Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg

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.

Daily life

Cramped winter living with livestock

In winter, peasant families lived in a single room with their young animals; infants slept in hanging wooden cradles, and other children slept near the baking oven for warmth. Households often kept the door threshold very high to keep young livestock inside the room.

What people wore

Functional accessories on belts

Both men and women wore belts where they carried practical items, including leather pouches and knives, and women specifically kept farm keys on theirs.

Music

Instruments for song and dance

Common instruments used by people for singing and dancing included the flute, drum, fiddle, lute, and bagpipe.

At the table

Heavy Use of Spices in Cooking

People commonly seasoned their food with spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, which were also used to create warm, spiced beer known as bragott. This practice reflects a widespread culinary habit of heavy seasoning that lasted throughout the period.