List of fines taken from the archbishop's men in the north
DN 13/634 · [1537.] · Nordlandene
What the letter says
The list from 1537 enumerates what a Knut Alvsson and the bailiff Bertel Jensson had taken in silver, clothes, beds, boats and provisions from the archbishop's setesveiner (armed retainers), priests and others in the Northern Lands, and what fines they were given. Many had their fines reduced and paid in våger of fish, for example Oluf Engelbrektsson, who was fined 100 våger and gave 60. A poor chaplain in Finnmark had nothing to take, but paid 6 våger all the same. The list is written to «dear Eske», probably Eske Bille at Bergenhus.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
This is an account of what Knut Alvsson has taken and demanded in fines in the north in 1537, as most have complained and had it written down, and of what has been given back to them here, as follows. Staffen Andersson, setesvenn (the archbishop's official), lost 3 lodd of silver, 6 pieces of verning [uncertain reading: probably vessels or household goods] and a tunic worth 30 mark. He was in addition to give 50 våger (unit of weight for fish, about 18 kg), and he gave 20 våger of fish. Iver Jonsson, setesvenn, lost gold, silver and money, all reckoned as low as possible in silver at a good vi#j lodd [uncertain reading: probably 6½], seven made-up beds, and in addition flour, malt, pork, meat, butter and other provisions, buttons, uncut cloth, his own, his wife's and the servants' clothes, and everything else he owned. He had in store, as he swore and told, 70 våger of fish, which they assessed in tax at j [uncertain reading: probably one hundred] våger, and they ordered him to deliver this here in addition. For his goodwill towards our most gracious lord's men we remitted it to him. His son at the same time lost 58 lodd and 2 tunics. Knut Torleivsson in Salten lost 26 lodd of silver and a spoon of [illegible] lodd, which he gave to Knut Alvsson. He was fined in the north 40 våger and gave here 20 våger of fish. Lord Jakob Mikkelsson lost gold, silver [illegible] and household goods worth #v [uncertain reading: probably 4½] lodd of silver. He was in addition fined j [uncertain reading: pr
Original text (excerpt)
Er thette effter hues som Knudt Alffsønn haffuer tagit oc aff sonit nordt: mdxxxvij effter som the thet meste, haffue, beclaugit oc wpscriiffue ladit : oc er thenum her igenn wntt som effterfølger. Staffen Andersszønn sædeswendt : miste iij lodt sølff : vj stø- cker werning : oc enn kiortell paa xxx marck Schulde ther wdoffuer giiffuit fembthij wouger oc gaff hann xx wouger fiisk. Jffuer Jonssøn sædeswendt miste : guldt sølff oc penninge alt regnit wdj thett lætteste y sølff er weedt vi#j lodt :
Background
In 1537 Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson fled the country, and the Danish king Christian III carried through the Reformation in Norway. The archbishop's supporters in the north were punished, and this list shows the reckoning in practice. A setesvenn was an armed official in the archbishop's service, a våg was a unit of weight for fish of about 18 kg, and a lodd was a small unit of weight for silver. That the fines were paid in stockfish shows that fish served as money in northern Norway. The well-known Knut Alvsson of Tre Rosor, who owned Giske, was killed in 1502, so the Knut Alvsson in this list is probably a namesake in the king's service. Who he was does not appear from the letter. The letter was included in the search because of the name and probably has no direct connection with the Giske family.