Vidimus of Erling's land exchange with Bishop Salomon
DN 2/288 · 1 February 1348 · uden Sted
What the letter says
On 1 February 1348 Tord Torgilsson and Gudbrand Alvsson declare that they have seen and read a letter from Sir Erling Vidkunsson with its seal whole and undamaged, and they copy it word for word. The copied letter is Erling's exchange of land with Bishop Salomon of Oslo of 1 March 1329, printed as DN 2/167. Tord and Gudbrand set their seals to the copy, which was made on the eve of Candlemas in the 29th year of King Magnus Eriksson's reign. The letter does not say where it was written.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, Tord Torgilsson and Gudbrand Alvsson send God's greeting and their own. We make known to you that we saw and read through a letter from Sir Erling Vidkunsson with his whole and undamaged seal, word for word as it stands here. [Here follows the letter of 1 March 1329, printed as DN 2/167, in which Erling acquires the farm Aker in Stokke from Bishop Salomon of Oslo by exchange.] As true witness we set our seals to this copy, which was made on the eve of Candlemas (1 February) in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of our worthy lord Sir Magnus, by God's mercy King of Norway, Sweden and Scania (1348).
Original text
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þettæ bref sia eðr hœyræ senda Þorðr Þorgylssar son ok Gudbranðr Alfsz son q. g. ok sinæ. mit gerom ydr kunnikt. at mit saam ok ifuirlasum bref herræ Ærlinghsz Vikunner sonar meðr hæilu ok vskiærðu hans insigli orð fra orðe sæm her vattar. [ Nu fölger Brev No. 167.] Ok till sanz vitnisburðr settum mit okor insigli firir þettæ transkriptum er gort var a kyndilsz messo æptan, aa ix are ok xx rikis okars virdulegs herræ Magnusar meðr gudes miskun Noregs Swia ok Skanæ konongs.
Background
Erling Vidkunsson (c. 1292 to 1355) of Bjarkøy and Giske was drottsete (steward of the realm), ruling the kingdom for the young King Magnus Eriksson from 1323 to 1331/32. In the exchange of 1329 he received the farm Aker in Stokke near Tønsberg, eight markebol belonging to the altar of St Margaret in St Hallvard's Church in Oslo, and he gave the altar the farm Bleika in Asker, six markebol, and one markebol of other good land. A markebol was land that yielded one mark in annual land rent. A vidimus is a witnessed copy: two trustworthy men confirm that they have seen the original with an undamaged seal, so that the copy can be used as evidence. Why someone needed a copy nineteen years after the exchange is not stated, but such copies were often made when the original was to be sent away or was at risk. The copy was made the year before the Black Death reached Norway, and the exchange letter of 1329 is known only through it.
People: Erling Vidkunsson