Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve

At the table

Beer consumption in daily life

Beer was an essential part of the daily diet, consumed morning, afternoon, and evening by people of all social classes. Adults typically consumed at least twelve barrels of beer per year.

What people wore

Repair and recycling of clothing

Archaeological findings in Copenhagen show that men's hats, knitted socks, and gloves were frequently repaired and reused. Wigs found in the area were likely discarded only after human hair was harvested for making new wigs.

Getting around

Travel by farm wagons

Ordinary people mostly traveled between towns using small horse-drawn farm wagons, as there were no railways or steamships for public transport in this period. Passengers could hire a farmer and his wagon if they did not own a vehicle themselves.

What it cost

Rye bread price in the 1600s

In the 1600s, a pound of rye bread typically cost 1 to 2 skilling, though prices could rise significantly during grain shortages.

Music

Minuet arrives in Denmark

The minuet began to establish itself as a fashionable dance in Denmark around 1667, appearing in wedding poetry.

Daily life

The transition to chimneys in peasant homes

Many peasant homes transitioned from having only an open fire on the floor to using a chimney, which helped clear the thick smoke that previously filled the living space.