son Oldenburg

What people wore

Clothing as economic currency for artisans

Artisan families in towns like Elsinore used clothing as economic currency that could be turned into cash, and inventories show that garments were personal assets of significant value.

Daily life

Lighting homes with pine splinters

In many households, people used resinous pine splinters called "stikved" for light, which could even be held in the mouth to keep both hands free while working. Ordinary people often relied solely on the glow from the open hearth after dark.

Work

Common Occupations of Ordinary People

Most people were peasants working on family farms, while townspeople included merchants and guild-regulated craftsmen. Unskilled work like day laboring was also common, especially for the landless.

Music

Popular Music and Instruments at Gatherings

Musicians, often called pipers, frequently played pipe and drum simultaneously at weddings and social gatherings, using instruments like the shawm, which was a popular domestic instrument.

At the table

Kale sustained families through winter

Kale was a vital vitamin source for ordinary people because it was the only vegetable that could survive outdoors all winter. Consequently, home gardens were often referred to as kale-yards.

Getting around

Frequent carriage changes in winter

Travelers often had to change carriages every two to four miles in winter because coachmen were unwilling to travel far and horses tired quickly in the snow.

What it cost

Beef prices and fluctuations

In Helsingør between 1576 and 1586, a pound of beef typically cost 6 øre, though prices fluctuated due to harvest quality. During a severe crop failure around 1590, the price in Copenhagen rose to 24 øre per pound.