Alv Knutsson in the council confirming parish boundaries
DN 21/581 · 9. juli 1478 · Oslo
What the letter says
In Oslo on 9 July 1478, King Christian I confirms an older letter on the boundaries between Lier, Eiker, the ship district (skipreide) of Sande, Sandsvær and Rørdalen, which Aslak Torsson, Alv Amundsson and Gunnar Torleivsson presented on behalf of the priests, farmers and common people of these districts. Present in the council were among others Archbishop Gaute, the bishops of Oslo, Bergen and Hamar, the knights Erik Bjørnsson, Jon Smør, Alv Knutsson, Einar Fluga and Olav Guttormsson, and four lawmen. The king forbids anyone to infringe the boundaries and lists the boundary marks.
The letter in modern English
We Christian, by the grace of God king of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, of the Wends and the Goths, duke of Schleswig and duke of Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen, count of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, make known to all: In the year after God's birth 1478, the eighth day after Our Lady Mary's Visitation [9 July], in the common room of the canons' house in Oslo, there being present with us our dear, most worthy and worthy kinsman Lord Gaute [the copy has Paule], archbishop of Trondheim, Bishop Gunnar of Oslo, Bishop Hans of Bergen, Bishop Karl of Hamar, Lord Erik Bjørnsson, Lord Jon Smør [the copy has Sinør], Lord Alv Knutsson, Lord Einar Fluga and Lord Olav Guttormsson, knights, our dear men and councillors, and Erik Eriksson in Oslo, Hans Pålsson in Bergen, Nils Ulvsson in Tønsberg and Bjørn Halvorsson in Hedmarken, our lawmen. Then there came before us in court Aslak Torsson, Alv Amundsson and Gunnar Torleivsson on behalf of a number of priests, farmers and common people of Lier, Eiker, the ship district of Sande, Sandsvær and Rørdalen. They showed us a letter under the seals of good men which bore witness to the boundaries, divisions and end marks between these parishes, districts and ship districts, and asked us to confirm and ratify the letter so that it should stand in full force, as it states regarding all boundaries.
Original text
Vii Christiern, Med Guds Naade Dannemarckes, Norgis, Sverriges, Venders og Gotthers Konning, Hertug i Slesvig og Hertug i Holsteen, Stormarn og Ditmarsken, Greve i Oldenborg og Delmenhorst, Giøre alle Vitterligt: At Aar effter Guds byrd 1478 Ottende dagen effter Vor Frue Mariæ Wisitacionis-Dag, i Commune Stuen i Chaniche Gaarden i Osloe, Nærværende OS Elskelige, værdigste og værdige *Fætter Hr Paule Erche-Bisckop i Tronhiem, Bisckop Gunnar i Osslo, Biskop Hans i Bergen, Bischop Carl i Hammer,
Background
Alv Knutsson was born in Sweden, son of Agnes Alvsdatter and grandson of Katarina Jonsdatter, the sister of Sigurd Jonsson. He sat on the Norwegian Council of the Realm and would later receive Giske at the division of Junker Hans's estate in 1490. The letter shows him in the council around the king, together with Archbishop Gaute Ivarsson and Bishop Karl of Hamar, who was probably the son of Alv and Magnhild Oddsdatter (see DN 5/935). Boundary letters like this were confirmed by the king because the boundaries between districts decided who had the right to forest, fishing and grazing, and where taxes and leidang (naval levy) were owed. The text survives only in an 18th-century Danish translation, and the copyist got two names wrong: «Paule» should be Gaute and «Sinør» should be Smør. Several boundary names are uncertain.
People: Alv Knutsson