Håkon Sigurdsson grants power of attorney in an inheritance case about Hildegarden
DN 2/566 · 11 March 1401 · Giske
What the letter says
On Giske on 11 March 1401 Håkon Sigurdsson gives the knight Alv Haraldsson full power of attorney to conduct his cases against Tidike Vistenaker and Lady Margareta Eilivsdatter. The dispute concerns the property left by Lady Herdis Torvaldsdatter and by Erling Einarsson in Hildegarden. Håkon promises to stand by everything Alv lawfully does on his behalf.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Håkon Sigurdsson sends God's greeting and his own, and makes known: I have given the upright man and wellborn Sir Alv Haraldsson, knight, my full and lawful power of attorney in the disputes I have against Tidike Vistenaker and Lady Margareta Eilivsdatter. It concerns the property which the honourable lady, Lady Herdis Torvaldsdatter, owned, and the property which Erling Einarsson in Hildegarden owned, as my letters about this were made, and every other right which he can by law speak for on my behalf. He shall claim it and seek it in court, with the same full authority as if I did it myself. Everything he lawfully does with this power of attorney I shall keep and stand by. In truth of this I set my seal to this letter, which was made on Giske on the Friday before the Mass of Gregory (11 March) in the twelfth year of the reign of my worthy lord, Sir Eirik, by the grace of God king of Norway, Sweden and Denmark (1401). Endorsement: On the back in a later hand: Letter of power of attorney concerning Sir Alv Haraldsson, which he received from Håkon Sigurdsson. In a still later hand: A farm called Hillergord.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollom monnom þæim sæm þetta bref sæa ædher høra sænda Hakon Sigurdzsson q. gudz ok sina konnikt gerandæ ath æk hæfir fengit erlligom manne ok w(e)lbornom herra Alf Haraldzssyni riddare mitt fwlt ok logligtt vmbodh wm þe dæilo mall sæm æk hefir till Tidik Wistakr ok fru Margretto Æilifs dottor. so sæm ær vm þæt godz sæm heidrlik fru fru Hærdis Þorualdz dotter attæ. ok vm þæt godz sæm Ærllinger Einarsson j Hildigarde attæ eftir þy som min bref þar vm giordh watta, ok wm allan anan rætt sæm han ma
Background
Håkon Sigurdsson was the son of Sigurd Havtoresson of Sudreim and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter, and he owned Giske after his parents. After his death there was a dispute over Giske between his widow Sigrid Erlendsdatter and his sister's son Sigurd Jonsson. The letter is a letter of power of attorney, a document that lets another act in court on one's behalf, and it was used when the owner lived far away or could not appear in person. According to the editor's summary, Hildegarden was a property in Bergen, so the case probably concerned town property there, which was valuable because Bergen was the country's great trading town and the Hansa had gained a firm foothold there. How the parties were related to each other does not appear from the letter. In 1401 Eric of Pomerania was king over the three Nordic realms in the Kalmar Union from 1397.
People: Håkon Sigurdsson, Alv Haraldsson (Bolt)