News from Bergen before the council meeting in Trondheim
DN 11/613 · 17 May 1535 · Österaat
What the letter says
Fru Inger writes from Austrått on 17 May 1535 to Archbishop Olav and reports what Trond Ivarsson brought with him from Bergen the day before. The men at Bergenhus had taken from a privateer what it had plundered and handed the loot to the aldermen at Bryggen, and the bishop of Stavanger had had the crew of another privateer off Agder killed. The bishop of Stavanger will not come to the council meeting, and the bishop of Bergen is sicker than before, while Master Geble and some others are on their way. She sends letters from Vincens Lunge and Erik Ugerup, thinks it wise to postpone the meeting, and asks who will win, the duke or the count.
The letter in modern English
My humble and loving greeting always sent before with our Lord Jesus Christ. Dearest lord, may almighty God always grant me to hear and ask good news of the fortune, life, health and welfare of Your Grace. Dearest lord, Your Grace should know that Trond Ivarsson came yesterday from Bergen. He reports as news that no more than two ships have come in since he left. From the bøyert [a small sailing ship] with soldiers that had come there, the men at the castle have taken security and surety, and what they had plundered and taken along the coast they have handed over to the aldermen at Bryggen, and the men at the castle have also inspected it. Yet they have given them leave to sail on condition that they come back and answer to law and justice. There was also another small bøyert off the Agder coast that plundered and took from priests and farmers and had taken much grain from the bishop of Stavanger. The grain, which lay there, they sold to some Dutchmen, and they also seized one of his deans, who is called Stein. Then the bishop sent out his men and had them seized and killed, all but four or five fellows who now lie awaiting death, and they took from them ship and goods and all they had, and charged them with belonging to the count. But the Dutchmen who had bought the grain hoisted their sails while they fought and sailed home, or they would have taken them as well.
Original text
Mynn ydmygelig och kierlig helssenn altiid for sendtt mett wor herre Jesu Christo allerkeriste herre eders naadis lycche liiff helssenn och wellfertt vndne meg thend alszommeictugiste gud altiid till eders naade att høre och spørre. Allerkieriste herre verdiss eders naade att viide thett Trond Jffwerszenn kom i gaar fraa Bergen siger hand for thiender att thett er icke kommen ind mære end thu skib siden jeg for dedenn.
Background
A herredag was a meeting of the Council of the Realm, and the archbishop had called the Norwegian councillors to Trondheim to discuss who should become king after Frederik I. While the Count's Feud went on in Denmark, privateers sailed along the Norwegian coast and plundered on behalf of one side or the other. The bishop's men accused the prisoners of belonging to the count, that is Count Christopher of Oldenburg, who waged war on behalf of the captive Christian II and with support from Lübeck. The duke is Duke Christian of Holstein, who became King Christian III. Master Geble is probably Geble Pederssøn, who later became the first Lutheran bishop of Bergen. The letter shows that fru Inger served as a news centre for the archbishop, with contacts both in Bergen and among the councillors in the south.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)