Chancellor of Norway in the context of Haakon V of Norway

Sir Hans Olufsson (c. 1495–1500 – 18 September 1570, in Oslo) was a Norwegian high-ranking cleric and nobleman during the 16th century.

He was a member of the royal clergy, the clergy in the personal service of the King of Norway and the effective state administration in the Middle Ages, and was one of the six canons at St Mary's Church, the royal chapel in Oslo and the seat of government of Norway. Together with the other canons and the provost, he was a member of the cathedral chapter of St Mary's Church. The provost ex officio also held the office of Chancellor of Norway, with one of the canons serving as Vice-Chancellor; it is unknown if Hans Olufsson served as Vice-Chancellor. As decreed by Haakon V of Norway in a 1300 royal proclamation, the canons of St Mary's Church held the rank and privileges of a Knight, the highest rank of nobility in Norway since 1308 and typically reserved for noblemen with a significant national political role.

The royal clergy (Norwegian: Den kongelige kapellgeistlighet) was the clergy in the service of the King of Norway in the Middle Ages. It refers to the priests of the 14 royal "chapels" throughout Norway, and is a modern term used by historians. From 1308, during the reign of Haakon V of Norway, the royal clergy became a separate institution, largely independent of the church hierarchy in Norway. They were granted vast privileges by the king and were also large land-owners. The royal clergy played its most central role during the Late Middle Ages, when they effectively formed the Norwegian state administration.

The provost of the royal chapel of Oslo, St Mary's Church, was independent of the Bishop of Oslo as the "chapel" (which was one of the largest and most impressive churches of Norway) had its own cathedral chapter. In 1300, King Haakon granted St Mary's Church numerous privileges and decreed that the provost would have the rank of a lendman, the canons would have the rank of a Knight, the vicars and deacons would have the rank of a hirdmann, and other clerics would have the rank of a kjertesvein; the clergy of this church thus received extraordinarily high aristocratic ranks, according to Sverre Bagge. In 1314, King Haakon decreed that the provost of St Mary's Church should "for eternity" also hold the office of Chancellor of Norway and Keeper of the Great Seal. Another priest of St Mary's would serve as Vice-Chancellor.