Catherine of Sweden, Countess Palatine of Kleeburg

What people wore

Functional accessories on belts

Both men and women wore belts where they carried practical items, including leather pouches and knives, and women specifically kept farm keys on theirs.

Daily life

Cramped winter living with livestock

In winter, peasant families lived in a single room with their young animals; infants slept in hanging wooden cradles, and other children slept near the baking oven for warmth. Households often kept the door threshold very high to keep young livestock inside the room.

Work

A demanding working day

Following the 1571 Church Order, work days were long as holidays were halved, and laborers often relied on in-kind payments like food or grain.

Music

Chanting the mass to the laity

In the Lutheran Mass, priests chanted biblical passages to the congregation using melodic formulas called accentus, which helped illiterate laypeople engage with the text.

At the table

Beaver Served as Fasting Fish

Beaver was consumed as a fish substitute on fasting days because people believed it was a water-dwelling animal that swam using its tail. This allowed it to be eaten during the religious periods when meat was prohibited.

Getting around

Winter travel by sledge and guest house

Travelers often used sledges during winter, as road conditions were frequently difficult due to deep snow and ice. Hiring horses and drivers for these sledges was managed through a system of guest houses located about every two Swedish miles.

What it cost

Value of clothing items

Stolen trousers were valued at 6 or 8 öre, reflecting the high cost of clothing items in the 16th century.