Fru Inger would rather flee to the woods than to Nils Lykke
DN 11/620 · 21 June 1535 · Österaat
Fru Inger had given up Giske at Bud in 1533. Here she refuses to be drawn into the case of her son-in-law Nils Lykke and seeks the archbishop's protection instead.
What the letter says
Fru Inger writes from Austrått on 21 June 1535 to Archbishop Olav that Nils Lykke, the night before, sent word by Mads Jude from Romsdal asking her to come to him with her people, children, silver and money, because his servants and bailiffs had been seized. She said no. She is a poor widow on an open farm and will defend Austrått against a band of ten or twelve men, but if a superior force comes she will run to the woods, and if she must seek protection she would rather go to the archbishop. She also passes on news from Bud and from Bergen, where the Lübeckers first released Eske Bille and then seized him again when they found letters he had written to Duke Christian and King Gustav.
The letter in modern English
My humble and loving greeting always sent before with our Lord Jesus Christ. Dearest lord, may almighty God grant and give me always to hear, learn and ask good news of the fortune, health and welfare of Your Grace's life. Dearest lord, Your Grace should know that last night a message came from herr Nils Lykke to me with Mads Jude from Romsdal, in great haste. He urged me for the sake of our Lord's passion to show him friendship and without delay go out to him and take with me my people and my children, silver, money and whatever I had, and said that he would defend it with life and goods as far as he was able. I answered him that I was unprepared to go out so hastily. He put it to me that his servants and bailiffs had all been seized, and that it therefore mattered greatly to him that I went out, because he understood that the enemies would come against me first [uncertain reading]. I swore to him that I knew of no enemies I had. It seems to me that if any enemies come, he can expect them himself first. I am nothing but a poor widow and sit here on an open farm. They could not expect to win a great prize here. If nothing comes but a lost band of ten or twelve fellows, I will wait for them at Austrått. But if I see that a superior force is coming, I will take to my heels and run to the woods.
Original text
Mynn ydmygelig och kierlig helssen althiid till forn sendtt mett vor herre Jesu Christo. Allerkieriste herre eders naadis liiff lycke helssen och vellferdtt vndne och giffue meg thend alszommeictugiste gud till eders naade altiid at høre forfare och spøre. allerkieriste herre verdis eders naade att vide att i gaar natt kom ther eitt buid fraa her Niels Lyche och till meg mett Madtz Judhe aff Romsdalenn vell hastelige och formanitt meg for vors herre pine skyld att ieg skulle giffue hannwm
Background
In the summer of 1535 Nils Lykke was a hunted man. His relationship with his sister-in-law Lucie was known, the councillors in the south would not meet him, and the archbishop's men had begun to seize his servants. The letter shows that fru Inger chose sides: she would not be drawn into Nils Lykke's cause and placed herself under the archbishop's protection instead. Bud was the trading place in Romsdal where the Council of the Realm had met in 1533, and where fru Inger that same year had had to give up Giske. Eske Bille was commander of Bergenhus and had been taken prisoner by the Lübeckers. Duke Christian and the Swedish king Gustav Vasa were allies against Lübeck, and the letters he was said to have written were read as treason. A våg was a unit of weight of about 18 kg, so 40 or 50 våg of fish was probably between 700 and 900 kg of stockfish.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)