The bishop answers about Stårheim church and the priest in Rugsund
DN 8/107 · 17 April 1338 · Bergen
What the letter says
Bishop Håkon of Bergen answers two letters from Lord Erling Vidkunsson on 17 April 1338. One concerned Stårheim church, its books and mass vestments and the damage to the church, and the bishop reports that the farmers only whispered about who was to blame. The other concerned the priest Benedikt in Rugsund, with whom the bishop has now been reconciled and to whom he has given the church in Sund under the mountain. He mentions news from Bjarne in Viken and his own illness, and greets Lady Elin, Bjarne and the daughters.
The letter in modern English
[Heading in the copy: To Lord Erling Vidkunsson.] [Greeting as before.] Two letters from you we received this winter after our return [uncertain interpretation]. One concerned Stårheim, that we should do right about the books and mass vestments there. That is not as quickly done as said. As for the church itself and the damage to it, the farmers were of no other mind when we came there, but they told us in whispers that so and so had caused the damage to the church. You can then judge for yourself what we can do on the strength of that. Your other letter we received about the priest Benedikt in Rugsund. At your request and his own we have been reconciled with him and given him the church in Sund under the mountain, where our whale bay is. We have written you no news, and we have received none from Viken, except from our dearest Bjarne, and that, God willing, we know you have now learnt yourself. We believe that Sira Brynjulv has written to you about his errands, and those that have come here and been done, we think we have done as well as we could with him this time. We do not think we can write more to you now, because of our weariness and illness, which will soon be better, God willing. Greet from us your dearest Lady Elin, our Bjarne and your daughters. God bless all that concerns you, without end. Amen. God keep you, and so on.
Original text
Ad dominum Erlingum Vidkunni. Salutacio vt prius. Tuau bref yður fenghom ver j. vetr eftir reetto minni vaaro. æitt vm Stofræim at ver skyllðum reett gera vm bœker hennar ok mœsso klæðe er þat æighi so skiott at gera sem tala. namfnlegha vm sialfwa kirkiuna ok hennar skada, varo bœnðr æi oðruuiss fallner þa er ver komom þar. en þæir soghdu oss kwiskrande til. at sa ok sa vollðe kirkiunnar skada. megho þeer þa vita hwat ver meghom eftir sliku gera.
Background
Stårheim in Nordfjord was Erling's odal farm, and as owner of the great farm he felt responsible for its church. It was the bishop who had authority over the church and the priest, so Erling had to go through him. The letter shows how a magnate and a bishop cooperated over the rural churches, and that Erling also put in a good word for a priest who had fallen out of favour. Sund under the mountain probably lies in Nordfjord, and the bishop calls the place his whale bay, probably a place where the bishop had the right to whales. Bjarne is Erling's son, Bjarne Erlingsson the younger, who was then in Viken.
People: Erling Vidkunsson, Elin Toresdatter, Bjarne Erlingsson den yngre