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Arnold Vasa av Sverige

11 Nov 1572 – 1573

6 facts1 source

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 11 Nov 1572

    Born

  2. 1573

    Dies

Family

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Parents

During his lifetime

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1570s · Arnold is born

In the news1563–1570

Devastation from the Northern Seven Years' War

The Northern Seven Years' War caused widespread devastation, with farms plundered and rural populations forced to flee to towns.

Getting around

Slow travel and meal costs

Travel could be very slow, with one group taking five hours to cover just two miles because of deep snow. Guests at the parish-appointed inns paid for their meals with two 'Rondstuckh', which were worth about four Kreuzer.

In the news1571

Mandatory elementary schooling introduced for city children

The Swedish Church Ordinance was established, mandating elementary schooling for all children in cities, regardless of sex.

Daily life

Education and work at home

Formal schooling was not available for ordinary children; they learned life skills and Christian catechism at home or through work, as schools were generally reserved for a few boys of higher status. Children were expected to contribute to the household economy from a young age through tasks like spinning wool, tending animals, or manual labor.

What people wore

Sheepskin skirts for farm maids

In 1559, two maids at Umeå farm were each given a skirt made from 12 sheepskins.

Music

Chanting the mass in Swedish vernacular

During mass, priests chanted biblical texts in the Swedish vernacular using melodic formulas known as accentus, a practice that helped convey scripture to the laity.

At the table

Daily Diet of Ordinary Families

Ordinary families typically ate two meals a day, consisting of staples like porridge, bread, cabbage, peas, turnips, and various fish or meat. Beer was a standard drink consumed by people of all ages, often starting in the morning.