Hedvig Amalia von Hessenstein

What people wore

Shiny head-cloths for feast days

On feast days, women polished their white linen head-cloths by rubbing them with a smooth glass rod until they were shiny.

Getting around

Winter sledding for heavy transport

During the winter, when snow and ice created smooth surfaces, it was much easier to transport heavy and bulky goods by sled than in the muddy conditions of spring and autumn.

At the table

Salted food and diluted beer consumption

Food was often heavily salted for preservation, particularly meat and fish, which provided essential protein alongside dairy. People commonly drank large quantities of beer, often diluted with water, as a standard daily beverage.

Music

Folk instruments and church singing style

Common folk instruments in this period included the nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, and drums, while country church congregational singing was often described by clergy as shrill and heterophonous.

Daily life

Simple wooden cottage construction

Ordinary rural homes were typically built of wood planks, often with clay packed into the joints to seal gaps, and featured thatched roofs. Inside, peasant cottages typically had only one window on the gable and one on the long wall.

What it cost

Rising cost of rye relative to wages

Between 1770 and 1784, the price of rye was 31 percent higher relative to the wages of day-workers compared to the period of 1735 to 1744.