Frederik IV of Denmark

At the table

Excessive beer consumption across all classes

Beer was consumed in excess across all social classes, as tea, coffee, and chocolate were not yet common beverages.

What people wore

Everyday clothing colors and materials

Peasant men wore non-dyed, greyish homespun clothes for everyday work, while women typically wore black or dark blue daily garments. Both genders commonly wore clogs for both everyday and festive activities.

Getting around

Slow travel on primitive roads

Travel was slow due to poor road conditions, with wagons typically moving at a speed of about 4 kilometers per hour. A full day's journey on these primitive dirt roads generally spanned approximately 33 kilometers, equivalent to 4 Danish miles of the time.

What it cost

Cost of clothing fabric

Coarse woolen fabric for everyday work clothes, known as vadmel, cost between 16 and 24 skilling per alen at the end of the century.

Music

Village dance instruments

Village dances were often accompanied by traditional drone instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and violin-like instruments like the gige or fejle.

Daily life

Dark and Smoky Homes

Ordinary homes often lacked chimneys, relying on open fires on the floor with smoke escaping through holes in the roof, making interiors dark, smoky, and stifling.