János Wass

Getting around

Requirement for a safe-conduct document

Travelers needed a formal document called a salvus conductus, or safe-conduct, to ensure safe passage through private noble estates. These documents were not valid for the whole country but had to be requested from the specific landowner controlling the territory.

Daily life

Rural Home Heating and Construction

In the central lowlands, a new type of oven heated from the base of the chimney became common in rural homes. These houses were primarily constructed from wood, making fire a constant hazard.

What people wore

Layered women's clothing and headwear customs

Women wore linen shirts and layered skirts or dresses, often adding a fur-lined cloak or suba in cold weather, while unmarried girls walked with uncovered heads. Married women and older women distinguished themselves through head coverings like veils or bonnets, with social status influencing whether materials like silk, brocade, or lace were used.

Music

Bagpipes were popular for all social classes

The bagpipe was a popular instrument at all levels of society, heard at weddings, festivals, work parties, and noblemen's balls.

At the table

Two daily meals of bread and vegetables

Ordinary people in the Kingdom of Hungary typically ate two meals a day, consisting of bread made from rye, barley, or bran, as well as vegetables like cabbage, peas, and lentils.