Lawman Sigurd in Oslo certifies a letter from Ogmund Guttormsson
DN 1/309 · 14 Septbr. 1347 · Oslo
What the letter says
On 14 September 1347 Sigurd, lawman in Oslo, Nikulas Sigurdsson and Olav Jonsson confirm that they have seen an undamaged letter from Sir Ogmund Guttormsson, hirdstjore in Viken, and reproduce it word for word. The content itself is printed as a separate letter in the edition and is not included here.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all who see or hear this letter, Sigurd [Havtores]son, lawman in Oslo, Nikulas Sigurdsson and Olav Jonsson send God's greeting and their own. We make known to you that we saw and carefully [read through] the letter from Sir Ogmund Guttormsson, hirdstjore [the king's chief official] in Viken, with its seal whole and undamaged in every way. It ran word [for word as written here]: [Here follows in the edition letter no. 240.] In true witness we set our seals to this copy [transcriptum], which was made on Holy Cross Day in the autumn (14 September) in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of our worthy lord Magnus, king of Norway, Sweden and Scania (1347).
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þetta bref sea edr hœyra senda Sigurdr [Hafþores] sun loghmadr j Oslo Nichulas Sigurdæ sun ok Olafuer Jonssun Q. G. ok sinæ ydr gerom mer kunnikt at mer saghom ok inuyrdulega [yfirlasom] bref herra Ogmundar Gudthorms sunar hyrdstioræ j Vikenne med hæilu hans insigli ok vspiltu j huariu vattadæ ord [eptir orde sem her seg]hir [ Nu fölger Brev No. 240]. Till sansz vitnisburdar settum mer vor insigli firir þetta transcriptum er gort var a krosmesso dagh vm haustit a niunda are
Background
This is a vidisse, a certified copy in which trustworthy men confirm that they have seen the original letter with its seal intact. Vidisser were made when an important letter was to be used in several places, or when the original was in danger of being worn out or lost. A hirdstjore was the king's chief official in a region, here Viken. The lawman's patronymic is partly damaged in the original and supplied by the editor as Havtoresson, and the editor's summary takes him to be Sigurd Havtoresson. Whether he is the same Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim who later married Ingeborg Erlingsdatter of Giske is uncertain on the basis of this letter alone. The letter otherwise says nothing about Giske, and it was probably included in the search because of the name.
People: Sigurd Havtoresson