Erling's land in Hardanger sold to Munkeliv
DN 12/88 · 24 February 1338 · Munkeliv
What the letter says
Lawman Ivar Andresson of the Gulating, Lawman Sigurd Sigvatsson of Orkney and four other men declare that on 24 February 1338 they were in the room of Abbot Hogne in Munkeliv abbey in Bergen. There Halvard Asmundsson, estate steward for Lord Erling Vidkunsson, sold Erling's land in Hardanger to the abbot: 12.5 matebol in Ølve, 6.5 in Medaltveit, 2 in Geitskarsetre and 1.5 in Fors, for 110 old marks. The abbot paid in English pennies, worked silver and homespun cloth. Eleven marks were held back to redeem a gilt cup and a gold ring that Erling had pawned, and eight marks went to Fridrek Arnesson for a rope for Erling's Iceland voyage.
The letter in modern English
[Heading in the letter book: Letter about Fors, Ølve, Medaltveit and Geitskarsetre in Hardanger. Ølve, Medaltveit, Geitskarsetre.] To all men who see or hear this letter, Ivar Andresson, lawman of the Gulating, Sigurd Sigvatsson, lawman in Orkney, Håkon Ivarsson, Hjarrande Toraldsson, Kolbein Andresson and Fridrek Arnesson send God's greeting and their own. We make known to you that on the feast of the apostle Matthias in the nineteenth year of the reign of our worthy lord Magnus, by God's mercy king of Norway, Sweden and Götaland (24 February 1338), we were present in the room of Lord Hogne, abbot of Munkeliv in Bergen. We saw that the said lord abbot on the one side, and Halvard Asmundsson, estate steward for Lord Erling Vidkunsson, on the other, as his letter of authority showed, which we saw and read through and which is attached to this letter, shook hands on the condition that Halvard sold the lord abbot these lands on Lord Erling's behalf: in Ølve twelve and a half matebol, in Medaltveit six and a half matebol, also in Geitskarsetre two matebol and in Fors one and a half matebol, which he said Lord Erling owned in Hardanger, with all appurtenances old and new, as everlasting property with free disposal, for one hundred and ten old marks [forngild marks, a unit of account].
Original text
bref om Forsa Olluikar Medhaltuæith Geitzskasætir i Hardangre .o. m. oc g. Oluik Medhaltueith Geitzskasætir Ollum monnum þeim sem þetta bref sea edhir høyra senda Iwar Andresarson Gula þings loghmadhir Sighurdhir Sigwatzson loghmadhir i Orkneiom. Hakon Iwarsson. Hiarande Þoraldarson Kolbein Andresarson oc Fridhekir Arnason q. g.
Background
Erling Vidkunsson had given Halvard authority for the sale in November 1337, and here we see how the deal was settled. The payment shows how a large transaction could be settled in fourteenth-century Bergen: burnt silver, that is refined silver, weighed out in English coins, silverwork and large quantities of vadmål, woven woollen cloth, which was a common means of payment. That Erling had pawned a gilt cup and a gold ring with the abbot suggests that he needed ready money. The rope, a line or anchor cable, for «Erling's Iceland voyage» suggests that he engaged in trade or shipping to Iceland. A matebol or månedsmatsbol (a land-rent unit) was land that yielded a month's food in yearly land rent.
People: Erling Vidkunsson