Prince Christian of Denmark

What people wore

Everyday clothing colors and materials

Peasant men wore non-dyed, greyish homespun clothes for everyday work, while women typically wore black or dark blue daily garments. Both genders commonly wore clogs for both everyday and festive activities.

Daily life

Drinking water deemed unsafe to consume

Drinking water was often considered unsafe, leading many to avoid it in favor of other drinks, or to boil it slowly if no alternative was available.

Work

Demanding nature of everyday work tasks

Compulsory labor for estate owners could be overwhelming, with some farmers complaining they had no free days. On baking days, women often began work at 2 or 3 a.m. to finish before the standard working day commenced.

Music

Civic musicians and their fees

In the late 17th century, civic musicians in towns held royal privileges to provide music for weddings and gatherings, charging 6 daler for violin music or up to 16 daler to include instruments like the trumpet and dulcian.

At the table

Excessive beer consumption across all classes

Beer was consumed in excess across all social classes, as tea, coffee, and chocolate were not yet common beverages.

Getting around

Travel by farm wagons

Ordinary people mostly traveled between towns using small horse-drawn farm wagons, as there were no railways or steamships for public transport in this period. Passengers could hire a farmer and his wagon if they did not own a vehicle themselves.

What it cost

Cost of clothing fabric

Coarse woolen fabric for everyday work clothes, known as vadmel, cost between 16 and 24 skilling per alen at the end of the century.