The dean complains of Lutheran songs and violence at Giske
DN 5/1056 · 10 January 1529 · Herö
What the letter says
Dean Niels Mogensen in Herøy writes on 10 January 1529 to Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson. He complains that Lady Inger's servants at Giske sing Lutheran songs at table and mock priests, and that Olav the scribe threw his war hammer in the face of the priest Mattis in Ørskog. He also accuses the bailiff Rasmus the scribe of extorting money from people, torturing a man with handcuffs and sending the dean away from the thing. Finally he reports gossip about Lord Vincens' men and a dispute over 36 cheeses and some fox skins.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
Many greetings with all reverence and honour. Dear lord, may Your Grace know that Lady Inger's servants are now beginning to sing at table both at Giske and other places round about here, as Lord Vincens is accustomed to do in Bergen, against an old good custom that has been before. They excuse themselves by saying that the songs are set out and made after Deus misereatur and other psalms from the Book of Psalms etc. Olav the scribe in particular, he who came to Your Grace from Oslo, brother of Hans Jensen, is one of the chief men when it comes to singing and mocking priests after Luther's verses. He did so also at Niels Tuessøn's wedding this autumn, with many vain words etc., so that I went my way out and to bed, for it was not fitting to punish him for it at that time. Since then he has behaved in the same way with Lord Mattis in Ørskog. Lord Mattis rebuked him for so long that Olav the scribe threw his war hammer at him and struck him right in the mouth and out again by the cheekbone. He will tell Your Grace more about it himself when he comes, and show his great injury. Rasmus the scribe was himself at the farm when this happened. Olav the scribe ran for a little while into the church and at once regained the friendship of Rasmus, who promised to defend him. Afterwards he went to church as before when Lord Jakob said Mass at Giske, to the great hindrance of the good man. Then Lord Thomas in Borgund came and forbade him to go to church. Then he said that he would sit up in the trees in the churchy
Original text (excerpt)
S. p. d. cum omni reuerencia et honore. Kære herre werdes ethers nadhe atwithe at ffruæ Jngerss tiænere begynde nw at qwædhe till bordz och ffra paa Giske och andherstædz her om kringh som her Vincentius pleyger atgøre i Bergen emod enn gammald god sydwane som ffør haffuer været. Och the orsage seg ther met at the viser eræ vtsette oc giorde efftter deus misereatur oc andre psalmer aff psalterrind etc. Och besyndherlig then Oluff scriffuere som kom til ethers nadhe aff Osslo Hanss Jenssens brode
Background
Lady Inger is Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått, who then held Giske, and Lord Vincens is her son-in-law Vincens Lunge in Bergen, one of the first powerful men in Norway to support Luther's teaching. The letter is a private letter from a dean (prost), that is, a priest with oversight of the priests in an area, to the Archbishop of Nidaros, who was the foremost defender of the old church. It shows how the Reformation conflict reached all the way out to Sunnmøre eight years before the change of church in 1536 to 1537: hymns used as mocking songs, excommunication and conflict over who had the right to the fines. The bailiff at Giske and the dean fought over the same revenues, for fines for fornication and sacrilege could go either to the church or to the estate owner. The letter also gives glimpses of everyday life, such as weddings, thing meetings, drunkenness and goods such as cheese and fox skins.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)