Christian VI of Denmark

Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746. The eldest surviving son of Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he is considered one of Denmark–Norway's more anonymous kings, but he was a skilled politician, best known for his authoritarian regime. He was the first king of the Oldenburg dynasty to refrain from entering in any war.

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.

Repair and recycling of clothing

Archaeological findings in Copenhagen show that men's hats, knitted socks, and gloves were frequently repaired and reused. Wigs found in the area were likely discarded only after human hair was harvested for making new wigs.

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.

Popular tavern games

At home and in taverns, people enjoyed playing card games like lanter, l'hombre, and skervensel, using tokens and coins as currency for bets.

Slow travel on primitive roads

Travel was slow due to poor road conditions, with wagons typically moving at a speed of about 4 kilometers per hour. A full day's journey on these primitive dirt roads generally spanned approximately 33 kilometers, equivalent to 4 Danish miles of the time.

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.

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.

Limited schooling for ordinary children

In Copenhagen's Nyboder district, children often received no schooling and were instead sent to work, although boys enrolled in naval-related schools starting at age six eventually received higher quality education.

Everyday diet in Renaissance Copenhagen

In late 17th-century Copenhagen, residents consumed a varied diet consisting primarily of bread, porridge, and fish.

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.

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.

Rye bread price in the 1600s

In the 1600s, a pound of rye bread typically cost 1 to 2 skilling, though prices could rise significantly during grain shortages.

Common occupations in late 17th-century Denmark

Common jobs included day laborers who performed manual tasks like digging ditches and farm work, alongside craftsmen such as carpenters and stonemasons. Women commonly worked as washerwomen, domestic servants, and milkmaids, while children were often employed as servants or milkmaids.

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.