Vincens Lunge on Eske Bille's captivity with the Lübeckers
DN 23/381 · 3 oktober 1534 · Lungegården
Vincens Lunge was the son-in-law of fru Inger, who held Giske for a time and was a party to the dispute over the estate. The letter concerns the Count's Feud and Eske Bille's captivity, and fru Inger is mentioned only because she will stay with Vincens in Bergen over the winter.
What the letter says
Vincens Lunge writes from Lungegården in Bergen on 3 October 1534 to his kinsman Eske Bille, commander of Bergenhus, who has been taken prisoner by the Lübeckers. Eske has asked the Norwegian Council of the Realm to write to the Danish council and the council of Lübeck on his behalf. Vincens has at once written to the archbishop and Nils Lykke to draw up and seal such letters on behalf of the whole council and send them on to the bishops of Stavanger and Bergen and the councillors south of the mountains. He promises to help Eske's men, laments the civil war in Denmark and says that fru Inger will stay with him this winter.
The letter in modern English
Friendly, loving greeting with whatever good I can, always lovingly sent beforehand to you with our Lord. Dear Sir Eske, kinsman and especially good friend. You write to me how the Lübeckers have captured and held you etc., and ask me to seek from these good lords of Norway's Council of the Realm some letters to Denmark's Council of the Realm and the council of Lübeck on your behalf. So you should know that the same day I received your letter with my lord the Bishop of Bergen's chancellor, I wrote at once and diligently to the most reverend father in God, my lord the archbishop, together with Sir Nils Lykke about this request of yours. Since we could not all meet so quickly, the good lords would draw up and seal those letters on behalf of the whole Council of the Realm of Norway, with true copies of them, and send them first here to the worthy lords the bishops of Stavanger and Bergen. Then Tord Rød was to send them on to the good lords of the council south of the mountains for sealing. When the letters thus reach you, you can forward and deliver them yourself. Likewise you write and ask me to be helpful to your men for the best while you are away. That I will most gladly do, with counsel and deed and whatever good I can, and whatever they may need, for your benefit and pleasure, faithfully in every way. On that you may fully rely.
Original text
Venlig kerlig hiilssen met hues ieg gott formoer ether altiid kerligenn tilffornn sendt met vor herre. Kere her Eske frende och besynderlige gode vend som i skriffue meg tiill hurledis the lybske ether fangett och andhollet haffue etcetera begerendis ieg hooss thesse gode herrer Noregis raad nogre forskriffter til Danmarchs raad och raadet aff Lybke ether til gode forførdre vilde tha moe i viide ath samme dag ieg ethers skriffuelse vndfich met mind her bispens aff Bergenn cantzeler tha skreff
Background
In the summer of 1534 the Count's Feud broke out, a civil war in Denmark in which Lübeck fought to restore Christian II to the throne. Eske Bille was travelling to a diet in Copenhagen for the Norwegian crown when he was taken prisoner by the Lübeckers. Vincens Lunge was married to fru Inger's daughter Margrete, and Lungegården was his estate in Bergen. The lament that father stands against son and brother against brother shows how the war divided the noble families. That fru Inger stayed with Vincens this winter «for the sake of business» suggests that she had lawsuits or affairs to attend to in Bergen.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)