13th and 18th centuries—the manuscript proffers advice on table manners and etiquette, ironically offering modern readers a glimpse into the mischief of medieval children, reports Stephanie Pappas for Live Science.
This is only but one of the many warnings in the Little Book. See more of them over at Smithsonian Magazine.
(Image Credit: The British Library)