testaments as a source for everyday life pical for this manner of research is that a scholar has to consult different sources. This approach is a necessity when investigating obscure phenomenon seldom surfacing in the sources, but one which has relevance for many types of studies.60 For instance, the gold rings as an open materialisation of social bonds has to be combined with network analysis, and the animals and cheap textiles given to servants can be related to the context of vertical relations in large households (see Björklund’s article in this volume). Testaments reflect the society at large. They can be used as a proxy for increased mortality during plague years. That livestock is mentioned in testaments is typical for the Scandinavian rural context, and the regional distribution is in accordance with other sources. An important conclusion is that large testaments provide a materialisation of social relations. Among the higher nobility we find knightly values transmitted with swords. Also in the higher echelons of society we find social bonding through gold rings and drinking cups. A gift culture also expresses vertical relations, where cheap items were included to highlight bonds between masters and servants. As testaments are a Europeanwide source some results can be situated in a wider context, but much remains to be done. 380 60 On source pluralism see Myrdal 2012b. Final considerations
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