Christian II wants fru Inger's estate seized
DN 9/699 · 27 April 1532 · Oslo
What the letter says
King Christian II writes from Oslo on 27 April 1532 to Archbishop Olav. He has heard that fru Inger was with the archbishop in Easter week but would not go over to the king and spoke scornfully of him. If that is true, the archbishop is to seize all her landed property for the crown and all her movable goods, silver, gold and money, and send them to the king. The same applies to the landed property Vincens Lunge and Nils Lykke received with their wives in the northern lands. Fru Inger and Nils Lykke's wife are to be summoned to a fortified place, and in an enclosure the king allows the archbishop's servants to share the booty they have taken from the king's enemies.
The letter in modern English
Christian, by the grace of God King of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Wends and the Goths, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and Dithmarschen and so on [Latin]. With reverence first and with our sincere favour [Latin]. Dear lord and father, know that we have heard that fru Inger was with you in Easter week and would not go over to you on our behalf, we who are her rightful lord and king, but let her words fall scornfully against us. If that is true, we ask you to seize all her landed property for the crown on our behalf, and all her other movable goods, silver, gold and money, and send them to us here at the very first opportunity. Likewise you are to seize all the landed property that Vincens and Nils Lykke have received with their wives in the northern lands, and all their other movable goods, silver, gold and money, that you can lay hands on, and send it to us here as soon as possible. And summon fru Inger and Nils Lykke's wife to a fortified place, wherever you think it best and safest to be, until you receive other letters and writings from us about it. In this you will do us a special favour, and we will repay you lovingly. Farewell in Christ. From Oslo, 27 April in the year 1532, under our signet [Latin].
Original text
Christiernus dei gracia Dac[ie Suecie Noruegie Sclauorum G]ottorumque rex dux Slesuicensis et [Holsatie Stormarie ac Dytm]ertie etc.Premissa reuerentia cum nostro sincero fauore. Kere herre oc fader [vider] ath wj haffue spurth ath ffrw Jngerd vor hoss eder i paaske vge och ville icke gonge eder till hande paa vore vegne som er hendiss rette herre oc konge men lod sine ord honlige falle mod oss.
Background
At this time Christian II lay near Oslo besieging Akershus, and he needed money and loyal men. Fru Inger was the richest landowner in Trøndelag, with Austrått, large landholdings and at this time Giske as well, and she sided with King Frederik. The property Lunge and Lykke had received with their wives was Inger's daughters' inheritance from Nils Henriksson. To summon them to a fortified place means to demand that they surrender and be held at a castle, probably Steinvikholm. The letter shows how close fru Inger came to losing everything, and the note on the back, «about fru Inger's, Vincens Lunge's and Nils Lykke's money», suggests that the money mattered most to the king.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)