Carl Gustaf Lieven

What people wore

Smoothing Head-Cloths with Glass

Women smoothed their festive white linen head-cloths by rubbing the fabric with a glass rod to achieve a shiny, professional finish.

Getting around

Daily Travel Distances

The average daily journey was typically between 30 and 40 kilometers. While extraordinary speeds could reach up to 160 kilometers in a day, such distances were very unusual.

At the table

Food Preparation and Rationing

To ensure rations lasted, families soaked dried foods like peas, salt fish, or meat before cooking them to reduce saltiness and improve texture. Meals were often strictly portioned, with some records showing specific counts, such as one herring shared between two people.

Music

Rural wedding festivities lasted days

In rural Swedish wedding customs during this era, celebrations often spanned from Sunday to Wednesday, with dancing starting after the first evening meal. Couples typically danced two dances at a time, such as a minuet and a polska, or two polskas.

Daily life

Simple wooden cottage construction

Ordinary rural homes were typically built of wood planks, often with clay packed into the joints to seal gaps, and featured thatched roofs. Inside, peasant cottages typically had only one window on the gable and one on the long wall.

What it cost

Housemaid's monthly wage in 1725

In 1725, a housemaid earned 40 daler kopparmynt per month.