Frederick William Kettler

Frederick William was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1698 to 1711. Frederick Wilhelm was the son of Friedrich Kasimir Kettler, Duke of Courland and Semigallia and Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg. During his reign, the duchy was occupied by Swedish and later by Russian troops.

Simple homemade wool and linen clothing

Ordinary people wore simple garments made from wool and linen that they produced themselves. During the winter, they crafted sturdy footwear known as pastalas from cattle hides.

Traditional handmade accessories and footwear

Women covered their heads with linen scarves that were decorated with colorful threads and needle embroidery. People also skillfully made everyday shoes from linden or willow bark.

Competitive singing at wedding celebrations

Communal singing was essential at weddings, where guests engaged in apdziedasanas, a competitive and humorous form of improvisational singing between two opposing groups.

Traditional musical instruments in villages

Traditional instruments during this era included bagpipes, which were widely known in villages, alongside shepherd instruments like whistles, horns, and trumpets.

Cost of a winter transport vehicle

In 1586, a sledge was purchased at the Ramygala market for ten Lithuanian groši, illustrating the rural cost of winter transport equipment.

Peasant transport duties and distances

Transport duties required peasants to carry correspondence or small items, often walking up to three miles, while trips to distant towns sometimes exceeded eight miles.

Schooling and Discipline for Children

Schooling for peasant children included reading, writing, and religion, often supervised by local pastors. In Liepāja, teachers were permitted to use a rod for discipline, though striking children with fists or sticks was prohibited by law.

Home-brewed beer was standard drink

Beer was the most common drink, and while guilds controlled commercial brewing, individuals frequently brewed their own for home use.

Imported salted herring as a staple

Herring imported from the Netherlands was a crucial staple for ordinary diets, as it could be easily preserved by salting or smoking.

Mandatory peasant labor on manor farms

Peasant families performed mandatory labor, such as sending a man with a horse to work on the manor farm for 1.5 days every week throughout the entire year. Additional seasonal obligations could require even more labor, such as 32 extra days of a man-horse team during the summer.

Peasant reliance on manor loans

Peasants frequently relied on manors for subsistence support, with corn and livestock loans being common, especially during the spring months.

Travel time between Moscow and Riga

In the late seventeenth century, letters traveling between Moscow and Riga typically took 11 to 12 days to reach their destination.

News delivery via Lutheran pastors

In Livland, government orders were often delivered to Lutheran pastors, who announced the news to local peasants from the pulpit in Latvian or Estonian.