Magnus, Duke of Östergötland

At the table

Beaver as fasting food

To preserve food for winter, people salted or dried meat and fish, and the beaver was considered fish because it lived in water and used its tail to swim. This allowed it to be eaten during the religious fasting days when meat was otherwise prohibited.

What people wore

Essential Tools Carried on Belts

Peasants often carried essential daily tools like knives and leather pouches on belts; women additionally kept the keys to their farm on their belts.

Getting around

Travel by foot, horse, and winter sledge

In the 16th century, common modes of transport included walking, traveling on horseback, or using sledges in winter, with water routes often preferred over land for their speed. A day's journey could cover 30–40 km on foot, 50 km on horseback, or 70–80 km by sledge during winter.

What it cost

Price of bread and meat in Ångermanland

In Ångermanland, a single loaf of bread was valued at 2 öre, while 1 liter of meat cost 24 öre.

Music

Popular instruments of the time

Common instruments included the flute, drum, fiddle, and jaw harp. Bagpipes were also popular, though they were sometimes depicted in church art as sinful or associated with the devil.

Daily life

Children learned skills through work at age 7

Children typically began participating in daily chores at age 7 or 8 to learn necessary life skills, as formal schooling was not a standard feature of daily life for ordinary families.