Anna Maria Vasa

What people wore

Portable Peasant Wealth

Some peasants owned valuable items like sheepskin coats trimmed with rare beaver fur or garments made from imported London cloth, which served as portable wealth.

Daily life

Schooling for non-noble children

In the second half of the 16th century, commoners' children frequently attended educational institutions, making up over half of the students at the Krakow Academy.

Work

Common roles for peasants and laborers

The majority of the population were peasants who worked their own plots while also performing mandatory labor, known as pańszczyzna, on their lord's estate. This labor requirement typically involved 1 to 3 days of work per week, often including manual labor or providing their own draught animals like horses and oxen for plowing.

Music

Festive Dances and Carnival Celebrations

During festivals like Carnival, musicians played for dance parties that could last for several days, involving noblemen and commoners alike. Dances like the hajduk, a lively two-part dance, and goniony, a chase-like play-dance, were popular among the gentry.

At the table

Everyday drinks and home brewing

Beer was a primary everyday beverage, often brewed within the household using large tubs and cauldrons, while mead was also a common drink.

Getting around

Common modes of travel and transport

People traveled by foot, horseback, or in horse-drawn vehicles like simple carts and covered carriages; rivers were also used for transport.

What it cost

Bread Prices and Scarcity

During times of famine, such as in the 1570s, bread was sometimes made with non-traditional ingredients like acorns, bran, or even tree bark. A pound of rye bread in Kraków cost around 0.2 groschen in the early 1570s.