His Risala makes for a great read. One of the funnier accounts with Ibn Fadlan aghast at the uncleanliness of the 'Rus': > They are the dirtiest creatures of G

His Risala makes for a great read. One of the funnier accounts with Ibn Fadlan aghast at the uncleanliness of the 'Rus': > They are the dirtiest creatures of God. They have no shame in voiding their bowels and bladder, nor do they wash themselves when polluted by emission of semen, nor do they wash their hands after eating. They are then like asses who have gone astray. > As a matter of duty they wash daily their faces and heads in a manner so dirty, and so unclean, as could possibly be imagined. Thus it is carried out. A slave girl brings each morning early a large vessel with water, and gives the vessel to her master, and he washes his hands and face and the hair of his head. He washes it and combs it with a comb into the bucket, then blows his nose and spits into the bucket. He holds back nothing impure, but rather lets it go into the water.After he has done what was necessary, the girl takes the same vessel to the one who is nearest, and he does just as his neighbor had done. She carries the vessel from one to another, until all in the house have had a turn at it, and each of them has blown his nose, spat into, and washed his face and hair in the vessel.