King Hans answers the Swedish council, Otte Matsson named
DN 18/120 · 8 August 1491 · Kjøbenhavn
What the letter says
King Hans writes from Copenhagen on 8 August 1491 to the Swedish Council of the Realm. Their envoys, Lord Hans Åkesson and Arvid Knutsson, had proposed a meeting in Kalmar with the Danish and Norwegian councils on grievances between the realms, and the Swedes had especially named Lord Oluf Stigsson, Lord Otte Matsson and Lady Birgitte Olufsdatter, who were to come there and answer for themselves. The king reminds them that a year earlier he sent envoys to Lord Sten and was waiting for an answer as to whether he could be accepted as king in Sweden, as the Kalmar recess had promised, and he asks for an answer and promises to attend. He also answers the complaints of piracy: Bertil Høk's damage was done on Axel Olufsson's behalf and has been settled, and Jakob Henikhusen has been brought in and will answer for himself.
The letter in modern English
Copy of a letter from Hans, king of Denmark, to the councillors of the realm of Sweden. With due reverence and our sincere favour. Most worthy fathers and good men. Today we received your writing and letter of credence with your fellow brothers Lord Hans Åkesson and Arvid Knutsson, stating that they had some charges, errands and instructions for us on behalf of you all, and that we should put full faith in what your said fellow brothers put before us. First, that we would agree to and send envoys to a meeting in Kalmar with the councils of Denmark and Norway to negotiate with you about the grievances between the realms and their inhabitants. For this they especially named Lord Oluf Stigsson, our dear man and councillor, likewise Lord Otte Matsson and our dear Lady Birgitte Olufsdatter, who were to come there and answer for themselves. Likewise that the robbery and damage done at sea by Bertil Høk and Jakob Henikhusen might be settled. Dear friends, consider well how we now more than a year ago sent our dear marshal Lord Eskil Gøye, knight, our dear man and councillor, and our chancellor Lord Jens Jepsen to Lord Sten and other members of Sweden's council who were then present in Kalmar, with some of our charges and errands to them.
Original text
Copia littere Johannis regis Dacie ad consiliarios Regni Swecie. Premissa Reuerencia Cum nostro sincero fauore Verdugeste fæder ok gode men j dagh finghe wi ider scriffuilse och Credencia breff med iders medbrøder her Hans Agesen oc Arffwidh Knwtsen, ludendis at the haffua nogor werff. ærendhe oc befolinger til oss (pa) allis idhre wegna, Ok adh wi vele setie fulkomlige tro ther til huilke forne ider medhbrøder werffuedhe til oss, først adh wi vele beleffwa och besendha.
Background
Otte Matsson (Rømer) was a Norwegian councillor of the realm and commander, and later in the 1490s commander of the royal estate in Bergen. King Hans was king of Denmark and Norway from 1483, but the Swedes under the regent Sten Sture the Elder (Lord Sten in the letter) kept him from the Swedish throne until 1497. The Kalmar recess of 1483 was the agreement in which Swedish magnates had promised to accept Hans as king. The DN summary takes it that the Swedes wanted Otte as a representative for the Norwegian side, but the wording that those named were to «answer for themselves» suggests that the Swedes had complaints against them. The letter shows Otte in the thick of union politics in the years when Giske and Bjarkøy were divided among the heirs of Junker Hans.
People: Otte Matsson (Rømer)