Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, Count of Samsø

At the table

Beer consumption in daily life

Beer was an essential part of the daily diet, consumed morning, afternoon, and evening by people of all social classes. Adults typically consumed at least twelve barrels of beer per year.

What people wore

Everyday footwear and trousers

Peasant men often wore knickers made from tanned buckskin, and both men and women typically wore clogs for everyday and festive activities.

Getting around

Cost of travel and accommodation

For official travel, the cost of an overnight stay with meals was 17 skilling, equivalent to what a good worker earned in two weeks of labor on Copenhagen's fortifications.

What it cost

Cost of clothing fabric

Coarse woolen fabric for everyday work clothes, known as vadmel, cost between 16 and 24 skilling per alen at the end of the century.

Music

Village dance instruments

Village dances were often accompanied by traditional drone instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and violin-like instruments like the gige or fejle.

Daily life

The transition to chimneys in peasant homes

Many peasant homes transitioned from having only an open fire on the floor to using a chimney, which helped clear the thick smoke that previously filled the living space.