Hoskuld Hoskuldsson

In 1515 the abbot, Henrik of Utstein, complained to the King of Denmark and Norway, Christian II, about the treatment he and his monastery had been getting from Bishop Hoskuld.

Accused of "unpredictable realities" [ Wskelligt leffnet ] by the Bishop, Henrik had been brought to Stavanger and "put in the tower and irons" [ i tårn og jern ] in a bloody state.

What is known is that Hoskuld afterwards sided with the next King of Denmark and Norway, Frederick I, especially after 1521, when Christian II had the Bishop's kinsman, Orm Eriksson, tried and executed on the charges of leading a tax revolt in Rogaland.

On 5 August 1524, at the meeting of the Riksråd of Norway in Bergen, all the councilors, including Hoskuld, swore their allegiance to King Frederick, two days before his coronation in Copenhagen.

In a rare burst of emotion, he asked the new rikshovmester of Norway, Eske Bille, to keep him away from "the damned infidels and Lutherans, many of whom are blinded in their hearts, but punish them wherever it is needed" [ den fordömte vantro og lutheri, hvoraf mange i hjærtet ere forblindede, men straffe dem, hvor det behøvedes ].

Meanwhile, the soldiers of King Christian II were shipped to the south of Norway, leading Eske Bille to request the help from Hoskuld but the Bishop declined.

A long series of letters to and from Bishop Hoskuld has been preserved for the first half of 1532, covering the campaigns and battles of King Christian II in his attempt to take control of Norway.

In a case from 1607, it was stated that Tord Rodt, the governor of the Bergenhus, had caught Hoskuld, "taken all that was under the Bishop and placed them under the King" [ tatt alt som lå under biskopen og lagt det under kongen ].