Fart Laws and Flatulence Bans Through History
Flatulence was in many cultures and eras not only a social but also a legal topic. From ancient hygiene regulations to modern climate debates around methane emissions from cattle: the attempt to regulate flatulence has accompanied human history longer and more seriously than one might think. A journey through the most curious fart laws and regulations in history.
Antiquity: Claudius and the Fart Edict
The Roman Emperor Claudius (10 BC – 54 AD) reportedly seriously considered issuing an edict legalizing farting at banquets, according to the historian Suetonius. The background: rumors circulated that a man had died from the consequences of suppressed flatulence — and Claudius, known for his pragmatic and sometimes eccentric decisions, apparently wanted to act preventively. Whether the edict was actually issued is historically disputed. Suetonius reports it as fact; modern historians are more skeptical. Nevertheless, the anecdote shows that flatulence was indeed discussed as a medical and social problem in antiquity.
Middle Ages and Early Modern Period: Table Manners as Law
In the Middle Ages, table manners were not merely social convention but codified in written propriety guides (so-called 'table disciplines'). Works like 'Der Tischzucht' (14th century) or Erasmus of Rotterdam's 'De civilitate morum puerilium' (1530) contained explicit prohibitions of loud farting at table — combined with the recommendation to cover up necessary farts with coughing. Erasmus formulated it elegantly: 'If gases are discharged through loud noise, that is unseemly; but if the body releases air in a quieter manner, that is forgivable.' These propriety guides were binding in monasteries and noble houses and were systematically taught to children.
Modern Laws: Farting in Public
Some modern legal systems actually have laws or ordinances regulating public flatulence. In Malawi, an 'Air Fouling Act' was passed in 2011 that penalized public air pollution — which was interpreted worldwide by media as a 'fart ban'. The Malawian Justice Minister had to clarify that the law targeted industrial emissions, not human flatulence. In some US municipalities there are local ordinances against 'lewd behavior' under which public loud farting could theoretically fall — but prosecutions on this basis are extremely rarely documented. In Florida in 2011, a student was dismissed from class after repeatedly farting loudly — the incident led to a brief national debate about the limits of school discipline.
Climate Policy and the Methane Tax: Is the Cow's Fart Taxable?
The most serious legal confrontation with flatulence in modern times is the methane tax debate. Since cattle and other ruminants produce significant amounts of methane (a potent greenhouse gas), several countries are discussing 'agricultural methane levies'. New Zealand became the first country in the world in 2025 to introduce an agricultural methane levy that taxes farms based on the methane emissions of their animals — thus indirectly taxing the farting and belching of cattle and sheep. In the EU, similar mechanisms are being discussed within the European Green Deal. Critics call it a 'fart tax'; proponents see it as a necessary step to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The cow is therefore actually taxably flatulent — at least in New Zealand.
Did you know?
- Emperor Claudius reportedly considered legalizing farting at banquets by edict, according to Suetonius.
- Erasmus of Rotterdam recommended in his 1530 etiquette manual to cover up farts with coughing.
- New Zealand became the first country in the world to introduce a levy on methane emissions from livestock.
- In Malawi, an 'Air Fouling Act' in 2011 was misunderstood as a 'fart ban' — it actually targeted industrial emissions.
Fun Fact
In 12th-century Suffolk, England, 'Roland le Fartere' was a recognized court jester who received land and title for performing 'a jump, a whistle, and a fart' before King Henry II each Christmas. The corresponding deed of grant has been preserved in the Public Record Office and can be viewed today. It is possibly the only legal document in history that directly ties land ownership to a fart performance.
Sources
- Suetonius (ca. 121 AD). The Twelve Caesars. (Translation: Robert Graves, 1957, Penguin Classics.)
- Erasmus, D. (1530). De civilitate morum puerilium. (German translation available via Projekt Gutenberg.)
- New Zealand Government (2022). He Waka Eke Noa: Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership. mfe.govt.nz.