Source: Hans Brask, Bishop of Linköping (1513-38), Calendarium Oeconomicum (1513-27?), extract edited by Martin Skjoldebrand, with English translation (1995-9?), from an edition of the original manuscript published by Per Kylander in “Calendarium oeconomicum avskrivet ur en gammal på Linköpings bibliotek förvarad hushållsbok (fr. 1513–27) efter biskop Brask,” Linköpings bibliotheks handlingar, I (1793), 263-74. See also Hans Hildebrand, ed., “Matordningen i biskop Hans Brasks hus,” Konglike Vitterhets Historie och Antiqvitets Akademiens Måanadsblad, 157 (1885), pp. 1-21, and 159 (1885), pp. 141-2.
Taken verbatim, 12 December 2008, from the “View source” page at http://www.theoldecookerybook.com/~theopden/wiki/index.php?title=Calendarium_Oeconomicum&action=edit
The ”’Calendarium Oeconomicum”’ is part of a handwritten manuscript (Registrum Ecclesiae Cathedr Lincopiensis) written by the secretary of the bishop of Link?ping Hans Brask (1464-1538). Brask is famous (or infamous) in Swedish history for his role in the events leading to the Stockholm blood bath (particularly his note in his seal of approval of deserting archbishop Trolle), his dealings with the Danish King Christian II and his relation to the Swedish King Gustav I (Wasa).
The Calendarium describes what the servants had to do during the year at the household of Bishop Brask. It lists all seasonal duties, including how to run the farms, what and where to buy stock etc. There are also some menus for seasonal use.This transcription is based on a 18th century version of the Calendarium which was published in Linköpings bibliotheks handlingar, volume I in 1793.
I have tried to translate the medieval Swedish into modern English. Some of the terms used in the manuscript are unknown to me however, and I am not very experienced at translating. Any ? or … in the English translation means that I am either unsure of what the Swedish text means or that the term is unknown to me. Text within square brackets are inclusions by me or were included in a transcript by Hans Hildebrand from 1885.
You are all very welcome to mail suggetions on the translation, or add them once you have an account on the wiki.
== Calendarium Oeconomicum ==
Copied from Bishop Brask’s housekeeping book, which is kept at the Linköping library. It contains directions for the farmhands as well as menus and directions for other household duties, and is carefully copied by the Rev Per Kylander.
=== Januarius ===
==== Menu ====
* Koköth (Beef)
* Gris stek (Roast pork)
* Rastödil hvar sönnadag (roedeer, every Sunday) eller hara (or hare)
==== Duties ====
* Laat fårsla aff Suderköping fisk, salt & c med före är.
* (Arrange transportation of fish, salt etc from Söderköping, if weather permits.)
=== Februarius ===
==== Duties ====
*Item f?rwara tith S?dekorn ath thet ey m?glis ?ller brenner.
*(Item: Keep your seed so that it does not go mouldy or ?).
*Kööp i Wastena haffragryn oc örter til halffva aareth. Olia oc salt fisk naar köp är til Sommaren. Item Skansk sill. (In Vadstena, buy oats and peas for half the year. (Buy) oil and salted fish for the summer if available. *Item: Scanian herring.)
*Köp Skanska sill om swa görs behof. (Buy Scanian herring if there is need).
=== Martius ===
==== Duties ====
*Laath blanda miöd brygge oc backa thet lenge skal wara. (Brew the mead and store it for long keeping.)
*Laat gella thina grise oc merkia thin swiin för än the köras a markena oc scriiff a veggena huru mang the ära. (Count and mark your pigs and hogs before taking them to market and write on the wall how many they are.)
*Item acta thin hemswiin gödas scola om Sommaren. (Item: Make sure that your hogs are fattened for the summer.)
*Item acta til Varfiske med liuuster mieärde oc nääth at ey försymes fiskelieken. (Item: Arrange spring fishing with fish-spear and net so that you do not miss the spawning.)
=== Aprilis 30 ===
==== Menu ====
*Steek från Paska til Pingesdaga hvar Sönnedag Rastödil, Kok?th först eller salt-grönt Grise- eller Höns eller fogla Järpa Orrhöna eller Fiäderhane. (From Easter to Whitsunday every Sunday Roedeer, cows meat fresh or lightly salted ham or hen or bird (Hazel-hen, Black grouse or Capercaillie)
=== Maijus 31 ===
==== Duties ====
*Köp jerpar oc andra vilfogla til pepersylta, laat goma fiädren (Buy Hazel-hens or other fowl for pepper brawn, …)
*tilskikkes then ther saltad sommarströmming i bravikene I läst eller II, oc annar til aal, rekkiana som ther saltas och actas tunnor oc salteti tiidh. (Arrange to recieve salted summer herring from Br?viken 1 “l?st” or 2 and otherwise [?] eel …)
*Laat nuu mala thina söödh miöl oc malt til aarfen behoof oc ey tha melda trang är eller djupa väga. (Grind your seed for flour and … for the year and not …)
*Laat göda thin Kahlgard oc sätt kaal ath til räkker övver aareth. (Fertilize your cabbage garden and plant cabbages tor the needs of the year.)
=== Junius ===
==== Menu ====
*Steek hwar Sönnedag till Pedermessa [29:e] från Pingesdaga att Lambaköth salt-grön Rastödil saltgrön Koköth Unghöns Grise eller salt-grön Gaas. (Every Sunday until Peder Mass [29th] from Whitsunday of Lamb, lightly salted, roedeer, cows meat, chicken, pork or lightly salted goose.)
*Stek till Michilmesso
*Koköth oc Faraköth Saltgrön Rastödil Unghöns (For S:t Michaels day Cows meat and lamb, lightly salted roedeer, chicken.)
==== Duties ====
*Kööp Smalanst fårost for Strömming bast lia vagna riffver. (Buy lamb cheese from the province of Sm?land …)
=== Julius ===
==== Duties ====
*Laat sylta valnötter forän trääd vexer i them. (Pickle the walnuts before trees grows in them.)
*Kööp i Skäninge Vermelands spikilax oc förr Gofs, och stundom salt the marknaden är sliten. (In [the town of] Skänninge buy fried salmon from [the province of] Värmland and . . . and sometimes salt if the price is right.)
*Item Acta herskiärs fisket med tunnor oc salt oc penningar ööl oc bröd. ”'(I’m not sure at all about this. Fishing, beer and bread is mentioned. “Tunna” is a volume measure. Suggestions are welcome.) ”’
*Item i Lödösa kööp baggafisk om Laurencii. (On the day of Laurencius go to [the town of] Lödöse and buy bagga fish.)
=== Augustus ===
==== Duties ====
*Laat sylta Kyrsebär. Item förwara ath minste I tunna färga til Kirsedrank. Item laat siuuda laagen pro fapora med sucker oc neglicor. (Pickle the cherries. Item: keep at least 1 tunna pickled cherries [?] for Kirsedrank. Item: Simmer the liquor pro fapora with sugar and cloves.)
*Laat stöta must in curiis*. (Pound must in curiis.)
=== September ===
==== Menu ====
*Gaastisteek oc om hwar sönadag til Martini inclusive. (Goose and on every Sunday until Martini [11th Nov].
==== Duties ====
*Rensa oc banda väl thin saltakaar, ath mathen ey förderffvas. Acta thine tynnes til sylta, oc saltgrönt. Item til gåfs oc mätister the kaar the socla i saltas. Item kaar til syltakaar moraröther oc pederfilie röther. (Rinse and . . . your salt bassin thouroghly, so that the food will not go bad. . . . Item: Pickle carrots and root of parsley)
=== October ===
==== Duties ====
*Actha thina vinter-roffvor i saandkulana. (Take care of your winter vegetables still in the ground.)
*Sylta faarmiölk.** (Preserve your milk of sheep.**)
=== November ===
==== Menu ====
*Om Sönnedagen fran Martini til fastalager. primo koköth först eller salt hara höns (From Martini [11th Nov] to Fast: Premium cows meat fresh or lightly salted hare hen
==== Duties ====
*Laat rökia thet flesk thun vil ey herna skaal. (Smoke your ham [pork?] so that it will not go bad.)
=== December ===
==== Duties ====
Läsis Gards rätten oc Småswenna mista hudena. (“Gårdsrätten” is read and the piglets lose their heads.)
*Om Thoma köp hoffslaag vilbraden fersk fisk til Juul. (On Thomas day buy . . . fresh fish for Christmas.)
=== Notes ===
The Calendarium describes the household chores people at the household of the rectory had each year. It also gives various menus related to different times of the year. Further it gives some rations given to each person on the household. Parts of the Calendarium is transcribed in the Linköpings bibliotheks handlingar, volume I from 1793.
In the original manuscript there is part of yet another menu, cut off by the binding: ”… and water 6? little steak 7? baked dish 8? fruits, item pro una sx eggmilk a beef dish, egg cakes item . . . fish and cold cut etc.”
A läst is an old Swedish measure of volume. The size of which depended on time, place and item measured. According to NE, it usually equals 2 – 4 m3. In this case then, the amount was 2 – 8 m3.
Bagga is dried fish from [the town of] Bergen in Norway.
Tunna is an old Swedish measure of volume. In 1665 a tunna for wet wares equalled ca 125,6 litres while a tunna for dry wares equalled ca 146,6 litres.
According to my Latin-Swedish dictonary a curis is a lance or javelin. Any suggestions of the correct translation in this context?
Preserved milk is boiled sheeps milk which was kept in a milk barrell and filled during the summer. It resulted in a soured cream which was used to dip bread in.