Margaret Leijonhufvud

What people wore

Belts as Everyday Tool Storage

Both men and women carried belts, which served as essential storage for household items like keys, leather pouches, and knives. Married women used their belts to keep keys to the farm.

Daily life

Small shared living spaces

Ordinary people typically lived in a single room that served as both kitchen and bedroom, with families often sharing the small space with dogs, calves, sheep, pigs, and hens.

Work

Training and widowhood in urban crafts

Apprentices lived in their master's household, receiving food, lodging, and training instead of cash wages. A master's widow could inherit her husband's workshop, providing one of the rare avenues for female economic independence in towns.

Music

Ring dances and heroic songs in public

People gathered at town squares or open fields to dance in rings or long rows, often singing songs about ancient heroes to the light of fires.

At the table

Beer as a daily staple

Beer was the most common drink, often consumed warm as a morning beverage or as a weak brew served with daily meals like pea soup and bread.

Getting around

Hospitality and group travel safety

Travelers often sought safety in groups, and guests frequently relied on the hospitality of clergy or peasants because official inns were scarce. During the Kalmar Union, those on state business often expected free food and lodging.

What it cost

Carpenter daily wages in 1516

In 1516, a carpenter earned 5 örtugar per day if he provided his own food, or 3 örtugar if the guild provided it.