Nils Lykke asks his father to help him marry Lucie
DN 11/610 · 8 April 1535 · Fosen
What the letter says
Nils Lykke writes from Fosen on 8 April 1535 to his father. Two years after his wife Eline died, he asked learned men whether he could marry her sister Lucie, and they answered that it was not against God's commandment. The archbishop has twice asked fru Ingerd and Vincens Lunge for their consent and received a flat no, and the same answer came through Margrete, Vincens's wife. Now Nils and Lucie have had a son. He asks his father to get the king elect Christian, the Bishop of Aarhus and Mogens Gøye to write to fru Ingerd, Vincens and the archbishop so that they may stay together, and for a safe conduct to come to the king.
The letter in modern English
[The letter is a draft with many corrections. The corrected text is given here, and words struck out are omitted.] Filial, wholly humble, dutiful and loving greeting with all the good I can, always written beforehand with our Lord. Dearest father, may the almighty God grant your health and welfare and that of all my dear brothers and sisters and all our friends, in both soul and body, and let me always hear the joyful news. Dearest father, I thank you most humbly for all the fatherly goodwill, honour and good you have always shown me. May the almighty God reward you for it, and I will always repay and deserve it with all my poor ability in all filial willingness, most humbly and gladly. For in you, my dearest father, I put all my trust for faith, good counsel, comfort, solace and all good etc., and I humbly and lovingly reveal and make known to you how things stand. Two years ago, after my dearest late wife Eline had died and passed away, may God almighty grant her soul eternal rest and joy, I asked understanding, learned men whether, given the circumstances of my case, I could and might have one of her sisters, who is called Lucie, whom I heartily desired as my dear wedded wife, and whom I knew desired me in the same way [uncertain reading].
Original text
[Mynn [Sønlig gantz [kerligen [ydmygeligen thienstlig [och kerligen helssenn [och all eres erbeding mett altt hwes jeg gott formaa altiid forscreffuit mett wor herre, [gwnstig kere[ste [her canceller oc besynderligen gode wenn [father [ethers mett samt alle myne kere suskens och allis wore wenners helssen och welffart vnde och gijffue then alsomechtigste gud bade til sjell och lijff och mig the gledelige tyender altid att høre.
Background
The letter is a draft, and Nils Lykke has corrected it in his own hand. It was first written to a chancellor and later turned into a letter to his father, Joachim Lykke. Under church law marriage with a deceased wife's sister was forbidden, so Nils asks that the archbishop be allowed to grant a dispensation, an exception from the rule. Duke Christian had been elected king in Denmark in 1534 and became Christian III. The letter is the other view of the affair that Vincens Lunge had called heresy the autumn before, and here Nils tells of love, shame over the sin and a small child. Shortly afterwards he was imprisoned, and he died at Stenviksholm in 1535.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)