women as issuers of testaments in medieval denmark Danish testaments were private charters rather than notarial instruments. They were, in fact, remarkably similar in many respects to the dispositive documents of sales or gifts, hardly distinguishable by their external features. Their internal features are similar, too.13 The form of testaments usually includes the following formulas: Until the early fifteenth century, all testaments were written in Latin. Danish slowly gained ground, which is in accordance with the language shift in other legal documents: Danish gradually became the favored language, though Latin continued to be used in many testaments until the Reformation, particularly in the testaments of the clergy.14 The first extant testament written in Danish is dated July 3, 1415. It was issued by one Katerine, daughter of Lars (or Laurentius), and the wife of another Lars (or Laurentius) Jensen. Even in this testament, the invocation and the dating clause were in Latin. Katerine lived in Lund, and her husband was most likely a citizen of that city.15 13 I base the following scheme on Nielsen 1974, col. 220, but have added a few points of my own. 14 On the vernacularization of Danish diplomatic documents, see Knudsen 2018. 15 SeeDiplomatarium Danicumno. 14150703001, URL: http://diplomatarium.dk/dokument/ 14150703001. For a facsimile, seeSDHK-no. 18565 at https//sok.riksarkivet.se/SDHK. 154 • A verbal invocation • Anarenga, usually on the themes of the shortness of life and the certainty of death • Anintitulatio, usually coupled to a statement about the rational mind of the testator or testatrix (a sana-mente clause); if the testatrix was married, her husband’s consent was mentioned • A clause stating that the testator or testatrix has ordered his or her testament in the following way (a ‘Testamentserklärung’), usually like ex rebus mihi a Deo concessis lego et condo testamentum meum in hunc modum • Adispositio, listing all the legacies • A list of the executors, occasionally, but not always, also acting as witnesses • A witness list, often announcing that they have added their seals to the document • Asanctio is sometimes found up until the 1260s • A dating clause
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