Prince William of Denmark

What people wore

Repair and recycling of clothing

Archaeological findings in Copenhagen show that men's hats, knitted socks, and gloves were frequently repaired and reused. Wigs found in the area were likely discarded only after human hair was harvested for making new wigs.

Daily life

Drinking water deemed unsafe to consume

Drinking water was often considered unsafe, leading many to avoid it in favor of other drinks, or to boil it slowly if no alternative was available.

Work

Common occupations in late 17th-century Denmark

Common jobs included day laborers who performed manual tasks like digging ditches and farm work, alongside craftsmen such as carpenters and stonemasons. Women commonly worked as washerwomen, domestic servants, and milkmaids, while children were often employed as servants or milkmaids.

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.

At the table

Exotic diet from global trade networks

Archaeological findings in a Copenhagen latrine from the late 1680s revealed evidence of exotic products, including citrus and cloves, indicating access to global trade.

Getting around

Travel by farm wagons

Ordinary people mostly traveled between towns using small horse-drawn farm wagons, as there were no railways or steamships for public transport in this period. Passengers could hire a farmer and his wagon if they did not own a vehicle themselves.

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.