Vincens Lunge asks the archbishop to be gracious to fru Inger
DN 10/459 · 30 April 1525 · Bergenhus
Fru Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått was one of the parties in the dispute over the Giske estate in the 1520s. She is not named here, but her son-in-law Vincens Lunge asks the archbishop to be a gracious lord to «my mother», and the letter suggests that relations between them were already strained.
What the letter says
From Bergenhus on 30 April 1525 Vincens Lunge writes to Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson and repeats his request for 50 men to help against the enemies of the realm. He reports that the bishop of Bergen, after his captivity at the hands of King Christian's men, is in conflict with the chapter and the German merchants and wants to give up his see and enter a monastery. He asks the archbishop to send a capable man to be provost in Bergen and to remain a gracious lord to «my mother», his mother-in-law fru Inger. He complains that the common people will not pay tax because the bishop's stewards treat the church's tenants harshly.
The letter in modern English
My humble, willing greeting and service to your grace always first. Most worthy father in God, dear gracious lord. I last wrote to your grace about 50 men to help against the enemies of the realm and our own, and I do not doubt that your grace will act fittingly in this. Tord Roed, Olav Bagge and Niels Sjælensfar, your grace's servants, I am keeping with me, trusting in your grace, and they have been here as truly good and honourable courtiers. Dear lord, when the bishop here in Bergen was captured by King Christian's men, the chapter and the Germans, who bear great ill will towards his grace, would by no means take him back into the diocese after he was released. I negotiated it as best I could and took strong letters and seals from his grace that he would henceforth be loyal and true to our most gracious lord King Frederik, as before, and renounce the promises King Christian's men had taken from him, etc. Since his grace has come to rest again, he has strange thoughts and is very sorrowful and bewildered [uncertain reading: «forswffuet»]. He says he will go to your grace, renounce the see, curse the day he came to it and put on the grey cowl [enter a monastery]. He will no longer keep men for the defence of the realm. The Germans are exceedingly hard on him, so that he can hardly get a word with them in eight days, etc.
Original text
Mind ydmig velwillig hilssen oc tienesthe ederss nade altid tilfforn. Høgwerdige met gwd fader kere nadige herre screff ieg ederss nade senest om l karle til bestand imod rigssens oc wore fyenner twiffler meg inthet po ederss nade seg ther wdinden tilbørligen skycchendes worder. Tord Rod Oluff Bagge Niels Sielensfar ethers nades tienere beholler ieg oss meg po ethers nades trøst oc haffue the her werith som retthelige gode erlige hoffmen.
Background
Vincens Lunge was married to Inger's daughter Margrete, and in his letters he calls fru Inger «mother». Her name does not appear in the letter. The DN summary and the context show that she is the one he means. According to the DN summary the bishop of Bergen was Olav Torkelsson, who had been held captive by supporters of the deposed Christian II and had to swear loyalty to King Frederik when he was released. Lunge offers to write to fru Inger so that she «corrects herself» if she will not listen in some matters, which suggests that relations between her and the archbishop were already strained in 1525. The church's landbuer were tenant farmers on church land, and Lunge used their complaints as an argument that he as regent had to be allowed to intervene. «The grey cowl» was the monk's habit, and to put it on meant entering a monastery.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)