The Lund Charter
Diploma Lundense
The Lund Charter is the earliest surviving royal charter issued by King Canute IV and one of the most important documentary sources for understanding the Danish kingdom before his death in 1086.
Drawn up at Lund on 21 May 1085, it records the king's endowment of St. Lawrence's Church - the predecessor of Lund Cathedral - with extensive lands, revenues, and legal privileges across Scania, Zealand, Funen, and Amager.
Beyond its immediate purpose, the charter offers a rare glimpse into the administration of the medieval Danish kingdom, its system of royal justice, the leding, and the close relationship between the crown and the Church.
Although the original parchment has been lost, the text survives through medieval copies, preserving one of the most significant state documents from Canute's reign.