Jacob Kettler

What people wore

Linen shirts were basic everyday wear

Both men and women wore long, collarless linen shirts, with women's shirts being longer and men's shorter, often held in place by leather thongs or bronze bracelets instead of cuffs.

Daily life

Schooling and Discipline for Children

Formal schooling was rare for peasant children, and parents often had to supply teachers with firewood, grain, and hay as payment. In 1638, town school regulations in Liepaja explicitly prohibited teachers from striking pupils with fists or sticks, instead authorizing the use of a specific, approved rod for discipline.

News and letters

Variable speed of courier mail

Letters sent by courier between Stockholm and Reval averaged over six weeks in transit, though they could arrive in as little as six days under perfect conditions.

Music

Popular instruments of the 17th century

In the 17th century, the bagpipe was a common and beloved instrument in Latvian villages, often played in groups and sometimes in two voices. The fiddle and the horizontal harp were also played at festivals during this era.

At the table

Salted herring as a staple

Ordinary people relied on salted herring, which was an essential, long-lasting staple food used to supplement simple dishes during long winters.

Getting around

Common modes of travel and transport

Travelers used simple four-wheeled carts for heavy goods, while wealthy nobles rode on horseback or traveled in luxurious, velvet-lined, covered carriages decorated with heraldry. In winter, sledges were the primary means of transportation for moving people and goods.

Work

Work by moonlight

To cope with a shortage of materials like splints for light, people often performed handiwork such as spinning and weaving by the light of the moon.