Fru Inger defends her election at Rein Abbey
DN 10/631 · 10 April 1531 · Österaat
What the letter says
Fru Ingerd Ottesdatter writes from Austrått on Easter Monday 1531 to Archbishop Olav. She has never taken anything from Rein Abbey without giving double in return, and she was chosen as warden for the good of the abbey. She had not believed that the archbishop, after the settlement, would take the abbey's land deeds, treasures, gold, silver and seal. Since she was travelling and could not meet him before Easter, she intended to ask the king to confirm the election through her son-in-law Sir Nils. She asks the archbishop not to oppose her and to send the things back to the abbess and the sisters.
The letter in modern English
My humble greeting is always sent lovingly to Your Grace's Worthiness with our Lord. Dear lord, as Your Grace writes to me that Rein Abbey's goods and possessions are poorly kept, I have never taken from or diminished this abbey by a single penny or received anything from it without giving double compensation for it, and I neither had nor have any wish to do it harm in any way. But, dear lord, it seems to me that the poor place has already suffered much evil for my sake, now that Your Grace has had their land deeds, treasures, gold, silver and seal taken from them, and whatever else is best known to those Your Grace had sent there and who received it. And God knows that after the agreement and loving settlement made between Your Grace and me etc., and likewise after what Your Grace has now promised anew with both hand and mouth, I would never have believed that Your Grace would show me anything like this. What I have negotiated with the lady abbess at Rein and the good sisters of the whole convent there, I have done for the abbey's and their stability and good. And had Your Grace wished to speak with me, which Your Grace wrote you could not do before Easter, I would gladly have done it with Your Grace's good counsel and will.
Original text
Mynn ydtmigh helsszenn etther nadis verdughed altiid kierligenn sendis (mett) wor herre. Kiere herre som etther nade scriffuer meg tiil om Reenns klosters gotz och eygedele att ware wbewartt tha haffuer ieg aldri tagiid eller fforryngert fforscreffne klosthers nogenn tiid till enn peninge eller ffangett ther frann wtthenn ieg haffuer giord fylleste dwbeltt ther ffore och ey heller haffde eller haffuer willie till att giøre thet nogenn skadhe j nogenn madhe.
Background
Fru Inger was at this time a widow and one of the largest landowners in Norway, and she probably still had control of Giske. According to tradition, Rein Abbey at Rissa was founded by Duke Skule Bårdsson around 1230, and fru Inger writes that it was for the most part founded and built up by her parents, meaning forefathers. Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson held that he had the right to govern the abbey in both secular and spiritual matters, while fru Inger held that the king ruled in secular matters and the archbishop in spiritual ones. She calls herself «arme vidwe», a poor widow, who cannot resist violence and power. Her son-in-law Nils Lykke she calls «my son». The same day she also wrote to Canon Henrik in Trondheim to get him to influence the archbishop (DN 10/632).
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)