Alv Haraldsson and the dispute over Bergestrøm
DN 3/550 · 6 April 1400 · Borge
What the letter says
Six men, led by the knight Gyrd Gyrdsson, declare that they were at Borge church in Åbygge ship district on the Tuesday after Kjærsunnudag in the 11th year of King Erik's reign, probably 6 April 1400, at a general assembly. They had been chosen as judges in a case between Sir Alv Haraldsson and Sir Aslak Petersson about an earlier division of property between Alv and the late Sir Jon Toraldsson. After testimony from both sides they ruled that the settlement between Alv and Jon should stand. The dispute over the farm Bergestrøm they could not decide because of the letters Aslak produced, and they referred it to the Council of the Realm.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, Gyrd Gyrdsson, knight, Otte Mikjalsthorp, Jon Jonsson, Einar Ormsson, Nikolas Gudbrandsson and Simon Torgeirsson send God's greeting and their own. We wish to make known to you that on the Tuesday after Kjærsunnudag [a Sunday in Lent] in the eleventh year of the reign of our worthy lord Sir Erik, by God's grace King of Norway, we were at Borge church, which lies in Åbygge ship district, at a general assembly. There we saw them take each other by the hand, on the one side the honourable knight Sir Alv Haraldsson and on the other side Sir Aslak Petersson. The condition was that they acknowledged that this was their proper day at law, which they had laid before us, the said six men, with all their proofs and evidence, for a final judgment about the division of property that Sir Jon Toraldsson and the said Sir Alv had had between them. Then Sir Alv brought two witnesses, called Nikolas Gudbrandsson and Reidar Torkjellsson. They swore on the book with a full oath, with the consent of both, Sir Alv and Sir Aslak, that Sir Jon Toraldsson took over the paternal and maternal inheritance of Sir Alv Haraldsson and dealt with it as rightful owner [uncertain reading]. After that Sir Aslak brought two witnesses, called Orm Bjørnsson and Trond Hallvardsson.
Original text
Ollum monnum þæim sæm þetta bref sia æder høyra sænder Gyrder Gyrdz son riidare Ottæ Michialzthorp Jon Jonsson Einar Ormzson Nicholaz Gudbrandzson ok Symon Þorgæirson q. g. ok sina mer willium yder kunnikt gæra at a tysdagen næst æfter kærslo swnnodag a xita are rikis warz wyrdoligz herra Eriks med gudz naad Norægz konongz varom meer a kirkiu Borgom sum liger j Abygia skipræido a almæinligre stæmfno ok sagom a handarband þæira af einæ halfo erligan riidare herra Alfuer Haraldz son en af annare
Background
Alv Haraldsson (Bolt) was a knight and councillor of the realm and was married to Katarina Jonsdatter, the sister of Sigurd Jonsson, who later won Giske. The witnesses stated that Bergestrøm was Alv's inheritance from his mother and his odal land, and one of them had collected land rent from the farm for two years on Alv's behalf while Jon Toraldsson was alive. Odal land was land to which the family had a strong right and which it could redeem, and so it mattered to prove where the land came from. Aslak Petersson probably claimed Bergestrøm as heir or successor of Jon Toraldsson, but the letter does not say why. The editor points out that the year in the original has been corrected, and that the letter may be from 1395. Since Alv is called a knight, and he was not knighted until 1397, the editor settles on 1400. That the case was referred to the Council of the Realm shows that the parties were magnates with letters and proofs on both sides.
People: Alv Haraldsson (Bolt)