Ketil Brynjulvsson sells Fremme-Røten on Voss to Lady Magnhild
DN 8/428 · 21 Oktbr. 1490 · Finnen
What the letter says
Ketil Brynjulvsson makes known that he was at Finne on Voss on 21 October 1490 and there, with several honest men present, sold his land Fremme-Røten in Dyrvedal otting to Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter with everything belonging to it. He has received full payment. Odd Einarsson and Gudleik Jonsson set their seals with his.
The letter in modern English
To all men who see or hear this letter, I, Ketil Brynjulvsson, make known with this open letter that I was at Finne, which lies on Voss, on the day of the Eleven Thousand Virgins in the year of the Lord 1490 [21 October], and several honest men were present, and that with yes and good will I have sold to the well-born lady Lady Magnhild Oddsdatter my land Fremme-Røten, which lies in Dyrvedal otting, and the same land I received from Lady Magnhild [the text is unclear here, the editor has marked the passage as faulty], with all the appurtenances [everything belonging to it] that lie or have lain with it of old and of new, outside and inside the fences, free and warranted against every man, from me and my heirs and to Lady Magnhild and her heirs to own for ever. I also acknowledge that I have received the first penny and the last and all in between that came into our purchase. For greater truth of this I ask the discreet men Odd Einarsson and Gudleik Jonsson to hang their seals with mine on this letter, which was written in the year and on the day stated above. [On the back, in a 16th-century hand: Letter on Røten, which Lady Magnhild bought as her property.]
Original text
Alle men som thette breff seer eller høre gør jek Ketel Brynvlffsøn vitherligt medh thette opne breff ath jek var aa Ffinnene er liggher oppo Voss the ellofftvssenne jomffrv dagh och flere danne men offuer varu anno dominj m cd lxxxx ath jek medh jaa och godh vilie haffuer solth velbyrdigh q(u)innæ ffrw Magnildh Odzdotther min jordh fremme Røthen [so]m liggher y Dyrwedal otvngh och *jek samme jordh fik jek aff ffrw Magnildh medh alle the lvndum och lvttum som liggher eller leghet haffuer fraa
Background
The letter was written on the same day as the purchase of Gjerde (DN 8/427), where Ketil himself was a witness. It shows Magnhild gathering land around her seat at Finne. One sentence in the letter is unclear and appears to say that Ketil had received the land from Lady Magnhild. The editor has marked the passage as faulty, and it is uncertain what is meant. Probably Ketil had earlier received the land from her through an exchange or purchase, or it is a scribal error. The phrase «the first penny and the last» was a set formula meaning that the whole purchase price had been paid.
People: Magnhild Oddsdatter