Erling Vidkunsson completes a land exchange with land in Romsdal
DN 3/161 · 3 Septbr. 1331 · Bergen
What the letter says
Erlend Serksson declares in Bergen on 3 September 1331 that the drottsete Erling Vidkunsson has completed a land exchange with him, his mother Lady Ragna and his wife Ingebjørg. The land they had received from Erling in Nordmøre was smaller than the land they gave him in Valdres, Hardanger and Sogn. To make up the difference Erling has given them a six øre bol in Bjørnarvoll and a half markebol in Dale in Romsdal, and Erlend gives him a receipt for the exchange.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all who see or hear this letter, Erlend Serksson sends God's greeting and his own. I make known to you that with this letter I acknowledge the following. The lands that Sir Erling Vidkunsson, the king's drottsete in Norway, gave me, my mother Lady Ragna and my [wife] Ingebjørg in Nordmøre were not as large as those we gave him in Valdres, Hardanger and Sogn. For what was lacking he has now given us his lands in Romsdal instead: first a six øre bol (øresbol: land that yields one øre in land rent) in Bjørnarvoll [Biarnnar velli], and further a half markebol (markebol: land that yields one mark in land rent) in Dale, as the letter made about this testifies, which I have in my keeping. Therefore I declare myself satisfied with the land exchange, and I declare Sir Erling Vidkunsson quit and free of this. As true testimony I set my seal to this letter, which was made in Bergen on the Tuesday before the autumn feast of Mary (the Nativity of Mary, 8 September) in the thirteenth year of the reign of my worthy lord Magnus, by God's mercy King of Norway, Sweden and Gautland (3 September 1331). Endorsement: On the back, from the 1400s: Letter concerning some property in Romsdal.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þetta bref sea eda hœyra sendir Ellender Serksson q. g. ok sina. Ek gerer yder kunnict at ek vider genger med þesso minu brefue at þat sem mer, fru Roghnu mœder minni ok Jnghibiorghu minni brast j. at ei varo jammyklar þæær jarder. sem herra Erllinger Vidkunnar son drotzsæte konongs j Noræghi fek oss a Nordmœre, sem þæær er ver fengom honom a Valldrese Hardangre ok i Sognne, þa hæfuir han fenghit oss þar j mot sinar jarder j Raumsdale. fyrst sex aura bool j Biarnnar velli j
Background
Erling Vidkunsson of Giske and Bjarkøy was drottsete, that is, regent, for the young King Magnus Eriksson from 1323 to 1332. He used these years to gather and round off a large landed estate, and letters of exchange like this show how he moved property around so that it suited him better. Øresbol and markebol are measures of land based on how much it yielded in land rent, the annual rent: an øresbol yielded one øre, and eight øre made a mark. Exchanging land was common among magnates because it was easier to manage an estate that lay together. The letter is a receipt that Erling needed as proof that the exchange had been settled and that no one could claim more.
People: Erling Vidkunsson