The bishop forwards Erling's letters and congratulates Lord Ivar
DN 8/147 · 24 August [1341.] · Bergen
Erling Vidkunsson, the owner of Giske, is mentioned only in passing: the bishop forwards letters to him from Lord Ivar. The letter shows that Bishop Håkon was a hub in the correspondence between the magnates.
What the letter says
Bishop Håkon writes from Bergen on 24 August, probably 1341, to Lord Ivar. He has received two letters from him, and with them came letters for Lord Erling, which he has forwarded. He wishes him luck with the wedding of Ivar's daughters at Michaelmas. He regrets that he cannot send a fitting gift now, because his ship was bound for Iceland, the knarr was loaded, and he himself had been summoned to a council by the archbishop.
The letter in modern English
[Heading in the copy: To Lord Ivar.] Your letter came to us lately, and attached to it was Lord Erling's letter. In the same way Eindride Ivarsson gave us another one earlier. We sent both the first and the last to him. In your last letter we understood that you, by God's grace, will hold the wedding of your daughters now at Michaelmas. We pray with all our heart that God himself grants a good time for it and lets it bring joy and honour to you and to them both. Bear with us this time that we could not send you anything that might or ought to belong to such an occasion, though we wished to and were bound to. That was caused partly by the fitting out of our buss [a cargo ship] for Iceland and what we sent in the knarr, but mostly by our own preparations, since we are summoned by our worthy lord the archbishop to a council on the last day of July [uncertain interpretation]. If there is now anything we can get done here for your sake, ask us without hesitation as your friend. God keep you and all your household now and always. The swain is excused for staying too long with us, because of our many duties. Written in Bergen on St Bartholomew's day in the year named above.
Original text
Ad dominum Juarum. Bref ydart kom til vaar nest er vider var fest herra Erlings bref ok med sama hætte fek oss Æindriði Juarsson annat fyr. sænðom ver bæde þat fyrra ok hitt sidarre til hans j. þui er ver sidarre fænghom yðru brefe vndirstoðom ver at þer vilir med guðs naðom vilia bryllaup dœttra ydra gæra nu at Mikkiallsmœsso. bidium ver af ollu hiarta at sialfuer guð, gefui þar godan tima til. ok late yðer ok þæim baðom þat til glædi ok hæiders værda. vmberir med oss. aat þesso sinni.
Background
The letter is included because Lord Erling Vidkunsson is mentioned, and it shows that Bishop Håkon was a hub in the correspondence between the magnates. Lord Ivar is probably Ivar Ogmundsson, knight and councillor of the realm. The bishop owned ships that sailed to Iceland, a buss and a knarr, two kinds of cargo ship, which shows that the see of Bergen traded overseas. Wedding gifts were an important part of friendship between magnates. The council was a church synod the archbishop had summoned.
People: Erling Vidkunsson