Stephen VIII Báthory

What people wore

Men's daily attire and footwear

Men traditionally wore shirts with trousers or breeches, and in colder weather, they donned the suba, a long, fur-lined, buttoned cloak. While leather boots began to appear due to Ottoman influence, working in the fields often required simple laced sandals called bocskor.

Daily life

Rural Home Heating and Construction

In the central lowlands, a new type of oven heated from the base of the chimney became common in rural homes. These houses were primarily constructed from wood, making fire a constant hazard.

Work

Workplace Hiring and Hours

Workers were often hired at designated marketplaces; they were paid daily or weekly, but never received higher wages for night or Sunday work, and they generally did not work on Sundays or holidays.

Music

Bagpipes were popular for all social classes

The bagpipe was a popular instrument at all levels of society, heard at weddings, festivals, work parties, and noblemen's balls.

At the table

Wine-mixed water for safety

Water was rarely consumed pure and was usually mixed with wine, as clean drinking water was not always available in towns.

Getting around

Requirement for a safe-conduct document

Travelers needed a formal document called a salvus conductus, or safe-conduct, to ensure safe passage through private noble estates. These documents were not valid for the whole country but had to be requested from the specific landowner controlling the territory.

What it cost

Daily Wages for Workers

In 1501, a common daily wage for workers in Nagyszeben was 10 denars.