Denmark Social Life and Customs

Effective family research requires some understanding of the society in which your ancestor lived. Your research steps, and the records you search, are going to vary according to the time and place your ancestor lived. Learning about your ancestor’s everyday life, social structure, religious practices, customs, and traditions will enhance your research abilities. This information is especially helpful if you choose to write your family's history. Here are some good topics to consider:

Customs

 * Naming Customs

Everyday Life

 * Infant Mortality
 * Work in Rural Denmark
 * Work in the Cities of Denmark

Social Structure

 * Adscription of 1733 (Stavnsbåndet)
 * Copyhold / Copyholder
 * Drudgery
 * Vornedskab
 * Scandinavian Folklore

Traditions
The following is a good book describing Danish social life and customs:


 * MacHaffie, Ingeborg S., and Margaret A. Nielsen. Of Danish Ways. Minneapolis: Dillion Press, 1976. (FS Library 948.9 E6m.)