Princess Sophia of Sweden

At the table

Two daily meals of porridge and soup

Ordinary families typically ate two meals a day, consisting mainly of porridge, bread, pea soup, and root vegetables like turnips. During the Catholic period, the religious fasts meant that meat, eggs, and dairy were often avoided on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and during long fasting periods before Christmas and Easter.

What people wore

Marital Status Shown by Headwear

To signal their status, married women wore a wimple as a head covering, whereas unmarried young girls were distinguished by wearing their hair uncovered.

Getting around

Costs and customs of travel accommodation

Travelers could obtain food and shelter from appointed hosts in parishes roughly two Swedish miles apart for a cost of two 'Rondstuckh' (about four Kreuzer) per meal. However, foreign travelers were often charged double and had to rely on the willingness of the local host to provide transport.

What it cost

Value of clothing items

Stolen trousers were valued at 6 or 8 öre, reflecting the high cost of clothing items in the 16th century.

Music

Chanting in the Swedish Mass

During the Reformation, priests began chanting the Mass in the Swedish vernacular instead of Latin. Congregations started to participate in ritual singing, using hymnals like Een liten song-book, which was published in both large and smaller formats.

Daily life

Open hearth cooking with simple diets

Cooking was done using open fireplaces, and common staples included porridge, bread, turnips, cabbage, and salted or dried fish and meat, usually washed down with beer.