Knut Alvsson reports on the fighting at Älvsborg in 1502
DN 8/461 · 24 July 1502 · Lene
What the letter says
On 24 July 1502 the knight Knut Alvsson writes from Lene to Svante Nilsson Sture, marshal of the realm of Sweden. He tells how the young King Christian besieged Älvsborg, how the castle bailiff surrendered the castle, and how the common people in their rage struck dead Erik Eriksson (Gyldenstjerne) while he was in Knut's custody. Knut's men attacked the enemy, the king burned the castle and went to Bohus, and Henrik Krummedige was beaten back at Akershus.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
Brotherly greeting now and always lovingly sent with Our Lord. Dear brother Sir Svante, especially good friend, you shall know that on the Thursday before St Margaret's Mass, towards evening, the young king came marching up before Älvsborg with a great and mighty host of men, riders, landsknechts, Scottish mercenaries and Danish courtiers, and laid siege to the castle. The Sunday after, the castle bailiff went out with two others and offered to let them take over the castle the next morning, and that he did. Eighty fellows at once gave the king their hand, and sixty negotiated to be allowed to leave with what they had. In the night before Tuesday we received word in the camp at Lerum, two Swedish miles from Älvsborg, where we lay, that this had happened. Then the common people grew so grim and angry with Sir Erik Eriksson that they struck him dead while he was in our custody, and it came very close to going badly for several of us too. They committed a pitiful murder on him. At the same time we set off against the enemy before the castle. There we met [illegible] men, right before our eyes, well equipped with weapons. We then struck dead well over ij [the number is unclear in the original] of them, according to what those who saw it for certain said, those who lay in the forest on the hill and before the gates, so that they were laid in the churchyard before the castle [uncertain interpretation]. We lost some farmers there and some of our men, and the horses were shot. Had all the common people come forward, we would with God's help have struck dead every man, taken every ship from him and won great honour and renown,
Original text (excerpt)
Broderlig helse nw oc altiid kerlig forsend met wor herre. Moge (i) wide kare broder her Svante besynderlig gode wen at torsdagen nest fore sancte Margare[te] dag med afftens tiid kom then vnge kung dragendes fore Æluensborg met eet stort megtuch tall folk ritthers landsknegte Skotter sollenære oc Dansche hoffmen oc belagde slottet. Swnnedagen ther nest gich slots ffogeden aff selff trediæ bebreffuede them slottet at anname thet om morgenen so[m hanl oc giorde. Oc lxxx karle ragte strax kungen h
Background
Knut Alvsson of Tre Rosor, son of Alv Knutsson and owner of the Giske estate, had in 1501 risen in rebellion against King Hans together with Swedish magnates such as Svante Nilsson Sture. The young king in the letter is Prince Christian, later Christian II, who was waging his father's war. The letter is a private letter between allies and gives a rare first-hand picture of the war along the border, with mercenaries from Scotland and Germany, burned castles and dead riders along the road. Knut sees the war as a reckoning for the harm the king has done to Norway and Sweden. Less than a month later, on 18 August 1502, he was killed under safe conduct by Henrik Krummedige's men near Oslo, and afterwards declared an outlaw.
People: Knut Alvsson