Princess Sigrid of Sweden

At the table

Two meals and morning beer

Ordinary households typically ate two main meals a day, dagvard and kvällsvard, often starting their mornings with a warm beer drink known as the morning drink.

What people wore

Sheepskin skirts for farm maids

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

Getting around

Ice Roads Faster Than Summer Paths

Travelers relied on natural features for routes, with winter ice roads offering shorter and flatter paths than the hilly, winding forest trails used during the summer months. For example, a journey that took seven hours by a summer road could be completed in just two hours when crossing frozen waters in winter.

What it cost

Price of bread and meat in Ångermanland

In Ångermanland, a single loaf of bread was valued at 2 öre, while 1 liter of meat cost 24 öre.

Music

Ring dances and communal singing at festivals

People enjoyed singing and dancing in rings or long rows, often in open fields or village squares, during festivities and family celebrations.

Daily life

Living in a one-room cottage with livestock

Ordinary homes were typically one-room cottages with dirt floors, where the entire family lived and slept alongside livestock like pigs, cows, and hens during the winter. These cottages were drafty, often lit by only a single small window covered with parchment or glass, and kept warm by a baking oven that families lit before dawn.