annika björklund Previous research in Europe has indicated that male servants compared to female servants were more common on aristocratic estates.36 This is true also in a Swedish context, since the number of male servants are approximately twice as many as named female servants. However, the predominance of male servants in the Swedish material might also reflect the differences among male, female, and ecclesiastic testators mentioned above. In the 1200s many of the servants mentioned in the testaments were slaves given their freedom by their masters and mistresses; see Figure 8 (p. 342). Liberated slaves are mentioned in 28 testaments. The terminology used for the slaves is most often servus, and sometimes mancipiumfor male slaves; for female slaves ancilla.37 In 1275 the priest Björn gave freedom to one of his ancillae and her child. Also a steward (villicus) and acarpenter could be slaves in the 1200s: in 1277 Margareta Ragvaldsdotter gave freedom to her two stewards, and in 1282 Folke Karlsson gave freedom to his carpenter. In 1283 Helga gave freedom to all the family’s slaves (seruis et ancillis).38 The same terminology is used by many testators.39 Slaves were given their freedom without additional gifts.40 The youngest testament mentioning the liberation of slaves was written in 1310.41 Liberating slaves was considered a good Christian act. Keeping slaves was forbidden in Sweden in the early 14th century; a regulation in 1335 marks the final abandonment of slavery.42 341 36 Goldberg 2022, p. 375. 37 SDHK897; SDHK962; SDHK1222; SDHK1238; SDHK1337. 38 SDHK965; SDHK1012; SDHK1206; SDHK1231. 39 E.g. SDHK1518; SDHK1600; SDHK1840. 40 Only one example has been identified where a slave was given chattel with his freedom, namely Karl, who also received a horse and a saddle (SDHK2337). 41 SDHK2337. 42 The regulation: Skara Charter (SDHK4113; Ahnlund 1935b); also Brink 2021, p. 272. The servants – social ranks, age, and gender
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