Was it really Merlin the magician that invented soap for Sir Galahad so he would smell good for love making?

Answer 1

No. But that is a good story.
Soap came into widespread European use in the 9th century in semi-liquid form, with hard soap perfected by Arabs in the 12th century.
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Pliny the Elder (7BC�53AD) mentions that soap was being produced from tallow and beech ashes by the Phoenicians in 600BC.
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The use of soap in personal hygiene does not appear to have been adopted until the second century when the physician Galen (130�200AD) mentions its use for washing the body. Another physician, Priscianus (circa 385AD), reported the use of soap as a shampoo and made the first mention of the trade of "saponarius", or soap-boiler
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Little is known of the use of soap in the Dark Ages which followed the fall of Rome. Personal hygiene was probably not a high priority in regions where life was precarious. Saponins are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and such plants as Saponaria officinalis, Quillaia saponaria, Gypsophila spp and Sapindus spp contain useful amounts which might be used for cleaning purposes.
The manufacture of soap in Europe and the Mediterranean region had re-emerged by the end of the first millennium. Early centres of production were Marseilles in France and Savona in Italy. It has been suggested that the French word savon, for soap, may have been derived from the name of the latter centre.
In Britain references began to appear in the literature from about 1000AD, and in 1192 the monk Richard of Devizes referred to the number of soap makers in Bristol and the unpleasant smells which their activities produced.
A century later soap making was reported in Coventry. Other early centres of production included York and Hull. In London a 15th century "sopehouse" was reported in Bishopsgate, with other sites at Cheapside, where there existed Soper's Lane (later renamed Queen Street), and by the Thames at Blackfriars.5

Answer 2

Not to mention that if any knight were going to need soap for lovemaking, it wouldn't be Galahad. Galahad was so prudish and moral that he put his father Lancelot (even the pre-Guinivere Lancelot) to shame.

Answer 3

No. Celts invented soap before they got to the British Isles and introduced it to the Greeks.

Answer 4

yes and Galahad HAD TO PAY HANDSOMELY
Merlin was not cheap,although he was a bit over the hill to make love to galahad .
but it was Galahads choice so he had to pay.

Answer 5

no,soap was invented thousands of years earlier...