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THE

OERA LINDA BOOK

FROM

A Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century

WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE PROPRIETOR

C. OVER DE LINDEN, OF THE HELDER

The Original Frisian Text

/AS VERIFIED BY DR J. O. OTTEMA/

ACCOMPANIED BY AN

/ENGLISH VERSION OF DR OTTEMA’S DUTCH TRANSLATION/

BY

WILLIAM R. SANDBACH
LONDON

TRÜBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL

1876

[/All rights reserved/]

The text in the numbered grey panels below is a complete, letter for
letter transcription of Sandbach’s translation of 1876, with his
parenthetical additions and footnotes – not derived from the original
manuscript – marked in red (unless hyperlinked). With two exceptions,
either by omission or design, none of his footnotes refer to specified
places in the English text.

OERA LINDA BOOK

© Daughters of Frya Priestesses’ Training College
<http://frya.angelfire.com/>

1. Letter of Hiddo <#aa>

2. Letter of Liko <#ab>

3. THE BOOK OF ADELA’S FOLLOWERS. <#ac>

4. Frya’s Tex. <#ad>

5. This has Fasta spoken. <#ae>

6. Fasta said— <#af>

7. These are the Laws established for the Government of the Citadels. <#ag>

8. Universal Law. <#ah>

9. Here follow the Laws which were thus established. <#ai>

10. These are the Rights of the Mothers and the Kings. <#aj>

11. Here are the Rules established for the Security of all Frisians. <#ak>

12. From Minno’s Writing. <#al>

13. Laws for the Navigators. <#am>

14. Useful Extracts from the Writings left by Minno. <#an>

15. From Minno’s Writings. <#ao>

16. From the Writings of Minno. <#ap>

17. These are the Three Principles on which these Laws are founded. <#aq>

18. These Rules are made for Angry People. <#ar>

19. These are the Rules concerning Bastards. <#as>

20. What is written hereunder is inscribed on the Walls of Waraburgt. <#at>

21. This stands inscribed upon all Citadels. <#au>

22. How the Bad Time came. <#av>

23. This is inscribed on the Waraburgt by the Aldegamude. <#aw>

24. All this is inscribed not only on the Waraburgt, but also on the
Burgt Stavia, which lies behind the Port of Stavre. <#ax>

25. What the Consequence of this was. <#ay>

26. Now we will write about the War between the Burgtmaagden Kalta and
Min-erva <#az>

27. We now come to the History of Jon. <#ba>

28. Now we shall write how it fared with Jon. It is inscribed at
Texland. <#bb>

29. This is about the Geertmen. <#bc>

30. In the Year One thousand and five after Atland was submerged, this
was inscribed on the Eastern Wall of Fryasburgt. <#bd>

31. This is inscribed in all our Citadels. <#be>

32. How it fared afterwards with the Magy. <#bf>

33. Postscript. <#bg>

34. THE WRITINGS OF ADELBROST AND APOLLONIA. <#bh>

35. The Second Writing. <#bi>

36. The Elegy of the Burgtmaagd. <#bj>

37. The Oldest Doctrine. <#bk>

38. The Second Part of the Oldest Doctrine. <#bl>

39. This is written on Parchment—“Skrivfilt.” Speech and Answer to other
Maidens as an Example. <#bm>

40. Now I will write myself, first about my Citadel, and then about what
I have been able to see. <#bn>

41. THE WRITINGS OF FRĘTHORIK AND WILJOW. <#bo>

42. Now I will relate how the Geertman and many followers of Hellenia
came back. <#bp>

43. This Writing has been given to me about Northland and Schoonland
(Scandinavia). <#bq>

44. Hail to all true Frisians. <#br>

45. THE WRITING OF KONERĘD. <#bs>

46. Now I will write about Friso. <#bt>

47. What Friso did further. <#bu>

48. Now I will write about his son Adel. <#bv>

49. Here is the Writing with Gosa’s Advice. <#bw>

50. Here is my Counsel. <#bx>

51. The Writing of Beeden. <#by>

52. Letter of Rika the Oudmaagd, read at Staveren at the Juul Feast. <#bz>

53. (untitled fragment) <#ca>

ADELA.

1.

OKKE MY SON—

You must preserve these books with body and soul. They contain the
history of all our people, as well as of our forefathers. Last year I
saved them in the flood, as well as you and your mother; but they got
wet, and therefore began to perish. In order not to lose them, I copied
them on foreign paper.

In case you inherit them, you must copy them likewise, and your children
must do so too, so that they may never be lost.

Written at Liuwert, in the three thousand four hundred and forty-ninth
year after Atland was submerged—that is, according to the Christian
reckoning, the year 1256.

Hiddo, surnamed Over de Linda.—Watch.

* 3449?1256 is 2193 before Christ.

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2.

Beloved successors, for the sake of our dear forefathers, and of our
dear liberty, I entreat you a thousand times never let the eye of a monk
look on these writings. They are very insinuating, but they destroy in
an underhand manner all that relates to us Frisians. In order to gain
rich benefices, they conspire with foreign kings, who know that we are
their greatest enemies, because we dare to speak to their people of
liberty, rights, and the duties of princes. Therefore they seek to
destroy all that we derive from our forefathers, and all that is left of
our old customs.

Ah, my beloved ones! I have visited their courts! If Wr-alda permits it,
and we do not shew ourselves strong to resist, they will altogether
exterminate us.

Liko, /surnamed/ OVER DE LINDA.

/Written at Liudwert,/

/  Anno Domini/ 803.

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3.

THE BOOK OF ADELA’S FOLLOWERS.

Thirty years after the day on which the Volksmoeder was murdered by the
commander Magy, was a time of great distress. All the states that lie on
the other side of the Weser had been wrested from us, and had fallen
under the power of Magy, and it looked as if his power was to become
supreme over the whole land. To avert this misfortune a general assembly
of the people was summoned, which was attended by all the men who stood
in good repute with the Maagden (priestesses). Then at the end of three
days the whole council was in confusion, and in the same position as
when they came together. Thereupon Adela demanded to be heard, and said:—

You all know that I was three years Burgtmaagd. You know also that I was
chosen for Volksmoeder, and that I refused to be Volksmoeder because I
wished to marry Apol; but what you do not know is, that I have watched
everything that has happened, as if I had really been your Volksmoeder.
I have constantly travelled about, observing what was going on. By that
means I have become acquainted with many things that others do not know.
You said yesterday that our relatives on the other side of the Weser
were dull and cowardly; but I may tell you that the Magy has not won a
single village from them by force of arms; but only by detestable
deceit, and still more by the rapacity of their dukes and nobles.

Frya has said we must not admit amongst us any but free people; but what
have they done? They have imitated our enemies, and instead of killing
their prisoners, or letting them go free, they have despised the counsel
of Frya, and have made slaves of them.

Because they have acted thus, Frya cared no longer to watch over them.
They robbed others of their freedom, and therefore lost their own.

This is well known to you, but I will tell you how they came to sink so
low. The Finn women had children. These grew up with our free children.
They played and gamboled together in the fields, and were also together
by the hearth.

There they learned with pleasure the loose ways of the Finns, because
they were bad and new; and thus they became denationalised in spite of
the efforts of their parents. When the children grew up, and saw that
the children of the Finns handled no weapons, and scarcely worked, they
took a distaste for work, and became proud.

The principal men and their cleverest sons made up to the wanton
daughters of the Finns; and their own daughters, led astray by this bad
example, allowed themselves to be beguiled by the handsome young Finns
in derision of their depraved fathers. When the Magy found this out, he
took the handsomest of his Finns and Magyars, and promised them “red
cows with golden horns” to let themselves be taken prisoners by our
people in order to spread his doctrines. His people did even more.
Children disappeared, were taken away to the uplands, and after they had
been brought up in his pernicious doctrines, were sent back.

When these pretended prisoners had learned our language, they persuaded
the dukes and nobles that they should become subject to the Magy—that
then their sons would succeed to them without having to be elected.
Those who by their good deeds had gained a piece of land in front of
their house, they promised on their side should receive in addition a
piece behind; those who had got a piece before and behind, should have a
rondeel (complete circuit); and those who had a rondeel should have a
whole freehold. If the seniors were true to Frya, then they changed
their course, and turned to the degenerate sons. Yesterday there were
among you those who would have called the whole people together, to
compel the eastern states to return to their duty. According to my
humble opinion, they would have made a great mistake. Suppose that there
was a very serious epidemic among the cattle, would you run the risk of
sending your own healthy cattle among the sick ones? Certainly not.
Every one must see that doing that would turn out very badly for the
whole of the cattle. Who, then, would be so imprudent as to send their
children among a people wholly depraved? If I were to give you any
advice, it would be to choose a new Volksmoeder. I know that you are in
a difficulty about it, because out of the thirteen Burgtmaagden that we
still have remaining, eight are candidates for the dignity; but I should
pay no attention to that.

Teuntia, the Burgtmaagd of Medeasblik, who is not a candidate, is a
person of knowledge and sound sense, and quite as attached to our people
and our customs as all the rest together. I should farther recommend
that you should visit all the citadels, and write down all the laws of
Frya’s Tex, as well as all the histories, and all that is written on the
walls, in order that it may not be destroyed with the citadels.

It stands written that every Volksmoeder and every Burgtmaagd shall have
assistants and messengers—twenty-one maidens and seven apprentices.

If I might add more, I would recommend that all the respectable girls in
the towns should be taught; for I say positively, and time will show it,
that if you wish to remain true children of Frya, never to be vanquished
by fraud or arms, you must take care to bring up your daughters as true
Frya’s daughters.

You must teach the children how great our country has been, what great
men our forefathers were, how great we still are, if we compare
ourselves to others.

You must tell them of the sea-heroes, of their mighty deeds and distant
voyages. All these stories must be told by the fireside and in the
field, wherever it may be, in times of joy or sorrow; and if you wish to
impress it on the brains and the hearts of your sons, you must let it
flow through the lips of your wives and your daughters.

Adela’s advice was followed.

These are the Grevetmen under whose direction this book is composed:—

Apol, Adela’s husband; three times a sea-king; Grevetman of Ostflyland
and Lindaoorden. The towns Liudgarda, Lindahem, and Stavia are under his
care.

The Saxman Storo, Sytia’s husband; Grevetman over the Hoogefennen and
Wouden. Nine times he was chosen as duke or heerman (commander). The
towns Buda and Manna-garda-forda are under his care.

Abęlo, Jaltia’s husband; Grevetman over the Zuiderflylanden. He was
three times heerman. The towns Aken, Liudburg, and Katsburg are under
his care.

Enoch, Dywcke’s husband; Grevetman over Westflyland and Texel. He was
chosen nine times for sea-king. Waraburg, Medeasblik, Forana, and
Fryasburg are under his care.

Foppe, Dunroo’s husband; Grevetman over the seven islands. He was five
times sea-king. The town Walhallagara is under his care.

This was inscribed upon the walls of Fryasburg in Texland, as well as at
Stavia and Medeasblik.

It was Frya’s day, and seven times seven years had elapsed since Festa
was appointed Volksmoeder by the desire of Frya. The citadel of
Medeasblik was ready, and a Burgtmaagd was chosen. Festa was about to
light her new lamp, and when she had done so in the presence of all the
people, Frya called from her watch-star, so that every one could hear
it: “Festa, take your style and write the things, that I may not speak.”
Festa did as she was bid, and thus we became Frya’s children, and our
earliest history began.

This is our earliest history.

Wr-alda, who alone is eternal and good, made the beginning. Then
commenced time. Time wrought all things, even the earth. The earth bore
grass, herbs, and trees, all useful and all noxious animals. All that is
good and useful she brought forth by day, and all that is bad and
injurious by night.

After the twelfth Juulfeest she brought forth three maidens:—

Lyda out of fierce heat.

Finda out of strong heat.

Frya out of moderate heat.

When the last came into existence, Wr-alda breathed his spirit upon her
in order that men might be bound to him. As soon as they were full grown
they took pleasure and delight in the visions of Wr-alda.

Hatred found its way among them.

They each bore twelve sons and twelve daughters—at every Juul-time a
couple. Thence come all mankind.

Lyda was black, with hair curled like a lamb’s; her eyes shone like
stars, and shot out glances like those of a bird of prey.

Lyda was acute. She could hear a snake glide, and could smell a fish in
the water.

Lyda was strong and nimble. She could bend a large tree, yet when she
walked she did not bruise a flower-stalk.

Lyda was violent. Her voice was loud, and when she screamed in anger
every creature quailed.

Wonderful Lyda! She had no regard for laws; her actions were governed by
her passions. To help the weak she would kill the strong, and when she
had done it she would weep by their bodies.

Poor Lyda! She turned grey by her mad behaviour, and at last she died
heart-broken by the wickedness of her children. Foolish children! They
accused each other of their mother’s death. They howled and fought like
wolves, and while they did this the birds devoured the corpse. Who can
refrain from tears at such a recital?

Finda was yellow, and her hair was like the mane of a horse. She could
not bend a tree, but where Lyda killed one lion she killed ten.

Finda was seductive. Her voice was sweeter than any bird’s. Her eyes
were alluring and enticing, but whoever looked upon them became her slave.

Finda was unreasonable. She wrote thousands of laws, but she never
obeyed one. She despised the frankness of the good, and gave herself up
to flatterers.

That was her misfortune. Her head was too full, but her heart was too
vain. She loved nobody but herself, and she wished that all should love her.

False Finda! Honey-sweet were her words, bat those who trusted them
found sorrow at hand.

Selfish Finda! She wished to rule everybody, and her sons were like her.
They made their sisters serve them, and they slew each other for the
mastery.

Treacherous Finda! One wrong word would irritate her, and the cruellest
deeds did not affect her. If she saw a lizard swallow a spider, she
shuddered; but if she saw her children kill a Frisian, her bosom swelled
with pleasure.

Unfortunate Finda! She died in the bloom of her age, and the mode of her
death is unknown.

Hypocritical children! Her corpse was buried under a costly stone,
pompous inscriptions were written on it, and loud lamentations were
heard at it, but in private not a tear was shed.

Despicable people! The laws that Finda established were written on
golden tables, but the object for which they were made was never
attained. The good laws were abolished, and selfishness instituted bad
ones in their place. O Finda! then the earth overflowed with blood, and
your children were mown down like grass. Yes, Finda! those were the
fruits of your vanity. Look down from your watch-star and weep.

Frya was white like the snow at sunrise, and the blue of her eyes vied
with the rainbow.

Beautiful Frya! Like the rays of the sun shone the locks of her hair,
which were as fine as spiders’ webs.

Clever Frya! When she opened her lips the birds ceased to sing and the
leaves to quiver.

Powerful Frya! At the glance of her eye the lion lay down at her feet
and the adder withheld his poison.

Pure Frya! Her food was honey, and her beverage was dew gathered from
the cups of the flowers.

Sensible Frya! The first lesson that she taught her children was
self-control, and the second was the love of virtue; and when they were
grown she taught them the value of liberty; for she said, “Without
liberty all other virtues serve to make you slaves, and to disgrace your
origin.”

Generous Frya! She never allowed metal to be dug from the earth for her
own benefit, but when she did it it was for the general use.

Most happy Frya! Like the starry host in the firmament, her children
clustered around her.

Wise Frya! When she had seen her children reach the seventh generation,
she summoned them all to Flyland, and there gave them her Tex, saying,
“Let this be your guide, and it can never go ill with you.”

Exalted Frya! When she had thus spoken the earth shook like the sea of
Wr-alda. The ground of Flyland sank beneath her feet, the air was dimmed
by tears, and when they looked for their mother she was already risen to
her watching star; then at length thunder burst from the clouds, and the
lightning wrote upon the firmament “Watch!”

Far-seeing Frya! The land from which she had risen was now a stream, and
except her Tex all that was in it was overwhelmed.

Obedient children! When they came to themselves again, they made this
high mound and built this citadel upon it, and on the walls they wrote
the Tex, and that every one should be able to find it they called the
land about it Texland. Therefore it shall remain as long as the earth
shall be the earth.

* /Nęsa/, contraction for /ne węsa/, /nilde/ for /ne wilde/, /nęte/ for
/ne węte/.

† Magy, King of the Magyars or Finns.

* /Oni/, in Old Dutch, is /one/; in German, /ohne/ or /zonder/.

† /Mong/, /among/, or /emong/, is, in Dutch, /onder/; in English, /among/.

* /Falikant/, or /fâ likande/, is very improbable or unlikely.

* /Wr-alda/, always written as a compound word, meaning the /Old
Ancient/, or the /Oldest Being/.

† /Od/, the root of the Latin /odi/, I hate.

* /Nylof/; the colour of new foliage, bright green.

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4.

FRYA’S TEX.

Prosperity awaits the free. At last they shall see me again. Though him
only can I recognise as free who is neither a slave to another nor to
himself. This is my counsel:—

1. When in dire distress, and when mental and physical energy avail
nothing, then have recourse to the spirit of Wr-alda; but do not appeal
to him before you have tried all other means, for I tell you beforehand,
and time will prove its truth, that those who give way to discouragement
sink under their burdens.

2. To Wr-alda’s spirit only shall you bend the knee in
gratitude—thricefold—for what you have received, for what you do
receive, and for the hope of aid in time of need.

3. You have seen how speedily I have come to your assistance. Do
likewise to your neighbour, but wait not for his entreaties. The
suffering would curse you, my maidens would erase your name from the
book, and I would regard you as a stranger.

4. Let not your neighbour express his thanks to you on bended knee,
which is only due to Wr-alda’s spirit. Envy would assail you, Wisdom
would ridicule you, and my maidens would accuse you of irreverence.

5. Four things are given for your enjoyment—air, water, land, and
fire—but Wr-alda is the sole possessor of them. Therefore my counsel to
you is, choose upright men who will fairly divide the labour and the
fruits, so that no man shall be exempt from work or from the duty of
defence.

6. If ever it should happen that one of your people should sell his
freedom, he is not of you, he is a bastard. I counsel you to expel him
and his mother from the land. Repeat this to your children morning,
noon, and night, till they think of it in their dreams.

7. If any man shall deprive another, even his debtor, of his liberty,
let him be to you as a vile slave; and I advise you to burn his body and
that of his mother in an open place, and bury them fifty feet below the
ground, so that no grass shall grow upon them. It would poison your cattle.

8. Meddle not with the people of Lyda, nor of Finda, because Wr-alda
would help them, and any injury that you inflicted on them would recoil
upon your own heads.

9. If it should happen that they come to you for advice or assistance,
then it behoves you to help them; but if they should rob you, then fall
upon them with fire and sword.

10. If any of them should seek a daughter of yours to wife, and she is
willing, explain to her her folly; but if she will follow her lover, let
her go in peace.

11. If your son wishes for a daughter of theirs, do the same as to your
daughter; but let not either one or the other ever return among you, for
they would introduce foreign morals and customs, and if these were
accepted by you, I could no longer watch over you.

12. Upon my servant Fasta I have placed all my hopes. Therefore you must
choose her for Eeremoeder. Follow my advice, then she will hereafter
remain my servant as well as all the sacred maidens who succeed her.
Then shall the lamp which I have lighted for you never be extinguished.
Its brightness shall always illuminate your intellect, and you shall
always remain as free from foreign domination as your fresh river-water
is distinct from the salt sea.

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5.

THIS HAS FASTA SPOKEN.

All the regulations which have existed a century, that is, a hundred
years, may by the advice of the Eeremoeder, with the consent of the
community, be inscribed upon the walls of the citadel, and when
inscribed on the walls they become laws, and it is our duty to respect
them all. If by force or necessity any regulations should be imposed
upon ne at variance with our laws and customs, we must submit; but
should we be released, we must always return to our own again. That is
Frya’s will, and must be that of all her children.

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6.

FASTA SAID—

Anything that any man commences, whatever it may be, on the day
appointed for Frya’s worship shall eternally fail, for time has proved
that she was right; and it is become a law that no man shall, except
from absolute necessity, keep that day otherwise than as a joyful feast.

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7.

THESE ARE THE LAWS ESTABLISHED FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITADELS.

1. Whenever a citadel is built, the lamp belonging to it must be lighted
at the original lamp in Texland, and that can only be done by the mother.

2. Every mother shall appoint her own maidens. She may even choose those
who are mothers in other towns.

3. The mother of Texland may appoint her own successor, but should she
die without having done so, the election shall take place at a general
assembly of the whole nation.

4. The mother of Texland may have twenty-one maidens and seven
assistants, so that there may always be seven to attend the lamp day and
night. She may have the same number of maidens who are mothers in other
towns.

5. If a maiden wishes to marry, she must announce it to the mother, and
immediately resign her office, before her passion shall have polluted
the light.

6. For the service of the mother and of each of the Burgtmaidens there
shall be appointed twenty-one townsmen—seven civilians of mature years,
seven warriors of mature years, and seven seamen of mature years.

7. Out of the seven three shall retire every year, and shall not be
replaced by members of their own family nearer than the fourth degree.

8. Each may have three hundred young townsmen as defenders.

9. For this service they must study Frya’s Tex and the laws. From the
sages they must learn wisdom, from the warriors the art of war, and from
the sea-kings the skill required for distant voyages.

10. Every year one hundred of the defenders shall return to their homes,
and those that may have been wounded shall remain in the citadels.

11. At the election of the defenders no burgher or Grevetman, or other
person of distinction, shall vote, but only the people.

12. The mother at Texland shall have three times seven active
messengers, and three times twelve speedy horses. In the other citadels
each maiden shall have three messengers and seven horses.

13. Every citadel shall have fifty agriculturists chosen by the people,
but only those may be chosen who are not strong enough to go to war or
to go to sea.

14. Every citadel must provide for its own sustenance, and must maintain
its own defences, and look after its share of the general contributions.

15. If a man is chosen to fill any office and refuses to serve, he can
never become a burgher, nor have any vote. And if he is already a
burgher, he shall cease to be so.

16. If any man wishes to consult the mother or a Burgtmaid, he must
apply to the secretary, who will take him to the Burgtmaster. He will
then be examined by a surgeon to see if he is in good health. If he is
passed, he shall lay aside his arms, and seven warriors shall present
him to the mother.

17. If the affair concerns only one district, he must bring forward not
less than three witnesses; but if it affects the whole of Friesland, he
must have twenty-one additional witnesses, in order to guard against any
deceptions.

18. Under all circumstances the mother must take care that her children,
that is, Frya’s people, shall remain as temperate as possible. This is
her most important duty, and it is the duty of all of us to help her in
performing it.

19. If she is called upon to decide any judicial question between a
Grevetman and the community, she must incline towards the side of the
community in order to maintain peace, and because it is better that one
man should suffer than many.

20. If any one comes to the mother for advice, and she is prepared to
give it, she must do it immediately. If she does not know what to
advise, he must remain waiting seven days; and if she then is unable to
advise, he must go away without complaining, for it is better to have no
advice at all than bad advice.

21. If a mother shall have given bad advice out of illwill, she must be
killed or driven out of the land, deprived of everything.

22. If her Burgtheeren are accomplices, they are to be treated in a
similar manner.

23. If her guilt is doubtful or only suspected, it must be considered
and debated, if necessary, for twenty-one weeks. If half the votes are
against her, she must be declared innocent. If two-thirds are against
her, she must wait a whole year. If the votes are then the same, she
must be considered guilty, but may not be put to death.

24. If any of the one-third who have voted for her wish to go away with
her, they may depart with all their live and dead stock, and shall not
be the less considered, since the majority maybe wrong as well as the
minority.

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8.

UNIVERSAL LAW.

1. All free-born, men are equal, wherefore they must all have equal
rights on sea and land, and on all that Wr-alda has given.

2. Every man may seek the wife of his choice, and every woman may bestow
her hand on him whom she loves.

3. When a man takes a wife, a house and yard must be given to him. If
there is none, one must be built for him.

4. If he has taken a wife in another village, and wishes to remain, they
must give him a house there, and likewise the free use of the common.

5. To every man must be given a piece of land behind his house. No man
shall have land in front of his house, still less an enclosure, unless
he has performed some public service. In such a case it may be given,
and the youngest son may inherit it, but after him it returns to the
community.

6. Every village shall possess a common for the general good, and the
chief of the village shall take care that it is kept in good order, so
that posterity shall find it uninjured.

7. Every village shall have a market-place. All the rest of the land
shall be for tillage and forest. No one shall fell trees without the
consent of the community, or without the knowledge of the forester; for
the forests are general property, and no man can appropriate them.

8. The market charges shall not exceed one-twelfth of the value of the
goods either to natives or strangers. The portion taken for the charges
shall not be sold before the other goods.

9. All the market receipts must be divided yearly into a hundred parts
three days before the Juul-day.

10. The Grevetman and his council shall take twenty parts; the keeper of
the market ten, and his assistants five; the Volksmoeder one, the
midwife four, the village ten, and the poor and infirm shall have fifty
parts.

11. There shall be no usurers in the market.

If any should come, it will be the duty of the maidens to make it known
through the whole land, in order that such people may not be chosen for
any office, because they are hard-hearted.

For the sake of money they would betray everybody—the people, the
mother, their nearest relations, and even their own selves.

12. If any man should attempt to sell diseased cattle or damaged goods
for sound, the market-keeper shall expel him, and the maidens shall
proclaim him through the country.

In early times almost all the Finns lived together in their native land,
which was called Aldland, and is now submerged. They were thus far away,
and we had no wars. When they were driven hitherwards, and appeared as
robbers, then arose the necessity of defending ourselves, and we had
armies, kings, and wars.

For all this there were established regulations, and out of the
regulations came fixed laws.

* The market dues were paid in kind.

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9.

HERE FOLLOW THE LAWS WHICH WERE THUS ESTABLISHED.

1. Every Frisian must resist the assailants with such weapons as he can
procure, invent, and use.

2. When a boy is twelve years old he must devote one day in seven to
learning how to use his weapons.

3. As soon as he is perfect in the use of them they are to be given to
him, and he is to be admitted as a warrior.

4. After serving as a warrior three years, he may become a citizen, and
may have a vote in the election of the headman.

5. When he has been seven years a voter he then may have a vote for the
chief or king, and may be himself elected.

6. Every year he must be re-elected.

7. Except the king, all other officials are re-eligible who act
according to Frya’s laws.

8. No king may be in office more than three years, in order that the
office may not be permanent.

9. After an interval of seven years he may be elected again.

10. If the king is killed by the enemy, his nearest relative may be a
candidate to succeed him.

11. If he dies a natural death, or if his period of service has expired,
he shall not be succeeded by any blood relation nearer than the fourth
degree.

12. Those who fight with arms are not men of counsel, therefore no king
must bear arms. His wisdom must be his weapon, and the love of his
warriors his shield.

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10.

THESE ARE THE RIGHTS OF THE MOTHERS AND THE KINGS.

1. If war breaks out, the mother sends her messengers to the king, who
sends messengers to the Grevetmen to call the citizens to arms.

2. The Grevetmen call all the citizens together and decide how many men
shall be sent.

3. All the resolutions must immediately be sent to the mother by
messengers and witnesses.

4. The mother considers all the resolutions and decides upon them, and
with this the king as well as the people must be satisfied.

5. When in the field, the king consults only his superior officers, but
three citizens of the mother must be present, without any voice. These
citizens must send daily reports to the mother, that they may be sure
nothing is done contrary to the counsels of Frya.

6. If the king wishes to do anything which his council opposes, he may
not persist in it.

7. If an enemy appears unexpectedly, then the king’s orders must be obeyed.

8. If the king is not present, the next to him takes command, and so on
in succession according to rank.

9. If there is no leader present, one must be chosen.

10. If there is no time to choose, any one may come forward who feels
himself capable of leading.

11. If a king has conquered a dangerous enemy, his successors may take
his name after their own. The king may, if be wishes, choose an open
piece of ground for a house and ground; the ground shall be enclosed,
and may be so large that there shall be seven hundred steps to the
boundary in all directions from the house.

12. His youngest son may inherit this, and that son’s youngest son after
him; then it shall return to the community.

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11.

HERE ARE THE RULES ESTABLISHED FOR THE SECURITY OF ALL FRISIANS.

1. Whenever new laws are made or new regulations established, they must
be for the common good, and not for individual advantage.

2. Whenever in time of war either ships or houses are destroyed, either
by the enemy or as a matter of precaution, a general levy shall be
assessed on the people to make it good again, so that no one may neglect
the general welfare to preserve his own interest.

3. At the conclusion of a war, if any men are so severely wounded as to
be unable to work, they shall be maintained at the public expense, and
shall have the best seats at festivals, in order that the young may
learn to honour them.

4. If there are widows and orphans, they shall likewise be maintained at
the public expense; and the sons may inscribe the names of their fathers
on their shields for the honour of their families.

5. If any who have been taken prisoners should return, they must be kept
separate from the camp, because they may have obtained their liberty by
making treacherous promises, and thus they may avoid keeping their
promises without forfeiting their honour.

6. If any enemies be taken prisoners, they must be sent to the interior
of the country, that they may learn our free customs.

7. If they are afterwards set free, it must be done with kindness by the
maidens, in order that we may make them comrades and friends, instead of
haters and enemies.

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12.

FROM MINNO’S WRITINGS.

If any one should be so wicked as to commit robbery, murder, arson,
rape, or any other crime, upon a neighbouring state, and our people wish
to inflict punishment, the culprit shall be put to death in the presence
of the offended, in order that no war may arise, and the innocent suffer
for the guilty. If the offended will spare his life and forego their
revenge, it may be permitted. If the culprit should be a king,
Grevetman, or other person in authority, we must make good his fault,
but he must be punished.

If he bears on his shield the honourable name of his forefathers, his
kinsmen shall no longer wear it, in order that every man may look after
the conduct of his relatives.

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13.

LAWS FOR THE NAVIGATORS.

/Navigator is the title of those who make foreign voyages./

1. All Frya’s sons have equal rights, and every stalwart youth may offer
himself as a navigator to the Olderman, who may not refuse him as long
as there is any vacancy.

2. The navigators may choose their own masters.

3. The traders must be chosen and named by the community to which they
belong, and the navigators have no voice in their election.

4. If during a voyage it is found that the king is bad or incompetent,
another may be put in his place, and on the return home he may make his
complaint to the Olderman.

5. If the fleet returns with profits, the sailors may divide one-third
among themselves in the following manner: The king twelve portions, the
admiral seven, the boatswains each two portions, the captains three, and
the rest of the crew each one part; the youngest boys each one-third of
a portion, the second boys half a portion each, and the eldest boys
two-thirds of a portion each.

6. If any have been disabled, they must be maintained at the public
expense, and honoured in the same way as the soldiers.

7. If any have died on the voyage, their nearest relatives inherit their
portion.

8. Their widows and orphans must be maintained at the public expense;
and if they were killed in a sea-fight, their sons may bear the names of
their fathers on their shields.

9. If a topsailman is lost, his heirs shall receive a whole portion.

10. If he was betrothed, his bride may claim seven portions in order to
erect a monument to her bridegroom, but then she must remain a widow all
her life.

11. If the community is fitting out a fleet, the purveyors must provide
the best provisions for the voyage, and for the women and children.

12. If a sailor is worn out and poor, and has no house or patrimony, one
must be given him. If he does not wish for a house, his friends may take
him home; and the community must bear the expense, unless his friends
decline to receive it.

* /Stjurar/, from this is derived the word /Sturii/ in Pliny.

* /Prentar/, still used in Texel to designate a pilot’s apprentice.

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14.

USEFUL EXTRACTS FROM THE WRITINGS LEFT BY MINNO.

Minno was an ancient sea-king. He was a seer and a philosopher, and he
gave laws to the Cretans. He was born at Lindaoord, and after all his
wanderings he had the happiness to die at Lindahem.

If our neighbours have a piece of land or water which it would be
advantageous for us to possess, it is proper that we should offer to buy
it. If they refuse to sell it, we must let them keep it. This is Frya’s
Tex, and it would be unjust to act contrary to it.

If any of our neighbours quarrel and fight about any matter except land,
and they request us to arbitrate, our best course will be to decline;
but if they insist upon it, it must be done honourably and justly.

If any one comes and says, I am at war, you must help me; or another
comes and says, My son is an infant and incompetent, and I am old, so I
wish you to be his guardian, and to take charge of my property until he
is of age, it is proper to refuse in order that we may not come into
disputes about matters foreign to our free customs.

Whenever a foreign trader comes to the open markets at Wyringen and
Almanland, if he cheats, he must immediately be fined, and it must be
published by the maidens throughout the whole country.

If he should come back, no one must deal with him. He must return as he
came.

Whenever traders are chosen to go to trading stations, or to sail with
the fleets, they must be well known and of good reputation with the maidens.

If, however, a bad man should by chance be chosen and should try to
cheat, the others are bound to remove him. If he should have committed a
cheat, it must be made good, and the culprit must be banished from the
land in order that our name may be everywhere held in honour.

If we should be ill-treated in a foreign market, whether distant or
near, we must immediately attack them; for though we desire to be at
peace, we must not let our neighbours underrate us or think that we are
afraid.

In my youth I often grumbled at the strictness of the laws, but
afterwards I learned to thank Frya for her Tex and our forefathers for
the laws which they established upon it. Wr-alda or Alvader has given me
many years, and I have travelled over many lands and seas, and after all
that I have seen, I am convinced that we alone are chosen by Alvader to
have laws. Lyda’s people can neither make laws nor obey them, they are
too stupid and uncivilised. Many are like Finda. They are clever enough,
but they are too rapacious, haughty, false, immoral, and bloodthirsty.

The toad blows himself out, but he can only crawl. The frog cries “Work,
work;” but he can do nothing but hop and make himself ridiculous. The
raven cries “Spare, spare;” but he steals and wastes everything that he
gets into his beak.

Finda’s people are just like these. They say a great deal about making
good laws, and every one wishes to make regulations against misconduct,
but does not wish to submit to them himself. Whoever is the most crafty
crows over the others, and tries to make them submit to him, till
another comes who drives him off his perch.

The word “Eva” is too sacred for common use, therefore men have learned
to say “Evin.”

“Eva” means that sentiment which is implanted in the breast of every man
in order that he may know what is right and what is wrong, and by which
he is able to judge his own deeds and those of others; that is, if he
has been well and properly brought up. “Eva” has also another meaning;
that is, tranquil, smooth, like water that is not stirred by a breath of
wind. If the water is disturbed it becomes troubled, uneven, but it
always has a tendency to return to its tranquil condition. That is its
nature, just as the inclination towards justice and freedom exists in
Frya’s children. We derive this disposition from the spirit of our
father Wr-alda, which speaks strongly in Frya’s children, and will
eternally remain so. Eternity is another symbol of Wr-alda, who remains
always just and unchangeable.

Eternal and unalterable are the signs wisdom and rectitude, which must
be sought after by all pious people, and must be possessed by all
judges. If, therefore, it is desired to make laws and regulations which
shall be permanent, they must be equal for all men. The judges must
pronounce their decisions according to these laws. If any crime is
committed respecting which no law has been made, a general assembly of
the people shall be called, where judgment shall be pronounced in
accordance with the inspiration of Wr-alda’s spirit. If we act thus, our
judgment will never fail to be right.

If instead of doing right, men will commit wrong, there will arise
quarrels and differences among people and states. Thence arise civil
wars, and everything is thrown into confusion and destroyed; and, O
foolish people! while you are injuring each other the spiteful Finda’s
people with their false priests come and attack your ports, ravish your
daughters, corrupt your morals, and at last throw the bonds of slavery
over every freeman’s neck.

† /Minno/, /Minos/ (the Ancient).

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15.

FROM MINNO’S WRITINGS.

When Nyhalennia, whose real name was Min-erva, was well established, and
the Krekalanders loved her as well as our own people did, there came
some princes and priests to her citadel and asked Min-erva where her
possessions lay. Hellenia answered, I carry my possessions in my own
bosom. What I have inherited is the love of wisdom, justice, and
freedom. If I lose these I shall become as the least of your slaves; now
I give advice for nothing, but then I should sell it. The gentlemen went
away laughing and saying, Your humble servants, wise Hellenia. But they
missed their object, for the people took up this name as a name of
honour. When they saw that their shot had missed they began to
calumniate her, and to say that she had bewitched the people; but our
people and the good Krekalanders understood at once that it was calumny.
She was once asked, If you are not a witch, what is the use of the eggs
that you always carry with you? Min-erva answered, These eggs are the
symbols of Frya’s counsels, in which our future and that of the whole
human race lies concealed. Time will hatch them, and we must watch that
no harm happens to them. The priests said, Well answered; but what is
the use of the dog on your right hand? Hellenia replied, Does not the
shepherd have a sheep-dog to keep his flock together? What the dog is to
the shepherd I am in Frya’s service. I must watch over Frya’s flocks. We
understand that very well, said the priests; but tell us what means the
owl that always sits upon your head, is that light-shunning animal a
sign of your clear vision? No, answered Hellenia; he reminds me that
there are people on earth who, like him, have their homes in churches
and holes, who go about in the twilight, not, like him, to deliver us
from mice and other plagues, but to invent tricks to steal away the
knowledge of other people, in order to take advantage of them, to make
slaves of them, and to suck their blood like leeches. Another time they
came with a whole troop of people, when the plague was in the country,
and said; We are all making offerings to the gods that they may take
away the plague. Will you not help to turn away their anger, or have you
yourself brought the plague into the land with all your arts? No, said
Min-erva; I know no gods that do evil, therefore I cannot ask them to do
better. I only know one good spirit, that is Wr-alda’s; and as he is
good be never does evil. Where, then, does evil come from? asked the
priests. All the evil comes from you, and from the stupidity of the
people who let themselves be deceived by you. If, then, your god is so
exceedingly good, why does he not turn away the bad? asked the priests.
Hellenia answered: Frya has placed us here, and the carrier, that is,
Time, must do the rest. For all calamities there is counsel and remedy
to be found, but Wr-alda wills that we should search it out ourselves,
in order that we may become strong and wise. If we will not do that, he
leaves us to our own devices, in order that we may experience the
results of wise or foolish conduct. Then a prince said, I should think
it best to submit. Very possibly, answered Hellenia; for then men would
be like sheep, and you and the priests would take care of them, shearing
them and leading them to the shambles. This is what our god does not
desire, he desires that we should help one another, but that all should
be free and wise. That is also our desire, and therefore our people
choose their princes, counts, councillors, chiefs, and masters among the
wisest of the good men, in order that every man shall do his best to be
wise and good. Thus doing, we learn ourselves and teach the people that
being wise and acting wisely can alone lead to holiness. That seems very
good judgment, said the priests; but if you mean that the plague is
caused by our stupidity, then Nyhellenia will perhaps be so good as to
bestow upon us a little of that new light of which she is so proud. Yes,
said Hellenia, but ravens and other birds of prey feed only on dead
carrion, whereas the plague feeds not only on carrion but on bad laws
and customs and wicked passions. If yon wish the plague to depart from
you and not return, you must put away your bad passions and become pure
within and without. We admit that the advice is good, said the priests,
but how shall we induce all the people under our rule to agree to it?
Then Hellenia stood up and said: The sparrows follow the sower, and the
people their good princes, therefore it becomes you to begin by
rendering yourselves pure, so that you may look within and without, and
not be ashamed of your own conduct. Now, instead of purifying the
people, you have invented foul festivals, in which they have so long
revelled that they wallow like swine in the mire to atone for your evil
passions. The people began to mock and to jeer, so that she did not dare
to pursue the subject; and one would have thought that they would have
called all the people together to drive us out of the land; but no, in
place of abusing her they went all about from the heathenish Krekaland
to the Alps, proclaiming that it had pleased the Almighty God to send
his clever daughter Min-erva, surnamed Nyhellenia, over the sea in a
cloud to give people good counsel, and that all who listened to her
should become rich and happy, and in the end governors of all the
kingdoms of the earth. They erected statues to her on all their altars,
they announced and sold to the simple people advice that she had never
given, and related miracles that she had never performed. They cunningly
made themselves masters of our laws and customs, and by craft and
subtlety were able to explain and spread them around. They appointed
priestesses under their own care, who were apparently under the
protection of Festa, our first Eeremoeder, to watch over the holy lamp;
but that lamp they lit themselves, and instead of imbuing the
priestesses with wisdom, and then sending them to watch the sick and
educate the young, they made them stupid and ignorant, and never allowed
them to come out. They were employed as advisers, but the advice which
seemed to come from them was but the repetition of the behests of the
priests. When Nyhellenia died, we wished to choose another mother, and
some of us wished to go to Texland to look for her; but the priests, who
were all-powerful among their own people, would not permit it, and
accused us before the people of being unholy.

* /Nyhellenia/ or /Nehalennia/.

† /Krekaland/, the Krekenland means Magna Grecia as well as Greece.

* /Fâsta/ is Vesta, or the Vestal Virgins.

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16.

FROM THE WRITINGS OF MINNO.

When I came away from Athenia with my followers, we arrived at an island
named by my crew Kreta, because of the cries that the inhabitants raised
on our arrival. When they really saw that we did not come to make war,
they were quiet, so that at last I was able to buy a harbour in exchange
for a boat and some iron implements, and a piece of land. When we had
been settled there a short time, and they discovered that we had no
slaves, they were very much astonished; and when I explained to them
that we had laws which made everybody equal, they wished to have the
same; but they had hardly established them before the whole land was in
confusion.

The priests and the princes declared that we had excited their subjects
to rebellion, and the people appealed to us for aid and protection. When
the princes saw that they were about to lose their kingdom, they gave
freedom to their people, and came to me to establish a code of laws. The
people, however, got no freedom, and the princes remained masters,
acting according to their own pleasure. When this storm had passed, they
began to sow divisions among us. They told my people that I had invoked
their assistance to make myself permanent king. Once I found poison in
my food. So when a ship from Flyland sailed past, I quietly took my
departure. Leaving alone, then, my own adventures, I will conclude this
history by saying that we must not have anything to do with Finda’s
people, wherever it may be, because they are full of false tricks, fully
as much to be feared as their sweet wine with deadly poison.

Here ends Minno’s writing.

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17.

THESE ARE THE THREE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THESE LAWS ARE FOUNDED.

1. Everybody knows that he requires the necessaries of life, and if he
cannot obtain them he does not know how to preserve his life.

2. All men have a natural desire to have children, and if it is not
satisfied they are not aware what evil may spring from it.

3. Every man knows that he wishes to live free and undisturbed, and that
others wish the same thing.

To secure this, these laws and regulations are made.

The people of Finda have also their rules and regulations, but these are
not made according to what is just—only for the advantage of priests and
princes—therefore their states are fall of disputes and murder.

1. If any man falls into a state of destitution, his case must be
brought before the count by the maidens, because a high-minded Frisian
cannot bear to do that himself.

2. If any man becomes poor because he will not work, he must be sent out
of the country, because the cowardly and lazy are troublesome and
ill-disposed, therefore they ought to be got rid of.

3. Every young man ought to seek a bride and to be married at
five-and-twenty.

4. If a young man is not married at five-and-twenty, he must be driven
from his home, and the younger men must avoid him. If then he will not
marry, he must be declared dead, and leave the country, so that he may
not give offence.

5. If a man is impotent, he must openly declare that no one has anything
to fear from him, then he may come or go where he likes.

6. If after that he commits any act of incontinence, then he must flee
away; if he does not, he may be given over to the vengeance of those
whom he has offended, and no one may aid him.

7. Any one who commits a theft shall restore it threefold. For a second
offence he shall be sent to the tin mines. The person robbed may forgive
him if he pleases, but for a third offence no one shall protect him.

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18.

THESE RULES ARE MADE FOR ANGRY PEOPLE.

1. If a man in a passion or out of illwill breaks another’s limb or puts
out an eye or a tooth, he must pay whatever the injured man demands. If
he cannot pay, he must suffer the same injury as he has done to the
other. If he refuses this, he must appeal to the Burgtmaagd in order to
be sent to work in the iron or tin mines until he has expiated his crime
under the general law.

2. If a man is so wicked as to kill a Frisian, he must forfeit his own
life; but if the Burgtmaagd can send him to the tin mines for his life
before he is taken, she may do so.

3. If the prisoner can prove by proper witnesses that the death was
accidental, he may go free; but if it happens a second time, he must go
to the tin mines, in order to avoid any unseemly hatred or vengeance.

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19.

THESE ARE THE RULES CONCERNING BASTARDS.

1. If any man sets fire to another’s house, he is no Frisian, he is a
bastard. If he is caught in the act, he must be thrown into the fire;
and wherever he may flee, he shall never be secure from the avenging
justice.

2. No true Frisian shall speak ill of the faults of his neighbours. If
any man injures himself, but does no harm to others, he must be his own
judge; but if he becomes so bad that he is dangerous to others, they
must bring it before the count. But if instead of going to the count a
man accuses another behind his back, he must be put on the pillory in
the market-place, and then sent out of the country, but not to the tin
mines, because even there a backbiter is to be feared.

3. If any man should prove a traitor and show to our enemies the paths
leading to our places of refuge, or creep into them by night, he must be
the offspring of Finda; he must be burnt. The sailors must take his
mother and all his relations to a desolate island, and there scatter his
ashes, in order that no poisonous herbs may spring from them. The
maidens must curse his name in all the states, in order that no child
may be called by his name, and that his ancestors may repudiate him.

War had come to an end, but famine came in its place. There were three
men who each stole a sack of corn from different owners, but they were
all caught. The first owner brought his thief to the judge, and the
maidens said everywhere that he had done right. The second owner took
the corn away from his thief and let him go in peace. The maidens said
he has done well. The third owner went to the thief’s house, and when he
saw what misery was there, he went and brought a waggon-load of
necessaries to relieve their distress. Frya’s maidens came around him
and wrote his deed in the eternal book, and wiped out all his sins. This
was reported to the Eeremoeder, and she had it made known over the whole
country.

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20.

WHAT IS WRITTEN HEREUNDER IS INSCRIBED ON THE WALLS OF WARABURGT.

 (See Plate I.)

What appears at the top is the signs of the Juul—that is, the first
symbol of Wr-alda, also of the origin or beginning from which Time is
derived; this is the Kroder, which must always go round with the Juul.
According to this model Frya formed the set hand which she used to write
her Tex. When Fasts was Eeremoeder she made a running hand out of it.
The Witkoning—that is, the Sea-king Godfried the Old—made separate
numbers for the set hand and for the runic hand. It is therefore not too
much that we celebrate it once a year. We may be eternally thankful to
Wr-alda that he allowed his spirit to exercise such an influence over
our forefathers.

In her time Finda also invented a mode of writing, but that was so
high-flown and full of flourishes that her descendants have soon lost
the meaning of it.

Afterwards they learned our writing—that is, the Finns, the Thyriers,
and the Krekalanders—but they did not know that it was taken from the
Juul, and must therefore always be written round like the sun.
Furthermore, they wished that their writing should be illegible by other
people, because they always had matters to conceal. In doing this they
acted very unwisely, because their children could only with great
difficulty read the writings of their predecessors, whereas our most
ancient writings are as easy to read as those that were written yesterday.

Here is a specimen of the set hand and of the running hand, as well as
of the figures, in both.

 (See Plate II.)

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21.

THIS STANDS INSCRIBED UPON ALL CITADELS.

Before the bad time came our country was the most beautiful in the
world. The sun rose higher, and there was seldom frost. The trees and
shrubs produced various fruits, which are now lost. In the fields we had
not only barley, oats, and rye, but wheat which shone like gold, and
which could be baked in the sun’s rays. The years were not counted, for
one was as happy as another.

On one side we were bounded by Wr-alda’s Sea, on which no one but us
might or could sail; on the other side we were hedged in by the broad
Twiskland (Tusschenland, Duitschland), through which the Finda people
dared not come on account of the thick forests and the wild beasts.

Eastward our boundary went to the extremity of the East Sea, and
westward to the Mediterranean Sea; so that besides the small rivers we
had twelve large rivers given us by Wr-alda to keep our land moist, and
to show our seafaring men the way to his sea.

The banks of these rivers were at one time entirely inhabited by our
people, as well as the banks of the Rhine from one end to the other.
Opposite Denmark and Jutland we had colonies and a Burgtmaagd. Thence we
obtained copper and iron, as well as tar and pitch, and some other
necessaries. Opposite to us we had Britain, formerly Westland, with her
tin mines.

Britain was the land of the exiles, who with the help of their
Burgtmaagd had gone away to save their lives; but in order that they
might not come back they were tattooed with a B on the forehead, the
banished with a red dye, the other criminals with blue. Moreover, our
sailors and merchants had many factories among the distant Krekalanders
and in Lydia. In Lydia (Lybia) the people are black. As our country was
so great and extensive, we had many different names. Those who were
settled to the east of Denmark were called Jutten, because often they
did nothing else than look for amber (/jutten/) on the shore. Those who
lived in the islands were called Letten, because they lived an isolated
life. All those who lived between Denmark and the Sandval, now the
Scheldt, were called Stuurlieden (pilots), Zeekampers (naval men), and
Angelaren (fishermen). The Angelaren were men who fished in the sea, and
were so named because they used lines and hooks instead of nets. From
there to the nearest part of Krekaland the inhabitants were called
Kadhemers, because they never went to sea but remained ashore.

Those who were settled in the higher marches bounded by Twisklanden
(Germany) were called Saxmannen, because they were always armed against
the wild beasts and the savage Britons. Besides these we had the names
Landzaten (natives of the land), Marzaten (natives of the fens), and
Woud or Hout zaten (natives of the woods).

* /Stjurar/, in Latin /Sturii/.

† /Sękâmpar/, in Latin /Sicambri/.

‡ /Angelara/, in Latin /Angli/.

* /Mârsata/, in Latin /Marsacii/.

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22.

HOW THE BAD TIME CAME.

During the whole summer the sun had been hid behind the clouds, as if
unwilling to look upon the earth. There was perpetual calm, and the damp
mist hung like a wet sail over the houses and the marshes. The air was
heavy and oppressive, and in men’s hearts was neither joy nor
cheerfulness. In the midst of this stillness the earth began to tremble
as if she was dying. The mountains opened to vomit forth fire and
flames. Some sank into the bosom of the earth, and in other places
mountains rose out of the plain. Aldland, called by the seafaring
people, Atland, disappeared, and the wild waves rose so high over hill
and dale that everything was buried in the sea. Many people were
swallowed up by the earth, and others who had escaped the fire perished
in the water.

It was not only in Finda’s land that the earth vomited fire, but also in
Twiskland (Germany). Whole forests were burned one after the other, and
when the wind blew from that quarter our land was covered with ashes.
Rivers changed their course, and at their mouths new islands were formed
of sand and drift.

During three years this continued, but at length it ceased, and forests
became visible. Many countries were submerged, and in other places land
rose above the sea, and the wood was destroyed through the half of
Twiskland (Germany). Troops of Finda’s people came and settled in the
empty places. Our dispersed people were exterminated or made slaves.
Then watchfulness was doubly impressed upon us, and time taught us that
union is force.

† /Aldland/, in Latin /Atlantis/.

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23.

THIS IS INSCRIBED ON THE WARABURGT BY THE ALDEGAMUDE.

The Waraburgt is not a maiden’s city, but the place where all the
foreign articles brought by sailors were stored. It lies three hours
south from Medeasblik.

/Thus is the Preface./

Hills, bow your heads; weep, ye streams and clouds. Yes. Schoonland
(Scandinavia) blushes, an enslaved people tramples on your garment, O Frya.

/This is the history./

One hundred and one years after the submersion of Aldland a people came
out of the East. That people was driven by another. Behind us, in
Twiskland (Germany), they fell into disputes, divided into two parties,
and each went its own way. Of the one no account has come to us, but the
other came in the back of our Schoonland, which was thinly inhabited,
particularly the upper part. Therefore they were able to take possession
of it without contest, and as they did no other harm, we would not make
war about it. Now that we have learned to know them, we will describe
their customs, and after that how matters went between us. They were not
wild people, like most of Finda’s race; but, like the Egyptians, they
have priests and also statues in their churches. The priests are the
only rulers; they call themselves Magyars, and their headman Magy. He is
high priest and king in one. The rest of the people are of no account,
and in subjection to them. This people have not even a name; but we call
them Finns, because although all the festivals are melancholy and
bloody, they are so formal that we are inferior to them in that respect.
But still they are not to be envied, because they are slaves to their
priests, and still more to their creeds. They believe that evil spirits
abound everywhere, and enter into men and beasts, but of Wr-alda’s
spirit they know nothing. They have weapons of stone, the Magyars of
copper. The Magyars affirm that they can exorcise and recall the evil
spirits, and this frightens the people, so that you never see a cheerful
face. When they were well established, the Magyars sought our
friendship, they praised our language and customs, our cattle and iron
weapons, which they would willingly have exchanged for their gold and
silver ornaments, and they always kept their people within their own
boundaries, and that outwitted our watchfulness.

Eighty years afterwards, just at the time of the Juulfeest, they overran
our country like a snowstorm driven by the wind. All who could not flee
away were killed. Frya was appealed to, but the Schoonlanders
(Scandinavians) had neglected her advice. Then all the forces were
assembled, and three hours from Godasburgt they were withstood, but war
continued. Kat or Katerine was the name of the priestess who was
Burgtmaagd of Godasburgt. Kat was proud and haughty, and would neither
seek counsel nor aid from the mother; but when the Burgtheeren
(citizens) knew this, they themselves sent messengers to Texland to the
Eeremoeder. Minna—this was the name of the mother—summoned all the
sailors and the young men from Oostflyland and Denmark. From this
expedition the history of Wodin sprang, which is inscribed on the
citadels, and is here copied. At Aldergamude there lived an old sea-king
whose name was Sterik, and whose deeds were famous. This old fellow had
three nephews. Wodin, the eldest, lived at Lumkamakia, near the Eemude,
in Oostflyland, with his parents. He had once commanded troops. Teunis
and Inka were naval warriors, and were just then staying with their
father at Aldergamude. When the young warriors had assembled together,
they chose Wodin to be their leader or king, and the naval force chose
Teunis for their sea-king and Inka for their admiral. The navy then
sailed to Denmark, where they took on board Wodin and his valiant host.

The wind was fair, so they arrived immediately in Schoonland. When the
northern brothers met together, Wodin divided his powerful army into
three bodies. Frya was their war-cry, and they drove back the Finns and
Magyars like children. When the Magy heard how his forces had been
utterly defeated, he sent messengers with truncheon and crown, who said
to Wodin: O almighty king we are guilty, but all that we have done was
done from necessity. You think that we attacked your brothers out of
illwill, but we were driven out by our enemies, who are still at our
heels. We have often asked your Burgtmaagd for help, but she took no
notice of us. The Magy says that if we kill half our numbers in fighting
with each other, then the wild shepherds will come and kill all the
rest. The Magy possesses great riches, but he has seen that Frya is much
more powerful than all our spirits together. He will lay down his head
in her lap. You are the most warlike king on the earth, and your people
are of iron. Become our king, and we will all be your slaves. What glory
it would be for you if you could drive back the savages! Our trumpets
would resound with your praises, and the fame of your deeds would
precede you everywhere. Wodin was strong, fierce, and warlike, but he
was not clear-sighted, therefore he was taken in their toils, and
crowned by the Magy.

Very many of the sailors and soldiers to whom this proceeding was
displeasing went away secretly, taking Kat with them. But Kat, who did
not wish to appear before either the mother or the general assembly,
jumped overboard. Then a storm arose and drove the ships upon the banks
of Denmark, with the total destruction of their crews. This strait was
afterwards called the Kattegat. When Wodin was crowned, he attacked the
savages, who were all horsemen, and fell upon Wodin’s troops like a
hailstorm; but like a whirlwind they were turned back, and did not dare
to appear again. When Wodin returned, Magy gave him his daughter to
wife. Whereupon he was incensed with herbs; but they were magic herbs,
and by degrees he became so audacious that he dared to disavow and
ridicule the spirits of Frya and Wr-alda, while he bent his free head
before the false and deceitful images. His reign lasted seven years, and
then he disappeared. The Magy said that he was taken up by their gods
and still reigned over us, but our people laughed at what they said.
When Wodin had disappeared some time, disputes arose. We wished to
choose another king, but the Magy would not permit it. He asserted that
it was his right given him by his idols. But besides this dispute there
was one between the Magyars and Finns, who would honour neither Frya nor
Wodin; but the Magy did just as he pleased, because his daughter had a
son by Wodin, and he would have it that this son was of high descent.
While all were disputing and quarrelling, he crowned the boy as king,
and set up himself as guardian and counsellor. Those who cared more for
themselves than for justice let him work his own way, but the good men
took their departure. Many Magyars fled back with their troops, and the
sea-people took ship, accompanied by a body of stalwart Finns as rowers.

Next comes upon the stage the history of Neef Teunis and Neef Inka.

* Skęnland or Scandinavia.

† 2193?101 is 2092 before Christ.

* Goda-hisburch is Gothenburg.

† Alderga in Ouddorp, near Alkmaar.

‡ Lumkamâkja bithęre Emuda is Embden.

* /Amering/, still in use in North Holland to signify a breath or a
twinkling of an eye.

† Kâtsgat is the Kattegat.

* Wodin is Odin or Wodan.

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24.

ALL THIS IS INSCRIBED NOT ONLY ON THE WARABURGT, BUT ALSO ON THE BURGT
STAVIA, WHICH LIES BEHIND THE PORT OF STAVRE.

When Teunis wished to return home, he went first towards Denmark; but he
might not land there, for so the mother had ordered, nor was he to land
at Flyland nor anywhere about there. In this way he would have lost all
his people by want and hardship, so he landed at night to steal and
sailed on by day. Thus coasting along, he at length arrived at the
colony of Kadik (Cadiz), so called because it was built with a stone
quay. Here they bought all kinds of stores, but Tuntia the Burgtmaagd
would not allow them to settle there. When they were ready they began to
disagree. Teunis wished to sail through the straits to the Mediterranean
Sea, and enter the service of the rich Egyptian king, as he had done
before, but Inka said he had had enough of all those Finda’s people.
Inka thought that perchance some high-lying part of Atland might remain
as an island, where he and his people might live in peace. As the two
cousins could not agree, Teunis planted a red flag on the shore, and
Inka a blue flag. Every man could choose which he pleased, and to their
astonishment the greater part of the Finns and Magyars followed Inka,
who had objected to serve the kings of Finda’s people. When they had
counted the people and divided the ships accordingly, the fleet
separated. We shall hear of Teunis afterwards, but nothing more of Inka.

Neef Teunis coasted through the straits to the Mediterranean Sea. When
Atland was submerged there was much suffering also on the shores of the
Mediterranean, on which account many of Finda’s people, Krekalanders,
and people from Lyda’s land, came to us. On the other hand, many of our
people went to Lyda’s land. The result of all this was that the
Krekalanders far and wide were lost to the superintendence of the
mother. Teunis had reckoned on this, and had therefore wished to find
there a good haven from which he might go and serve under the rich
princes; but as his fleet and his people had such a shattered
appearance, the inhabitants on the coasts thought that they were
pirates, and drove them away. At last they arrived at the Phśnician
coast, one hundred and ninety-three years after Atland was submerged.
Near the coast they found an island with two deep bays, so that there
appeared to be three islands. In the middle one they established
themselves, and afterwards built a city wall round the place. Then they
wanted to give it a name, but disagreed about it. Some wanted to call it
Fryasburgt, others Neeftunia; but the Magyars and Finns begged that it
might be called Thyrhisburgt.

Thyr was the name of one of their idols, and it was upon his feast-day
that they had landed there; and in return they offered to recognise
Teunis as their perpetual king. Teunis let himself be persuaded, and the
others would not make any quarrel about it. When they were well
established, they sent some old seamen and Magyars on an expedition as
far as the town of Sidon; but at first the inhabitants of the coast
would have nothing to do with them, saying, You are only foreign
adventurers whom we do not respect. But when we sold them some of our
iron weapons, everything went well. They also wished to buy our amber,
and their inquiries about it were incessant. But Teunis, who was
far-seeing, pretended that he had no more iron weapons or amber. Then
merchants came and begged him to let them have twenty vessels, which
they would freight with the finest goods, and they would provide as many
people to row as he would require. Twelve ships were then laden with
wine, honey, tanned leather, and saddles and bridles mounted in gold,
such as had never been seen before.

Teunis sailed to the Flymeer with all this treasure, which so enchanted
the Grevetman of Westflyland that he induced Teunis to build a warehouse
at the mouth of the Flymeer. Afterwards this place was called
Almanaland, and the market where they traded at Wyringen was called
Toelaatmarkt. The mother advised that they should sell everything except
iron weapons, but no attention was paid to what she said. As the
Thyriers had thus free play, they came from far and near to take away
our goods, to the loss of our seafaring people. Therefore it was
resolved in a general assembly to allow only seven Thyrian ships and no
more in a year.

* Kâdik is Cadiz.

* 2193?193 is 2000 years before Christ.

† Thyrhisburch is Tyre.

‡ Thyr is the son of Odin.

* Almanaland is Ameland.

† Wyringâ is Wieringen.

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25.

WHAT THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS WAS.

In the northernmost part of the Mediterranean there lies an island close
to the coast. They now came and asked to buy that, on which a general
council was held.

The mother’s advice was asked, and she wished to see them at some
distance, so she saw no harm in it; but as we afterwards saw what a
mistake we had made, we called the island Missellia (Marseilles).
Hereafter will be seen what reason we had. The Golen, as the missionary
priests of Sidon were called, had observed that the land there was
thinly peopled, and was far from the mother. In order to make a
favourable impression, they had themselves called in our language
/followers of the truth/; but they had better have been called
/abstainers from the truth/, or, in short, “Triuwenden,” as our
seafaring people afterwards called them. When they were well
established, their merchants exchanged their beautiful copper weapons
and all sorts of jewels for our iron weapons and hides of wild beasts,
which were abundant in our southern countries; but the Golen celebrated
all sorts of vile and monstrous festivals, which the inhabitants of the
coast promoted with their wanton women and sweet poisonous wine. If any
of our people had so conducted himself that his life was in danger, the
Golen afforded him a refuge, and sent him to Phonisia, that is,
Palmland. When he was settled there, they made him write to his family,
friends, and connections that the country was so good and the people so
happy that no one could form any idea of it. In Britain there were
plenty of men, but few women. When the Golen knew this, they carried off
girls everywhere and gave them to the Britons for nothing. So all these
girls served their purpose to steal children from Wr-alda in order to
give them to false gods.

‡ Missellja is Marseilles.

§ Gola are the Galli or Gauls.

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26.

NOW WE WILL WRITE ABOUT THE WAR BETWEEN THE BURGTMAAGDEN KALTA AND MIN-ERVA,

/And how we thereby lost all our southern lands and Britain to the Golen./

Near the southern mouth of the Rhine and the Scheldt there are seven
islands, named after Frya’s seven virgins of the week. In the middle of
one island is the city of Walhallagara (Middelburg), and on the walls of
this city the following history is inscribed. Above it are the words
“Read, learn, and watch.”

Five hundred and sixty-three years after the submersion of Atland—that
is, 1600 years before Christ—a wise town priestess presided here, whose
name was Min-erva—called by the sailors Nyhellenia. This name was well
chosen, for her counsels were new and clear above all others.

On the other side of the Scheldt, at Flyburgt, Sijrhed presided. This
maiden was full of tricks. Her face was beautiful, and her tongue was
nimble; but the advice that she gave was always conveyed in mysterious
terms. Therefore the mariners called her Kalta, and the landsmen thought
it was a title. In the last will of the dead mother, Rosamond was named
first, Min-erva second, and Sijrhed third in succession. Min-erva did
not mind that, but Sijrhed was very much offended. Like a foreign
princess, she wished to be honoured, feared, and worshipped; but
Min-erva only desired to be loved. At last all the sailors, even from
Denmark and Flymeer, did homage to her. This hurt Sijrhed, because she
wanted to excel Min-erva. In order to give an impression of her great
watchfulness, she had a cock put on her banner. So then Min-erva went
and put a sheep-dog and an owl on her banner. The dog, she said, guards
his master and his flock, and the owl watches that the mice shall not
devastate the fields; but the cock in his lewdness and his pride is only
fit to murder his nearest relations. When Kalta found that her scheme
had failed she was still more vexed, so she secretly sent for the
Magyars to teach her conjuring. When she had had enough of this she
threw herself into the hands of the Gauls; but all her malpractices did
not improve her position. When she saw that the sailors kept more and
more aloof from her, she tried to win them back by fear. At the full
moon, when the sea was stormy, she ran over the wild waves, calling to
the sailors that they would all be lost if they did not worship her.
Then she blinded their eyes, so that they mistook land for water and
water for land, and in this way many a good ship was totally lost. At
the first war-feast, when all her countrymen were armed, she brought
casks of beer, which she had drugged. When they were all drunk she
mounted her war-horse, leaning her head upon her spear. Sunrise could
not be more beautiful. When she saw that the eyes of all were fixed upon
her, she opened her lips and said:—

Sons and daughters of Frya, you know that in these last times we have
suffered much loss and misery because the sailors no longer come to buy
our paper, but you do not know what the reason of it is. I have long
kept silence about it, but can do so no longer. Listen, then, my
friends, that you may know on which side to show your teeth. On the
other side of the Scheldt, where from time to time there come ships from
all parts, they make now paper from pumpkin leaves, by which they save
flax and outdo us. Now, as the making of paper was always our principal
industry, the mother willed that people should learn it from us; but
Min-erva has bewitched all the people—yes, bewitched, my friends—as well
as all our cattle that died lately. I must come out with it. If I were
not Burgtmaagd, I should know what to do. I should burn the witch in her
nest.

As soon as she had uttered these words she sped away to her citadel; but
the drunken people were so excited that they did not stop to weigh what
they had heard. In mad haste they hurried over the Sandfal, and as night
came on they burst into the citadel. However, Kalta again missed her
aim; for Min-erva, her maidens, and her lamp were all saved by the
alertness of the seamen.

* Walhallagara is Middelburg, in Walcheren.

† 2193?583 is 1630 years before Christ.

* /Myk/ is a word still used in Walcheren.

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27.

WE NOW COME TO THE HISTORY OF JON.

Jon, Jôn, Jhon, Jan, are all the same name, though the pronunciation
varies, as the seamen like to shorten everything to be able to make it
easier to call. Jon—that is, “Given”—was a sea-king, born at Alberga,
who sailed from the Flymeer with a fleet of 127 ships fitted out for a
long voyage, and laden with amber, tin, copper, cloth, linen, felt,
otter-skins, beaver and rabbit skins. He would also have taken paper
from here, but when he saw how Kalta had destroyed the citadel he became
so angry that he went off with all his people to Flyburgt, and out of
revenge set fire to it. His admiral and some of his people saved the
lamp and the maidens, but they could not catch Sijrhed (or Kalta). She
climbed up on the furthest battlement, and they thought she must be
killed in the flames; but what happened? While all her people stood
transfixed with horror, she appeared upon her steed more beautiful than
ever, calling to them, “To Kalta!” Then the other Schelda people poured
out towards her. When the seamen saw that, they shouted, “We are for
Min-erva!” from which arose a war in which thousands were killed.

At this time Rosamond the mother, who had done all in her power by
gentle means to preserve peace, when she saw how bad it was, made short
work of it. Immediately she sent messengers throughout all the districts
to call a general levy, which brought together all the defenders of the
country. The landsmen who were fighting were all caught, but Jon with
his seamen took refuge on board his fleet, taking with him the two
lamps, as well as Minerva and the maidens of both the citadels. Helprik,
the chief, summoned him to appear; but while all the soldiers were on
the other side of the Scheldt, Jon sailed back to the Flymeer, and then
straight to our islands. His fighting men and many of our people took
women and children on board, and when Jon saw that he and his people
would be punished for their misdeeds, he secretly took his departure. He
did well, for all our islanders, and the other Scheldt people who had
been fighting were transported to Britain. This step was a mistake, for
now came the beginning of the end. Kalta, who, people said, could go as
easily on the water as on the land, went to the mainland and on to
Missellia (Marseilles). Then came the Gauls out of the Mediterranean Sea
with their ships to Cadiz, and along all our coasts, and fell upon
Britain; but they could not make any good footing there, because the
government was powerful and the exiles were still Frisians. But now came
Kalta and said: You were born free, and for small offences have been
sent away, not for your own improvement, but to get tin by your labour.
If you wish to be free again, and take my advice, and live under my
care, come away. I will provide you with arms, and will watch over you.
The news flew through the land like lightning, and before the carrier’s
wheel had made one revolution she was mistress of all the Thyriers in
all our southern states as far as the Seine. She built herself a citadel
on the high land to the north, and called it Kaltasburgh. It still
exists under the name of Kęrenak. From this castle she ruled as a true
mother, against their will, not /for/ her followers, but /over/ them,
who were thenceforth called Kelts. The Gauls gradually obtained dominion
over the whole of Britain, partly because they no longer had any
citadel; secondly, because they had there no Burgtmaagden; and thirdly,
because they had no real lamps. From all these causes the people could
not learn anything. They were stupid and foolish, and having allowed the
Gauls to rob them of their arms, they were led about like a bull with a
ring in his nose.

* Kâlta Min-his, Minnesdaughter.

* Sęjene is the Seine.

† Kâltana are the Celts.

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28.

NOW WE SHALL WRITE HOW IT FARED WITH JON.

IT IS INSCRIBED AT TEXLAND.

Ten years after Jon went away, there arrived three ships in the Flymeer;
the people cried Huzza! (What a blessing!) and from their accounts the
mother had this written.

When Jon reached the Mediterranean Sea, the reports of the Gauls had
preceded him, so that on the nearest Italian coast he was nowhere safe.
Therefore he went with his fleet straight over to Lybia. There the black
men wanted to catch them and eat them. At last they came to Tyre, but
Min-erva said, Keep clear, for here the air has been long poisoned by
the priests. The king was a descendant of Teunis, as we were afterwards
informed; but as the priests wished to have a king, who, according to
their ideas, was of long descent, they deified Teunis, to the vexation
of his followers. After they had passed Tyre, the Tyrians seized one of
the rearmost ships, and as the ship was too far behind us, we could not
take it back again; but Jon swore to be revenged for it. When night
came, Jon bent his course towards the distant Krekalanden. At last they
arrived at a country that looked very barren, but they found a harbour
there. Here, said Min-erva, we need not perhaps have any fear of princes
or priests, as they always look out for rich fat lands. When they
entered the harbour, there was not room for all the ships, and yet most
of the people were too cowardly to go any further. Then Jon, who wished
to get away, went with his spear and banner, calling to the young
people, to know who would volunteer to share his adventures. Min-erva
did the same thing, but she wished to remain there. The greater part
stopped with Min-erva, but the young sailors went with Jon. Jon took the
lamp of Kalta and her maidens with him. Min-erva retained her lamp and
her own maidens.

Between the near and the distant coasts of Italy Jon found some islands,
which he thought desirable. Upon the largest he built a city in the wood
between the mountains. From the smaller islands he made expeditions for
vengeance on the Tyrians, and plundered their ships and their lands.
Therefore these islands were called Insulć Piratarum, as well as
Johannis Insulć.

When Min-erva had examined the country which is called by the
inhabitants Attica, she saw that the people were all goatherds, and that
they lived on meat, wild roots, herbs, and honey. They were clothed in
skins, and had their dwellings on the slopes (/hellinga/) of the hills,
wherefore they were called Hellingers. At first they ran away, but when
they found that we did not attack them, they came back and showed great
friendship. Min-erva asked if we might settle there peaceably. This was
agreed to on. the condition that we should help them to fight against
their neighbours, who came continually to carry away their children and
to rob their dwellings. Then we built a citadel at an hour’s distance
from the harbour. By the advice of Min-erva it was called Athens,
because, she said, those who come after us ought to know that we are not
here by cunning or violence, but were received as friends (/âtha/).
While we were building the citadel the principal personages came to see
us, and when they saw that we had no slaves it did not please them, and
they gave her to understand it, as they thought that she was a princess.
But Min-erva said, How did you get your slaves? They answered, We bought
some and took others in war. Min-erva replied, If nobody would buy
slaves they would not steal your children, and you would have no wars
about it. If you wish to remain our allies, you will free your slaves.
The chiefs did not like this, and wanted to drive us away; but the most
enlightened of the people came and helped us to build our citadel, which
was built of stone.

This is the history of Jon and of Min-erva.

When they had finished their story they asked respectfully for iron
weapons; for, said they, our foes are powerful, but if we have good arms
we can withstand them. When this had been agreed to, the people asked if
Frya’s customs would flourish in Athens and in other parts of Greece
(Krekalanden). The mother answered, If the distant Greeks belong to the
direct descent of Frya, then they will flourish; but if they do not
descend from Frya, then there will be a long contention about it,
because the carrier must make five thousand revolutions of his Juul
before Finda’s people will be ripe for liberty.

* Jonhis ęlanda—John's Islands, or the Pirates’ Isles.

† Athenia is Athens.

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29.

THIS IS ABOUT THE GEERTMEN.

When Hellenia or Min-erva died, the priests pretended to be with us, and
in order to make it appear so, they deified Hellenia. They refused to
have any other mother chosen, saying that they feared there was no one
among her maidens whom they could trust as they had trusted Minerva,
surnamed Nyhellenia.

But we would not recognise Min-erva as a goddess, because she herself
had told us that no one could be perfectly good except the spirit of
Wr-alda. Therefore we chose Geert Pyre’s daughter for our mother. When
the priests saw that they could not fry their herrings on our fire (have
everything their own way), they left Athens, and said that we refused to
acknowledge Min-erva as a goddess out of envy, because she had shown so
much affection to the natives. Thereupon they gave the people statues of
her, declaring that they might ask of them whatever they liked, as long
as they were obedient to her. By these kinds of tales the stupid people
were estranged from us, and at last they attacked us; but as we had
built our stone city wall with two horns down to the sea, they could not
get at us. Then, lo and behold! an Egyptian high priest, bright of eye,
clear of brain, and enlightened of mind, whose name was Cecrops, came to
give them advice.

When he saw that with his people he could not storm our wall, he sent
messengers to Tyre. Thereupon there arrived three hundred ships full of
wild mountain soldiers, which sailed unexpectedly into our haven while
we were defending the walls. When they had taken our harbour, the wild
soldiers wanted to plunder the village and our ships—one had already
ravished a girl—but Cecrops would not permit it; and the Tyrian sailors,
who still had Frisian blood in their veins, said, If you do that we will
burn our ships, and you shall never see your mountains again. Cecrops,
who had no inclination towards murder or devastation, sent messengers to
Geert, requiring her to give up the citadel, offering her free exit with
all her live and dead property, and her followers the same. The wisest
of the citizens, seeing that they could not hold the citadel, advised
Geert to accept at once, before Cecrops became furious and changed his
mind. Three months afterwards Geert departed with the best of Frya’s
sons, and seven times twelve ships. Soon after they had left the harbour
they fell in with at least thirty ships coming from Tyre with women and
children. They were on their way to Athens, but when they heard how
things stood there they went with Geert. The sea-king of the Tyrians
brought them altogether through the strait which at that time ran into
the Red Sea (now re-established as the Suez Canal). At last they landed
at the Punjab, called in our language the Five Rivers, because five
rivers flow together to the sea. Here they settled, and called it
Geertmania. The King of Tyre afterwards, seeing that all his best
sailors were gone, sent all his ships with his wild soldiers to catch
them, dead or alive. When they arrived at the strait, both the sea and
the earth trembled. The land was upheaved so that all the water ran out
of the strait, and the muddy shores were raised up like a rampart. This
happened on account of the virtues of the Geertmen, as every one can
plainly understand.

* Here follows the narrative contained in pages from 48 to 56 <#ao>.

* Sękrops is Cecrops.

* Stręte, at present restored as the Suez Canal. Pangab is the Indus.

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30.

IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND AND FIVE AFTER ATLAND WAS SUBMERGED, THIS WAS
INSCRIBED ON THE EASTERN WALL OF FRYASBURGT.

After twelve years had elapsed without our seeing any Italians in
Almanland, there came three ships, finer than any that we possessed or
had ever seen.

On the largest of them was a king of the Jonischen Islands whose name
was Ulysses, the fame of whose wisdom was great. To him a priestess had
prophesied that he should become the king of all Italy provided he could
obtain a lamp that had been lighted at the lamp in Tex-land. For this
purpose he had brought great treasures with him, above all, jewels for
women more beautiful than had ever been seen before. They were from
Troy, a town that the Greeks had taken. All these treasures he offered
to the mother, but the mother would have nothing to do with them. At
last, when he found that there was nothing to be got from her, he went
to Walhallagara (Walcheren). There there was established a Burgtmaagd
whose name was Kaat, but who was commonly called Kalip, because her
lower lip stuck out like a mast-head. Here he tarried for years, to the
scandal of all that knew it. According to the report of the maidens, he
obtained a lamp from her; but it did him no good, because when he got to
sea his ship was lost, and he was taken up naked and destitute by
another ship. There was left behind by this king a writer of pure Frya’s
blood, born in the new harbour of Athens, who wrote for us what follows
about Athens, from which may be seen how truly the mother Hel-licht
spoke when she said that the customs of Frya could never take firm hold
in Athens.

From the other Greeks you will have heard a great deal of bad about
Cecrops, because he was not in good repute; but I dare affirm that be
was an enlightened man; very renowned both among the inhabitants and
among us, for he was against oppression, unlike the other priests, and
was virtuous, and knew how to value the wisdom of distant nations.
Knowing that, he permitted us to live according to our own Asegaboek.
There was a story current that he was favourable to us because he was
the son of a Frisian girl and an Egyptian priest: the reason of this was
that he had blue eyes, and that many of our girls had been stolen and
sold to Egypt, but he never confirmed this. However it may have been,
certain it is that he showed us more friendship than all the other
priests together. When he died, his successors soon began to tear up our
charters, and gradually to enact so many unsuitable statutes that at
long last nothing remained of liberty but the shadow and the name.
Besides, they would not allow the laws to be written, so that the
knowledge of them was hidden from us. Formerly all the cases in Athens
were pleaded in our language, but afterwards in both languages, and at
last in the native language only. At first the men of Athens only
married women of our own race, but the young men as they grew up with
the girls of the country took them to wife. The bastard children of this
connection were the handsomest and cleverest in the world; but they were
likewise the wickedest, wavering between the two parties, paying no
regard to laws or customs except where they suited their own interests.
As long as a ray of Frya’s spirit existed, all the building materials
were for common use, and no one might build a house larger or better
than his neighbours; but when some degenerate townspeople got rich by
sea-voyages and by the silver that their slaves got in the silver
countries, they went to live out on the hills or in the valleys. There,
behind high enclosures of trees or walls, they built palaces with costly
furniture, and in order to remain in good odour with the nasty priests,
they placed there likenesses of false gods and unchaste statues.
Sometimes the dirty priests and princes wished for the boys rather than
the girls, and often led them astray from the paths of virtue by rich
presents or by force. Because riches were more valued by this lost and
degenerate race than virtue or honour, one sometimes saw boys dressed in
splendid flowing robes, to the disgrace of their parents and maidens,
and to the shame of their own sex. If our simple parents came to a
general assembly at Athens and made complaints, a cry was raised, Hear,
hear! there is a sea-monster going to speak. Such is Athens become, like
a morass in a tropical country full of leeches, toads, and poisonous
snakes, in which no man of decent habits can set his foot.

† 2193?1005 is 1188 before Christ.

‡ Walhallagâra is Walcheren.

* Kalip, called by Homer Kalipso.

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31.

THIS IS INSCRIBED IN ALL OUR CITADELS.

How our Denmark was lost to us 1602 years after the submersion of
Atland. Through the mad wantonness of Wodin, Magy had become master of
the east part of Scandinavia. They dare not come over the hills and over
the sea. The mother would not prevent it. She said, I see no danger in
their weapons, but much in taking the Scandinavians back again, because
they are so degenerate and spoilt. The general assembly were of the same
opinion. Therefore it was left to him. A good hundred years ago Denmark
began to trade; they gave their iron weapons in exchange for gold
ornaments, as well as for copper and iron-ore. The mother sent
messengers to advise them to have nothing to do with this trade. There
was danger to their morals in it, and if they lost their morals they
would soon lose their liberty. But the Den-markers paid no attention to
her. They did not believe that they could lose their morals, therefore
they would not listen to her. At last they were at a loss themselves for
weapons and necessaries, and this difficulty was their punishment. Their
bodies were brilliantly adorned, but their cupboards and their sheds
were empty. Just one hundred years after the first ship with provisions
sailed from the coast, poverty and want made their appearance, hunger
spread her wings all over the country, dissension marched proudly about
the streets and into the houses, charity found no place, and unity
departed. The child asked its mother for food; she had no food to give,
only jewels. The women applied to their husbands, the husbands appealed
to the counts; the counts had nothing to give, or if they had, they hid
it away. Now the jewels must be sold, but while the sailors were away
for that purpose, the frost came and laid a plank upon the sea and the
strait (the Sound). When the frost had made the bridge, vigilance ceased
in the land, and treachery took its place. Instead of watching on the
shores, they put their horses in their sledges and drove off to
Scandinavia. Then the Scandinavians, who hungered after the land of
their forefathers, came to Denmark. One bright night they all came. Now,
they said, we have a right to the land of our fathers; and while they
were fighting about it, the Finns came to the defenceless villages and
ran away with the children. As they had no good weapons, they lost the
battle, and with it their freedom, and Magy became master. All this was
the consequence of their not reading Frya’s Tex, and neglecting her
counsels. There are some who think that they were betrayed by the
counts, and that the maidens had long suspected it; but if any one
attempted to speak about it, his mouth was shut by golden chains.

We can express no opinion about it, we can only say to you, Do not trust
too much to the wisdom of your princes or of your maidens; but if you
wish to keep things straight, everybody must watch over his own
passions, as well as the general welfare.

Two years afterwards Magy himself came with a fleet of light boats to
steal the lamp from the mother of Texland. This wicked deed he
accomplished one stormy winter night, while the wind roared and the hail
rattled against the windows. The watchman on the tower hearing the
noise, lighted his torch. As soon as the light from the tower fell upon
the bastion, he saw that already armed men had got over the wall.

He immediately gave the alarm, but it was too late. Before the guard was
ready, there were two thousand people battering the gate. The struggle
did not last long. As the guard had not kept a good watch, they were
overwhelmed. While the fight was going on, a rascally Finn stole into
the chamber of the mother, and would have done her violence. She
resisted him, and threw him down against the wall. When he got up, be
ran his sword through her: If you will not have me, you shall have my
sword. A Danish soldier came behind him and clave his bead in two. There
came from it a stream of black blood and a wreath of blue flame.

The Magy had the mother nursed on his own ship. As soon as she was well
enough to speak clearly, the Magy told her that she must sail with him,
but that she should keep her lamp and her maidens, and should hold a
station higher than she had ever done before. Moreover, he said that he
should ask her, in presence of all his chief men, if he would become the
ruler of all the country and people of Frya; that she must declare and
affirm this, or be would let her die a painful death. Then, when he had
gathered all his chiefs around her bed, he asked, in a loud voice,
Frana, since you are a prophetess, shall I become ruler over all the
lands and people of Frya? Frana did as if she took no notice of him; but
at last she opened her lips, and said: My eyes are dim, but the other
light dawns upon my soul. Yes, I see it. Hear, Irtha, and rejoice with
me. At the time of the submersion of Atland, the first spoke of the Juul
stood at the top. After that it went down, and our freedom with it. When
two spokes, or two thousand years, shall have rolled down, the sons
shall arise who have been bred of the fornication of the princes and
priests with the people, and shall witness against their fathers. They
shall all fall by murder, but what they have proclaimed shall endure,
and shall bear fruit in the bosoms of able men, like good seed which is
laid in thy lap. Yet a thousand years shall the spoke descend, and sink
deeper in darkness, and in the blood shed over yon by the wickedness of
the princes and priests. After that, the dawn shall begin to glow. When
they perceive this, the false princes and priests will strive and
wrestle against freedom; but freedom, love, and unity will take the
people under their protection, and rise out of the vile pool. The light
which at first only glimmered shall gradually become a flame. The blood
of the bad shall flow over your surface, but you must not absorb it. At
last the poisoned animals shall eat it, and die of it. All the stories
that have been written in praise of the princes and priests shall be
committed to the flames. Thenceforth your children shall live in peace.
When she had finished speaking she sank down.

The Magy, who had not understood her, shrieked out, I have asked you if
I should become master of all the lands and people of Frya, and now you
have been speaking to another. Frana raised herself up, stared at him,
and said, Before seven days have passed your soul shall haunt the tombs
with the night-birds, and your body shall be at the bottom of the sea.
Very good, said the Magy, swelling with rage; say that I am coming. Then
he said to his executioners, Throw this woman overboard. This was the
end of the last of the mothers. We do not ask for revenge. Time will
provide that; but a thousand thousand times we will call with Frya,
Watch! watch! watch!

* Dęna marka, the low marches.

† 2193?1602 is 591 years before Christ.

* Refer to p. 4 <#ac>.

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32.

HOW IT FARED AFTERWARDS WITH THE MAGY.

After the murder of the mother, he brought the lamp and the maidens into
his own ship, together with all the booty that he chose. Afterwards he
went p the Flymeer because he wished to take the maiden of Medeasblik or
Stavoren and install her as mother; but there they were on their guard.
The seafaring men of Stavoren and Alderga would gladly have gone to Jon,
but the great fleet was out on a distant voyage; so they proceeded in
their small fleet to Medeasblik, and kept themselves concealed in a
sheltered place behind trees. The Magy approached Medeasblik in broad
daylight; nevertheless, his men boldly stormed the citadel. But as they
landed from the boats, our people sallied forth from the creek, and shot
their arrows with balls of burning turpentine upon the fleet. They were
so well aimed that many of the ships were instantly on fire. Those left
to guard the ships shot at us, but they could not reach us. When at last
a burning ship drifted towards the ship of the Magy, he ordered the man
at the helm to sheer off, but this man was the Dane who had cleft the
head of the Finn. He said, You sent our Eeremoeder to the bottom of the
sea to say that you were coming. In the bustle of the fight you might
forget it; now I will take care that you keep your word. The Magy tried
to push him off, but the sailor, a real Frisian and strong as an ox,
clutched his head with both hands, and pitched him into the surging
billows. Then he hoisted up his brown shield, and sailed straight to our
fleet. Thus the maidens came unhurt to us; bat the lamp was
extinguished, and no one knew how that had happened. When those on the
uninjured ships heard that the Magy was drowned, they sailed away,
because their crews were Danes. When the fleet was far enough off, our
sailors turned and shot their burning arrows at the Finns. When the
Finns saw that, and found that they were betrayed, they fell into
confusion, and lost all discipline and order. At this moment the
garrison sallied forth from the citadel. Those who resisted were killed,
and those who fled found their death in the marshes of the Krylinger wood.

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33.

POSTSCRIPT.

When the sailors were in the creek, there was a wag from Stavoren among
them, who said, Medea may well laugh if we rescue her from her citadel.
Upon this, the maidens gave to the creek the name Medea męilakkia (Lake
of Medea). The occurrences that happened after this everybody can
remember. The maidens ought to relate it in their own way, and have it
well inscribed. We consider that our task is fulfilled. Hail!

THE END OF THE BOOK.

* Medemi lacus, Lake of Medea's laughter.

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34.

THE WRITINGS OF ADELBROST AND APOLLONIA.

My name is Adelbrost, the son of Apol and Adela. I was elected by my
people as Grevetman over the Lindaoorden. Therefore I will continue this
book in the same way as my mother has spoken it.

After the Magy was killed and Fryasburgt was restored, a mother had to
be chosen. The mother had not named her successor, and her will was
nowhere to be found. Seven months later a general assembly was called at
Gręnegâ (Groningen), because it was on the boundary of Saxamarken. My
mother was chosen, but she would not be the mother. She had saved my
father’s life, in consequence of which they had fallen in love with each
other, and she wished to marry. Many people wished my mother to alter
her decision, but she said an Eeremoeder ought to be as pure in her
conscience as she appears outwardly, and to have the same love for all
her children. Now, as I love Apol better than anything else in the
world, I cannot be such a mother. Thus spoke and reasoned Adela, but all
the other maidens wished to be the mother. Each state was in favour of
its own maiden, and would not yield. Therefore none was chosen, and the
kingdom was without any restraint. From what follows you will understand
Liudgert, the king who had lately died, had been chosen in the lifetime
of the mother, and seemingly with the love and confidence of all the
states. It was his turn to live at the great court of Dokhem, and in the
lifetime of the mother great honour was done to him there, as there were
more messengers and knights there than had ever been seen there before.
But now he was lonely and forsaken, because every one was afraid that he
would set himself above the law, and rule them like the slave kings.
Every headman imagined that he did enough if he looked after his own
state, and did not care for the others. With the Burgtmaagden it was
still worse. Each of them depended upon her own judgment, and whenever a
Grevetman did anything without her, she raised distrust between him and
his people. If any case happened which concerned several states, and one
maid had been consulted, the rest all exclaimed that she had spoken only
in the interest of her own state. By such proceedings they brought
disputes among the states, and so severed the bond of union that the
people of one state were jealous of those of the rest, or at least
considered them as strangers; the consequence of which was that the
Gauls or Truwenden (Druids) took possession of our lands as far as the
Scheldt, and the Magy as far as the Wesara. How this happened my mother
has explained, otherwise this book would not have been written, although
I have lost all hope that it would be of any use. I do not write in the
hope that I shall win back the land or preserve it: in my opinion that
is impossible. I write only for the future generations, that they may
all know in what way we were lost, and that each may learn that every
crime brings its punishment.

My name is Apollonia. Two-and-thirty days after my mother’s death my
brother Adelbrost was found murdered on the wharf, his skull fractured
and his limbs torn asunder. My father, who lay ill, died of fright. Then
my younger brother, Apol, sailed from here to the west side of
Schoonland. There he built a citadel named Lindasburgt, in order there
to avenge our wrong. Wr-alda accorded him many years for that. He had
five sons, who all caused fear to Magy, and brought fame to my brother.
After the death of my mother and my brother, all the bravest of the land
joined together and made a covenant, called the Adelbond. In order to
preserve us from injury, they brought me and my youngest brother,
Adelhirt, to the burgt—me to the maidens, and him to the warriors. When
I was thirty years old I was chosen as Burgtmaagd, and my brother at
fifty was chosen Grevetman. From mother’s side my brother was the sixth,
but from father’s side the third. By right, therefore, his descendants
could not put “overa Linda” after their names, but they all wished to do
it in honour of their mother. In addition to this, there was given to us
also a copy of “The Book of Adela’s Followers.” That gave me the most
pleasure, because it came into the world by my mother’s wisdom. In the
burgt I have found other writings also in praise of my mother. All this
I will write afterwards.

These are the writings left by Bruno, who was the writer of this burgt.
After the followers of Adela had made copies, each in his kingdom, of
what was inscribed upon the walls of the burgt, they resolved to choose
a mother. For this purpose a general assembly was called at this farm.
By the first advice of Adela, Teuntje was recommended. That would have
been arranged, only that my Burgtmaagd asked to speak: she had always
supposed that she would be chosen mother, because she was at the burgt
from which mothers had generally been chosen. When she was allowed to
speak, she opened her false lips and said: You all seem to place great
value on Adela’s advice, but that shall not shut my mouth. Who is Adele,
and whence comes it that you respect her so highly? She was what I am
now, a Burgtmaagd of this place; is she, then, wiser and better than I
and all the others? or is she more conversant with our laws and customs?
If that had been the case, she would have become mother when she was
chosen; but instead of that, she preferred matrimony to a single life,
watching over herself and her people. She is certainly very
clear-sighted, but my eyes are far from being dim. I have observed that
she is very much attached to her husband, which is very praiseworthy;
but I see, likewise, that Teuntje is Apol’s niece. Further I say nothing.

The principal people understood very well which way the wind blew with
her; but among the people there arose disputes, and as most of the
people came from here, they would not give the honour to Teuntje. The
conferences were ended, knives were drawn, and no mother was chosen.
Shortly afterwards one of our messengers killed his comrade. As he had
been a man of good character hitherto, my Burgtmaagd had permission to
help him over the frontier; but instead of helping him over to Twiskland
(Germany), she fled with him herself to Wesara, and then to the Magy.
The Magy, who wished to please his sons of Frya, appointed her mother of
Godaburgt, in Schoonland; but she wished for more, and she told him that
if he could get Adela out of the way he might become master of the whole
of Frya’s land. She said she hated Adela for having prevented her from
being chosen mother. If be would promise her Tex-land, her messenger
should serve as guide to his warriors. All this was confessed by her
messenger.

* Gręnegâ is Groningen.

† Dokhem is Dokkum.

* Lindasburch, on Cape Lindanaes, Norway.

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35.

THE SECOND WRITING.

Fifteen months after the last general assembly, at the festival of the
harvest month, everybody gave himself up to pleasure and merry-making,
and no one thought of anything but diversion; but Wr-alda wished to
teach us that watchfulness should never be relaxed. In the midst of the
festivities the fog came and enveloped every place in darkness.
Cheerfulness melted away, but watchfulness did not take its place. The
coastguard deserted their beacons, and no one was to be seen on any of
the paths. When the fog rose, the sun scarcely appeared among the
clouds; but the people all came out shouting with joy, and the young
folks went about singing to their bagpipes, filling the air with their
melody. But while every one was intoxicated with pleasure, treachery had
landed with its horses and riders. As usual, darkness had favoured the
wicked, and they had slipped in through the paths of Linda’s wood.
Before Adela’s door twelve girls led twelve lambs, and twelve boys led
twelve calves. A young Saxon bestrode a wild bull which he had caught
and tamed. They were decked with all kinds of flowers, and the girls’
dresses were fringed with gold from the Rhine.

When Adela came out of her house, a shower of flowers fell on her head;
they all cheered loudly, and the fifes of the boys were heard over
everything. Poor Adela! poor people! how short will be your joy! When
the procession was out of sight, a troop of Magyar soldiers rushed up to
Adela’s house. Her father and her husband were sitting on the steps. The
door was open, and within stood Adelbrost her son. When be saw the
danger of his parents, he took his bow from the wall and shot the leader
of the pirates, who staggered and fell on the grass. The second and
third met a similar fate. In the meantime his parents had seized their
weapons, and went slowly to Jon’s house. They would soon have been
taken, but Adela came. She had learned in the burgt to use all kinds of
weapons. She was seven feet high, and her sword was the same length. She
waved it three times over her head, and each time a knight bit the
earth. Reinforcements came, and the pirates were made prisoners; but too
late—an arrow had penetrated her bosom! The treacherous Magy had
poisoned it, and she died of it.

Gürbam. C. Niebuhr, Travels, vol. i. p. 174. The bagpipe is called by
the Egyptians /Sumâra el Kürbe/.

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36.

THE ELEGY OF THE BURGTMAAGD.

Yes, departed friend, thousands are arrived, and more are coming. They
wish to hear the wisdom of Adela. Truly, she was a princess, for she had
always been the leader. O Sorrow, what good can you do!

Her garments of linen and wool she spun and wove herself. How could she
add to her beauty? Not with pearls, for her teeth were more white; not
with gold, for her tresses were more brilliant; not with precious
stones, for her eyes, though soft as those of a lamb, were so lustrous
that you could scarcely look into them. But why do I talk of beauty?
Frya was certainly not more beautiful; yes, my friends, Frya, who
possessed seven perfections, of which each of her daughters inherited
one, or at most three. But even if she had been ugly, she would still
have been dear to us. Is she warlike? Listen, my friend. Adela was the
only daughter of our Grevetman. She stood seven feet high. Her wisdom
exceeded her stature, and her courage was equal to both together. Here
is an instance. There was once a turf-ground on fire. Three children got
upon yonder gravestone. There was a furious wind. The people were all
shouting, and the mother was helpless. Then came Adela. What are you all
standing still here for? she cried. Try to help them, and Wr-alda will
give you strength. Then she ran to the Krylwood and got some elder
branches, of which she made a bridge. The others then came to assist
her, and the children were saved. The children bring flowers to the
place every year. There came once three Phśnician sailors, who began to
ill-treat the children, when Adela, having heard their screams, beat the
scoundrels till they were insensible, and then, to prove to them what
miserable wretches they were, she tied them all three to a spindle.

The foreign lords came to look after their people, and when they saw how
ridiculously they had been treated they were very angry, till they were
told what had happened. Upon that they bowed themselves before Adela,
and kissed the hem of her garment. But come, distant living friend. The
birds of the forest fled before the numerous visitors. Come, friend, and
you shall hear her wisdom. By the gravestone of which mention has
already been made her body is buried. Upon the stone the following words
are inscribed:—

TREAD SOFTLY, FOR HERE LIES ADELA.

The old legend which is written on the outside wall of the city tower is
not written in “The Book of Adela’s Followers.” Why this has been
neglected I do not know; but this book is my own, so I will put it in
out of regard to my relations.

* /To hnekka/, a high petticoat reaching up to the neck.

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37.

THE OLDEST DOCTRINE.

Hail to all the well-intentioned children of Frya! Through them the
earth shall become holy. Learn and announce to the people Wr-alda is the
ancient of ancients, for he created all things. Wr-alda is all in all,
for he is eternal and everlasting. Wr-alda is omnipresent but invisible,
and therefore is called a spirit. All that we can see of him are the
created beings who come to life through him and go again, because from
Wr-alda all things proceed and return to him. Wr-alda is the beginning
and the end. Wr-alda is the only almighty being, because from him all
other strength comes, and returns to him. Therefore he alone is the
creator, and nothing exists without him. Wr-alda established eternal
principles, upon which the laws of creation were founded, and no good
laws could stand on any other foundation. But although everything is
derived from Wr-alda, the wickedness of men does not come from him.
Wickedness comes from heaviness, carelessness, and stupidity; therefore
they may well be injurious to men, but never to Wr-alda. Wr-alda is
wisdom, and the laws that he has made are the books from which we learn,
nor is any wisdom to be found or gathered but in them. Men may see a
great deal, but Wr-alda sees everything. Men can learn a great deal, but
Wr-alda knows everything. Men can discover much, but to Wr-alda
everything is open. Mankind are male and female, but Wr-alda created
both. Mankind love and hate, but Wr-alda alone is just. Therefore
Wr-alda is good, and there is no good without him. In the progress of
time all creation alters and changes, but goodness alone is unalterable;
and since Wr-alda is good, he cannot change. As he endures, he alone
exists; everything else is show.

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38.

THE SECOND PART OF THE OLDEST DOCTRINE.

Among Finda’s people there are false teachers, who, by their
over-inventiveness, have become so wicked that they make themselves and
their adherents believe that they are the best part of Wr-alda, that
their spirit is the best part of Wr-alda’s spirit, and that Wr-alda can
only think by the help of their brains.

That every creature is a part of Wr-alda’s eternal being, /that/ they
have stolen from us; but their false reasoning and ungovernable pride
have brought them on the road to ruin. If their spirit was Wr-alda’s
spirit, then Wr-alda would be very stupid, instead of being sensible and
wise; for their spirit labours to create beautiful statues, which they
afterwards worship. Finda’s people are a wicked people, for although
they presumptuously pretend among themselves that they are gods, they
proclaim the unconsecrated false gods, and declare everywhere that these
idols created the world and all that therein is—greedy idols, full of
envy and anger, who desire to be served and honoured by the people, and
who exact bloody sacrifices and rich offerings; but these presumptuous
and false men, who call themselves God’s servants and priests, receive
and collect everything in the name of the idols that have no real
existence, for their own benefit.

They do all this with an easy conscience, as they think themselves gods
not answerable to any one. If there are some who discover their tricks
and expose them, they hand them over to the executioners to be burnt for
their calumnies, with solemn ceremonies in honour of the false gods; but
really in order to save themselves. In order that our children may be
protected against their idolatrous doctrine, the duty of the maidens is
to make them learn by heart the following: Wr-alda existed before all
things, and will endure after all things. Wr-alda is also eternal and
everlasting, therefore nothing exists without him. From Wr-alda’s life
sprang time and all living things, and his life takes away time and
every other thing. These things must be made clear and manifest in every
way, so that they can be made clear and comprehensible to all. When we
have learned thus much, then we say further: In what regards our
existence, we are a part of Wr-alda’s everlasting being, like the
existence of all created beings; but as regards our form, our qualities,
our spirit, and all our thoughts, these do not belong to the being. All
these are passing things which appear through Wr-alda’s life, and which
appear through his wisdom, and not otherwise; but whereas his life is
continually progressing, nothing can remain stationary, therefore all
created things change their locality, their form, and their thoughts. So
neither the earth nor any other created object can say, I am; but
rather, I was. So no man can say, I think; but rather, I thought. The
boy is greater and different from the child; he has different desires,
inclinations, and thoughts. The man and father feels and thinks
differently from the boy, the old man just the same. Everybody knows
that. Besides, everybody knows and must acknowledge that he is now
changing, that he changes every minute even while he says, I am, and
that his thoughts change even while he says, I think. Instead, then, of
imitating Finda’s wicked people, and saying, I am the best part of
Wr-alda, and through us alone he can think, we proclaim everywhere where
it is necessary, We, Frya’s children, exist through Wr-alda’s life—in
the beginning mean and base, but always advancing towards perfection
without ever attaining the excellence of Wr-alda himself. Our spirit is
not Wr-alda’s spirit, it is merely a shadow of it. When Wr-alda created
us, he lent us his wisdom, brains, organs, memory, and many other good
qualities. By this means we are able to contemplate his creatures and
his laws; by this means we can learn and can speak of them always, and
only for our own benefit. If Wr-alda had given us no organs, we should
have known nothing, and been more irrational than a piece of sea-weed
driven up and down by the ebb and flood.

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39.

THIS IS WRITTEN ON PARCHMENT—“SKRIVFILT.” SPEECH AND ANSWER TO OTHER
MAIDENS AS AN EXAMPLE.

An unsociable, avaricious man came to complain to Troost, who was the
maid of Stavia. He said a thunderstorm had destroyed his house. He had
prayed to Wr-alda, but Wr-alda had given him no help. Are you a true
Frisian? Troost asked. From father and forefathers, replied the man.
Then she said, I will sow something in your conscience, in confidence
that it will take root, grow, and bear fruit. She continued, When Frya
was born, our mother stood naked and bare, unprotected from the rays of
the sun. She could ask no one, and there was no one who could give her
any help. Then Wr-alda wrought in her conscience inclination and love,
anxiety and fright. She looked round her, and her inclination chose the
best. She sought a hiding-place under the sheltering lime-trees, but the
rain came, and the difficulty was that she got wet. She had seen how the
water ran down the pendent leaves; so she made a roof of leaves fastened
with sticks, but the wind blew the rain under it. She observed that the
stem would afford protection. She then built a wall of sods, first on
one side, and then all round. The wind grew stronger and blew away the
roof, but she made no complaint of Wr-alda. She made a roof of rushes,
and put stones upon it. Having found how hard it is to toil alone, she
showed her children how and why she had done it. They acted and thought
as she did. This is the way in which we became possessed of houses and
porches, a street, and lime-trees to protect us from the rays of the
sun. At last we have built a citadel, and all the rest. If your house is
not strong enough, then you must try and make another. My house was
strong enough, he said, but the flood and the wind destroyed it. Where
did your house stand? Troost asked. On the bank of the Rhine, he
answered. Did it not stand on a knoll? Troost asked. No, said the man;
my house stood alone on the bank. I built it alone, but I could not
alone make a hillock. I knew it, Troost answered; the maidens told me.
All your life you have avoided your neighbours, fearing that you might
have to give or do something for them; but one cannot get on in the
world in that way, for Wr-alda, who is kind, turns away from the
niggardly. Fâsta has advised us, and it is engraved in stone over all
our doors. If you are selfish, distrustful towards your neighbours,
teach your neighbours, help your neighbours, and they will return the
same to yon. If this advice is not good enough for you, I can give you
no better. The man blushed for shame, and slunk away.

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40.

NOW I WILL WRITE MYSELF, FIRST ABOUT MY CITADEL, AND THEN ABOUT WHAT I
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE.

My city lies near the north end of the Liudgaarde. The tower has six
sides, and is ninety feet high, fiat-roofed, with a small house upon it
out of which they look at the stars. On either side of the tower is a
house three hundred feet long, and twenty-one feet broad, and twenty-one
feet high, besides the roof, which is round. All this is built of
hard-baked bricks, and outside there is nothing else. The citadel is
surrounded by a dyke, with a moat thirty-six feet broad and twenty-one
feet deep. If one looks down from the tower, he sees the form of the
Juul. In the ground among the houses on the south side all kinds of
native and foreign herbs grow, of which the maidens must study the
qualities. Among the houses on the north side there are only fields. The
three houses on the north are full of corn and other necessaries; the
two houses on the south are for the maidens to live in and keep school.
The most southern house is the dwelling of the Burgtmaagd. In the tower
hangs the lamp. The walls of the tower are decorated with precious
stones. On the south wall the Tex is inscribed. On the right side of
this are the formulae, and on the other side the laws; the other things
are found upon the three other sides. Against the dyke, near the house
of the Burgtmaagd, stand the oven and the mill, worked by four oxen.
Outside the citadel wall is the place where the Burgtheeren and the
soldiers live. The fortification outside is an hour long—not a seaman’s
hour, but an hour of the sun, of which twenty-four go to a day. Inside
it is a plain five feet below the top. On it are three hundred crossbows
covered with wood and leather.

Besides the houses of the inhabitants, there are along the inside of the
dyke thirty-six refuge-houses for the people who live in the
neighbourhood. The field serves for a camp and for a meadow. On the
south side of the outer fortification is the Liudgaarde, enclosed by the
great wood of lime-trees. Its shape is three-cornered, with the widest
part outside, so that the sun may shine in it, for there are a great
number of foreign trees and flowers brought by the seafarers. All the
other citadels are the same shape as ours, only not so large; but the
largest of all is that of Texland. The tower of the Fryaburgt is so high
that it rends the sky, and all the rest is in proportion to the tower.
In our citadel this is the arrangement: Seven young maidens attend to
the lamp; each watch is three hours. In the rest of their time they do
housework, learn, and sleep. When they have watched for seven years,
they are free; then they may go among the people, to look after their
morals and to give advice. When they have been three years maidens, they
may sometimes accompany the older ones.

The writer must teach the girls to read, to write, and to reckon. The
elders, or “Greva,” must teach them justice and duty, morals, botany,
and medicine, history, traditions, and singing, besides all that may be
necessary for them to give advice. The Burgtmaagd must teach them how to
set to work when they go among the people. Before a Burgtmaagd can take
office, she must travel through the country a whole year. Three
grey-headed Burgtheeren and three old maidens must go with her. This was
the way that I did. My journey was along the Rhine—on this side up, and
on the other side down. The higher I went, the poorer the people seemed
to be. Everywhere about the Rhine the people dug holes, and the sand
that was got out was poured with water over fleeces to get the gold, but
the girls did not wear golden crowns of it. Formerly they were more
numerous, but since we lost Schoonland they have gone up to the
mountains. There they dig ore and make iron. Above the Rhine among the
mountains I have seen Marsaten. The Marsaten are people who live on the
lakes. Their houses are, built upon piles, for protection from the wild
beasts and wicked people. There are wolves, bears, and horrible lions.
Then come the Swiss, the nearest to the frontiers of the distant
Italians, the followers of Kalta and the savage Twiskar, all greedy for
robbery and booty. The Marsaten gain their livelihood by fishing and
hunting. The skins are sewn together by the women, and prepared with
birch bark. The small skins are as soft as a woman’s skin. The
Burgtmaagd at Fryasburgt (Freiburg) told us that they were good, simple
people; but if I had not heard her speak of them first, I should have
thought that they were not Frya’s people, they looked so impudent. Their
wool and herbs are bought by the Rhine people, and taken to foreign
countries by the ship captains. Along the other side of the Rhine it was
just the same as at Lydasburcht (Leiden). There was a great river or
lake, and upon this lake also there were people living upon piles. But
they were not Frya’s people; they were black and brown men who had been
employed as rowers to bring home the men who had been making foreign
voyages, and they had to stay there till the fleet went back.

At last we came to Alderga. At the head of the south harbour lies the
Waraburgt, built of stone, in which all kinds of clothes, weapons,
shells, and horns are kept, which were brought by the sea-people from
distant lands. A quarter of an hour’s distance from there is Alderga, a
great river surrounded by houses, sheds, and gardens, all richly
decorated. In the river lay a great fleet ready, with banners of all
sorts of colours. On Frya’s day the shields were hung on board likewise.
Some shone like the sun. The shields of the sea-king and the admiral
were bordered with gold. From the river a canal was dug going past the
citadel. Forana (Vroonen), with a narrow outlet to the sea. This was the
egress of the fleet; the Fly was the ingress. On both sides of the river
are fine houses built, painted in bright colours. The gardens are all
surrounded by green hedges. I saw there women wearing felt tunics, as if
it were writing felt. Just as at Staveren, the girls wore golden crowns
on their heads, and rings on their arms and ankles. To the south of
Forana lies Alkmarum. Alkmarum is a lake or river in which there is an
island. On this island the black and brown people must remain, the same
as at Lydasburgt. The Burgtmaagd of Forana told me that the burgtheeren
go every day to teach them what real freedom is, and how it behoves men
to live in order to obtain the blessing of Wr-alda’s spirit. If there
was any one who was willing to listen and could comprehend, he was kept
there till he was fully taught. That was done in order to instruct the
distant people, and to make friends everywhere. I had been before in the
Saxenmarken, at the Mannagardaforde castle (Munster). There I saw more
poverty than I could discover wealth here. She answered: So whenever at
the Saxenmarken a young man courts a young girl, the girls ask: Can you
keep your house free from the banished Twisklanders? Have you ever
killed any of them? How many cattle have you already caught, and how
many bear and wolfskins have you brought to market? And from this it
comes that the Saxons have left the cultivation of the soil to the
women, that not one in a hundred can read or write; from this it comes,
too, that no one has a motto on his shield, but only a misshapen form of
some animal that he has killed; and lastly, from this comes also that
they are very warlike, but sometimes as stupid as the beasts that they
catch, and as poor as the Twisklanders with whom they go to war. The
earth and the sea were made for Frya’s people. All our rivers run into
the sea. The Lydas people and the Findas people will exterminate each
other, and we must people the empty countries. In movement and sailing
is our prosperity. If you wish the highlanders to share our riches and
wisdom, I will give you a piece of advice. Let the girls, when they are
asked to marry, before they say yes, ask their lovers: What parts of the
world have you travelled in? What can you tell your children about
distant lands and distant people? If they do this, then the young
warriors will come to us; they will become wiser and richer, and we
shall have no occasion to deal with those nasty people. The youngest of
the maids who were with me came from the Saxenmarken. When we came back
she asked leave to go home. Afterwards she became Burgtmaagd there, and
that is the reason why in these days so many of our sailors are Saxons.

END OF APOLLONIA’S BOOK.

* Lions in Europe, see Herodotus, vii. 125.

† Swetsar are Swiss.

‡ Fryasburch is Freiburg.

§ Lydasburch is Leyden, the city.

¶ /Flyt/, /jeftha mâre/, is a lake or sea.

1 Felt, very thin and compressed, with a smooth surface.

* Forana is Vroonen.

† Engamuda is Egmond.

‡ Diodorus Siculus. v. 27, on the Gauls.

§ Mannagârdaforda is Munster.

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41.

THE WRITINGS OF FRĘTHORIK AND WILJOW.

My name is Fręthorik, surnamed oera Linda, which means over the Linden.
In Ljndwardia I was chosen as Asga. Ljndwardia is a new village within
the fortification of the Ljudgaarda, of which the name has fallen into
disrepute. In my time much has happened. I had written a good deal about
it, but afterwards much more was related to me. I will write an account
of both one and the other after this book, to the honour of the good
people and to the disgrace of the bad.

In my youth I heard complaints on all sides. The bad time was coming;
the bad time did come—Frya had forsaken us. She withheld from us all her
watch-maidens, because monstrous idolatrous images had been found within
our landmarks. I burnt with curiosity to see those images. In our
neighbourhood a little old woman tottered in and out of the houses,
always calling out about the bad times. I came to her; she stroked my
chin; then I became bold, and asked her if she would show me the bad
times and the images. She laughed good-naturedly, and took me to the
citadel. An old man asked me if I could read and write. No, I said. Then
you must first go and learn, he replied, otherwise it may not be shown
to you. I went daily to the writer and learnt. Eight years afterwards I
heard that our Burgtmaagd had been unchaste, and that some of the
burgtheeren had committed treason with the Magy, and many people took
their part. Everywhere disputes arose. There were children rebelling
against their parents; good people were secretly murdered. The little
old woman who had brought everything to light was found dead in a ditch.
My father, who was a judge, would have her avenged. He was murdered in
the night in his own house. Three years after that the Magy was master
without any resistance. The Saxmen had remained religious and upright.
All the good people fled to them. My mother died of it. Now I did like
the others. The Magy prided himself upon his canning, but Irtha made him
know that she would not tolerate any Magy or idol on the holy bosom that
had borne Frya. As a wild horse tosses his mane after he has thrown his
rider, so Irtha shook her forests and her mountains. Rivers flowed over
the land; the sea raged; mountains spouted fire to the clouds, and what
they vomited forth the clouds flung upon the earth. At the beginning of
the Arnemaand (harvest month) the earth bowed towards the north, and
sank down lower and lower. In the Welvenmaand (winter month) the low
lands of Fryasland were buried under the sea. The woods in which the
images were, were torn up and scattered by the wind. The following year
the frost came in the Hardemaand (Louwmaand, January), and laid
Fryasland concealed under a sheet of ice. In Sellemaand (Sprokkelmaand,
February) there were storms of wind from the north, driving mountains of
ice and stones. When the spring-tides came the earth raised herself up,
the ice melted; with the ebb the forests with the images drifted out to
sea. In the Winne, or Minnemaand (Bloeimaand, May), every one who dared
went home. I came with a maiden to the citadel Liudgaarde. How sad it
looked there. The forests of the Lindaoorden were almost all gone. Where
Liudgaarde used to be was sea. The waves swept over the fortifications.
Ice had destroyed the tower, and the houses lay heaped over each other.
On the slope of the dyke I found a stone on which the writer had
inscribed his name. That was a sign to me. The same thing had happened
to other citadels as to ours. In the upper lands they had been destroyed
by the earth, in the lower lands by the water. Fryasburgt, at Texland,
was the only one found uninjured, but all the land to the north was sunk
under the sea, and has never been recovered. At the mouth of the
Flymeer, as we were told, thirty salt swamps were found, consisting of
the forest and the ground that had been swept away. At Westflyland there
were fifty. The canal which had run across the land from Alderga was
filled up with sand and destroyed. The seafaring people and other
travellers who were at home had saved themselves, their goods, and their
relations upon their ships. But the black people at Lydasburgt and
Alkmarum had done the same; and as they went south they saved many
girls, and as no one came to claim them, they took them for their wives.
The people who came back all lived within the lines of the citadel, as
outside there was nothing but mud and marsh. The old houses were all
smashed together. People bought cattle and sheep from the upper lands,
and in the great houses where formerly the maidens were established
cloth and felt were made for a livelihood. This happened 1888 years
after the submersion of Atland.

For 282 years we had not had an Eeremoeder, and now, when everything
seemed lost, they set about choosing one. The lot fell upon Gosa,
surnamed Makonta. She was Burgtmaagd at Fryasburgt, in Texland. She had
a clear head and strong sense, and was very good; and as her citadel was
the only one that had been spared, every one saw in that her call. Ten
years after that the seafarers came from Forana and Lydasburgt. They
wished to drive the black men, with their wives and children, out of the
country. They wished to obtain the opinion of the mother upon the
subject. She asked them: Can you send them all back to their country? If
so, then lose no time, or they will find no relatives alive. No, they
said. Goss replied: They have eaten your bread and salt; they have
placed themselves entirely under your protection. You must consult your
own hearts. But I will give you one piece of advice. Keep them till you
are able to send them back, but keep them outside your citadels. Watch
over their morals, and educate them as if they were Frya’s sons. Their
women are the strongest here. Their blood will disappear like smoke,
till at last nothing but Frya’s blood will remain in their descendants.
So they remained here. Now, I should wish that my descendants should
observe in how far Gosa spoke the truth. When our country began to
recover, there came troops of poor Saxon men and women to the
neighbourhoods of Staveren and Alderga, to search for gold and other
treasures in the swampy lands. But the sea-people would not permit it,
so they went and settled in the empty village of the West Flyland in
order to preserve their lives.

* 2193?1888 is 305 before Christ.

† Since 587 before Christ. See pages 110 and 112 <#be>.

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42.

NOW I WILL RELATE HOW THE GEERTMAN AND MANY FOLLOWERS OF HELLENIA CAME BACK.

Two years after Gosa had become the mother (303 B.C.) there arrived a
fleet at Flymeer. The people shouted “Ho-n-sęen” (What a blessing). They
sailed to Staveren, where they shouted again. Their flags were hoisted,
and at night they shot lighted arrows into the air. At daylight some of
them rowed into the harbour in a boat, shouting again, “Ho-n-sęen.” When
they landed a young fellow jumped upon the rampart. In his hand he held
a shield on which bread and salt were laid. After him came a grey-headed
man, who said we come from the distant Greek land to preserve our
customs. Now we wish you to be kind enough to give us as much land as
will enable us to live. He told a long story, which I will hereafter
relate more fully. The old man did not know what to do. They sent
messengers all round, also to me. I went, and said now that we have a
mother it behoves us to ask her advice. I went with them myself. The
mother, who already knew it all, said: Let them come, they will help us
to keep our lands, but do not let them remain in one place, that they
may not become too powerful over us. We did as she said, which was quite
to their liking. Fryso remained with his people at Staveren, which they
made again into a port as well as they could. Wichhirte went with his
people eastwards to the Emude. Some of the descendants of Jon who
imagined that they sprang from the Alderga people went there. A small
number, who fancied that their forefathers had come from the seven
islands, went there and set themselves down within the enclosure of the
citadel of Walhallagara. Liudgert, the admiral of Wichhirt, was my
comrade, and afterwards my friend. Out of his diary I have taken the
following history.

After we had been settled 12 times 100 and twice 12 years in the Five
Waters (Punjab), whilst our naval warriors were navigating all the seas
they could find, came Alexander the King, with a powerful army
descending the river towards our villages. No one could withstand him;
but we sea-people, who lived by the sea, put all our possessions on
board ships and took our departure. When Alexander heard that such a
large fleet had escaped him, he became furious, and swore that he would
burn all the villages if we did not come back. Wichhirte was ill in bed.
When Alexander heard that, he waited till he was better. After that he
came to him, speaking very kindly—but he deceived, as he had done
before. Wichhirte answered: Oh greatest of kings, we sailors go
everywhere; we have heard of your great deeds, therefore we are full of
respect for your arms, and still more for your wisdom; but we who are
free-born Fryas children, we may mot become your slaves; and even if I
would, the others would sooner die, for so it is commanded in our laws.
Alexander said: I do not desire to take your land or make slaves of your
people, I only wish to hire your services. That I will swear by both our
Gods, so that no one may be dissatisfied. When Alexander shared bread
and salt with him, Wichhirte had chosen the wisest part. He let his son
fetch the ships. When they were all come back Alexander hired them all.
By means of them he wished to transport his people to the holy Ganges,
which he had not been able to reach. Then he chose among all his people
and soldiers those who were accustomed to the sea. Wichhirte had fallen
sick again, therefore I went alone with Nearchus, sent by the king. The
voyage came to an end without any advantage, because the Joniers and the
Phśnicians were always quarrelling, so that Nearchus himself could not
keep them in order. In the meantime, the king had not sat still. He had
let his soldiers cut down trees and make planks, with which, with the
help of our carpenters, he had built ships. Now he would himself become
a sea-king, and sail with his whole army up the Ganges; but the soldiers
who came from the mountainous countries were afraid of the sea. When
they heard that they must sail, they set fire to the timber yards, and
so our whole village was laid in ashes. At first we thought that this
had been done by Alexander’s orders, and we were all ready to cast
ourselves into the sea: but Alexander was furious, and wished his own
people to kill the soldiers. However, Nearchus, who was not only his
chief officer, but also his friend, advised him not to do so. So he
pretended to believe that it had happened by accident, and said no more
about it. He wished now to return, but before going he made an inquiry
who really were the guilty ones. As soon as he ascertained it, he had
them all disarmed, and made them build a new village. His own people he
kept under arms to overawe the others, and to build a citadel. We were
to take the women and children with us. When we arrived at the mouth of
the Euphrates, we might either choose a place to settle there or come
back. Our pay would be guaranteed to us the same in either case. Upon
the new ships which had been saved from the fire he embarked the Joniers
and the Greeks. He himself went with the rest of his people along the
coast, through the barren wilderness; that is, through the land that she
had heaved up out of the sea when she had raised up the strait as soon
as our forefathers had passed into the Red Sea.

When we arrived at New Gertmania (New Gertmania is the port that we had
made in order to take in water), we met Alexander with his army.
Nearchus went ashore, and stayed three days. Then we proceeded further
on. When we came to the Euphrates, Nearchus went ashore with the
soldiers and a large body of people; but he soon returned, and said, The
Bing requests you, for his sake, to go a voyage up the Red Sea; after
that each shall receive as much gold as he can carry. When we arrived
there, he showed us where the strait had formerly been. There he spent
thirty-one days, always looking steadily towards the desert.

At last there arrived a great troop of people, bringing with them 200
elephants, 1000 camels, a quantity of timber, ropes, and all kinds of
implements necessary to drag our fleet to the Mediterranean Sea. This
astounded us, and seemed most extraordinary; but Nearchus told us that
his king wished to show to the other kings that he was more powerful
than any kings of Tyre had ever been. We were only to assist, and that
surely could do us no harm. We were obliged to yield, and Nearchus knew
so well how to regulate everything, that before three months had elapsed
our ships lay in the Mediterranean Sea. When Alexander ascertained how
his project had succeeded, he became so audacious that he wished to dig
out the dried-up strait in defiance of Irtha; but Wr-alda deserted his
soul, so that he destroyed himself by wine and rashness before he could
begin it. After his death his kingdom was divided among his princes.
They were each to have preserved a share for his sons, but that was not
their intention. Each wished to keep his own share, and to get more.
Then war arose, and we could not return. Nearchus wished us to settle on
the coast of Phśnicia, but that no one would do. We said we would rather
risk the attempt to return to Fryasland. Then he brought us to the new
port of Athens, where all the true children of Frya had formerly gone.
We went, soldiers with our goods and weapons. Among the many princes
Nearchus had a friend named Antigonus. These two had only one object in
view, as they told us—to help the royal race, and to restore freedom to
all the Greek lands. Antigonus had, among many others, one son named
Demetrius, afterwards called the “City Winner.” He went once to the town
of Salamis, and after he had been some time fighting there, he had an
engagement with the fleet of Ptolemy. Ptolemy was the name of the prince
who reigned over Egypt. Demetrius won the battle, not by his own
soldiers, but because we helped him. We had done this out of friendship
for Nearchus, because we knew that he was of bastard birth by his white
skin, blue eyes, and fair hair. Afterwards, Demetrius attacked Rhodes,
and we transported thither his soldiers and provisions. When we made our
last voyage to Rhodes, the war was finished. Demetrius had sailed to
Athens. When we came into the harbour, the whole village was in deep
mourning. Friso, who was king over the fleet, had a son and a daughter
so remarkably fair, as if they had just come out of Fryasland, and more
beautiful than any one could picture to himself. The fame of this went
all over Greece, and came to the ears of Demetrius. Demetrius was vile
and immoral, and thought he could do as he pleased. He carried off the
daughter. The mother did not dare await the return of her /joi/ (the
sailors wives call their husbands /joi/ or /zoethart/ (sweetheart). The
men call their wives /troost/ (comfort) and /fro/ or /frow/, that is,
/vreuyde/ (delight) and frolic; that is the same as /vreugde/.

As she dared not wait for her husband’s return, she went with her son to
Demetrius, and implored him to send back her daughter; but when
Demetrius saw the son he had him taken to his palace, and did to him as
he had done to his sister. He sent a bag of gold to the mother, which
she flung into the sea. When she came home she was out of her mind, and
ran about the streets calling out: Have you seen my children. Woe is me!
let me find a place to hide in, for my husband will kill me because I
have lost his children.

When Demetrius heard that Friso had come home, he sent messengers to him
to say that he had taken his children to raise them to high rank, and to
reward him for his services. But Friso was proud and passionate, and
sent a messenger with a letter to his children, in which he recommended
them to accept the will of Demetrius, as he wished to promote their
happiness; but the messenger had another letter with poison, which he
ordered them to take: But, said he, your bodies have been defiled
against your will. That you are not to blame for; but if your souls are
not pure, you will never come into Walhalla. Your spirits will haunt the
earth in darkness. Like the bats and owls, you will hide yourselves in
the daytime in boles, and in the night will come and shriek and cry
about our graves, while Frya must turn her head away from you. The
children did as their father had commanded. The messenger had their
bodies thrown into the sea, and it was reported that they had fled. Now
Friso wished to go with all his people to Frya’s land, where he had been
formerly, but most of them would not go. So Friso set fire to the
village and all the royal storehouses; then no one could remain there,
and all were glad to be out of it. We left everything behind us except
wives and children, but we had an ample stock of provisions and warlike
implements.

Friso was not yet satisfied. When we came to the old harbour, he went
off with his stout soldiers and threw fire into all the ships that he
could reach with his arrows. Six days later we saw the war-fleet of
Demetrius coming down upon us. Friso ordered us to keep back the small
ships in a broad line, and to put the large ships with the women and
children in front. Further, he ordered us to take the crossbows that
were in the fore part and fix them on the sterns of the ships, because,
said he, we must fight a retreating battle. No man must presume to
pursue a single enemy—that is my order. While we were busy about this,
all at once the wind came ahead, to the great alarm of the cowards and
the women, because we had no slaves except those who had voluntarily
followed us. Therefore we could not escape the enemy by rowing. But
Wr-alda knew well why he did this; and Friso, who understood it,
immediately had the fire-arrows placed on the crossbows. At the same
time he gave the order that no one should shoot before he did, and that
we should all aim at the centre ship. If we succeeded in this, he said,
the others would all go to its assistance, and then everybody might
shoot as he best was able. When we were at a cable and a half distance
from them the Phśnicians began to shoot, but Friso did not reply till
the first arrow fell six fathoms from his ship. Then he fired, and the
rest followed. It was like a shower of fire; and as our arrows went with
the wind, they all remained alight and reached the third line. Everybody
shouted and cheered, but the screams of our opponents were so loud that
our hearts shrank. When Friso thought that it was sufficient he called
us off, and we sped away; but after two days’ slow sailing another fleet
of thirty ships came in sight and gained upon us. Friso cleared for
action again, but the others sent forward a small rowing-boat with
messengers, who asked permission to sail with us, as they were Joniers.
They had been compelled by Demetrius to go to the old haven; there they
had heard of the battle, and girding on their stout swords, had followed
us. Friso, who had sailed a good deal with the Joniers, said Yes; but
Wichirte, our king, said No. The Joniers, said he, are worshippers of
heathen gods; I myself have heard them call upon them. That comes from
their intercourse with the real Greeks, Friso said. I have often done it
myself, and yet I am as pious a Fryas man as any of you. Friso was the
man to take us to Friesland, therefore the Joniers went with us. It
seems that this was pleasing to Wr-alda, for before three months were
past we coasted along Britain, and three days later we could shout huzza.

* 303 before Christ.

† /Barnpila/, De falarica, Livy, xxi. 8.

* Alexander at the Indus, 327 before Christ.

† 327+1224 is 1551 before Christ.

* 305 before Christ.

† /Joi en trâst/. At Scheveningen you still hear “Joei en troos.” /Joi/
is the French /joye/.

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43.

THIS WRITING HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME ABOUT NORTHLAND AND SCHOONLAND
(SCANDINAVIA).

When our land was submerged I was in Schoonland. It was very bad there.
There were great lakes which rose from the earth like bubbles, then
burst asunder, and from the rents flowed a stuff like red-hot iron. The
tops of high mountains fell and destroyed whole forests and villages. I
myself saw one mountain torn from another and fall straight down. When I
afterwards went to see the place there was a lake there. When the earth
was composed there came a duke of Lindasburgt with his people, and one
maiden who cried everywhere, Magy is the cause of all the misery that we
have suffered. They continued their progress, and their hosts increased.
The Malty fled, and his corpse was found where he had killed himself.
Then the Finns were driven to one place where they might live. There
were some of mixed blood who were allowed to stay, but most of them went
with the Finns. The duke was chosen as king. The temples which had
remained whole were destroyed. Since that time the good Northmen come
often to Texland for the advice of the mother; still we cannot consider
them real Frisians. In Denmark it has certainly happened as with us. The
sea-people, who call themselves famous sea-warriors, went on board their
ships, and afterwards went back again.

Heil!

Whenever the Carrier has completed a period, then posterity shall
understand that the faults and misdeeds that the Brokmannen have brought
with them belonged to their forefathers; therefore I will watch, and
will describe as much of their manners as I have seen. The Geertmannen I
can readily pass by. I have not had much to do with them, but as far as
I have seen they have mostly retained their language and customs. I
cannot say that of the others. Those who descend from the Greeks speak a
bad language, and have not much to boast of in their manners. Many have
brown eyes and hair. They are envious and impudent, and cowardly from
superstition. When they speak, they put the words first that ought to
come last. For old they say /at/; for salt, /sât/; and for man, /ma/—too
many to mention. They also use abbreviations of names, which have no
meaning. The Joniers speak better, but they drop the H, and put it where
it ought not to be. When they make a statue of a dead person they
believe that the spirit of the departed enters into it; therefore they
have hidden their statues of Frya, Fâsta, Medea, Thiania, Hellenia, and
many others. When a child is born, all the relatives come together and
pray to Frya to send her servants to bless the child. When they have
prayed, they must neither move nor speak. If the child begins to cry,
and continues some time, it is a bad sign, and they suspect that the
mother has committed adultery. I have seen very bad things come from
that. If the child sleeps, that is a good sign—Frya’s servants are come.
If it laughs in its sleep, the servants have promised it happiness.
Moreover, they believe in bad spirits, witches, sorcerers, dwarfs, and
elves, as if they descended from the Finns. Herewith I will finish, and
I think I have written more than any of my forefathers. Frethorik.

Frethorik, my husband, lived to the age of 63. Since 108 years he is the
first of his race who died a peaceable death; all the others died by
violence, because they all fought with their own people, and with
foreigners for right and duty.

My name is Wiljo. I am the maiden who came home with him from
Saxsenmarken. In the course of conversation it came out that we were
both of Adela’s race—thus our affection commenced, and we became man and
wife. He left me with five children, two sons and three daughters.
Konreed was my eldest son, Hachgana my second. My eldest daughter is
called Adela, my second Frulik, and the youngest Nocht. When I went to
Saxsenmarken I preserved three books—the book of songs, the book of
narratives, and the Hellenia book.

I write this in order that people may not think they were by Apollonia.
I have had a good deal of annoyance about this, and therefore now wish
to have the honour of it. I also did more. When Gosa Makonta died, whose
goodness and clear-sightedness have become a proverb, I went alone to
Texland to copy the writings that she had left; and when the last will
of Frana was found, and the writings left by Adela or Hellenia, I did
that again. These are the writings of Hellenia. I have put them first
because they are the oldest.

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44.

HAIL TO ALL TRUE FRISIANS.

In the olden times, the Slavonic race knew nothing of liberty. They were
brought under the yoke like oxen. They were driven into the bowels of
the earth to dig metals, and had to build houses of stone as
dwelling-places for princes and priests. Of all that they did nothing
came to themselves, everything must serve to enrich and make more
powerful the priests and the princes, and to satisfy them. Under this
treatment they grew gray and old before their time, and died without any
enjoyment; although the earth produces abundantly for the good of all
her children. But our runaways and exiles came through Twiskland to
their boundaries, and our sailors came to their harbours. From them they
heard of liberty, of justice, and laws, without which men cannot exist.
This was all absorbed by the unhappy people like dew into an arid soil.
When they fully understood this, the most courageous among them began to
clank their chains, which grieved the princes. The princes are proud and
warlike; there is therefore some virtue in their hearts. They consulted
together and bestowed some of their superfluity; but the cowardly
hypocritical priests could not suffer this. Among their false gods they
had invented also wicked cruel monsters. Pestilence broke out in the
country; and they said that the gods were angry with the domineering of
the wicked. Then the boldest of the people were strangled in their
chains. The earth drank their blood, and that blood produced corn and
fruits that inspired with wisdom those who ate them.

Sixteen hundred years ago (she writes, 593 B.C.), Atland was submerged;
and at that time something happened which nobody had reckoned upon. In
the heart of Findasland, upon a mountain, lies a plain called Kasamyr
(Cashmere) that is “extraordinary.” There was a child born whose mother
was the daughter of a king, and whose father was a high-priest. In order
to hide the shame they were obliged to renounce their own blood.
Therefore it was taken out of the town to poor people. As the boy grew
up, nothing was concealed from him, so he did all in his power to
acquire wisdom. His intellect was so great that he understood everything
that he saw or heard. The people regarded him with respect, and the
priests were afraid of his questions. When he was of full age he went to
his parents. They had to listen to some hard language; and to get rid of
him they gave him a quantity of jewels, but they dared not openly
acknowledge him. Overcome with sorrow at the false shame of his parents,
he wandered about. While travelling he fell in with a Frisian sailor who
was serving as a slave, and who taught him our manners and customs. He
bought the freedom of the slave, and they remained friends till death.
Wherever he went he taught the people not to tolerate rich men or
priests, and that they must guard themselves against false shame, which
everywhere did harm to love and charity. The earth, he said, bestowed
her treasures on those who scratch her skin; so all are obliged to dig,
and plough, and sow if they wish to reap, but no one is obliged to do
anything for another unless it be out of goodwill. He taught that men
should not seek in her bowels for gold, or silver, or precious stones,
which occasion envy and destroy love. To embellish your wives and
daughters, he said, the river offers her pare stream. No man is able to
make everybody equally rich and happy, but it is the duty of all men to
make each other as equally rich and as happy as possible. Men should not
despise any knowledge; but justice is the greatest knowledge that time
can teach, because she wards off offences and promotes love.

His first name was Jessos, but the priests, who hated him, called him
Fo, that is, false; the people called him Krishna, that is, shepherd;
and his Frisian friend called him Buddha (purse), because he had in his
head a treasure of wisdom, and in his heart a treasure of love.

At last he was obliged to flee from the wrath of the priests; but
wherever he went his teaching had preceded him, whilst his enemies
followed him like his shadow. When Jessos had thus travelled for twelve
years he died; but his friends preserved his teaching, and spread it
wherever they found listeners.

What do you think the priests did then? That I must tell you, and you
must give your best attention to it. Moreover, you must keep guard
against their acts and their tricks with all the strength that Wr-alda
has given you. While the doctrine of Jessos was thus spreading over the
earth, the false priests went to the land of his birth to make his death
known. They said they were his friends, and they pretended to show great
sorrow by tearing their clothes and shaving their heads. They went to
live in caves in the mountains, but in them they had hid all their
treasures, and they made in them images of Jessos. They gave these
statues to simple people, and at last they said that Jessos was a god,
that he had declared this himself to them, and that all those who
followed his doctrine should enter his kingdom hereafter, where all was
joy and happiness. Because they knew that he was opposed to the rich,
they announced everywhere that poverty, suffering, and humility were the
door by which to enter into his kingdom, and that those who had suffered
the most on earth should enjoy the greatest happiness there. Although
they knew that Jessos had taught that men should regulate and control
their passions, they taught that men should stifle their passions, and
that the perfection of humanity consisted in being as unfeeling as the
cold stones. In order to make the people believe that they did as they
preached, they pretended to outward poverty; and that they had overcome
all sensual feelings, they took no wives. But if any young girl had made
a false step, it was quickly forgiven; the weak, they said, were to be
assisted, and to save their souls men must give largely to the Church.
Acting in this way, they had wives and children without households, and
were rich without working; but the people grew poorer and more miserable
than they had ever been before. This doctrine, which requires the
priests to possess no further knowledge than to speak deceitfully, and
to pretend to be pious while acting unjustly, spreads from east to west,
and will come to our land also.

But when the priests fancy that they have entirely extinguished the
light of Frya and Jessos, then shall all classes of men rise up who have
quietly preserved the truth among themselves, and have hidden it from
the priests. They shall be of princely blood of priests, Slavonic, and
Frya’s blood. They will make their light visible, so that all men shall
see the truth; they shall cry woe to the acts of the princes and the
priests. The princes who love the truth and justice shall separate
themselves from the priests; blood shall flow, but from it the people
will gather new strength. Finda’s folk shall contribute their industry
to the common good, Linda’s folk their strength, and we our wisdom. Then
the false priests shall be swept away from the earth. Wr-alda’s spirit
shall be invoked everywhere and always; the laws that Wr-alda in the
beginning instilled into our consciences shall alone be listened to.
There shall be neither princes, nor masters, nor rulers, except those
chosen by the general voice. Then Frya shall rejoice, and the earth will
only bestow her gifts on those who work. All this shall begin 4000 years
after the submersion of Atland, and 1000 years later there shall exist
no longer either priest or oppression.

Dela, surnamed Hellenia, watch!

Thus runs Frana’s last will: All noble Frisians, Heil! In the name of
Wr-alda, of Frya, and of Freedom, I greet you; and pray you if I die
before I have named a successor, then I recommend to you Teuntja, who is
Burgtmaagd in the citadel of Medeasblik; till now she is the best.

This Gosa has left behind her: Hail to all men! I have named no
Eeremoeder, because I know none, and because it is better for you to
have no mother than to have one you cannot trust. One bad time is passed
by, but there is still another coming. Irtha has not given it birth, and
Wr-alda has not decreed it. It comes from the East, out of the bosom of
the priests. It will breed so much mischief that Irtha will not be able
to drink the blood of her slain children. It will spread darkness over
the minds of men like storm-clouds over the sunlight. Everywhere craft
and deception shall contend with freedom and justice. Freedom and
justice shall be overcome, and we with them. But this success will work
out its own loss. Our descendants shall teach their people and their
slaves the meaning of three words; they are /universal love/, /freedom/,
and /justice/. At first they shall shine, then struggle with darkness,
until every man’s head and heart has become bright and clear. Then shall
oppression be driven from the earth, like the thunder-clouds by the
storm-wind, and all deceit will cease to have any more power. Gosa.

* 2193?1600 is 593 years before Christ.

† /Kasamyr/ is Cashmere.

* /Jes-us/—not to be confounded with Jesus any more than Krisen
(Krishna) with Christ.

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45.

THE WRITING OF KONERĘD.

My forefathers have written this book in succession. I will do this, the
more because there exists no longer in my state any citadel on which
events are inscribed as used to be the case. My name is Koneręd
(Koenraad). My father’s name was Frethorik, my mother’s name was Wiljow.
After my father’s death I was chosen as his successor. When I was fifty
years old I was chosen for chief Grevetman. My father has written how
the Lindaoorden and Liudgaarden were destroyed. Lindahem is still lost,
the Lindaoorden partially, and the north Lindgaarden are still concealed
by the salt sea. The foaming sea washes the ramparts of the castle. As
my father has mentioned, the people, being deprived of their harbour,
went away and built houses inside the ramparts of the citadel; therefore
that bastion is called Lindwerd. The sea-people say Linwerd, but that is
nonsense. In my youth there was a portion of land lying outside the
rampart all mud and marsh; but Frya’s people were neither tired nor
exhausted when they had a good object in view. By digging ditches, and
making dams of the earth that came out of the ditches, we recovered a
good space of land outside the rampart, which had the form of a hoof
three poles eastward, three southwards, and three westwards. At present
we are engaged in ramming piles into the ground to make a harbour to
protect our rampart. When the work is finished we shall attract
mariners. In my youth it looked very queer, but now there stands a row
of houses. Leaks and deficiencies produced by poverty have been remedied
by industry. From this men may learn that Wr-alda, our universal father,
protects all his creatures, if they preserve their courage and help each
other.

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46.

NOW I WILL WRITE ABOUT FRISO.

Friso, who was already powerful by his troops, was chosen chief
Grevetman of the districts round Staveren. He laughed at our mode of
defending our land and our sea-fights; therefore he established a school
where the boys might learn to fight in the Greek manner, but I believe
that he did it to attach the young people to himself. I sent my brother
there ten years ago, because I thought, now that we have not got any
mother, it behoves me to be doubly watchful, in order that he may not
become our master.

Gosa has given us no successors. I will not give any opinion about that;
but there are still old suspicious people who think that she and Friso
had an understanding about it. When Gosa died, the people from all parts
wished to choose another mother; but Friso, who was busy establishing a
kingdom for himself, did not desire to have any advice or messenger from
Teerland. When the messengers of the Landsaten came to him, he said that
Gosa had been far-seeing and wiser than all the counts together, and yet
she had been unable to see any light or way out of this affair;
therefore she had not had the courage to choose a successor, and to
choose a doubtful one she thought would be very bad; therefore she wrote
in her last will, It is better to have no mother than to have one on
whom you cannot rely. Friso had seen a great deal. He had been brought
up in the wars, and he had just learned and gathered as much of the
tricks and cunning ways of the Gauls and the princes as he required, to
lead the other counts wherever he wished. See here how he went to work
about that.

Friso had taken here another wife, a daughter of Wilfręthe, who in his
lifetime had been chief count of Staveren. By her he had two sons and
two daughters. By his wish Kornelia, his youngest daughter, was married
to my brother. Kornelia is not good Frisian; her name ought to be
written Korn-helia. Weemoed, his eldest daughter, he married to Kauch.
Kauch, who went to school to him, is the son of Wichhirte, the king of
the Geertmen. But Kauch is likewise not good Frisian, and ought to be
Kaap (Koop). So they have learned more bad language than good manners.

Now I must return to my story.

After the great flood of which my father wrote an account, there came
many Jutlanders and Letlanders out of the Baltic, or bad sea. They were
driven down the Kattegat in their boats by the ice as far as the coast
of Denmark, and there they remained. There was not a creature to be
seen; so they took possession of the land, and named it after
themselves, Jutland. Afterwards many of the Denmarkers returned from the
higher lands, but they settled more to the south; and when the mariners
returned who had not been lost, they all went together to Zeeland. By
this arrangement the Jutlanders retained the laud to which Wr-alda had
conducted them. The Zeeland skippers, who were not satisfied to live
upon fish, and who hated the Gauls, took to robbing the Phśnician ships.
In the south-west point of Scandinavia there lies Lindasburgt, called
Lindasnôse, built by one Apol, as is written in the book. All the people
who live on the coasts, and in the neighbouring districts, had remained
true Frisians; but by their desire for vengeance upon the Gauls, and the
followers of Kaltona, they joined the Zeelanders. But that connection
did not hold together, because the Zeelanders had adopted many evil
manners and customs of the wicked Magyars, in opposition to Frya’s
people. Afterwards, everybody went stealing on his own account; but when
it suited them they held all together. At last the Zeelanders began to
be in want of good ships. Their shipbuilders had died, and their forests
as well as their land had been washed out to sea. Now there arrived
unexpectedly three ships, which anchored off the ringdyk of our citadel.
By the disruption of our land they had lost themselves, and had missed
Flymond. The merchant who was with them wished to buy new ships from us,
and for that purpose had brought all kinds of valuables, which they had
stolen from the Celtic country and Phśnician ships. As we had no ships,
I gave them active horses and four armed couriers to Friso; because at
Stavere, along the Alberga, the best ships of war were built of hard oak
which never rots. While these sea rovers remained with us, some of the
Jutmen had gone to Texland, and thence to Friso. The Zeelanders had
stolen many of their strongest boys to row their ships, and many of
their finest daughters to have children by. The great Jutlanders could
not prevent it, as they were not properly armed. When they had related
all their misfortunes, and a good deal of conversation had taken place,
Friso asked them at last if they had no good harbours in their country.
Oh, yes, they answered; a beautiful one, created by Wr-alda. It is like
a bottle, the neck narrow, but in the belly a thousand large boats may
lie; but we have no citadel and no defences to keep out the pirate
ships. Then you should make them, said Friso. That is very good advice,
said the Jutlanders; but we have no workmen and no building materials;
we are all fishermen and trawlers. The others are drowned or fled to the
higher lands. While they were talking in this way, my messengers arrived
at the court with the Zeeland gentlemen. Here you must observe how Friso
understood deceiving everybody, to the satisfaction of both parties, and
to the accomplishment of his own ends. To the Zeelanders he promised
that they should have yearly fifty ships of a fixed size for a fixed
price, fitted with iron chains and crossbows, and fall rigging as is
necessary and useful for men-of-war, but that they should leave in peace
the Jutlanders and all the people of Frya’s race. But he wished to do
more; he wanted to engage all our sea rovers to go with him upon his
fighting expedition. When the Zeelanders had gone, he loaded forty old
ships with weapons for wall defences, wood, bricks, carpenters, masons,
and smiths, in order to build citadels. Witto, or Witte, his son, he
sent to superintend. I have never been well informed of what happened;
but this much is clear to me, that on each side of the harbour a strong
citadel has been built, and garrisoned by people brought by Friso out of
Saksenmarken. Witto courted Siuchthirte and married her. Wilhem, her
father, was chief Alderman of the Jutmen—that is, chief Grevetman or
Count. Wilhem died shortly afterwards, and Witto was chosen in his place.

* /Balda jefta kvade sę/ is the Baltic. /Juttarland/ is Jutland.

† Zeeland is the Danish Islands.

‡ See page 124 <#bh>.

* /Phonisjar/ are Punics or Carthaginians.

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47.

WHAT FRISO DID FURTHER.

Of his first wife he still had two brothers-in-law, who were very
daring. Hetto—that is, heat—the youngest, he sent as messenger to
Kattaburgt, which lies far in the Saxsenmarken. Friso gave him to take
seven horses, besides his own, laden with precious things stolen by the
sea-rovers. With each horse there were two young sea-rovers and two
young horsemen, clad in rich garments, and with money in their purses.
In the same way as he sent Hetto to Kattaburgt, he sent Bruno that is,
brown—the other brother-in-law, to Mannagarda oord. Mannagarda oord was
written Mannagarda ford in the earlier part of this book, but that is
wrong. All the riches that they took with them were given away,
according to circumstances, to princes, princesses, and chosen young
girls. When his young men went to the tavern to dance with the young
people there, they ordered baskets of spice, gingerbread, and tuns of
the best beer. After these messengers he let his young people constantly
go over to the Saxsenmarken, always with money in their purses and
presents to give away, and they spent money carelessly in the taverns.
When the Saxsen youths looked with envy at this they smiled, and said,
If you dare go and fight the common enemy you would be able to give much
richer presents to your brides, and live much more princely. Both the
brothers-in-law of Friso had married daughters of the chief princes, and
afterwards the Saxsen youths and girls came in whole troops to the Flymeer.

The burgtmaidens and old maidens who still remembered their greatness
did not hold with Friso’s object, and therefore they said no good of
him; but Friso, more cunning than they, let them chatter, but the
younger maidens he led to his side with golden fingers. They said
everywhere, For a long time we have had no mother, but that comes from
our being fit to take care of ourselves. At present it suits us best to
have a king to win back our lands that we have lost through the
imprudence of our mothers. Further they said, Every child of Frya has
permission to let his voice be heard before the choice of a prince is
decided; but if it comes to that, that you choose a king, then also we
will have our say. From all that we can see, Wr-alda has appointed Friso
for it, for he has brought him here in a wonderful way. Friso knows the
tricks of the Gauls, whose language he speaks; he can therefore watch
against their craftiness. Then there is something else to keep the eye
upon. What count could be chosen as king without the others being
jealous of him? All such nonsense the young maidens talked; but the old
maidens, though few in number, tapped their advice out of another cask.
They said always and to every one: Friso does like the spiders. At night
he spreads his webs in all directions, and in the day he catches in them
all his unsuspecting friends. Friso says he cannot suffer any priests or
foreign princes, but we say that he cannot suffer anybody but himself;
therefore he will not allow the citadel of Stavia to be rebuilt;
therefore he will not have the mother again. To-day Friso is your
counsellor, to-morrow he will be your king, in order to have full power
over you. Among the people there now existed two parties. The old and
the poor wished to have the mother again, but the young and the warlike
wished for a father and a king. The first called themselves mother’s
sons, the others father’s sons, but the mother’s sons did not count for
much; because there were many ships to build, there was a good time for
all kinds of workmen. Moreover, the sea-rovers brought all sorts of
treasures, with which the maidens were pleased, the girls were pleased,
and their relations and friends.

When Friso had been nearly forty years at Staveren he died. Owing to him
many of the states had been joined together again, but that we were the
better for it I am not prepared to certify. Of all the counts that
preceded him there was none so renowned as Friso; for, as I said before,
the young maidens spoke in his praise, while the old maidens did all in
their power to make him hateful to everybody. Although the old women
could not prevent his meddling, they made so much fuss that he died
without becoming king.

* See page 11 <#ac>.

* 263 before Christ.

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48.

NOW I WILL WRITE ABOUT HIS SON ADEL.

Friso, who had learned our history from the book of the Adelingen, had
done everything in his power to win their friendship. His eldest son,
whom he had by his wife Swethirte, he named Adel; and although he strove
with all his might to prevent the building or restoring any citadels, he
sent Adel to the citadel of Texland in order to make himself better
acquainted with our laws, language, and customs. When Adel was twenty
years old Friso brought him into his own school, and when he had fully
educated him he sent him to travel through all the states. Adel was an
amiable young man, and in his travels he made many friends, so the
people called him Atharik—that is, rich in friends—which was very useful
to him afterwards, for when his father died he took his place without a
question of any other count being chosen.

While Adel was studying at Texland there was a lovely maiden at the
citadel. She came from Saxenmarken, from the state of Suobaland,
therefore she was called at Texland Suobene, although her name was
Ifkja. Adel fell in love with her, and she with him, but his father
wished him to wait a little. Adel did as he wished; but as soon as he
was dead, sent messengers to Berthold, her father, to ask her in
marriage. Berthold was a prince of high-principled feelings. He had sent
his daughter to Texland in the hope that she might be chosen Burgtmaagd
in her country, but when he knew of their mutual affection he bestowed
his blessing upon them. Ifkja was a clever Frisian. As far as I have
been able to learn, she always toiled and worked to bring the Frya’s
people back under the same laws and customs. To bring the people to her
side, she travelled with her husband through all Saxenmarken, and also
to Geertmannia—as the Geertmen had named the country which they had
obtained by means of Gosa. Thence they went to Denmark, and from Denmark
by sea to Texland. From Texland they went to Westflyland, and so along
the cost to Walhallagara; thence they followed the Zuiderryn (the Waal),
till, with great apprehension, they arrived beyond the Rhine at the
Marsaten of whom our Apollonia has written. When they had stayed there a
little time, they returned to the lowlands. When they had been some time
descending towards the lowlands, and had reached about the old citadel
of Aken, four of their servants were suddenly murdered and stripped.
They had loitered a little behind. My brother, who was always on the
alert, had forbidden them to do so, but they did not listen to him. The
murderers that had committed this crime were Twisklanders, who had at
that time audaciously crossed the Rhine to murder and to steal. The
Twisklanders are banished and fugitive children of Frya, but their wives
they have stolen from the Tartars. The Tartars are a brown tribe of
Finda’s people, who are thus named because they make war on everybody.
They are all horsemen and robbers. This is what makes the Twisklanders
so bloodthirsty. The Twisklanders who had done the wicked deed called
themselves Frijen or Franken. There were among them, my brother said,
red, brown, and white men. The red and brown made their hair white with
lime-water—but as their faces remained brown, they were only the more
ugly. In the same way as Apollonia, they visited Lydasburgt and the
Alderga. Afterwards they made a tour of all the neighbourhood of
Stavera. They behaved with so much amiability, that everywhere the
people wished to keep them. Three months later, Adel sent messengers to
all the friends that he had made, requesting them to send to him their
“wise men” in the month of May.†

his wife, he said, who had been maagd of Texland, had received a copy of
it. In Texland many writings are still found which are not copied in the
book of the Adelingen. One of these writings had been placed by Goss
with her last will, which was to be opened by the oldest maiden,
Albetha, as soon as Friso was dead.

† Hamconius, page 8. Suobinna.

* See page 150 <#bn>.

† /Delta/, still in use in North Holland for swampy land.

* Diodorus Siculus, V. 28.

† Here the copyist, Hiddo oera Linda, has turned over a leaf too much,
and has thus omitted two pages.

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49.

HERE IS THE WRITING WITH GOSA’S ADVICE.

When Wr-alda gave children to the mothers of mankind, he gave one
language to every tongue and to all lips. This gift Wr-alda had bestowed
upon men in order that by its means they might make known to each other
what must be avoided and what must be followed to find salvation, and to
hold salvation to all eternity. Wr-alda is wise and good, and
all-foreseeing. As he knew that happiness and holiness would flee from
the earth when wickedness could overcome virtue, he has attached to the
language an equitable property. This property consists in this, that men
can neither lie nor use deceitful words without stammering or blushing,
by which means the innately bad are easily known.

As thus our language opens the way to happiness and blessedness, and
thus helps to guard against evil inclinations, it is rightly named the
language of the gods, and all those by whom it is held in honour derive
honour from it. But what has happened? As soon as among our half
brothers and sisters deceivers arose, who gave themselves out as
servants of the good, it soon became otherwise. The deceitful priests
and the malignant princes, who always clung together, wished to live
according to their own inclinations, without regard to the laws of
right. In their wickedness they went so far as to invent other
languages, so that they might speak secretly in anybody’s presence of
their wicked and unworthy affairs without betraying themselves by
stammering, and without showing a blush upon their countenances. Bat
what has that produced? Just as the seed of good herbs which has been
sown by good men in the open day springs up from the ground, so time
brings to light the evil seed which has been sown by wicked men in
secret and in darkness.

The wanton girls and effeminate youths who consorted with the immoral
priests and princes, taught the new language to their companions, and
thus spread it among the people till God’s language was clean forgotten.
Would you know what came of all this? how that stammering and blushing
no longer betrayed their evil doings;—virtue passed away, wisdom and
liberty followed; unity was lost, and quarrelling took its place; love
flew away, and unchastity and envy met round their tables; and where
previously justice reigned, now it is the sword. All are slaves—the
subjects of their masters, envy, bad passions and covetousness. If they
had only invented one language things might possibly have still gone on
well; but they invented as many languages as there are states, so that
one people can no more understand another people than a cow a dog, or a
wolf a sheep. The mariners can bear witness to this. From all this it
results that all the slave people look upon each other as strangers; and
that as a punishment of their inconsiderateness and presumption, they
must quarrel and fight till they are all destroyed.

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50.

HERE IS MY COUNSEL.

If you wish that you alone should inherit the earth, you must never
allow any language but God’s language to pass your lips, and take care
that your own language remains free from outlandish sounds. If you wish
that some of Lyda’s children and some of Finda’s children remain, you
must do the same. The language of the East Schoonlanders has been
perverted by the vile Magyars, and the language of the followers of
Kaltana has been spoiled by the dirty Gauls. Now, we have been weak
enough to admit among us the returned followers of Hellenia, but I
anxiously fear that they will reward our weakness by debasing our pure
language.

Many things have happened to us, but among all the citadels that have
been disturbed and destroyed in the bad time, Irtha has preserved
Fryasburgt uninjured; and I may remark that Frya’s or God’s language has
always remained here untainted.

Here in Texland, therefore, schools should be established; and from all
the states that have kept to the old customs the young people should be
sent here, and afterwards those whose education is complete can help
those who remain at home. If foreigners come to buy ironwares from you,
and want to talk and bargain, they must come back to God’s language. If
they learn God’s language, then the words, “to be free” and “to have
justice,” will come to them, and glimmer and glitter in their brains to
a perfect light, and that flame will destroy all bad princes and
hypocritical dirty priests.

The native and foreign messengers were pleased with that writing, but no
schools came from it. Then Adel established schools himself. Every year
Adel and Ifkja went to inspect the schools. If they found a friendly
feeling existing between the natives and foreigners, they were extremely
pleased. If there were any who had sworn friendship together, they
assembled the people, and with great ceremony let them inscribe their
names in a book which was called the Book of Friendship, and afterwards
a festival was held. All these customs were kept up in order to bring
together the separate branches of Frya’s race; but the maidens who were
opposed to Adel and Ifkja said that they did it for no other reason than
to make a name for themselves, and to bring all the other states under
their subjection.

Among my father’s papers I found a letter from Liudgert the Geertman.
Omitting some passages which only concern my father, I proceed to relate
the rest.

Punjab, that is five rivers, and by which we travel, is a river of
extraordinary beauty, and is called Five Rivers, because four other
streams flow into the sea by its mouth. Far away to the eastward is
another large river, the Holy or Sacred Ganges. Between these two rivers
is the land of the Hindoos. Both rivers run from the high mountains to
the plains. The mountains in which their sources lie are so high that
they reach the heavens (laia), and therefore these mountains are called
Himmellaia. Among the Hindoos and others out of these countries there
are people who meet together secretly. They believe that they are pure
children of Finda, and that Finda was born in the Himmellaia mountains,
whence she went with her children to the lowlands. Some of them believe
that she, with her children, floated down upon the foam of the Ganges,
and that that is the reason why the river is called the Sacred Ganges.
But the priests, who came from another country, traced out these people
and had them burnt, so that they do not dare to declare openly their
creed. In this country all the priests are fat and rich. In their
churches there are all kinds of monstrous images, many of them of gold.
To the west of the Punjab are the Yren (Iraniers), or morose
(Drangianen), the Gedrosten (Gedrosiers), or runaways, and the Urgetten,
or forgotten. These names are given by the priests out of spite, because
they fled from their customs and religion. On their arrival our
forefathers likewise established themselves to the east of the Punjab,
but on account of the priests they likewise went to the west. In that
way we learned to know the Yren and other people. The Yren are not
savages, but good people, who neither pray to nor tolerate images;
neither will they suffer priests or churches; but as we adhere to the
light of Fasta, so they everywhere maintain fire in their houses. Coming
still further westward, we arrive at the Gedrosten. Regarding the
Gedrosten: They have been mixed with other people, and speak a variety
of languages. These people are really savage murderers, who always
wander about the country on horseback hunting and robbing, and hire
themselves as soldiers to the surrounding princes, at whose command they
destroy whatever they can reach.

The country between the Punjab and the Ganges is as flat as Friesland
near the sea, and consists of forests and fields, fertile in every part,
but this does not prevent the people from dying by thousands of hunger.
The famines, however, must not be attributed to Wr-alda or Irtha, but to
the princes and priests. The Hindoos are timid and submissive before
their princes, like hinds before wolves. Therefore the Yren and others
have called them Hindoos, which means hinds. But their timidity is
frightfully abused. If strangers come to purchase corn, everything is
turned into money, and this is not prevented ‘by the priests, because
they, being more crafty and rapacious than all the princes put together,
know very well that all the money will come into their pockets. Besides
what the people suffer from their princes, they suffer a great deal from
poisonous and wild beasts. There are great elephants that sometimes go
about in whole flocks and trample down cornfields aid whole villages.
There are great black and white cats which are called tigers. They are
as large as calves, and they devour both men and beasts. Besides other
creeping animals there are snakes from the size of a worm to the size of
a tree. The largest can swallow a cow, but the smallest are the most
deadly. They conceal themselves among the fruits and flowers, and
surprise the people who come to gather them. Any one who is bitten by
them is sure to die, as Irtha has given no antidote to their poison,
because the people have so given themselves up to idolatry. There are,
besides, all sorts of lizards, tortoises, and crocodiles. All these
reptiles, like the snakes, vary from the size of a worm to the trunk of
a tree. According to their size and fierceness, they have names which I
cannot recollect, but the largest are called alligators, because they
eat as greedily the putrid cattle that float down the stream as they do
living animals that they seize. On the west of the Punjab where we come
from, and where I was born, the same fruits and crops grow as on the
east side. Formerly there existed also the same crawling animals, but
our forefathers burnt all the underwood, and so diligently hunted all
the wild animals, that there are scarcely any left. To the extreme west
of the Punjab there is found rich clay land as well as barren heaths,
which seem endless, occasionally varied lovely spots on which the eye
rests enchanted. Among the fruits there are many that I have not found
here. Among the various kinds of corn some is as yellow as gold. There
are also golden apples, of which some are as sweet as honey and others
as sour as vinegar. In our country there are nuts as large as a child’s
head. They contain cheese and milk. When they are old oil is made from
them. Of the husks ropes are made, and of the shells cups and other
household utensils are made. I have found in the woods here bramble and
holly berries. In my country we have trees bearing berries, as large as
your lime-trees, the berries of which are much sweeter and three times
as large as your gooseberries. When the days are at the longest, and the
sun is in the zenith, a man’s body has no shadow. If you sail very far
to the south and look to the east at midday, the sun shines on your left
side as it does in other countries on the right side. With this I will
finish. It will be easy for you, by means of what I have written, to
distinguish between false accounts and true descriptions.—Your Liudgert.

* See page 164 <#bp>.

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51.

THE WRITING OF BEEDEN.

My name is Beeden, son of Hachgana. My uncle, not having married, left
no children. I was elected in his place. Adel, the third king of that
name, approved of the choice, provided I should acknowledge him as
master. In addition to the entire inheritance of my uncle, he gave me
some land which joined my inheritance, on condition that I would settle
people there who should never his people*

therefore I will allow it a place here.

* Here there are wanting in the manuscript twenty pages (perhaps more),
in which Beeden has written about the King, Adel the Third, called Ubbo
by the writers of our chronicles.

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52.

LETTER OF RIKA THE OUDMAAGD, READ AT STAVEREN AT THE JUUL FEAST.

My greeting to all of you whose forefathers came here with Friso.
According to what you say, you are not guilty of idolatry. I will not
speak about that now, but will at once mention a failing which is very
little better. You know, or you do not know, how many titles Wr-alda
has; but you all know that he is named universal provider, because that
everything comes and proceeds from him for the sustenance of his
creatures. It is true that Irtha is named sometimes the feeder of all,
because she brings forth all the fruits and grains on which men and
beasts are fed; but she would not bear any fruit or grain unless Wr-alda
gave her the power. Women who nourish their children at their breasts
are called nurses, but if Wr-alda did not give them milk the children
would find no advantage; so that, in short, Wr-alda really is the
nourisher. That Irtha should be called the universal nourisher, and that
a mother should be called a feeder, one can understand, figuratively
speaking; but that a father should be called a feeder, because he is a
father, goes against all reason. Now I know whence all this folly comes.
Listen to me. It comes from our enemies; and if this is followed up you
will become slaves, to the sorrow of Frya and to the punishment of your
pride. I will tell you what happened to the slave people; from that you
may take warning. The foreign kings, who follow their own will, place
Wr-alda below the crown. From envy that Wr-alda is called the universal
father, they wish also to be called fathers of the people. Now,
everybody knows that kings do not regulate the productiveness of the
earth; and that they have their sustenance by means of the people, but
still they will persist in their arrogance. In order to attain their
object they were not satisfied from the beginning with free gifts, but
imposed a tax upon the people. With the tax thus raised they hired
foreign soldiers, whom they retained about their courts. Afterwards they
took as many wives as they pleased, and the smaller princes and gentry
did the same. When, in consequence, quarrels and disputes arose in the
households, and complaints were made about it, they said every man is
the father (feeder) of his household, therefore he shall be master and
judge over it. Thus arose arbitrariness, and as the men ruled over their
households the kings would do over their people. When the kings had
accomplished that, they should be called fathers of the people, they had
statues of themselves made, and erected in the churches beside the
statues of the idols, and those who would not bow down to them were
either killed or put in chains. Your forefathers and the Twisklanders
had intercourse with the kings, and learned these follies from them. But
it is not only that some of your men have been guilty of stealing
titles, I have also much to complain of against your wives. If there are
men among you who wish to put themselves on a level with Wr-alda, there
are also women who wish to consider themselves equals of Frya. Because
they have borne children, they call themselves mothers; but they forget
that Frya bore children without having intercourse with a man. Yes, they
not only have desired to rob Frya and the Eeremoeders of their
honourable title (with whom they cannot put themselves upon an
equality), but they do the same with the honourable titles of their
fellow-creatures. There are women who allow themselves to be called
ladies, although they know that that only belongs to the wives of
princes. They also let their daughters be called maagden, although they
know that no young girls are so called unless they belong to a citadel.
Yon all fancy that you are the better for this name-stealing, but you
forget that jealousy clings to it, and that every wrong sows the seed of
its own rod. If you do not alter your course, in time it will grow so
strong that you cannot see what will be the end. Your descendants will
be flogged by it, and will not know whence the stripes come. But
although you do not build citadels for the maidens and leave them to
their fate, there will still remain some who will come out of woods and
caves, and will prove to your descendants that you have by your
disorderliness been the cause of it. Then you will be damned. Your
ghosts will rise frightened out of their graves. They will call upon
Wr-alda, Frya, and her maidens, but they shall receive no succour before
the Juul shall enter upon a pew circuit, and that will only be three
thousand years after this century.

THE END OF RIKA’S LETTER.

* Here the writing of Beeden ends. In the manuscript two successive
pages are missing according to the paging, but no doubt there are more
wanting. The abrupt opening of what follows shows that the beginning of
the following writing has been lost, and, in consequence, also the
notification of the name of the writer, who may have been a son or a
grandson of Beeden.

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53.

therefore I will first write about black Adel. Black Adel was the fourth
king after Friso. In his youth he studied first at Texland, and then at
Staveren, and afterwards travelled through all the states. When he was
twenty-four years old his father had him elected Asega-Asker. As soon as
be became Asker he always took the part of the poor. The rich, he said,
do enough of wrong by means of their wealth, therefore we ought to take
care that the poor look up to us. By arguments of this kind he became
the friend of the poor and the terror of the rich. It was carried so far
that his father looked up to him. When his father died he succeeded, and
then he wished to retain his office as well, as the kings of the East
used to do. The rich would not suffer this, so all the people rose up,
and the rich were glad to get out of the assembly with whole skins. From
that time there was no more talk of equality. He oppressed the rich and
flattered the poor, by whose assistance he succeeded in all his wishes.
King Askar, as he was always called, was seven feet high, and his
strength was as remarkable as his height. He had a clear intellect, so
that he understood all that was talked about, but in his actions he did
not display much wisdom. He had a handsome countenance and a smooth
tongue, but his soul was blacker than his hair. When he had been king
for a year, he obliged all the young men in the state to come once a
year to the camp to have a sham fight. At first he had some trouble with
it, but at last it became such a habit that old and young came from all
sides to ask if they might take part in it. When he had brought it to
this point, he established military schools. The rich complained that
their children no longer learned to read and write. Askar paid no
attention to it; but shortly afterwards, when a sham fight was held, he
mounted a throne and spoke aloud: The rich have come to complain to me
that their boys do not learn to read and write. I answered nothing; but
I will now declare my opinion, and let the general assembly decide.
While they all regarded him with curiosity, he said further: According
to my idea, we ought to leave reading and writing at present to the
maagden and wise people. I do not wish to speak ill of our forefathers;
I will only say that in the times so vaunted by some, the Burgtmaagden
introduced disputes into our country, which the mothers were unable,
either first or last, to put an end to. Worse still, while they talked
and chattered about useless customs the Gauls came and seized all our
beautiful southern country. Even at this very time our degenerate
brothers and their soldiers have already come over the Scheldt. It
therefore remains for us to choose whether we will carry a yoke or a
sword. If we wish to be and to remain free, it behoves our young men to
leave reading and writing alone for a time; and instead of playing games
of swinging and wrestling, they must learn to play with sword and spear.
When we are completely prepared, and the boys are big enough to carry
helmet and shield and to use their weapons, then, with your help, I will
attack the enemy. The Gauls may then record the defeat of their helpers
and soldiers upon our fields with the blood that flows from their
wounds. When we have once expelled the enemy, then we must follow it up
till there are no more Gauls, Slaves, or Tartars to be driven out of
Frya’s inheritance. That is right, the majority shouted, and the rich
did not dare to open their mouths. He must certainly have thought over
this address and had it written out, for on the evening of the same day
there were copies in at least twenty different hands, and they all
sounded the same. Afterwards he ordered the ship people to make double
prows, upon which steel crossbows could be fixed. Those who were
backward in doing this were fined, and if they swore that they had no
means, the rich men of the village were obliged to pay. Now we shall see
what resulted from all this bustle. In the north part of Britain there
exists a Scotch people—the most of them spring from Frya’s blood—some of
them are descended from the followers of Keltana, and, for the rest,
from Britons and fugitives who gradually, in the course of time, took
refuge there from the tin mines. Those who come from the tin mines have
wives, either altogether foreign or of foreign descent. They are all
under the dominion of the Gauls. Their arms are wooden bows and arrows
pointed with stag’s-horn or flint. Their houses are of turf and straw,
and some of them live in caves in the mountains. Sheep that they have
stolen form their only wealth. Some of the descendants of Keltana’s
followers still have iron weapons, which they have inherited from their
forefathers. In order to make myself well understood, I must let alone
for a while my account of the Scotch people, and write something about
the near Krekalanders (Italians). The Krekalanders formerly belonged to
us only, but from time immemorial descendants of Lyda and Finda have
established themselves there. Of these last there came in the end a
whole troop from Troy. Troy is the name of a town that the far
Krekalanders (Greeks) had taken and destroyed. When the Trojans had
nestled themselves among the near Krekalanders, with time and industry
they built a strong town with walls and citadels named Rome, that is,
Spacious. When this was done, the people by craft and force made
themselves masters of the whole. land. The people who live on the south
side of the Mediterranean Sea, come for the most part from Phśnicia. The
Phśnicians (Puniers or Carthaginians) are a bastard race of the blood of
Frya, Finda, and Lyda. The Lyda people were there as slaves, but by the
unchastity of the women these black people have degenerated the other
people and dyed them brown. These people and the Romans are constantly
struggling for the supremacy over the Mediterranean Sea. The Romans,
moreover, live at enmity with the Phśnicians; and their priests, who
wish to assume the sole government of the world, cannot bear the sight
of the Gauls. First they took from the Phśnicians Marseilles—then all
the countries lying to the south, the west, and the north, as well as
the southern part of Britain—and they have always driven away the
Phśnician priests, that is the Gauls, of whom thousands have sought
refuge in North Britain. A short time ago the chief of the Gauls was
established in the citadel, which is called Kerenac (Karnac), that is
the corner, whence he issued his commands to the Gauls. All their gold
was likewise collected there. Keeren Herne (chosen corner), or Kerenac,
is a stone citadel which did belong to Kalta. Therefore the maidens of
the descendants of Kaltana’s followers wished to have the citadel again.
Thus through the enmity of the maidens and the Gaul’s, hatred and
quarrelling spread ever the mountain country with fire and sword. Our
sea people often came there to get wool, which they paid for with
prepared hides and linen. Askar had often gone with them, and had
secretly made friendship with the maidens and some princes, and bound
himself to drive the Gauls out of Kerenac. When he came back there again
he gave to the princes and the fighting men iron helmets and steel bows.
War had come with him, and soon blood was streaming down the slopes of
the mountains. When Askar thought a favourable opportunity occurred, he
went with forty ships and took Kerenac and the chief of the Gauls, with
all his gold. The people with whom he fought against the soldiers of the
Gauls, he had enticed out of the Saxenmarken by promises of much booty
and plunder. Thus nothing was left to the Gauls. After that he took two
islands for stations for his ships, from which he used later to sally
forth and plunder all the Phśnician ships and towns that he could reach.
When he returned he brought nearly six hundred of the finest youths of
the Scotch mountaineers with him. He said that they had been given him
as hostages, that he might be sure that the parents would remain
faithful to him; but this was untrue. He kept them as a bodyguard at his
court, where they had daily lessons in riding and in the use of all
kinds of arms. The Denmarkers, who proudly considered themselves
sea-warriors above all the other sea-people, no sooner heard of the
glorious deeds of Askar, than they became jealous of him to such a
degree, that they would bring war over the sea and over his lands. See
here, then, how he was able to avoid a war. Among the ruins of the
destroyed citadel of Stavia there was still established a clever
Burgtmaagd, with a few maidens. Her name was Reintja, and she was famed
fur her wisdom. This maid offered her assistance to Askar, on condition
that he should afterwards rebuild the citadel of Stavia. When he had
bound himself to do this, Reintja went with three maidens to Hals
(Holstein). She travelled by night, and by day she made speeches in all
the markets and in all the assemblies. Wr-alda, she said, had told her
by his thunder that all the Frya’s people must become friends, and
united as brothers and sisters, otherwise Finda’s people would come and
sweep them off the face of the earth. After the thunder Frya’s seven
watch-maidens appeared to her in a dream seven nights in succession.
They had said, Disaster hovers over Frya’s land with yoke and chains;
therefore all the people who have sprung from Frya’s blood must do away
with their surnames, and only call themselves Frya’s children, or Frya’s
people. They must all rise up and drive. Finda’s people out of Frya’s
inheritance. If you will not do that, you will bring the slave-chains
round your necks, and the foreign chiefs will ill-treat your children
and flog them till the blood streams into your graves. Then shall the
spirits of your forefathers appear to you, and reproach your cowardice
and thoughtlessness. The stupid people who, by the acts of the Magyars,
were already so much accustomed to folly, believed all that she said,
and the mothers clasped their children to their bosoms. When Reintja had
brought the king of Holstein and the others to an agreement, she sent
messengers to Askar, and went herself along the Baltic Sea. From there
she went to the Lithauers (Face-hewers), so called because they always
strike at their enemy’s face. The Lithauers are fugitives and banished
people of our own race, who wander about in the Twisklanden. Their wives
have been mostly stolen from the Tartars. The Tartars are a branch of
Finda’s race, and are thus named by the Twisklanders because they never
will be at peace, but provoke people to fight. She proceeded on beyond
the Saxsenmarken, crossing through the other Twisklanders in order
always to repeat the same thing. After two years had passed, she came
along the Rhine home. Among the Twisklanders she gave herself out for a
mother, and said that they might return as free and true people; but
then they must go over the Rhine and drive the Gauls out of Frya’s south
lands. If they did that, then her King Askar would go over the Scheldt
and win back the land. Among the Twisklanders many bad customs of the
Tartars and Magyars have crept in, but likewise many of our laws have
remained. Therefore they still have Maagden, who teach the children and
advise the old. In the beginning they were opposed to Reintja, but at
last she was followed, obeyed, and praised by them where it was useful
or necessary.

As soon as Askar heard from Reintja’s messengers how the Jutlanders were
disposed, he immediately, on his side, sent messengers to the King of
Hals. The ship in which the messengers went was laden with women’s
ornaments, and took also a golden shield on which Askar’s portrait was
artistically represented. These messengers were to ask the King’s
daughter, Frethogunsta, in marriage for Askar. Frethogunsta came a year
after that to Staveren. Among her followers was a Magy, for the
Jutlanders had been long ago corrupted. Soon after Askar had married
Frethogunsta, a church was built at Staveren. In the church were placed
monstrous images, bedecked with gold-woven dresses. It is also said that
Askar, by night, and at unseasonable times, kneeled to them with
Frethogunsta; but one thing is certain, the citadel of Stavia was never
rebuilt. Reintja was already come back, and went angrily to Prontlik the
mother, at Texland, to complain. Prontlik sent out messengers in all
directions, who proclaimed that Askar is gone over to Idolatry. Askar
took no notice of this, but unexpectedly a fleet arrived from Hals. In
the night the maidens were driven out of the citadel, and in the morning
there was nothing to be seen of the citadel but a glowing heap of
rubbish. Prontlik and Reintja came to me for shelter. When I reflected
upon it, I thought that it might prove bad for my state. Therefore, we
hit upon a plan which might serve us all. This is the way we went to
work. In the middle of the Krijlwood, to the east of Liudwerd, lies our
place of refuge, which can only be reached by a concealed path. A long
time ago I had established a garrison of young men who all hated Askar,
and kept away all other people. Now it was come to such a pitch among
us, that many women, and even men, talked about ghosts, white women, and
gnomes, just like the Denmarkers. Askar had made use of all these
follies for his own advantage, and we wished to do the same. One dark
night I brought the Maagden to the citadel, and afterwards they went
with their serving-maids dressed in white along the path, so that nobody
dare go there any more. When Askar thought he had his hands free, he let
the Magyars travel through his states under all kinds of names, and,
except in my state, they were not turned away anywhere. After that Askar
had become so connected with the Jutlanders and the Denmarkers, they all
went roving together; but it produced no real good to them. They brought
all sorts of foreign treasures home, and just for that reason the young
men would learn no trades, nor work in the fields; so at last he was
obliged to take slaves; but that was altogether contrary to Wr-alda’s
wish and to Frya’s counsel. Therefore the punishment Was sure to follow
it. This is the way in which the punishment came. They had all together
taken a whole fleet that came out of the Mediterranean Sea. This fleet
was laden with purple cloths and other valuables that came from
Phśnicia. The weak people of the fleet were put ashore south of the
Seine, but the strong people were kept to serve as slaves. The
handsomest were retained ashore, and the ugly and black were kept on
board ship as rowers. In the Fly the plunder was divided, but, without
their knowing it, they divided the punishment too. Of those who were
placed in the foreign ships six died of colic. It was thought that the
food and drink were poisoned, so it was all thrown overboard, but the
colic remained all the same. Wherever the slaves or the goods came,
there it came too. The Saxsenmen took it over to their marches. The
Jutlanders brought it to Schoonland and along the coasts of the Baltic
Sea, and with Askar’s mariners it was taken to Britain. We and the
people of Gręnegâ did not allow either the people or the goods to come
over our boundaries, and therefore we remained free from it. How many
people were carried off by this disease I cannot tell; but Prontlik, who
heard it afterwards from the maidens, told me that Askar had helped out
of his states a thousand times more free-men than he had brought dirty
slaves in. When the pest had ceased, the Twisklanders who had become
free came to the Rhine, but Askar would not put himself on an equality
with the princes of that vile degenerate race. He would not suffer them
to call themselves Frya’s children, as Reintja had offered them, but he
forgot then that he himself had black hair. Among the Twisklanders there
were two tribes who did not call themselves Twisklanders. One came from
the far south-east, and called themselves Allemannen. They had given
themselves this name when they had no women among them, and were
wandering as exiles in the forests. Later on they stole women from the
slave people like the Lithauers, but they kept their name. The other
tribe, that wandered about in the neighbourhood, called themselves
Franks, not because they were free, but the name of their first king was
Frank, who, by the help of the degenerate maidens, had had himself made
hereditary king over his people. The people nearest to him called
themselves Thioth-his sons—that is, sons of the people. They had
remained free, because they never would acknowledge any king, or prince,
or master except those chosen by general consent in a general assembly.
Askar had already learned from Reintja that the Twisklander princes were
almost always at war with each other. He proposed to them that they
should choose a duke from his people, because, as he said, he was afraid
that they would quarrel among themselves for the supremacy. He said also
that his princes could speak with the Gauls. This, he said, was also the
opinion of the mother. Then the princes of the Twisklanders came
together, and after twenty-one days they chose Alrik as duke. Alrik was
Askar’s nephew. He gave him two hundred Scotch and one hundred of the
greatest Saksmannen to go with him as a bodyguard. The princes were to
send twenty-one of their sons as hostages for their fidelity. Thus far
all had gone according to his wishes; but when they were to go over the
Rhine, the king of the Franks would not be under Alrik’s command.
Thereupon all was confusion. Askar, who thought that all was going on
well, landed with his ships on the other side of the Scheldt; but there
they were already aware of his coming, and were on their guard. He had
to flee as quickly as he had come, and was himself taken prisoner. The
Gauls did not know whom they had taken, so he was afterwards exchanged
for a noble Gaul whom Askar’s people had taken with them. While all this
was going on, the Magyars went about audaciously over the lands of our
neighbours. Near Egmuda, where formerly the citadel Forana had stood,
they built a church larger and richer than that which Askar had built at
Staveren. They said afterwards that Askar had lost the battle against
the Gauls, because the people did not believe that Wodin could help
them, and therefore they would not pray to him. They went about stealing
young children, whom they kept and brought up in the mysteries of their
abominable doctrines. Were there people who

[Here the manuscript ends abruptly.]

* /Phonsiar/ are Carthaginians.

* /Hals/ is Holstein.

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