Fru Inger gives up the falcon sites at Grande and Uthof
DN 9/724 · 23 Oktbr. 1532 · Throndhjem
Fru Inger of Austrått held Giske in these years. The letter is part of her settlement with Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson and shows that she also ran the Ørland estate as a business in which hunting rights had a price.
What the letter says
Fru Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått announces in Trondheim on 23 October 1532 that Archbishop Olav has given her and her children Grande and other farms on Ørland as compensation for the harm she has suffered, but has kept back the falcon-catching site at Grande. That site cannot well be used without her own falcon site on the farm Uthof, for which Archbishop Erik Valkendorf earlier paid her husband Nils Henriksson 4 Rhenish gulden in gold a year. On the advice of her sons-in-law and children she now gives the archbishop's see the four gulden of rent and all rights in the falcon sites at Grande and Uthof to own for ever, while everything else belonging to the farms stays unchanged. She acknowledges that she has received full compensation.
The letter in modern English
I, Inger Ottesdatter of Austrått, widow of the honourable, well-born man and stern knight Nils Henriksson, formerly steward of the realm of Norway, God have his soul, acknowledge and make known with this my open letter the following: Twice until now much strife, discord, ill will and enmity has arisen and happened between the most worthy father in God and lord, lord Olav, by the grace of God Archbishop in Trondheim and legate of the papal see, and His Grace's servants, and me and my servants, to great vexation, harm and ruin for me and my children and so on. Even so this ill will and enmity between His Grace and me has been set right, settled and turned into good will and friendship by my two dear sons and sons-in-law Vincens Lunge and Nils Lykke. His Grace has in a Christian and honourable way made amends and conducted himself towards me and my children with Christian and sufficient amends, redress and settlement for all my harm, vexation, cost, expense and ruin, and has graciously granted and given me and my children to own for ever Grande together with other farms and property of His Grace and of Nidaros cathedral lying on Ørland, as the letter His Grace has given me for it states and explains further. The said lord archbishop has, however, reserved for himself the right in Grande which is the falkeleie [falcon-catching site].
Original text
Jegh Jngerdtt Ottis dotther tiill Østrott erlig velbyrdigh mandtz och strenge ridders her Niells Henrichssons fordom Norigis riigis hoffmesther hwes siell gud haffue effttherleffuerske kendis oc giør vittherligtt mett thette mytt obne breff atth efftther som ther nw twenne gange imellom verdigiste i gud fader och herre her Oluff mett gudtz naade erchebiscop i Trwndhem och paweligh sedis legate hans naadis tienere och meg och mynne tienere meghenn twest twedracth vwillge oc fyendskaff hertiill
Background
Hunting falcons from Norway and Iceland were among the most sought-after gifts at European princely courts, and the archbishops of Nidaros used falcons in their diplomacy. A falcon-catching site could therefore be valuable, and Archbishop Erik Valkendorf, who held the see from 1510 to 1522, had paid a fixed yearly fee to use the falcon site at Uthof. The letter suggests that the catch was worth most when the two sites at Grande and Uthof were used together. Here fru Inger traded away a running income in gold against the compensation she received in land, and the letter is part of the settlement with Archbishop Olav Engelbrektsson on the same day. It shows how the estate on Ørland was a business where land, tithe and catching rights all had a price.
People: Ingerd Ottesdatter (fru Inger)