Arne Eiriksson has been paid for his share of Senja
DN 1/395 · 4 May 1367 · Bjarkö
What the letter says
In the main room at Bjarkøy on 4 May 1367 six men bear witness to a handshake between Holte Gunnarsson and Arne Eiriksson. Arne acknowledged that Holte had paid him the whole agreed sum for the sixth of Senja that Arne had owned together with Sir Sigurd and Lady Ingebjørg. The deed of purchase was attached to this letter.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Alv Toraldsson, Sigurd Moises, Askel Ogmundsson, Sigurd Toresson, Tove Trondsson and Kolbjørn Jonsson send God's greeting and their own. We wish to make known to you: We were in the main room at Bjarkøy in Hålogaland. There we saw the handshake and heard the words between Holte Gunnarsson on the one side and Arne Eiriksson on the other. The condition was that Arne acknowledged that Holte had paid him all the money he had agreed with him for the sixth that Arne owned together with Sir Sigurd and Lady Ingebjørg in Senja, as the deed of purchase attached here bears witness. In truth of this we set our seals to this letter, which was written at Bjarkøy on the Tuesday after Holy Cross Day in the spring (3 May), in the twelfth year of the reign of our worthy lord, Sir Håkon, by the grace of God king of Norway (1367).
Original text (excerpt)
Ollvm monnvm þeim sem þetta bref sea edr heyra senda Alfr Þorallda son Sighvrdr Moises Askel Oghmvndar son Sighvrdr Þores son Tofve Þrondar son ok Kolbionn Ions son q. gvds ok sina mier vilivm ydr kvnikt gera ad mer vorvm j settstofvnne j Biarkr ey ꜳ Halogha lande sꜳghom a handar band þeira ok heydum ord þeira af eine halfv Holte Gvnars son en af annaare halfv Arne Eiriks son vnnder þvi skilorde ad Arne vidr kenndist ad Hollte hafde lokit honvm alla þa penigha sem han hafde skilt honom firir þan
Background
Sir Sigurd and Lady Ingebjørg are Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter, who had inherited Bjarkøy and Giske after Erling Vidkunsson. Holte Gunnarsson probably paid on Sigurd's behalf, and the purchase made the couple owners of a larger part of Senja. The letter is a receipt, a letter of testimony that a payment had been made, and it was attached to the deed of purchase so that the two documents would prove the ownership together. The settestue was the main room of the farm, where meetings were held and agreements made. Senja and the surrounding areas were important for the fishing of skrei (spawning cod), and the land there yielded land rent in stockfish that could be sold in Bergen. The letter is dated by King Håkon VI, who ruled Norway at this time.