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 1 August 2008 from an archived web page at:
http://www.bahnhof.se/~chimbis/tocb/info/calendar.htm
[The question marks (?) in the following text occurred in the above archived web page, and evidently represent diacritics and ligatures. Asterisks refer to the Notes at the end.]
Calendarium Oeconomicum
The Calendarium Oeconomicum is part of a handwritten manuscript (Registrum Ecclesiae Cathedr Lincopiensis) written by the secretary of the bishop of Linköping 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 deseating 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.
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.