Fru Inger asks for confession and penance for Lucie
DN 11/626 · 12 August 1535 · Fosen
What the letter says
Fru Inger writes from Fosen on 12 August 1535 to Archbishop Olav that her daughter Lucie is deeply sorrowful and grieving and humbly asks for mercy and absolution. She asks the archbishop to send one of his clerics who can hear Lucie's confession in private, give her penance and absolve her. She asks him not to believe idle talk about her and her kin until he knows the truth. Because her chaplain, herr Knud, is ill and has left to find a physician, she also asks to have Erik the scribe in her service.
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, learn and ask good news of the fortune and welfare of Your Grace's life. Dearest lord, Your Grace should know concerning that wretched creature Lucie that she is deeply sorrowful and grieving and asks humbly and gladly for mercy and absolution from God and from Your Grace on God's behalf. I would gladly ask Your Grace's dignity that Your Grace for God's sake would grant her leave to make a secret confession, and send one of Your Grace's clerics out here to give her penance and absolution. That I and her poor kinsmen will humbly and gladly repay. Dear lord, I gladly ask Your Grace to write to me what mercy Your Grace will show her, or what I should follow or rely on. All my good faith rests with Your Grace in every way. And I gladly ask that if any rogue will open his useless mouth to lie about me or my kin, Your Grace will not believe it until Your Grace knows what the truth is. Dear lord, there is no particular news here, other than what Your Grace already knows, except that I hereby commend Your Grace to almighty God with life and soul and all that Your Grace wishes well.
Original text
Mynn ydmygelig och kerligh helsen altiid forsendt met vor herre Jesu Christo. Aller keriste herre eders naadis liiff lycche och welferdt wndne megh thend alszommeictugiste gud altiid till eders naade att høre forfare och spørrie. Aller keriste herre werdis eders naade om thend arme menniske Lvcie att wide att hwn er gangzske sorrigfold och bedrøffuit och bedis ydmygelig och gerne nade och affløsszningh aff gud och eders naade paa gudtz wegne och wore ieg gerne begerende att (dvs aff) eders
Background
Lucie Nilsdatter was the daughter who had had a relationship with Nils Lykke, her brother-in-law, and in the eyes of the Church she had sinned gravely. The sacrament of penance had three parts: confession, penance and absolution. For so heavy a sin it was the bishop who could grant absolution, and fru Inger therefore asks the archbishop to send a cleric who can do it in private, without public shame. The letter was written on Fosen while Nils Lykke sat imprisoned at Steinvikholm. That fru Inger had no scribe who could keep letters and accounts for her says something about how important literate men were for running a large farm and an estate. The chaplain was the household's own priest.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)