his paper studiesSwedish servants mentioned as recipients of bequests in testaments dated between 1200 and the 1520s. My investigation shows that about a thousand testaments have been preserved. Inthe13th and most of the 14th centuries, testaments generally were long, mentioning a number of persons, institutions, and bequests. An overview shows how the dispositions of testaments changed over time, so that in the 15thcentury it was more common to give to one monastery or one church only. Around 25% of the testaments mention gifts to servants, although this figure varies considerably over time. In particular, the number of servants mentioned decreases substantially after circa 1380. This may be related to the Black Death, but could also be a result of the changing composition of testaments, as they became considerably shorter, with fewer gifts also to friends and family. This paper shows how the mention of servants also differs among male, female, and ecclesiastic testators. In particular, ecclesiastic testaments show a development over time, with an increased number in the 14th century mentioning servants. Furthermore, the emancipation of slaves is mirrored in the testaments. Also, there appear a wide spectrum of servants at various hierarchical levels, from very young boys and girls to high-ranking stewards. One result is that there are no indications of ‘life-cycle servants’ in the Swedish sources. Another result concerns the number of servants mentioned in the testaments: here, as on aristocratic estates in England, there are approximately twice as many male servants as female. Furthermore, according to the Swedish sources, both male and female servants were trusted as testament witnesses. As the paper shows, a small number of Swedish servants were allowed to write their own testament. Overall, the paper points out a number of areas where further research is needed. T annika björklund 325 Abstract
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