John Christian of Brieg

What people wore

Portable Peasant Wealth

Some peasants owned valuable items like sheepskin coats trimmed with rare beaver fur or garments made from imported London cloth, which served as portable wealth.

Daily life

Daily water access and wells

Accessing water was physically demanding, often requiring the use of wells with iron-fitted buckets and hooks, as river or moat water was considered unsuitable for drinking.

Work

Common roles for peasants and laborers

The majority of the population were peasants who worked their own plots while also performing mandatory labor, known as pańszczyzna, on their lord's estate. This labor requirement typically involved 1 to 3 days of work per week, often including manual labor or providing their own draught animals like horses and oxen for plowing.

Music

Instruments and Liturgical Singing

Bagpipes (duda), violins (skrypka), and various flutes and drums were common instruments played at inns and social gatherings. In church, Jesuit students regularly performed specific liturgical songs like Iam lucis orto sidere to open their classes.

At the table

Market purchases for household supply

In 1590, a purchase recorded at Ivenets shows a peasant household acquiring beef and salt at a market to supplement their own food production.

Getting around

Daily travel distances for commoners

Travelers on foot or in wagons covered approximately 20 to 30 kilometers per day, while those on horseback could manage 30 to 40 kilometers.

What it cost

Cost of Clothing and Footwear

A pair of shoes cost between 7 and 8 groschen, which meant a laborer had to work for about four days to afford them. A high-quality sheepskin coat was much more expensive, costing 21 groschen, or about two weeks of work.