Knut Alvsson declared an outlaw after the killing
DN 12/269 · 26 August 1502 · Oslo
What the letter says
The lawmen Erik Eriksson of Oslo and Tormod Jonsson of Tunsberg and the burgomasters Henning Kock and Helge Bjørnsson of Oslo make known what was laid before them in the market square in Oslo on Friday 26 August 1502. Henrik Krummedike and other councillors of the realm and squires presented evidence that Knut Alvsson and the garrison at Akershus had broken the terms of the safe conduct for a meeting with the Council of the Realm: he was said to have robbed the bishop of Hamar, held back one of the king's men, gathered farmers and ridden into the town with a retinue. Together with 36 freeholding men the lawmen declared Knut and his retinue outlaws, all their property forfeit to the king and the killers free of guilt. The king himself was to decide what should be done with the body.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
We who are named here, Erik Eriksson, lawman in Oslo, Tormod Jonsson, lawman in Tunsberg, Henning Kock and Helge Bjørnsson, burgomasters in Oslo, make known with this open letter that on the Friday before St Giles' Day (1 September) 1502 we were gathered in the market square in Oslo, and many good men with us. Then there came before us the honourable and well-born men Sir Henrik Krummedike, knight, Henrik Agesson, Herman Flemming, Eiler Stygge, Tomme Stygge, Knut Knutsson and Mattis Olsson, squires. They presented evidence to us of how Sir Knut Alvsson and the men who lay at Akershus had asked for a friendly meeting with the worthy father in God Johan Jepsen, bishop of Roskilde, Herlaug, by the same grace bishop of Oslo, Jon Paulsson, provost of St Mary's Church and chancellor of the realm of Norway, Sir Henrik Krummedike, knight, Henrik Agesson, Herman Flemming, Eiler Stygge and Tomme Stygge, councillors and men of the realms of Norway and Denmark. This was granted and allowed them on certain conditions. Sir Knut was to come with no more than a hundred persons, and preferably fewer. Those who were in the castle were to stay there, and no one was to go out before the meeting was over. Neither Sir Knut nor any of his retinue was in any way to harm or let harm come to the good lords or anyone who held with them on the king's behalf, or any of our gracious lord's subjects, by word or deed for as long as the safe conduct (the promise of free and safe passage) was valid. Nor was he to gather the common people or ha
Original text (excerpt)
Vij efftherskreffne Eric Erickson logman i Oslo Tormod Jonson logmand j Twnsbiergh Henningh Kock, Hælyæ Biørnson burgemestere j Oslo gøre vitherligt met thette wort opne breff ath fredagen nest fore sancti Egidij dagh anno domini m d secundo wore wij forsamlede pa torget j Oslo oc monge dandemend met oss, komme tha foræ oss erlige och velbyrduge mend Henrick Krvmedige riddere Henric Agesson Hermen Flemmengh Eyler Stygge Tømme Stygge Knud Knutzsson oc Matthes Oelsson aff vapn oc bewiisde ther for
Background
Knut Alvsson of Tre Rosor owned Giske and was one of the largest landowners in Norway. In 1501 he rebelled against King Hans together with the Sture party in Sweden. In the summer of 1502 he lay at Akershus and received a safe conduct (lejde), a promise of free and safe passage, to a negotiating meeting. There he was killed in August 1502 by men under Henrik Krummedike, who was himself among those who brought the case against him in this letter. The judgement thus came after the killing and was a justification after the fact: once Knut was found to have broken the safe conduct himself, the killers were free, and the property could go to the Crown. Outlaw meant that a man was outside the protection of the law and lost everything he owned. Three dozen, 36 men, was an old and solemn number for a sworn judgement in serious cases. Knut Alvsson's heirs later spent many years getting Giske and the rest of the estate back, and several of the letters about the Giske estate in the 16th century spring from this judgement.
People: Knut Alvsson