The archbishop's bond of debt to fru Inger
DN 9/719 · 22 Oktbr. 1532 · Throndhjem
What the letter says
Archbishop Olav acknowledges in Trondheim on 22 October 1532 that he owes fru Inger Ottesdatter, widow of Nils Henriksson, 750 lodd of silver and 300 våger of fish. The silver is to be paid with 250 lodd at Easter 1533 and 500 lodd by Easter 1534. The fish is to be paid with 150 våger at the trading fair next summer and 150 våger at the fair the year after, in 1534. The cathedral chapter hangs its seals beside the archbishop's.
The letter in modern English
We Olav, by the grace of God Archbishop in Trondheim and legate of the papal see, acknowledge and make known to all with this our open letter that we are bound to the honourable and well-born lady fru Inger Ottesdatter, widow of Nils Henriksson, God gladden his soul, for 750 lodd of silver [a lodd is c. 15 grams] and 300 våger [a våg is c. 18 kg] of fish. This silver and this fish we bind ourselves or our successors as archbishops in Trondheim to pay and satisfy to the said fru Inger or her heirs in ready payment at the times that follow here. First we shall satisfy her with 250 lodd of silver now at the coming Easter, and the other 500 lodd of silver by the second Easter after that. Likewise we shall pay her 150 våger of the said sum in fish at the coming trading fair, and the other 150 våger we shall satisfy her with at the second trading fair after that, when the year is written 1534. For further certainty and better safekeeping of this we have asked our honourable and beloved chapter to hang their seals with ours below this our open letter, which is given and written in Trondheim on the Tuesday after the day of the 11,000 virgins [21 October] in the year after God's birth 1532. On the back: Letter for the silver and the fish that the archbishop owes me.
Original text
Wii Oluff mett gudz naade erchebiisp i Trondem och paffwelig sedis legatt kendnes och gøre vittherligt for alle mett thette vort obne breff att vij ære pliigtigæ erlig och welbørdig qwinne fru Jngegerd Ottisdotter her Nielss Henrichssens hues siell gud glediæ efftherliffwerske halffotthennde hwndrede lod sølff och tryhwndrede woger fysk huilke forne sølff och fysk wii beplichte oss eller waare efftherkommende erchebiisp(er) i Trondem forne frw Jngegerd eller hennis erffuinger tiill godhe reydhe
Background
The bond was part of the settlement between fru Inger and Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson in the autumn of 1532, after the archbishop had been forced to go over to King Frederik. The sum is lower than what Inger demanded in her list that same autumn, which suggests that the parties met halfway. 750 lodd of silver is roughly 11 kilos of silver, and 300 våger of fish is about 5 tonnes of stockfish, reckoning a våg at about 18 kilos. That the archbishop paid in fish shows how important stockfish was as a means of payment in Trøndelag and northern Norway. The kjøpstevne was the great trading gathering in summer, probably in Trondheim or Bergen, where the fish was sold. Inger herself wrote on the back that this was the letter for the silver and fish the archbishop owed her.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)