Oscar II of Sweden

At the table

Stretching flour with fillers during food shortages

When grain supplies ran low in spring, peasants stretched their flour by adding ingredients like chaff, bark, nettles, or even straw.

What people wore

Layered skirts indicated status

Women often wore several skirts layered on top of each other to mark their social status and provide extra warmth, with thicker underskirts sometimes reaching the thickness of a blanket.

Getting around

Bringing private carriages for comfort

To avoid being shaken painfully in simple farmers' carts, travelers were advised to bring their own carriages, as spring-equipped vehicles were rarely available for hire. Carriage rates were set at 1 skilling banco per mile for a cart and 2 skilling banco for a carriage.

What it cost

Budgeting for food and housing

From the 17th century through the early 19th century, ordinary wage earners typically spent approximately 80 to 85 percent of their income on food and housing. The remaining small portion had to cover essential costs for clothing and footwear.

Music

Common folk instruments and Hardanger fiddles

The fiddle was the most common folk instrument, though others like the Jew's harp, recorder, and Hardanger fiddle (in Norway) were also used. The Hardanger fiddle is distinguished by its four or five sympathetic strings placed under the fingerboard, which create a soft, resonating sound.

Daily life

Early nineteenth-century schooling

Formal schooling was limited, as the primary education system relied mostly on informal domestic instruction focused on reading and religious knowledge. While parish schools began to appear in the early 19th century, writing and arithmetic were often reserved for the upper strata of rural society.