Alv Knutsson buys land in lower Kytven at Voss
DN 1/885 · 26 Septbr. 1468 · Finnen
What the letter says
Two lagrettemenn (lay judges) at Voss, Orm Iversson and Gudmund Askjellsson, bear witness that Alv Knutsson bought 4½ månedsmatsbol of land in lower Kytven in Vang parish from the parish priest Mattis Hemmingsson. The bargain took place at Finne on 26 September 1468. The land goes to Alv and Lady Magnhild and their heirs for ever, and the priest confirms that he has received full payment.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Orm Iversson and Gudmund Askjellsson, sworn lagrettemenn at Voss, send God's greeting and their own, and make known: We were at Finne on the Monday before Michaelmas (26 September) in the year of our Lord 1468. There we saw and heard that the well-born man Sir Alv Knutsson bought 4½ månedsmatsbol (land rent for one month's food) of land in lower Kytven in Vang church parish at Voss from Sir Mattis Hemmingsson, parish priest at Voss. The purchase concerned all the lodder og lunder (everything that belongs to it) that lie and have lain with the land of old and of new, outside the fence and inside. The land passes from Sir Mattis and his heirs and over to Sir Alv and Lady Magnhild and their heirs to own for ever. Sir Mattis acknowledged that he had received the first penny and the last and all in between, according to what was included in the purchase, so that he was well content. In witness of this Sir Mattis sets his seal together with our seals under this letter, which was made in the year and on the day named above.
Original text (excerpt)
Allom mannom them som thetta breff sæ æller høre sender Orm Jwarson Gudmunder Askælson suorne laghrettho men a Woss q. g. (ok) ssine kvnnukth gørandhe ath mer worum a Finnene manadaghen nest fore Michelsmøsso dagh anno domini m cd lx viii soghom ok hørdom aa ath velborin man her Alff Knwthson køpthe iiiiɉ mamathabol jardher hii nethra Kythen hii Wangs kirkio soknn a Wos ooff her Matthis Hemmingson sokna prest a Vos medh allum them luthom ok lunnendhom som til then iord ligger oc ligheth haver fr
Background
Alv Knutsson of Tre Rosor, who inherited Giske in 1490, bought several shares of land at Voss in the 1460s and 1470s together with his wife Magnhild Oddsdatter. The letter is a deed of purchase witnessed by lagrettemenn, sworn farmers who were witnesses and judges at the thing. A månedsmatsbol was a share of land that yielded land rent, annual rent, equal to one month's food, so the purchase concerned a smaller part of a farm. Such purchases show how the nobility gathered land piece by piece, and that priests too owned and sold land. The letter does not mention Giske and is included because it shows a later owner of the estate at work.
People: Alv Knutsson, Magnhild Oddsdatter