https://ndla.no/subjects/subject:9/topic:1:182163/topic:1:154342/resource:1:137726
Above: Queen Margrete I, artist unknown.
(photo of letter courtesy of Arkivverket)
Above: Queen Margrete I, artist unknown.
(photo of letter courtesy of Arkivverket)
Margrete I (born March 15, 1353, died October 28, 1412) was the queen who founded the Kalmar Union of the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, spanning Scandinavia for over a century. Margrete was known as a wise, energetic and capable leader who governed with "farsighted tact and caution", earning the nickname "Semiramis of the North". She was derisively called "King Breechless", one of several derogatory nicknames given her by her rival, Albert of Mecklenburg; but she was also affectionately called "the Lady King" by her subjects, and this nickname became widely used for her in recognition of her capabilities.
The youngest daughter of King Valdemar IV of Denmark, Margrete was born at Søborg Castle. She was a practical, patient administrator and diplomat, albeit one with high ambitions and a stubborn streak, who intended to rule Scandinavia forever and combine its three kingdoms into a superpower with enough strength to resist and compete against the might of the Hanseatic League. With her husband, King Haakon VI of Norway, Margrete had a son, King Olaf II of Denmark, whom she outlived. She was ultimately succeeded by her grandnephew, Eric of Pomerania. Although he came of age in 1401, Margrete continued, for the next and final eleven years of her life, to be the sole ruler in all but name. Her regency marked the beginning of a Dano-Norwegian union which would last for over four centuries.
Some Norwegian and Swedish historians have criticised Margrete for favouring Denmark and being too autocratic, although she is generally thought to have been highly regarded in Norway and respected in Denmark and Sweden. She was portrayed negatively in the religious chronicles of her day, as she had no qualms about suppressing the Church to promote royal power. In Denmark, Margrete is known as Margrethe I so as to differentiate her from the current queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, who chose to be known as such in recognition of her predecessor.
A pregnant, 17 year old Margrete wrote this letter to her husband from Akershus on October 18, 1370, informing him that she and her servants are running low on food and drink.
The letter:
Jdhir min aldrakærasta herra, helsar jak Margareta jnnerligha med gudh, kungør iak ider at jak ma væll gud late mik thet sama till ider spøria, vita skulin j thet min kære herra, at jak ok mine thiænara liidhum stora nøødh, vm mat oc dryk, swa at hwargæ iak ælla the fangom vara nøødthorfft. Oc thy bider iak ider min kære herra, at j finnin ther nokra vægha till at thet moge bættras, at the som med mik æra, ey skulu skylias vider mek fore hungers skuld ok bider iak ider at j scriuin till Væstfall at han mik moghe borgha thet sem iak kan honom tilsigia oc viderthorua, oc sighin honom at j vilin honom væll bytala thet sem han mik borghar. Oc vilin j honom tilscriua her vm, tha scriuin oc mik et breff j hwat mato sem j til hans scriuin framlædhis bider iak ider at j gyrin Hans myntara j swa mato til godo at han moghe bliua j idre thiænnist oc ey fra ider skylias thy at iak hawer thet understandit aff honom at han ær ider gerna till vilia thiænist, oc vardhen j ower eino med honom tha skipin swa med honom at han moghe mik borgha vm her konno skip koma, oc scriuin mik her vm æn swar. Jtem kungør iak ider min kære herra at jak fik Bartholomeus gulsmyds breff i swa mato at han badh mik gøra sina wrskuld fore ider vm thet han ey kom till ider swa som j honom scriuin fore then skuld at haffde han fart till idhar tha haffde skipit sighilt fra honom med thet goodz sem han skulde bytala j Flander, oc baad mik sigia ider at han hawer thænct med guds hiælp j geen koma fore vintrin oc hwat som han þa hawer ført ther sculin j vara biudande ower vm swa mykit ider byhaghar oc thy gørin væll fore gudz sculd oc mina bøn skuld oc varin honom ey obliidhe, oc ey Gota Eriksson fore at han ey gat før epter ider komit fore then skuld at han konde ey før rædho vardha gudh vare med ider min kære herra. Scriptum Akershws. die beati Luce evangeliste. ...
The letter with slightly more modern language (Danish) and spelling but the same archaic syntax:
Eder min allerkjæreste herre, hilser jeg Margareta inderlig med Gud. Kundgjør jeg Eder at jeg lever vel; Gud lade mig det samme fra Eder spørge. Vide skal I det, min kjære herre, at jeg og mine tjenere lider stor nød paa mad og drikke, saa at hverken jeg eller de faar vor nødtørft. Og derfor beder jeg Eder, min kjære herre, at I finder nogen udvei til at det kan bedres, saa at de, som er med mig, ei skal skilles fra mig for hungers skyld; og beder jeg Eder, at I skriver til Vestfal, at han skal laane mig det som jeg maatte bede om og trænge til. Og sig til ham, at I vil betale ham det som han laaner mig. Og vil I skrive til ham herom, da skriv ogsaa et brev til mig om, paa hvilken maade I skriver til ham. Fremdeles beder jeg Eder, at I gjør hans myntmester saaledes til lags, at han kan blive i Eders tjeneste og ei skilles fra Eder; thi jeg har forstaaet paa ham, at han gjerne vil blive i Eders tjeneste. Og kommer I overens med ham, da ordne det saa med ham, at han skal laane mig, hvis her kan komme skibe; og skriver mig herom et svar. Ligeledes kundgjør jeg Eder, min kjære herre, at jeg har faaet brev fra Bartholomæus guldsmed, i hvilket han bad mig gjøre undskyldning for Eder, fordi han ei kom til Eder, saaledes som I skrev til ham, af den grund, at havde han faret til Eder, da havde skibet seilet fra ham med det gods, som han skulde betale i Flandern, og bad mig sige Eder, at han har tænkt med Guds hjælp at komme hjem for vinteren, og hvad han da har ført med, skal I byde over saa meget I behager. Gjør derfor vel for Guds og min bøns skyld, og vær ikke vred paa ham. Og heller ikke paa Gaute Erikssøn, fordi at han ikke før kunde komme etter Eder, af den grund at han ikke kunde blive færdig før. Gud være med Eder, min kjære herre. Skrevet paa Akershus paa den hellige evangelist Lucas's dag.
English translation (from the above Danish translation):
My dearest lord, I, Margrete, earnestly greet you with God's blessing. I declare to you that I am doing well; God let me ask the same of you. You must know, my dear lord, that I and my servants are in great need of food and drink, so that neither I nor they will have our necessities. And therefore I beseech you, my dear lord, that you find a way that it may be improved, that they who are with me may not be separated from me for the sake of hunger; and I beg you to write to Vestfal that he should lend me what I had to ask for and need. And tell him that you will pay him what he lends me. And if you want to write to him about this, then also write me a letter about how you write to him. I still ask you to make him mintmaster so that he can remain in your service and not be separated from you, for I have understood from him that he would like to remain in your service. And if you agree with him, then arrange with him so that he will lend me, if ships can come here; and write me a reply about it. I also announce to you, my dear lord, that I have received a letter from the goldsmith of Bartholomew, in which he asked me to apologise to you because he did not come to you, as you wrote to him, for the reason that he had gone to you, then the ship had sailed away from him with the goods which he was supposed to pay in Flanders, and he asked me to tell you that he intends, with God's help, to come home before winter, and what he will have then brought, you must offer over as much as you please. Therefore, do good for the sake of God and my prayer, and do not be angry with him, nor with Gaute Eriksson, because he could not come to you before, for the reason that he could not finish before. God be with you, my dear lord. Written in Akershus on the day of the Holy Evangelist Luke.
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