Milena Кarađorđević

What people wore

Costume worth more than property

A luxurious Montenegrin national costume could be so valuable that, together with weapons, it was worth more than a family's entire property. It took an average of three months to craft one of these costumes.

Getting around

Cetinje to Podgoritza by carriage

Traveling by carriage from Cetinje to Podgoritza took between six and seven hours, depending on road conditions and the weather.

At the table

Bread was the essential, sacred staple food

Bread was the most important food, often made from rye, barley, wheat, or corn, and it was so highly valued that people sometimes took oaths on it. Households also prepared simple meals based on flour and dairy products, such as cheese and cream.

Music

The gusle and epic songs

The gusle, a single-stringed instrument played with a bow, was essential for epic poetry, with stories often passed between people during evening gatherings. Its soundbox was traditionally made of maple and covered in animal skin, with a string crafted from thirty horsehairs.

Daily life

Stone homes shared with livestock

Homes were typically built of stone and usually contained only one or two rooms, where families and livestock lived together, filled with smoke from the hearth.

What it cost

Cost of mountain transport

Transporting luggage over 3-4,000 feet of mountain terrain and through deep snow for a distance of over 3 Norwegian miles cost 6 gulden.