King Magni letteer of command given to Powell Knutsson at Anarm to sail to Greenland.
Magnus, by the Grace of God, King of Norway, Sweden, and Skone, sends to all men who see or hear this letter good health and happiness in God.
We desire to make known to you that you are to take all the men who shall go in the knorr whether thy be named or not named, from my bodyguard or other men's attendants or of other men whom you may induce to go withy your, and that Powell Knutsson, whi is to be commandant on the knorr, shall have full authority to name the men whom he thinks are best, both as officers and men. We ask that you accept this our command with a right good will for the cause, as we do it for the honor of God and for the sake of our soul and our predecessors, who have intorduced Christianity in Greenland and maintained it to this day, and we will not let it perish in our days. Let it be known that whoever breaks this our command shall feel our displeasure and pay us in full for the offense.
Executed in Bergen on the Monday after Simoni and Judae Day in the 36th year of our rule Herr Ormer Ostinsson, our Lord High Constable, set the seal.
Translation by William Thalbitzer "Two Runic Stones From Greenland and Minnesota", Smithsonian Institution, publication 4021, Aug 30, 1951.
The date given in the order was Oct. 28, 1354.
Get your own Free Home Page