Telelag obtained permission to reprint this translation of the original article rom Hjartdal Historielag.  It provides a unique glimpse of life and society during the 1500s and the importance of a man's word and honor; also it shows that some of the old superstitions were still in use with the quotes from the Black Book. The dissatisfaction of the local population in regards to the Danish King's abrupt method of changing the religious faith by edict from Catholicism with the introduction of the Reformation, plus the rough handling of the native population by the German miners and the foreign governing authorities contributed to the revolt in 1540. It also explains one of the stereotype images created about the people of Telemark regarding manslaughter perpetuated by Priest Peder Clausen's book in 1632. A few definitions of words used in the article have been provided. Spelling variations of place names are due to spelling used at the time of authorship.

Definitions:

• Bonde is the singular form, bønder is the plural form: Many bønder families have owned their properties since ancient times. They were a class of people who from ancient times, together with the Nobility, the Clergy, and -- in later centuries - the wealthy city dwellers participated in the government of the nation. Even through the 400-year domination by Denmark, they remained free men. Their properties were called garder (gard in the singular form) and, in this translation, the term "estates" is used for that word since "farm" is not a proper translation. Words like "farmer" or "peasant" are also not proper translations of the word bonde.

• bodstikka - a stick sent from gard to gard to call people together for a ting or send an important message

• dalar - In 1550 it equaled 2 mark or 32 skilling
  

• fant is the singular form, fantar is the plural form - a tramp but used here as a derogatory term for the German miners
  

• fogd or fut - futar is plural - the bailiff and tax collector i.e. the King's representative within both the judicial system and the revenue service. He could have several parishes as his area of responsibility.
  

• fyrrøyra - fire tubes was the words the bønder used for guns at the time of the bonde revolt
  

• hovudsmann, hovudsmenn is the plural form - commander, chieftain or castellan at a fortress like Akershus
  

• Kongsbrev - a special license or permission granted by the king.
  

• len -- an administrative unit that was served by a lensmann.
  

• lensherre - the foremost representative of the king in the len
  

• lensmann -- were often the chosen from the richest and most informed bønder in the district. They served a dual function as the King's representative to the bønder population and the bønder representative to the King. At one time in the 1500s, the large, old lensmann districts were divided, so that there usually was a lensmann in each ting district. They were in essence the local law enforcement official. They had the responsibility to capture and imprison criminals, when soldiers were conscripted it was there responsibility to make sure the man appeared before the Skien draft board, land boundaries and logging disputes were also there responsibility. If the fut was unable to collect taxes, it was up to the lensmann to collect them. He was also responsible for making arrangements for the ting.
  

• lodd - a weight measurement that was 1/16 mark
  

• marks -- coins
  

• prestegjeld -- a parish that may contain more than one church (a sokn consists of only one church). The people within the boundaries of the prestegjeld paid for a parish priest's work.
  

• syssel - a governmental unit; sysselmann - District governor, royal official
  

• ting - the legislative and judicial assembly of free men

Darrel E. Johnson, Telelaget Genealogist

The Bonde Revolt in Hjartdal in 1540 

"Gunvor, fantar are coming below on the hill." Anne Sommundsdaughter ran into the house at the Annås mountain summer pasture in order to warn her sister. "They are probably not ordinary tramps," said Gunvor, "it is worse than that, they are the German miners who were here before and they say that they have kongebrev that gives them the right to do anything."

The King appointed Hans Glaser as his mining superintendent and sent him to Telemark in 1539 together with 100 miners from Saxony and all kinds of equipment that was needed. This should be distributed to several mines in Telemark. Gullnes was a copper mine where silver also existed. It was re-discovered in 1537 and operated at the expense of the King by German mining experts. Led by Ambrosius Zeuesler and Melchior Mardorff and it was said "that it was a rich silver mine". It is quite well-known that the Danes and the Germans did not behave gently at that time when they entered Norway, and we can imagine why these miners, who came at the request of the king and with his authorization, felt they had the permission to do whatever they wanted with the poor, naive bønder. Add to this the fact that the mine was located in a desolate, thinly populated area where it was difficult to obtain the necessities of life. The Germans were used to better things than what the Telemark bonde had, and they were therefore not satisfied with his everyday offerings. (Landstad)

The writer wanted to make the point that the planning did not include erecting buildings for those who were to work at the mine. There was probably a thought behind this that the Norwegian bønder were just as easy to subdue as the people on the continent. From this period, there were several condemnations of peasant revolts on the continent, but they were all put down without particular problems for the rulers. For several centuries, the bønder in Telemark had predominantly been independent owners of their estates and to a large degree lived their lives without any particular interference from the authorities; in one way, Upper Telemark had been a separate state. Kristian III and his men had certainly not taken this into account.

Hans Glaser had been on a tour in Telemark in 1538 and had evaluated the opportunities for the King. He made some suggestions, particularly regarding "Gengerd", that is, the right the King and his men had to housing, food and transportation when they traveled through the land. The writer wanted to emphasize that this right was to a considerable degree expanded to and applied to the King's miners in certain situations.

In addition, the transportation was considered: "In order to allow the traffic to proceed more easily along roads and across lakes and rivers, he proposed that the Dutch and the Germans ought to be able to acquire gards where the roads crossed. The bønder would get other gards in compensation. At the same time, the tax collectors were strongly admonished to see to it that the priests kept up their farms with good buildings, including, at all times, a good supply of fodder, food and drinks in the house and lodging for travelers at night, all of this at a reasonable price. He complained that it was almost impossible to get food and lodging when he and his men traveled through Telemark, and those who finally took them in, demanded unreasonable pay. He then proposed that a stamping mill and a flourmill be constructed by Skien. He would like a mint to be established near Skien because there was a shortage of coins in the country. Wille tells that in some coin collections there are marks with the year 1543 and the Norwegian lion on one side. He therefore believes that this mint press was constructed, and that those marks were minted from silver extracted from ore that came from Gullnes. Flatin, Seljord I

These are some of the proposals offered by Glaser:

7. None of the surrounding forest ought to be sold to foreigners, but rather set aside for use by the established smelting works.
8. That the locations at Glomsberg and the surrounding gards ought to be occupied by German people, and that the bønder who live there ought to be given other garder; otherwise they would not want to sell their own properties.
16. That all the bønder in the entire Telemark region must have a price established for cows, hogs, sheep, geese, chickens, and other such animals, which were not to be sold to tax collectors or to their servants as has happened previously, but to the miners who are willing buyers, because the former send such items out of the country. (Wille).

The writer wanted to comment that part of Glaser's suggestion was to build housing in Fyresdal but not in Seljord. Furthermore, it was not suggested that the bønder have a duty to work or provide transportation. This was not documented anywhere even though several documents mention that there were such duties.

It appears that there was a problem from the start because of the rough handling of these regulations. The responsibility remained with the lensmann in the Skien syssel or len, the Danish Admiral Peder Skram. He himself was never in Skien but received income from the len. He had fut Soverin Skrivar at Bratsberg as his administrator.
There is basis to believe that this fut did not have a good reputation among the mine superintendents. Glaser reported in a letter to the King dated the 26th of July in 1539 that the futar in Norway were not strict enough with the bønder. He contended that they had to make certain that the bønder treated the mine superintendents in a better fashion. Glaser was not satisfied either with the power the futar had to take care of the roads and of overnight housing for the travelers. - (Telnes)

It is interesting to examine the role that the futar actually had in the Norwegian society. Many of them were hated by the bønder. Many revolts against the futar have been incorrectly interpreted. They may have been revolts against private persons, who misused their positions, while they were interpreted as revolts against the King's power. The fut was supposed to -- as the middleman between the lensherre and the common people -- watch over the government's laws of all kinds but he was also supposed to guard private ownership and protect the bønder from acts of tyranny. From Glaser's "Recommendations", it is indicated that he did not have confidence in the futar. The futar evidently did not see any profit for themselves in the mining operations. This is probably an explanation for the fact that futar were not particularly helpful in dealing with the Germans.

On the next Sunday, Svein Ækre was with his wife at the Annås summer dairy pasture. He soon realized that something was wrong. Gunvor was not particularly willing to talk about what had happened but Svein did not give up trying to entice her to tell him. After a while, they had the opportunity to be alone.

"How can it be as you said out their, Gunvor? That those damm Germans took your food, is one thing, but are you afraid that they will come back and harm you?" "They have already done it, Svein, two times." "That explains a great deal! Then I must insist that my honor as a man has been violated by what you have done with other men". "Believe me, Svein, it happened because the men overpowered me. I was so afraid, afraid that you would not believe me, that I did not tell you about it immediately."

Svein had problems being convinced. He had heard many times from the Priest about one part of the nature of a woman, the woman as an offspring of the snake in the Garden of Eden. Nevertheless, his anger toward the German fantar made him embrace Gunvor. His male honor was at the same time violated and it was a German who would now pay with his life! He thought about how important it was that the word should not get out about Svein Ækre that he was weak and could not protect his household. For Svein it was necessary to be as firm as his forefathers at Ækre had been. He thought about Tov Niridson who one day stood alongside the open hearth and hung up his pants to dry. His neighbor Tolv Eilivsson was also in the house and he happened to step on Tov's foot. "You trod on me and I have a sore foot," Tolv snarled and then one word after another was uttered until Tov took a wooden club and struck Tolv in the skull. It turned out to be his death. Tov announced his marriage -- at the same time that the killing was done -- to Egil Manndal who was also present. Tov said, "God have mercy on me! I have been damaged by striking Tolv Eilivsson to death. I beg you for God's sake to announce this." And Egil proclaimed it for all of the people at the celebration of the announcement of the marriage at Hagbardskvammen the same evening. Tov was condemned to pay a fine for the killing and the fine according to the agreement with Tolv's family; it was rather large because he had used such a degrading weapon as the wooden club.

If he could now only find the German, then he would use the knife. Nevertheless he was in doubt. He would use the knife to defend himself or to kill an equal. But was the German fant his equal? His thoughts went back and forth to both ideas. The most important factor was now to revenge the rape of Gunvor. That was his duty. Svein progressed to Gullnes but then retreated. He had heard that there could be 80 Germans there so he wanted to gather more bønder first.

Power Organization with Many Killings

The author wanted to include something about killing in the Late Middle Ages. In the period from 1300 to 1550, 0.5 killings per every 100,000 inhabitants per year are documented in Norway. Those killings that are documented are only a small number but on the basis of foreign research we can set the real loss nearer 15 killings per year. Comparably in Norway during the period between 1961 to 1965, there were 0.15 killings per 100,000 inhabitants per year. This has, however, increased during the years up to our time.

At a Sunday mass in February, Gudmund Uppsund from Kviteseid, Guttorm Bratli from Mo, Sveinung Skårnes from Sauland and Svein Ækre from Manndal met. Although there were many bønder from Seljord who were at Brunkeberg, nevertheless it was long after the mass was finished that they could gather. They had all experienced or often heard how the Germans comported themselves and when Svein Ækre could tell about what had occurred with the women in his family, the fighting spirit was kindled. The people of Seljord had experienced the duty to deliver food to the Saturday market and now there was no grain left for bread in the district. It had developed so far that the district was called "Breadless". The others were particularly filled with hate for the King's men who now wanted to take from them the old secure Christian faith and the freedom they had developed. They were also accused of the revolt by the lensherre when they now refused to pay what they had as debt in the form of fees and rent to the Bishop. They would not, of course, pay them since they no longer had any Bishop!

Gudmund Uppsund had for a while had sått og rådslått (position and consultative powers) among the bønder from Seljord, Lårdal, Hjartdal and Tinn. He now turned to Svein, "Listen you man from Manndøl! The German has violated your family; we will fight for your rights. All we who are gathered here will meet again before Mattismess and go against the Germans."

On the 23rd of February they gathered from all of these districts and from Vesterlen also. There were bønder from Fyresdal, Nissedal, Kviteseid and Mo. Gudmund Uppsund wanted to have the strength of 7 men and took a bit of the herb Montara and tied it under his right arm. Since the Germans had, of course, such dangerous weapons, Guttorm Bratli had provided himself with the herb Panserrot or Herbeam Victoria so that then no weapon could injure him. Sveinung Skårnes had a copy of "The Black Book" and from this he learned how the arrows would not injure him. In his own fashion, he wrote these words on parchment and carried them with him:

Araba. Omet.
Arliful Cularuom et Aruoru,
Prole
Kablamat y all canus

The hovudsmenn summoned the bønder to the ting and from the report to Claus Bilde we know about the condemnation of the bønder: In accordance with the King's order we have negotiated regarding the articles in this manner. On the first Monday after St. Jacob's Day (June 26) we negotiated in the legislative session with the general public in the Western District of Telemark. There was not a single attorney in the district except one who was absent. There was no negligence or skulking except for some who were to pay their fines to Your Grace in such a manner that each one would give a cow, a sheep, a pound of butter, and would work four days in the mine whenever the mining superintendent would call them. The following Tuesday we negotiated with the bønder in the parishes closest to Skien who had not been part of this rebellion so that they could be of assistance to Your Grace regarding the mine. Each man was to haul one load to the mine this year, and one load every year at a time when the road conditions are at their best. (Torjusson)

This report also tells about the ting at Hjartdal but we will wait a little with that. The King still kept the military powers ready in Telemark in case the bønder attacked with weapons. The King's army was led by a German or a Dutchman whose name was Hans van Dresyel. In Hjartdal there were at first only those two hovudsmenn with some men with them to make preparations for the ting against the perpetrators of the revolt in the spring. But when they heard rumors that a bønde army was on the way, they sent a request for more of the King's military men. They were afraid that the band of bønder had grown large and realized that it would soon be futile to go against the bønder.

(A poem in the old Norse style.)
The man from Manndøl seemed to have strength and courage,
But from Seljord they came and lastly those from Saudland to the meeting;
The man from Venje did not want to be the weakest one.
The Lardøl people were tough on the field,
But the man from Fyresdøl went first in the battle line,
And the man from Ordøl did not arrive alone in the Annbjønn Valley.
(Landstad)

There was disagreement in the bonde army. Many talked about the awful fyrrøyra -- with them the King's men could steal the lives of people even if they stood far on the other side of Svorte. Most of them were afraid and wanted to agree to lay down their weapons. Not all thought they could trust the King's men, but Sveinung stood up and reminded them that a man was a man and a word was a word. Thereafter he went down to the King's men and accepted the offer. He was informed that they should come to the ting at the Hjartdal Priest's estate without their weapons. Without a leader the bønder now headed for the Hjartdal Priest's estate. They did not, however, want to lay down their weapons before they had arrived at their destination.

We common people who live and work in Seljord, Lardal, Vinje Parish, Hjartdal and Tinn Valley parishes make known to all that in the year 1540 after the birth of Our Lord on Tuesday after St. Olaf's Day, we were summoned to a session in Hjartdal by honorable and well-born man and the stern Knight Claus Bilde, hovudsmann at Båhus, and honorable and well-born man Peder Hansen, hovudsmann at Akershus, in accordance with an empowered and fully authorized order, and on behalf of our Royal Majesty and most Gracious Lord, young Christian King Frederiksen in order to hear and take part in a discussion between the mining authorities and us regarding the rebellion and disturbances between us and to call to account those responsible and mete out punishment in an appropriate manner. So, we poor men admit that we were misled by evil leaders, and that we branded those same mining authorities as evil, and for this great remissness and flaw, we have had the need and we crave, for God's sake, that His Royal Majesty, our dearest, most gracious Lord, may in his gentleness and grace admit us into his good will and grace and not punish us as hard as it would appear justified in view of our guilt and our flaws. We all, every single one of us, commit ourselves on our honor, life, and the loss of inherited rights, from this day on, never to take part in such a rebellion or in other such improper acts against His Grace or against any of the subjects of His Grace, miner or others. Anyone who breaks this pledge, shall have forfeited his cattle and his right to safety, his land and his personal property, and he will never be allowed to buy his way out of this. And we shall all be duty bound to assist in capturing such men so that they may be placed in His Majesty, the King's chains. Those who break our pledge as outlined in our letter are to be called to account in accordance with this same pledge. Also, as the honorable and well-born men, Mr. Claus Bilde and Peder Hansen have hinted at our great shortcoming, the fact that we are supposed to be unwilling to tolerate tax collectors, judges, and lensmenn in our community as in other places in Norway, those people who help us do the right thing, and in other ways teach us and educate us for our own benefit. From now on, we are going to be bound in every way and manner to what is written, that the above shall no longer be found among us, but instead, we shall advance and promote this to the best of our ability and show obedience and compliance towards them. And in addition, in case they want to capture or arrest someone for his misdeeds, then we are going to assist them and in no way work against them. In the same manner, we are going to give our pastors and priests all their due as we ought to. Similarly, we will keep our roads and bridges in good repair in accordance with instructions from Norwegian laws. Neither are we going to shelter or provide housing for anyone who has been outlawed, coming here from another township or county, but inform the tax collectors and lensmenn about where they are, so that they can determine if he is a man we ought not to risk money or property on by housing or hiding him in accordance with the law. And from this day on, no one who is unwilling shall be found among us, but they will have to obey the laws.

This was a great betrayal and a great defeat for the people of Telemark. Halvdan Koht contends that they were not more submissive for all that. On the contrary, the memory remained and tormented them and incited them to revenge. When later the mine failed, they felt that it was certain that this was punishment for the King's men because they had attacked the bønder. Even up to our day they contended that after such an occurrence it was not possible to trust the authorities. The memory of the struggle about the mining remained in Telemark. Among other results, when a man in Telemark found a vein of silver or a vein of any kind of metal, he covered the area and did not mention it to anyone. They did not want any more mines. Eventually, he built a house on the top of it. Perhaps he did that so that he could have it for himself since it was a silver vein.

One theory about the contributing reason for the revolt is that the people of Telemark wanted to have the silver from the Gullnes mine for themselves. They had been silver smiths since the 1500s. It seems that the miners were peaceful for a while and many new German miners arrived. But early in the 1550s the King was forced to give up the copper mine. The miners were supposed to receive a wage in money and there were great deficits since there was so little metal. The people contended that there were dwarfs and troll who took the silver veins.

ABOUT THE BONDE REVOLT IN AMBJØRNDALEN IN 1540, A Resume by Bjørn Rugaas

In 1990, it is 450 years since there was a confrontation between the governmental powers -- the King in Copenhagen, the miners at Sundsbarm and other representatives of the "authorities" -- and the bønder in Telemark. It was particularly the bonde class in the present day communities of Hjartdal, Seljord, Tokke, Kviteseid, Tinn and Vinje who protested -- among other reasons -- against the fact that the German miners made themselves at home among the people in the districts. At this time, the Reformation was introduced by the Protestant Danish King. This brought with it changes that were not approved by the Norwegian people. One result of the Norwegian dissatisfaction was, among other things, a tax strike. According to the reports, the bønder of Telemark refused to pay taxes to a bishop whom they no longer had. After several years of the constant opposition between the people and the government, the King in 1540 sent a military force against the Telemark bønder. In Ambjørndalen the army section was met with combative bønder but it did not result in battles. Instead, the representatives of the bønder were captured when they were to negotiate with the military division.

The result of this was that the bønder lay down their weapons, probably at Bågålia in Hjartdal right next to the church. The representatives of the bønder were arraigned before the court and were condemned to lose their lives by hanging. There were six men who received this verdict and the last person escaped paying with his life but was forced to be the executioner instead. The legal case occurred at the estate of the Hjartdal Priest, the main building is now located at Nutheim. The court was at Bråråker, right at the churchyard in Hjartdal. The idea for a monument to memorialize the bonde revolt has developed in later times. At the end of the 1930s, there was a committee at work to raise a monument. It progressed so far that Dyre Vaa had made a design. The price would be 650 kroner plus transport. Because of the outbreak of the war, no more progress occurred. Kristian Håtveit was the clerk for the committee at that time. The idea was taken up again by several people now that the time of the 450-year anniversary was arriving. The initiative in the first place was attributed to Anne Haugen Wagn on the basis of newspaper articles she wrote about the subject. In cooperation with the community, it is Olav Tho, the present day mayor, who took the initiative in 1986. It is the Hjartdal culture committee, which has had the practical work of raising this monument, but it has received the good help of the Hjartdal Museum Society, the Hjartdal Bonde Society and private persons within and outside the district. The Hjartdal culture committee thanks all for the cooperation in connection with the monument about the Bonde Revolt.

Hjartdal 15/8/1990 --- Bjørn Rugaas

About the Artist

Kari Buen was born at Jondalen in Buskerud and resides in Tuddal in the Hjartdal community. Kari is a sculptress. She prefers working with stone and bronze. Her training in the field is from the Art School in Trondheim, the National Art Academy and from the Folk Art Curriculum at the Rauland Academy. In addition, Kari Buen has attended class as an auditor at the Telemark Teachers College in the Crafts Division. Her debut was at the National Autumn Exhibition in 1960. She has participated in collective exhibitions in several places in Norway and has had several private exhibitions. She has also had joint exhibitions in cooperation with the textile artist, Solveig Stokkenes. Some of her well known works are as follows: the art relief in the church park in Notodden, the relief of the Groven brothers at Eidsborg, the relief for the Ole Bull Academy at Voss, the Fykerud statue, the Heddal girl, the Anne Bamble statue, and others. She has created various prizes and rewards in stone and has completed many private portrait assignments. The monument for Hæge and Eivind Tveiten in Tokke is in process and will be unveiled in 1991 at the Lårdal District Museum at Eidsborg. The work with the monument to the Bonde Revolt in Ambjørndalen is an assignment from the Hjartdal community.

About the Location of the Monument

The choice of the parking area at the Hjartdal church as the location of the monument was made after considering several alternatives. The Hjartdal community wishes to make arrangements for the tourists at the monument, which is in the area around the Hjartdal church. Gullik Gjerjordet from Hjartdal is the man who has responsibility for the base of the monument. He is well known through his many years' work as a mason, among other work for his fine masonry at the Lårdal District Museum in Eidsborg and for a number of fireplaces in houses and cabins. The stones in the base are in themselves like a monument since they were brought from the upper part of Hjartdøla.