The chest of Alv Knutsson's letters in the Dominican friary
DN 1/1092 · 31 July 1539 · Bergen
What the letter says
Klaus Bilde, the king's envoy in Norway, Tord Rod, commander at Bergenhus, and three lawmen examine Lord Jens in Milde in Bergen on 31 July 1539 at the demand of Truid Ulfstand of Giske. Lord Jens confirms that a chest of letters belonging to Alv Knutsson and his heirs stood in the Dominican friary while he was prior there, and that the maiden Karine Alvsdatter never fetched it. Olav Ottesson had once taken the chest to Hesby, but had to bring it back on the orders of King Christian. Later Lady Inger Ottesdatter unlocked the chest and took the letters she wanted, and Lord Jens carried the rest up to her.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
We who are named below, Klaus Bilde, commander at Båhus, knight, member of the Council of the Realm of Denmark and authorised envoy in Norway for His Royal Majesty King Christian, son of King Frederick, Tord Rod, commander at Bergenhus, and the lawmen Guttorm Nilsson in Bergen, Hans Bagge at Steig and Niels Klausson in Stavanger, make known to all by this our open letter: In the year after God's birth 1539, the Thursday after Olsok (31 July), the honourable, well-born man and stern knight Lord Truid Ulfstand of Giske (that is, lord of Giske) came before us in Bergen. He had read out to us a letter that the honourable man Lord Jens in Milde had written some years ago to the well-born maiden Karine Alvsdatter. It concerned a chest that stood in the Svartebrødre friary (the Dominican friary) in Bergen at the time when he was prior and head there, and which, as far as Lord Jens knew, rightfully belonged to Lord Alv Knutsson and his heirs. Lord Truid then called Lord Jens forward and asked him to admit and confess in truth what he knew about this, and whether he had written this letter. This he at once and willingly admitted before us, and he said that he wrote the letter at the time when he was prior in the friary, although Maiden Karine neglected to fetch the chest. Lord Jens also admitted that some years before he came to the friary, Olav Ottesson went into the friary and took out the chest that stood there with the letters in it, and took it out of Bergen to Hes
Original text (excerpt)
Wii efftherskreffne Claffues Biilde hoffuitzmandt paa Bahuss ridder Danmarcks riiges raadtt och koninglig majestatzs koning Christians koning Fredericks søns fuldmectuge indskickede i Norie Tore Rodtt høffuitzmandt paa Berg(e)nhuss Guttorm Nielszen i Bergenn, Hans Bagge paa Steegh och Niels Claffuitssenn i Staffuanger laugmendt giøre alle wittherligt mett thette wortt obnne breff att aar effther gudsbiirdt mdxxxix torsdagenn effther sancte Oluff konings dag war skickitt for oss i Bergen erlig we
Background
In the Middle Ages letters were the very proof of ownership, and whoever held the letters stood strongest in an inheritance dispute. Truid Ulfstand was a Danish nobleman married to Gjørvel Fadersdatter, and he now owned Giske and needed to know what had become of the old documents concerning the estate. Karine Alvsdatter was the daughter of Alv Knutsson of Tre Rosor, who had inherited Giske in 1490. Lady Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått was the daughter of Otte Matsson, one of the other heirs of Junker Hans Sigurdsson, and Olav Ottesson was probably a close relative of hers. That Inger took out the letters while her son-in-law Vincens Lunge held Bergenhus suggests that she wanted to strengthen her own case concerning the estate. King Christian is probably Christian II, who governed Norway as viceroy from 1506 before he became king. The letter is a court testimony (tingsvitne), an official examination in which witnesses and lawmen confirm a course of events, and 1539 was only two years after the Reformation, when the friaries and monasteries were dissolved and their archives scattered.
People: Alv Knutsson, Karine Alvsdatter, Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)