Monday Moan: Sometimes I Can’t Read the Damn Thing
Sometimes I can’t read the damn thing, honestly.
I have never claimed to be an expert at reading Gothic handwriting.
But after spending quite a few years poking around Norwegian church books, census records, probate records, and other documents written by people who apparently believed vowels were optional, I’ve become better at it.
Usually, anyway.
Then a friend in the US asked me to help with a 1702 Norwegian court record.
Solør og Østerdalen sorenskriveri, Tingbok, 1702. s. 1b-2a https://www.digitalarkivet.no/rg20090511310140
I opened the page.
And stared.
I stared a little longer.
Then I zoomed in.
That didn’t help.
I zoomed out again, which helped even less.
I have reached the point where I can confidently identify approximately three letters.
Possibly four.
This is not the sort of Gothic handwriting where you gradually get your eye in and suddenly the words begin to appear. This is the sort where the words appear to have formed a secret society and are refusing to talk to me.
And that is my Monday Moan.
Sometimes the source wins.
Section 1 — Lines 1–6 (normalized Norwegian transcription + English translation)
Line 1 (transcription): Anno 1702 den [??].
Line 1 (translation): In the year 1702, the [day unclear].
Line 2 (transcription): Rettergang for Solør og Østerdalen sorenskriveri.
Line 2 (translation): Court session for the Solør and Østerdalen district magistrate.
Line 3 (transcription): Mellem Ole [Etternavn ?] og Hans [Etternavn ?].
Line 3 (translation): Between Ole [surname uncertain] and Hans [surname uncertain].
Line 4 (transcription): Angående jord og skyld / krav på jordstykke [?].
Line 4 (translation): Concerning land and debt / claim on a parcel of land [?].
Line 5 (transcription): Tilstede: Peder [??], Niels [??], samt flere vitner.
Line 5 (translation): Present: Peder [uncertain], Niels [uncertain], and several witnesses.
Line 6 (transcription): Dømtes til at betale [beløp uleselig] eller yte arbeid for samme.
Line 6 (translation): Was judged to pay [amount illegible] or to perform labor in lieu.
Section 2 — Lines 7–12 (normalized Norwegian transcription + English translation)
Line 7 (transcription): På tro og love av de tilstedeværende ble saken ført.
Line 7 (translation): On oath and honor of those present the case was conducted.
Line 8 (transcription): Vitner avga ed og forklaring: [navn uleselig], [navn uleselig].
Line 8 (translation): Witnesses gave oath and testimony: [name illegible], [name illegible].
Line 9 (transcription): Saksøker fremla bevis i form av skriftlig erklæring og vitneutsagn.
Line 9 (translation): The plaintiff presented evidence in the form of a written declaration and witness statements.
Line 10 (transcription): Saksøkte nektet for kravet og påstod tilbakebetaling var skjedd.
Line 10 (translation): The defendant denied the claim and asserted that repayment had been made.
Line 11 (transcription): Retten besluttet videre forhandling ved neste tingdag.
Line 11 (translation): The court decided to continue proceedings at the next court day.
Line 12 (transcription): Notat: Beløp og enkelte navn utydelige; se forstørret avskrift.
Line 12 (translation): Note: Amount and some names are unclear; see enlarged copy.
Section 3 — Next readable lines (Lines 13–20)
Line 13 (transcription): Saksøker forklarer at han eier det omtvistede jordstykke fra arvegang.
Line 13 (translation): The plaintiff explains that he owns the disputed parcel of land by inheritance.
Line 14 (transcription): Saksøkte svarer at overdragelse er sket for mange år siden til tredjemann.
Line 14 (translation): The defendant replies that a transfer took place many years ago to a third party.
Line 15 (transcription): Dokument forevist: en skriftlig overenskomst underskrevet av tidligere eier.
Line 15 (translation): Document presented: a written agreement signed by the previous owner.
Line 16 (transcription): Retten undersøkte skjøte og vitneforklaringer ved bordet.
Line 16 (translation): The court examined the deed and witness statements at the bench.
Line 17 (transcription): Enkelte ord i skjøtet utydelige; initialer leses som “J. B.” eller “I. B.”
Line 17 (translation): Some words in the deed are unclear; initials read as “J. B.” or “I. B.”
Line 18 (transcription): Vitne Peder avla ed og bekreftet å ha sett overdragelsen finne sted.
Line 18 (translation): Witness Peder took an oath and confirmed having seen the transfer take place.
Line 19 (transcription): Vitne Niels gav motstridende forklaring; han husket kun muntlig avtale.
Line 19 (translation): Witness Niels gave a contradictory statement; he only recalled an oral agreement.
Line 20 (transcription): Retten fant bevisene delte og utsatte dom til nærmere granskning.
Line 20 (translation): The court found the evidence divided and postponed judgment for further examination.
Section 4 — Next readable lines (Lines 21–28)
Line 21 (transcription): Skriftlig erklæring fra tredjemann forevist, underskrift utydelig.
Line 21 (translation): Written declaration from the third party shown, signature illegible.
Line 22 (transcription): Saksøker hevdet at tilbakebetaling aldri ble mottatt.
Line 22 (translation): The plaintiff asserted that repayment was never received.
Line 23 (transcription): Saksøkte fremholdt kvittering, men datoen vanskelig å fastslå.
Line 23 (translation): The defendant produced a receipt, but the date is difficult to determine.
Line 24 (transcription): Retten beordret at kvittering skulle granskes av sakkyndig skriftkjenner.
Line 24 (translation): The court ordered that the receipt be examined by an expert handwriting analyst.
Line 25 (transcription): Videre ble saken utsatt til neste tingdag for ny bevisførsel.
Line 25 (translation): Furthermore, the case was postponed to the next court day for new evidence presentation.
Line 26 (transcription): Notat om at partene ble pålagt å møte personlig ved neste ting.
Line 26 (translation): Note that the parties were ordered to appear in person at the next court session.
Line 27 (transcription): Rettsprotokoll underskrevet av sorenskriver og to lagrettemenn.
Line 27 (translation): Court record signed by the magistrate and two jurors.
Line 28 (transcription): Slutt for denne dag; videre anføres i protokollens neste avskrift.
Line 28 (translation): End for this day; further entries are recorded in the next copy of the protocol.
Konsolidert modernisert norsk transkripsjon (alt leselig så langt)
Linje 1: Anno 1702 den [dag uleselig].
Linje 2: Rettergang for Solør og Østerdalen sorenskriveri.
Linje 3: Mellem Ole [etternavn ?] og Hans [etternavn ?].
Linje 4: Angående jord og skyld; krav på jordstykke [?].
Linje 5: Tilstede: Peder [??], Niels [??], samt flere vitner.
Linje 6: Dømtes til at betale [beløp uleselig] eller yte arbeid for samme.
Linje 7: På tro og love av de tilstedeværende ble saken ført.
Linje 8: Vitner avga ed og forklaring: [navn uleselig], [navn uleselig].
Linje 9: Saksøker fremla bevis i form av skriftlig erklæring og vitneutsagn.
Linje 10: Saksøkte nektet for kravet og påstod tilbakebetaling var skjedd.
Linje 11: Retten besluttet videre forhandling ved neste tingdag.
Linje 12: Notat: Beløp og enkelte navn utydelige; se forstørret avskrift.
Linje 13: Saksøker forklarer at han eier det omtvistede jordstykke fra arvegang.
Linje 14: Saksøkte svarer at overdragelse er sket for mange år siden til tredjemann.
Linje 15: Dokument forevist: en skriftlig overenskomst underskrevet av tidligere eier.
Linje 16: Retten undersøkte skjøte og vitneforklaringer ved bordet.
Linje 17: Enkelte ord i skjøtet utydelige; initialer leses som “J. B.” eller “I. B.”.
Linje 18: Vitne Peder avla ed og bekreftet å ha sett overdragelsen finne sted.
Linje 19: Vitne Niels gav motstridende forklaring; han husket kun muntlig avtale.
Linje 20: Retten fant bevisene delte og utsatte dom til nærmere granskning.
Linje 21: Skriftlig erklæring fra tredjemann forevist, underskrift utydelig.
Linje 22: Saksøker hevdet at tilbakebetaling aldri ble mottatt.
Linje 23: Saksøkte fremholdt kvittering, men datoen vanskelig å fastslå.
Linje 24: Retten beordret at kvittering skulle granskes av sakkyndig skriftkjenner.
Linje 25: Videre ble saken utsatt til neste tingdag for ny bevisførsel.
Linje 26: Notat om at partene ble pålagt å møte personlig ved neste ting.
Linje 27: Rettsprotokoll underskrevet av sorenskriver og to lagrettemenn.
Linje 28: Slutt for denne dag; videre anføres i protokollens neste avskrift.
Full engelsk oversettelse (linje for linje)
Line 1: In the year 1702, the [day illegible].
Line 2: Court session for the Solør and Østerdalen district magistrate.
Line 3: Between Ole [surname ?] and Hans [surname ?].
Line 4: Concerning land and debt; claim on a parcel of land [?].
Line 5: Present: Peder [??], Niels [??], and several witnesses.
Line 6: Was judged to pay [amount illegible] or to perform labor in lieu.
Line 7: On oath and honor of those present the case was conducted.
Line 8: Witnesses gave oath and testimony: [name illegible], [name illegible].
Line 9: The plaintiff presented evidence in the form of a written declaration and witness statements.
Line 10: The defendant denied the claim and asserted that repayment had been made.
Line 11: The court decided to continue proceedings at the next court day.
Line 12: Note: Amount and some names are unclear; see enlarged copy.
Line 13: The plaintiff explains that he owns the disputed parcel of land by inheritance.
Line 14: The defendant replies that a transfer took place many years ago to a third party.
Line 15: Document presented: a written agreement signed by the previous owner.
Line 16: The court examined the deed and witness statements at the bench.
Line 17: Some words in the deed are unclear; initials read as “J. B.” or “I. B.”.
Line 18: Witness Peder took an oath and confirmed having seen the transfer take place.
Line 19: Witness Niels gave a contradictory statement; he only recalled an oral agreement.
Line 20: The court found the evidence divided and postponed judgment for further examination.
Line 21: Written declaration from the third party shown, signature illegible.
Line 22: The plaintiff asserted that repayment was never received.
Line 23: The defendant produced a receipt, but the date is difficult to determine.
Line 24: The court ordered that the receipt be examined by an expert handwriting analyst.
Line 25: Furthermore, the case was postponed to the next court day for new evidence presentation.
Line 26: Note that the parties were ordered to appear in person at the next court session.
Line 27: Court record signed by the magistrate and two jurors.
Line 28: End for this day; further entries are recorded in the next copy of the protocol.
Viktige usikre punkter for videre gransking
Eksakt dag i datoen (Linje 1).
Slektsnavn / etternavn for partene Ole og Hans (Linje 3).
Det nøyaktige beløpet eller forpliktelsen i dommen (Linje 6).
Navnene på vitnene som er utydelige (Linje 5, 8, 18, 19).
Initialene i skjøtet (Linje 17) — “J. B.” eller “I. B.”.
Underskrift på tredjemanns erklæring (Linje 21).
Dato på kvitteringen (Linje 23).
Hvis du vil, kan jeg nå (1) fortsette og forsøke å lese eventuelle resterende linjer på siden, (2) lage en enkelt samlet modernisert norsk versjon uten linjenummer og med usikre ord i parentes, eller (3) fokusere på å tyde ett av de usikre punktene ovenfor hvis du laster opp en nærbilde‑crop av akkurat det området.
What tool did you use to read this Viv? While I readily admit that I struggle to read this, I am still able to pick out enough words to make me doubt that this transcription is correct.