Charles I

At the table

Staple foods for ordinary families

Since bread was expensive to bake, many poor families relied on a porridge made from rye, wheat, or barley mixed with water. Eating breakfast as a general meal was not yet common, though children and the sick were sometimes allowed bread dipped in beer or wine.

What people wore

Flax harvest festival traditions

After the flax harvest, Flemish women would run through the streets dancing in large groups and stop travelers to tie flax strands around their legs or stirrups, refusing to let them pass without receiving small coins to fund a communal celebration.

Getting around

Travel times varied by transport method

A journey from Eindhoven to Deventer took over three days on foot, but with a pack mule, the same distance could take nine days.

What it cost

Cost of staple foods

A kilogram of rye bread cost between 1 and 2 stuivers, while a liter of milk or beer also cost 1 stuiver.

Music

Loud instruments at village festivals

At village festivals in Flanders, loud instruments such as trumpets, oboes, flutes, fifes, bagpipes, and drums were commonly used to entertain the crowds.

Daily life

Cooking and heating with peat

Instead of coal, residents heated their homes and cooked with peat, a type of earth found in abundance that burns well.