Anders Winroth
@winroth.bsky.social
Professor of Medieval History, University of Oslo. Interested in cultural, intellectual, religious, and legal history, vikings, early Rus/Ukraine, manuscripts, medieval world history. President of the Institute of Medieval Canon Law. #medievalcanonlaw
PS. First page of the article, to give due credit to my co-conspirators Torsten Berglund och Stefan Jernberg. If you are interested in reading it (in Swedish), either buy the issue from www.genealogi.net/produkter-oc... or message me with an email address. 13/12
November 4, 2025 at 1:38 PM
PS. First page of the article, to give due credit to my co-conspirators Torsten Berglund och Stefan Jernberg. If you are interested in reading it (in Swedish), either buy the issue from www.genealogi.net/produkter-oc... or message me with an email address. 13/12
We published this in a Swedish genealogical journal Släkt och Hävd, which honored us with including one of our photos on the cover. Jöns Svinshuvud was among the people who exploited the rich copper veins at modern Falun in Sweden, and who made a fortune on mining and refining the metal. 12/12
November 4, 2025 at 1:31 PM
We published this in a Swedish genealogical journal Släkt och Hävd, which honored us with including one of our photos on the cover. Jöns Svinshuvud was among the people who exploited the rich copper veins at modern Falun in Sweden, and who made a fortune on mining and refining the metal. 12/12
Clearly several men who issued the discarded letter. Those names include: "Jønis Swinshuwud", very clearly written. Turns out that our guess from 2008 must have been correct. Or at least, here is very good evidence of what his name in fact was. Removes any doubts that he was the first ancestor. 11/
November 4, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Clearly several men who issued the discarded letter. Those names include: "Jønis Swinshuwud", very clearly written. Turns out that our guess from 2008 must have been correct. Or at least, here is very good evidence of what his name in fact was. Removes any doubts that he was the first ancestor. 11/
Did you notice that the parchment strips holding the seals contain scribbles? Here is a clearer image. "...en som thetta breff høra elle se..." (...who hear or see this letter...), clearly the beginning of a discarded letter, reused as strips for the seals. The other strips contain several names.
November 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Did you notice that the parchment strips holding the seals contain scribbles? Here is a clearer image. "...en som thetta breff høra elle se..." (...who hear or see this letter...), clearly the beginning of a discarded letter, reused as strips for the seals. The other strips contain several names.
We have always worried that we were wrong about our guess that the letter of 1386 originally read Swinshuvoth, but new evidence has now turned up in an unexpected place, the local library in Linköping Sweden. A parchment letter from 1382 stored there was recently edited in Diplomatarium Suecanum.
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November 4, 2025 at 1:16 PM
We have always worried that we were wrong about our guess that the letter of 1386 originally read Swinshuvoth, but new evidence has now turned up in an unexpected place, the local library in Linköping Sweden. A parchment letter from 1382 stored there was recently edited in Diplomatarium Suecanum.
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The name "Svinhufvud", however spelled, is rather strange. It means "hog's head". Later family members used head of what must be a wild boar in their coat of arms. Here it is in a stained glass window from the local church in Torsång (now in the Historical museum, Stockholm). 8/
November 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
The name "Svinhufvud", however spelled, is rather strange. It means "hog's head". Later family members used head of what must be a wild boar in their coat of arms. Here it is in a stained glass window from the local church in Torsång (now in the Historical museum, Stockholm). 8/
Which would mean that the name as originally written in the letter from 1386 would be "Swinshwoth". The second w then records a vocalic u followed by a consonant v: "Swinshuvoth", which makes sense as a medieval Swedish spelling of Svinhufvud. We published this idea in 2008. 7/
November 4, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Which would mean that the name as originally written in the letter from 1386 would be "Swinshwoth". The second w then records a vocalic u followed by a consonant v: "Swinshuvoth", which makes sense as a medieval Swedish spelling of Svinhufvud. We published this idea in 2008. 7/
In fact, if we go back to the second w on the UV image, that hook is less clear and seems to be a little to the right. Now compare that to the combination "th" in this "bwrith" (also using w for vocalic u!). And note that there is something very unclear under the second w on the UV. Perhaps "th"? 6/
November 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
In fact, if we go back to the second w on the UV image, that hook is less clear and seems to be a little to the right. Now compare that to the combination "th" in this "bwrith" (also using w for vocalic u!). And note that there is something very unclear under the second w on the UV. Perhaps "th"? 6/
Comparing to letters elsewhere, here are the words "skoghom watnom" ("forests, waters" in dative, describing appurtenances to the manor). We see that hook or bow above the w! So this suggests that the w's in the "improved" texts might in fact be w's. But look at the h to the left! Same hook! 5/
November 4, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Comparing to letters elsewhere, here are the words "skoghom watnom" ("forests, waters" in dative, describing appurtenances to the manor). We see that hook or bow above the w! So this suggests that the w's in the "improved" texts might in fact be w's. But look at the h to the left! Same hook! 5/
The letter from 1386 is still in private ownership, so a group of genealogists were able to borrow it from the Stora Enso archives and have it photographed with various tools. Here is the mysterious passage under ultraviolet light. We can just see two bows to the left over the w's. 4/
November 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
The letter from 1386 is still in private ownership, so a group of genealogists were able to borrow it from the Stora Enso archives and have it photographed with various tools. Here is the mysterious passage under ultraviolet light. We can just see two bows to the left over the w's. 4/
The most famous member of the Svinhufvud families is probably Pehr Evind (Pekka) Svinhufvud, who was the president of Finland 1931-1937. As a young local judge when Finland was governed by tsarist Russia, he was sent to Sibera for two years because he refused to follow an unlawful order. 3/
November 4, 2025 at 12:50 PM
The most famous member of the Svinhufvud families is probably Pehr Evind (Pekka) Svinhufvud, who was the president of Finland 1931-1937. As a young local judge when Finland was governed by tsarist Russia, he was sent to Sibera for two years because he refused to follow an unlawful order. 3/
"Swinshwow" does not work in 14th-century Swedish and cannot be correct. If we zoom in on that corner, it is quite clear that the letters of the buyer's name have been filled in afterwards and not correctly. We also notice how surrounding letters that have not been filled in are quite pale. 2/
November 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"Swinshwow" does not work in 14th-century Swedish and cannot be correct. If we zoom in on that corner, it is quite clear that the letters of the buyer's name have been filled in afterwards and not correctly. We also notice how surrounding letters that have not been filled in are quite pale. 2/
A parchment letter from 1386 was until recently the oldest evidence for the earliest ancestor of the Swedish-Finnish noble families Svinhufvud. The letter is a deed of sale through which a man called "Jønis Swinshwow" buys the manor Höjen with an adjacent farm. The upper right corner is damaged. 1/
November 4, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A parchment letter from 1386 was until recently the oldest evidence for the earliest ancestor of the Swedish-Finnish noble families Svinhufvud. The letter is a deed of sale through which a man called "Jønis Swinshwow" buys the manor Höjen with an adjacent farm. The upper right corner is damaged. 1/
The railroad bridge over the mighty Glomma river disappearing into the late morning mist. When I take the train between Oslo and Stockholm, I cross on that bridgem
October 19, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The railroad bridge over the mighty Glomma river disappearing into the late morning mist. When I take the train between Oslo and Stockholm, I cross on that bridgem
Isn't it in Västmanland, on the king's way to Uppland? It is a remarkable place with a huge runestone (where the name Anund appears), several smaller mounds, ship settings, prehistoric roads.
September 27, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Isn't it in Västmanland, on the king's way to Uppland? It is a remarkable place with a huge runestone (where the name Anund appears), several smaller mounds, ship settings, prehistoric roads.
I saw every leaf preserved in Sweden in the original (thanks to kind permission of the staff of the National Archives). The most unexpected thing was this note (c.1800?) warning me off trying to read this kind of text: "Si quis hunc legere vult, monacus esse debet." I guess that is me told! 12/12
August 28, 2025 at 4:55 PM
I saw every leaf preserved in Sweden in the original (thanks to kind permission of the staff of the National Archives). The most unexpected thing was this note (c.1800?) warning me off trying to read this kind of text: "Si quis hunc legere vult, monacus esse debet." I guess that is me told! 12/12
I started to research this manuscript a few years ago and have no published a first account of it in the Festschrift Salutacione sincera for my old Latin teacher and now friend Claes Gejrot. I identify the exact contents of what has been preserved, and discuss the glosses. 11/
August 28, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I started to research this manuscript a few years ago and have no published a first account of it in the Festschrift Salutacione sincera for my old Latin teacher and now friend Claes Gejrot. I identify the exact contents of what has been preserved, and discuss the glosses. 11/
For over 100 years, people have worked on cataloguing the fragments, producing this database. The cataloguers were able to identify no less than 78 leaves (plus a few snippets) of this Gratian manuscript, which would have had about 300 leaves, so more than a quarter. sok.riksarkivet.se/mpo 10/
August 28, 2025 at 4:49 PM
For over 100 years, people have worked on cataloguing the fragments, producing this database. The cataloguers were able to identify no less than 78 leaves (plus a few snippets) of this Gratian manuscript, which would have had about 300 leaves, so more than a quarter. sok.riksarkivet.se/mpo 10/
We can barely make out a gloss in the first layer: Ordinaturus magister Gratianus decreta ipsa altius ingreditur a diuisione iuris, quod in duo diuidit, primo in ius uidelicet naturale et consuetudinis. Inde multiplices diuisiones supponit, quarum singulas exequatur dicens “Humanum genus”, etc. 8/
August 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
We can barely make out a gloss in the first layer: Ordinaturus magister Gratianus decreta ipsa altius ingreditur a diuisione iuris, quod in duo diuidit, primo in ius uidelicet naturale et consuetudinis. Inde multiplices diuisiones supponit, quarum singulas exequatur dicens “Humanum genus”, etc. 8/
After the 1809 peace treaty between Sweden and Russia, the tax records of Finland (then lost to Russia) were sent to Helsinki. The Finnish records had been among those worst affected by the 1802 fire, so they are much harder to read. Here is the first page of the manuscript. @ahokas.bsky.social 7/
August 28, 2025 at 4:29 PM
After the 1809 peace treaty between Sweden and Russia, the tax records of Finland (then lost to Russia) were sent to Helsinki. The Finnish records had been among those worst affected by the 1802 fire, so they are much harder to read. Here is the first page of the manuscript. @ahokas.bsky.social 7/
This is how surprised Claes was. One of the editors, Sara Risberg to the left.
August 28, 2025 at 4:28 PM
This is how surprised Claes was. One of the editors, Sara Risberg to the left.
It was a major fire, not only affecting the archives. It took two days to put it out. Here a color aquatint from auctionet.com/de/3169168-p...
August 28, 2025 at 4:21 PM
It was a major fire, not only affecting the archives. It took two days to put it out. Here a color aquatint from auctionet.com/de/3169168-p...
They stashed away the audited records in the archives. They remained there until 1802, when a fire broke out. The archivists opened the windows and threw out as many books as they could, rescuing them, but since it rained, they became damaged by damp. One can still smell the soot!
August 28, 2025 at 4:15 PM
They stashed away the audited records in the archives. They remained there until 1802, when a fire broke out. The archivists opened the windows and threw out as many books as they could, rescuing them, but since it rained, they became damaged by damp. One can still smell the soot!
Most of the leaves are still attached to the tax records now in the National archives of Sweden. There are tens of thousands of them. The irony is that as an undergraduate in Stockholm, I wrote researched some of those tax records. Here is a page that mentions a distant relative of mine. 4/
August 28, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Most of the leaves are still attached to the tax records now in the National archives of Sweden. There are tens of thousands of them. The irony is that as an undergraduate in Stockholm, I wrote researched some of those tax records. Here is a page that mentions a distant relative of mine. 4/
The hand is certainly not Swedish, but by the end of the Middle Ages, the manuscript was somewhere in Sweden. Canon law was no longer important after the Reformation, so the Crown confiscated the book, took it out of its binding and used the bifolia as sturdy wrappers for tax records. 3/
August 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
The hand is certainly not Swedish, but by the end of the Middle Ages, the manuscript was somewhere in Sweden. Canon law was no longer important after the Reformation, so the Crown confiscated the book, took it out of its binding and used the bifolia as sturdy wrappers for tax records. 3/