Elisabeth Sabina of Sweden

What people wore

Working dress for women

Peasant women often worked in long linen chemises, sometimes tying a knot in the skirt to move more easily while performing daily tasks.

Daily life

Turf roofs and tiny light sources

Houses were one-storey log buildings with turf roofs, where sheep and goats often grazed during the summer. Light entered through a single tiny window in the roof, measuring about half an ell square and covered with parchment or glass.

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.