List of silver and gold taken by Knut Alvsson
DN 13/635 · [1537.] · Nordlandene?
What the letter says
Nils Smed lists what a Knut Alvsson has taken from him, probably in 1537 and probably in the Northern Lands. The list includes a monstrance and a gilded chalice, beakers, cups, necklaces, crosses, agnus dei, belts, spoons, daggers, gold rings and coins, with weights in lodd. In addition Knut took two barrels of ale from Olav Steffensson and a spoon from his farmhand.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
Further, Knut Alvsson has taken from me a monstrance worth 200 Bæren guilders [uncertain reading of the coin name] and 12 [uncertain reading], and a gilded chalice worth 81 Bæren guilders, which weighs 27 lodd (lodd: unit of weight, about 15 grams), and 1 paten in addition, and 1 sacrament vessel that weighed 11 lodd, and 3 spoons that had gone to the good children, Otte Holgersson's children. Further, Knut has taken from me 2 gilded beakers with lids on and 6 ungilded beakers with feet and a gilded rim round them, the largest weighed 33 lodd; and 7 plain beakers with a gilded rim round the top on six of them, the seventh was gilded outside and inside and had a lid; and 3 low cups with a foot underneath and a gilded rim round the top; and a bowl of 20 lodd; and a great necklace, gilded on both sides, with a cross at the bottom, which weighed a full 50 lodd; and 1 gilded necklace that weighed somewhat less; and 1 gilded cross with chains that weighed 16 lodd; and an ungilded cross with chains that weighed 20 lodd; and 1 ungilded cross with chains that weighed 12 lodd; and 1 agnus dei (medallion with the Lamb of God) with chains that weighed 8 lodd; and 1 agnus dei with chains that weighed 6 lodd; and 1 gilded agnus dei with chains that weighed 5 lodd; and 3 huesølv [uncertain reading: probably silver ornaments for headgear] and 14 gilded shoulder clasps; and a great coral band [uncertain reading] with gilded stones; and a silver band with gilded marked stones that weighed 18 lodd; and 1 small silver band that weighed 4
Original text (excerpt)
Jtem haffver Knut Alfson tagit i fraa meg eth musstran for cc Bæren gl. oc xii oc en forgilt kalk for lxxxi Bæren gl. som væger xxvii lod oc i patin omframt oc i sakermentekar vog xi lod oc iii skeder som kom the gode barn til Otte Holgerssonss barn. Jtem haffver Knut taget fraa meg ii forgilt støp med lock oppaa oc vi oforgilt støp med føder oc forgilt beet om kring thet største vog xxxiii lod oc vii slette støp i forgilt beet offen om kring de vi, thet siuende vaar forgilt vden oc jnen med loc
Background
The well-known Knut Alvsson of Tre Rosor, the owner of Giske, was killed in 1502, so this list probably concerns a namesake, perhaps a bailiff or another official. The letter was included in the search because of the name and hardly belongs to the Giske family. It is a list of complaints, made in order to demand the things back or obtain compensation. The monstrance and the chalice are church silver, and that suggests that the list belongs to the unrest around the Reformation in 1536 and 1537, when the church's valuables were seized and Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson fled. A lodd was about 15 grams. The list also shows how wealth was stored as silver and jewellery.