Brita Eriksdotter (Leijonhufvud)

What people wore

Practical Workwear for Peasant Women

Peasant women sometimes knotted their skirts while working to move more easily. They wore a long coarse linen chemise, often with a woolen surcoat on top for warmth.

Daily life

Practical education through household work

Children learned crafts and chores within the household, such as an eleven-year-old boy helping in his father's foundry by keeping the fire going with bellows.

Work

Peasantry and service as primary occupations

Most ordinary people in Sweden lived on farms and engaged in subsistence agriculture, producing their own food, clothing, and tools. Serving as a farmhand (dräng) or maid (piga) was one of the most common occupations for young people, typically organized through annual contracts.

Music

Popular musical instruments of the era

Common instruments included flutes, drums, fiddles, and the bagpipe, which was popular for both festive dancing and by shepherds as a tool.

At the table

Beaver as a fast-day fish

People believed that the beaver was a fish because it swam with its tail, which allowed it to be eaten on fast days when meat was forbidden.

Getting around

Travel methods and seasonal choices

Travelers frequently moved by foot, horse, or sled, depending on the season and terrain. Water routes were also crucial, with boats being a superior mode of transport when weather permitted.

What it cost

Price of bread and meat in Ångermanland

In Ångermanland, a single loaf of bread was valued at 2 öre, while 1 liter of meat cost 24 öre.