Bjarne Erlingsson exchanges Bjarnegarden in Bergen
DN 2/88 · 5 Novbr. 1307 · Bergen
What the letter says
On 5 November 1307 Bishop Arne of Bergen announces that Lady Margrete of Giske in her last days gave a quarter share in Fatten in Bergen to the altar of Mary in Christ Church. Sir Bjarne Erlingsson has now made an exchange and given the altar his property in Sutarstretet, called Bjarnegarden or Nygarden, with its bathhouse and cabbage garden. In return Fatten is freed from the gift. Whoever holds the altar shall keep Lady Margrete's anniversary with masses for her soul for all time.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
Arne, by God's mercy [Bishop of Bergen] etc. Let it be known to you that Lady Margrete of Giske in her last days gave a gift for her soul to the altar of Mary in Christ Church in Bergen: the quarter share in Fatten, except for the new buildings that had been taken out of it [uncertain interpretation], as her testament is said to show. Sir Bjarne Erlingsson has now, with our knowledge and consent, made an exchange. For this gift he gave the altar his property in Sutarstretet (the tanners' street) in Bergen, which some call Bjarnegarden and others Nygarden, with the bathhouse and the cabbage garden. Whoever holds the altar shall be obliged always to keep Lady Margrete's anniversary with masses and hours for her soul in Christ Church. We also made Fatten free of the gift Lady Margrete gave in it, as long as this exchange that Sir Bjarne made holds for the altar in the future. As true testimony of our knowledge and consent we set our seal to this letter, which was made on 5 November 1307.
Original text (excerpt)
Arne medr guds miskunn etc. Ydr se kunnigt at um giof þa er fru Margrett i Gizska gaf firir sal sina a sidazstum daghum sinum Marie alteri aat Kristkirkiu i Biorghvin fiordongenn i Fattenom undan tæknum þæim nyum husunum æifter þvi sem sæighizst at testamentum hennar vaattar þa hæifer herra Biarne Erllinngs son þat umskifti a gortt medr varo vittorde ok samþykt at han fekk alterinu fyrnæmfndu firir fyrnæmfda giof gard sinn inn i Sutara stræte i Biorghvin er sumer kalla Biarna gard enn sumir nya
Background
Bjarne Erlingsson (died 1313) of Giske and Bjarkøy was one of the leading men of the realm, and his wife Margrete died before him. The letter is a letter of exchange, that is, a letter about an exchange of property, and it is approved by the bishop because the church was one of the parties. An anniversary was a memorial service for a dead person on the day of death every year, and such gifts were meant to help the soul through purgatory. Sutarstretet was the tanners' street in Bergen, and the name Bjarnegarden lived on after Bjarne. The letter shows that the family owned town properties in Bergen, Norway's largest trading town, where goods from the whole coast were traded. Bjarne probably preferred to keep Fatten and give away another property, but the reason is not stated in the letter.
People: Bjarne Erlingsson, Margrete Nikolasdatter