Hedvig Sophia of Sweden

Hedvig Sophia Augusta of Sweden, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, was the eldest child of Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrike Eleonore of Denmark. She was heiress presumptive to the Swedish throne from her birth until that of her brother one year later and again from the start of his reign as King of Sweden, in 1697, until her death and the regent of the duchy of Holstein-Gottorp for her minor son from 1702 to 1708.

Strict fashion laws for commoners

During the 1600s, Swedish commoners were strictly forbidden from using silk fabrics or other exclusive materials in public, with violators facing fines or imprisonment on bread and water.

Polska vs minuet for classes

The polska dance was recorded in 1673 and was considered suitable for peasants, unlike the upper-class minuet, which required graceful bows and movements.

Instruments in late 17th-century Sweden

Poetic records from the late 17th century indicate that popular instruments included the violin, lute, dulcimer, and regal, while folk instruments included the nyckelharpa and horn.

Travel by Horse and Foot

During the 17th century, ordinary people typically traveled between towns on horseback or on foot because public roads were often too narrow and stony for wagons.

Winter Sled Travel

Travel was significantly faster and more common in winter, as people used sleds to travel across frozen lakes and rivers. In some coastal regions, travelers could cover 7 to 9 mil (approximately 70 to 90 kilometers) in a single day.

Cooking over an open fire

Cooking was done in a heavy iron or bronze pot placed on a tripod over an open fire, a method required for daily meals until the later introduction of stoves.

Limited access to formal schooling

Ordinary children often lacked formal schooling and helped with farm work from a young age, while only select boys from certain families attended schools to learn subjects like religion.

Communal eating and scheduled weekly menus

Families often shared meals from a single communal bowl, and menus followed a strict schedule, such as eating fish on Fridays. Common dishes included pea soup with sausage or meat, turnip dishes, and grain porridges.

Salt-heavy diet and high beer consumption

Ordinary people ate a diet based on salt-preserved foods such as herring, meat, and pork, often supplemented by bread, porridge, peas, and butter. Because the food was heavily salted, they drank large quantities of diluted beer, sometimes exceeding five liters per person daily.

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.

Value of clothing items

Stolen trousers were valued at 6 or 8 öre, reflecting the high cost of clothing items in the 16th century.

Annual contracts and the free week tradition

Laborers were legally entitled to a free week, known as a slankvecka, each year to transition between employers after their annual contract ended on the designated moving day. To fulfill basic subsistence needs, a casual laborer only needed to work about 50 days annually, though this requirement increased significantly over the following centuries.

Gendered labor and strict annual service contracts

Work was strictly divided by gender, with men performing heavy outdoor field tasks like plowing and threshing, while women managed indoor chores, milking, food processing, and caring for small animals. Employment was regulated by statutes that allowed masters to use corporal punishment, and servants were typically hired for one-year terms.

Post farmers ran with the mail

Letters were carried by post farmers, who had to run or walk at least 5 kilometers per hour between stations. They were strictly forbidden from talking along the way and had to deliver mail day and night without delay.

The cost of a letter

By 1693, sending a letter of about 13 grams between Stockholm and Helsingborg cost 18 öre in copper coin, which was equivalent to the price of two jugs of beer. Private citizens gained the right to use the public post for this fee during the 1620s.