Christina of Sweden

Christina, a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. Her conversion to Catholicism and refusal to marry led her to relinquish her throne and move to Rome.

Essential belt accessories

Women often carried keys to the farm on their belts, while both men and women kept leather pouches and knives attached to them.

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.

Dances at social gatherings

While dances like the minuet were associated with the upper class and graceful, dainty steps, common people in the countryside frequently performed the Polska dance at festivals. Social gatherings were often characterized by both music and dancing as central activities.

Popular instruments of the people

Popular instruments among ordinary people included the stem pipe, horn, nyckelharpa (key harp), and drums. String instruments like the violin and lute were also frequently played in domestic settings.

Horseback travel was standard for long distances

Because roads were narrow, rocky, and often muddy, people typically traveled between towns on horseback rather than in wheeled carriages.

Winter roads over ice were essential for transport

Winter travel was often faster and easier because travelers could use sleds on frozen lakes and marshes, avoiding the potholes and mud of summer roads.

Limited schooling and early work life

Most children did not attend formal schools; instead, they received basic religious instruction at home from their parents or the church to learn to read the Bible and the catechism. When schools did exist, they were insufficient for the general population, and for many, childhood was primarily defined by work and helping parents in their trade or daily tasks.

Simple homes with limited light

Homes were often simple, small wooden structures with tiny windows, and in many cases, windows were even nailed shut to conserve heat. Because glass was rare and expensive, lighting was provided by tallow or wax candles on brass or tin candle plates.

Everyday meals of pea soup and beer

Everyday meals often featured pea soup, bread, porridge, and boiled turnips, typically accompanied by pork or fish and plenty of weak beer. Beer was consumed in large quantities, often three to four liters per day, as it was safer to drink than the available water.

Warm beer as a staple drink

A traditional morning drink was warm beer, sometimes served as a soup called ölsupa, made from warm beer, milk, and flour. People also flavored their daily beer with ingredients like wormwood, blackthorn, or rosemary to improve health and add flavor.

Wages in grain, meat, and fish

Temporary workers at the Ramnäs estate typically received 20 percent of their wages in grain and 10 percent in meat and fish.

Wages paid in goods and necessities

In the 1600s, employees were often paid in goods rather than cash, with roughly 28 to 29 percent of their earnings spent on clothing and shoes.

Daily wages for workers in the 1600s

In August, a worker could earn 12 öre for a nine-hour workday, while a full 12-hour day paid more.

Long shifts at the ironworks

In ironworks, workers often toiled in shifts, working for 3 hours and resting for 3 hours, around the clock. During lighter months, the workday could span from 5 in the morning until 7 in the evening.

Long and uncertain delivery times

Mail delivery was often slow and unreliable, with the death of King Gustav II Adolf in 1632 taking almost a month to reach Stockholm. In the early 1600s, a letter from Stockholm to Reval could take over six weeks on average.

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.