FROM GODDESS TO KING

A History of Ancient Europe from the

OERA LINDA BOOK

By Anthony Radford

CHAPTER 18

FRISO, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

Thestory of Friso is by no means told to completion. For another forty years he would continue in the homeland area, always using the skills that he had learned from the Mediterranean generals to further his own ambition.

Konered continues the Book after Frethorik and Wiljo his father and mother. He gives us an account of the rebuilding after the disasters of 305 BC. His citadel at Lindaoord was lost, as he claimed all of them had been, but this cannot however include the mighty one at Texland. That account would contradict the other writings.

The period is more than fifty years after the quakes or about 250 BC. Some lands had been recovered from the sea in the immediate vicinity of the castle and more works were proceeding. He ends with the usual moral observation equivalent to our "God helps those who help themselves", and such advice as exists on community cooperation may be of value for our own time.

Here Konered tells of the exploits of Friso who had returned to the Rhine after serving for a generation in the Mediterranean. A lot of place names have been mentioned, some of which can be found still existing with modern but similar names in Holland. The nation was now more compact, even a remnant of its former self, but this looser confederation of independent states was still the most dominant force in that part of Europe and a match for Rome. The Fly River is not obviously identifiable with the small stream of that name that exists today but most likely it was the modern Rhine and flowing to the sea a little farther north than its present course.

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 Konered. My fathers name was Frethorik, my mothers name was Wiljo. After my fathers 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 Lindaoord and Liudgaard was destroyed. Lindahelm is still lost, the Lindaoord partially, and the north Lindgaard 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 harbor, went away and built houses inside the ramparts of the citadel; therefore the 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 Fryas 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 eastwards, three southwards, and three westwards. At present we are engaged in ramming piles into the ground to make a harbor 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.

Friso was a man of much experience. As a young Frisian seaman, he had gone to the Mediterranean and learned the languages of the Gauls and Greeks; and a generation later, as a family man, fighting for and against Alexanders generals, he had returned to Texland. There he wasted no time in assuming important posts, starting a new family and preparing local youths in the ways of modern warfare for home defense. For the next forty years he tried to consolidate himself as permanent king but always faced strong moral opposition in the form of the "old maids", the remaining maidens that had survived the destruction of their temples in the earthquake. Eventually his descendants would become royal kings.

Konered, the writer of the time, and others, feared his ambition but must have secretly admired this man of action. He allied his family with important connections, clearly expecting the new hereditary, "might is right" attitude to take a more persuasive course in his homeland. Konered continues.

Now I will Write About Friso:

Friso, who was already powerful by his troops, was chosen chief Grevetman of the districts round Stavern. 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 behooves 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 Texland.

When the messengers of the Landsaten came to him, he said that Gosa had been farseeing 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 Wilfrethe, who in his lifetime had been chief count of Stavern. 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 with him, is the son of Wichhirt, the king of the Geertmen. But Kauch is likewise not good Frisian, and ought to be Kaap. So they have learned more bad language than good manners.

We have been told how the Jutlanders were so named because they collected amber or jutten, as a valuable material in demand for foreign trade but they did not come from the peninsula of Jutland as we know it today. They were Baltic people from Schoonland or Scandinavia across the sea from Denmark. After the flooding they settled in the north of Denmark giving it the name of Jutland while the Denmarkers who had escaped to the higher lands returned to Zealand in the south which is now part of Holland.

The Zealanders, so named because they made their living from the sea, returned from their ships to find only barren swamps left. In view of this they resorted to piracy against Phoenician ships (probably Carthaginian), Kaltas people or the Gauls whom they particularly disliked. Their swamp afforded no building materials and these fishermen did not have the skills to build a citadel to defend themselves against the Gauls. The Gauls or Celtics, to use a modern term, were stealing the Zealanders sons for rowers and their daughters for wives. This is another instance of how the great flood of 305 BC disrupted the entire fabric of Western Europe, setting culture against culture and tribe against tribe.

By this date, little Frisian racial purity and culture had survived but we read on to find how the races were mixed to an even greater extent. It shows how the destruction was widespread, affecting many nations beyond the Baltic.

They complained to the Grevetman Friso, whose duty it was to hear their grievances, which he did, offering good advice and following it up with supplies to build forts at the entrance to their harbor. His son from his Mediterranean family supervised the construction, married the chief Aldermans daughter and was eventually elected to succeed him as Grevetman. All this history that is recorded in the last half of the Oera Linda Book is about the home land of the authors, the lowlands of Western Europe and neighboring "German" lands. They would eventually diminish to no more than a few Frisian Islands with the island of Texel becoming the final remnant of Texland. It was still an extensive loose confederation of a score or more nations.

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 Zealand. By this arrangement the Jutlanders retained the land to which Wr-Alda had conducted them. The Zealand skippers, who were not satisfied to live upon fish, and who hated the Gauls, took to robbing the Phoenician ships.

In the southwest point of Scandinavia there lies Lindasburgt, called Lindasnose, built by one Apol, as it is written in the book. All the people who live on the coasts, and in the neighboring districts, had remained true Frisians; but by their desire for vengeance upon the Gauls, and the followers of Kalta, they joined the Zealanders. But that connection did not hold together, because the Zealanders had adopted many evil manners and customs of the wicked Magyars, in opposition to Fryas people.

Afterwards, everybody went stealing on his own account; but when it suited them they held all together. At last the Zealanders 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 ringdike 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 Phoenician ships.

As we had no ships, I gave them active horses and four armed couriers to Friso; because at Stavern, 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 Zealanders 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 harbors 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 boats may lie; but we have no citadel and no defenses to keep out the pirate ships."

"Then you shall 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 higher lands."

While they were talking in this way, my messengers arrived at the court with the Zealand gentlemen. Here you must observe how Friso understood deceiving everybody, to the satisfaction of both parties, and to the accomplishment of his owns ends. To the Zealanders he promised that they should have yearly fifty ships of a fixed size for a fixed price, fitted with iron chains and crossbows, and full rigging as is necessary and useful for men-of-war, but they should leave in peace the Jutlanders and all the people of Fryas 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 Zealanders had gone, he loaded 40 old ships with weapons for wall defenses, wood, bricks, carpenters, masons, and smiths, in order to build citadels. Whitto or Whitte 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 harbor a strong citadel has been built, and garrisoned by people brought by Friso out of Saksenmarken. Whitto courted Siuchthirte and married her. Wilhelm, her father, was chief Alderman of the Jutmen - that is, chief Grevetman or count. Wilhelm died shortly afterwards, and Whitto was chosen in his place.

According to Konered, Friso was using the same tactics that the Magy had been accused of employing, gaining a standing army of loyal followers and greatly increasing his influence in the process. These tactics included using his family for alliances, bribing the established prominent citizens and pandering to the greedy instincts of the young. Friso knew human nature and politics, but he also realized that no matter how much wealth or force he controlled, there could be no real power without popular support.

While Friso had opposition in the form of the old maidens who wanted the citadels to be rebuilt and a new Mother elected, he did have the support of the young. They were impressed by the return of the ships and new prosperity, including an abundance of work while new ships were being built. The young wanted a strong king to take back their lost lands, lost because of poor judgment shown by the Mothers. They were bound to win, or so it seemed, but the few old maidens who were left were still strong, for after forty years, Friso died and not as king.

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 Saxony. 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 turns of the best beer.

After these messengers he let his young people constantly go over to Saxony, always with money in their purses and presents to give away, and they spent money carelessly in the taverns. When the Saxon 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 Saxon youths and girls came in whole troops to the Flymeer.

The burgtmaidens and old maidens who still remembered their greatness did not hold with Frisos 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 of 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. Today Friso is your counselor, tomorrow he will be your king, in order to have full power over you."

Among the people there now exists two parties. The old and the poor wish to have the Mother again, but the young and the warlike wish for a father and a king. The first called themselves mothers sons, the others fathers sons, but the mothers 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 Stavern he died. Owing to him many of the states had been joined together again, but that we were the better off 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.

Friso had brought his remaining foreign-born children home, but with his new Frisian wife Swethirte, he had a son that he had named Adel after Adela, that heroine of the last three hundred years who initiated these recordings. He had him educated at the remaining citadel at Texland where he learned true Frisian ways.

There is a love story here, for Adel met a maiden in Texland who was willing to give up her promising future as a citadel virgin for marriage. His father told him to wait and enrolled him at age twenty in his military school. Adel was an amicable man. He made many friends and when Friso died, he not only married the maiden but succeeded his father as chief count.

Ifkja, his bride, tried in the manner of Adela to unite the various Frisian communities. One way was to proceed on a "grand tour" in the manner of a new burgtmaid. From the description of the tour, the nation was almost as extensive as in Apollonias time but subject to lawlessness and marauding bands of Germans. These Twisklanders were of mixed blood like so many of the new Frisians, but according to the tale, many felt the need to bleach their hair. This attitude survived into the language where words like "fair" mean both light colored and beautiful while "dark" also has a darker meaning; not a wholesome heritage for a new age. Times were not as safe as before, in part because of the policy of banishing criminals to Germany across the Rhine rather than to Britain as in ancient times before the Celtic cessation. These single men stole Tartar wives, and as their numbers grew, they became a new threat, the Franks. The origin of this European name is given according to their understanding.

Adel called a conference, but the purpose or result is lost as some pages are missing in the subsequent re-recording of the book. This section ends with a story of how some writings of Gosa came about and they follow next.

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 of 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 Saxony, from the state of Suebaland, 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 Burgtmaid 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 Fryas people back under the same laws and customs. To bring the people to her side, she traveled with her husband through all Saxony, and also to Geertmania - 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 coast to Walhallagara; thence they followed the Zuiderryn 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 German landers, who had at that time audaciously crossed the Rhine to murder and to steal. The German landers are banished and fugitive children of Frya, but their wives they have stolen from the Tartars. The Tartars are a brown tribe of Findas people, who are thus named because they make war on everybody. They are all horsemen and robbers. This is what makes the German landers so bloodthirsty.

The German landers 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 neighborhood of Stavern.

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...

(here there is a missing page)

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

The Adelingen must have been a history of the descendants of Apol and Adela who were married in 558 BC. This became the Oera Linda family and for the next fifty years, the story has survived with the writings of their children but then not again until Frethorik and Wiljo who were married in 290 BC. This is all missing history although she eventually recorded the will of Gosa together with additional writings.

FROM GODDESS TO KING

A History of Ancient Europe from the

OERA LINDA BOOK

By Anthony Radford

CHAPTER 17

GOSA, THE LAST EARTH MOTHER

Shortlyafter the disasters of 305 BC, the various recovering peoples of Fryas land wanted to elect a new Earth Mother and chose Gosa Makonta, the Burgtmaid of Fryasburgt. Her citadel at Texland was the only one not destroyed and it was the traditional seat of the Mother. Prosperity was slowly returning and the great fleet had made several voyages when the new problem of that time came into her consideration. The black rowers and their Frisian wives and children after ten struggling years were being taken exception to by the seamen. Gosa counseled tolerance and acceptance. The time for a racially distinct nation had long passed as we shall soon see how black haired and mixed blood kings eventually took over in the beginning of the coming Patriarchal Age as hereditary autocrats.

Let us not forget that the story is from the point of view of Western Europe, as the Matriarchal Age had long ago been driven out of the rest of Europe and never did exist in the other regions of Africa and Asia with which these people made contact. That there were matriarchal societies, and even still are, in some parts of the world, is not denied. We contend that matriarchal tyranny of the type typified by the heroic Greek state of Eleusis in "The King Must Die" was not typical of Europe in the period a thousand years before Gosa but limited to some Mediterranean states. It was actually, a corruption of the original concept of the mothers of a citadel in which kings believed they would obtain immortality at death and become an oracular hero or even a god. Kings have been killed at the end of their term even into the twentieth century in central Asia, but this is not related to a matriarchal system. That excellent novel by Mary Renault does give a very good description of the late Minoan period as shown by excavations at Knossos.

The early life of Theseus is recognizable as an archetypal journey and is a valuable story, but this example cannot be extrapolated to represent an entire continent. Some anthropological theorists have postulated that the matriarchal consciousness derived from early mans awe over the feminine power of procreation. To assume that even primitive man, who bred livestock, did not know where children came from, and that priestess-queens could use this as a power base over men is absurd. Many citadels fell into the hands of the priests, who appointed the mothers so that they could control them, and these inevitably degenerated into a queenly power structure based on fear and mysticism, a trick learned from the priests. The devise kept the power with the priestesses and prevented the kings from succeeding.

For 282 years we had not had an Earth Mother, and now, when everything seemed lost, they set about choosing one. The lot fell upon Gosa, surnamed Makonta. She was Burgtmaid 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.

Gosa 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 Fryas sons. Their women are the strongest here. Their blood will disappear like smoke, till at last nothing but Fryas 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 neighborhoods of Stavern 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.

Next we have the final inclusion about the last Earth Mother from Gosa herself. She did not name a successor not knowing a burgtmaid that was good enough or one who could be trusted. She acknowledges that they are in a "good time" but predicts the coming of more "bad times" with the deceit of the priests. All freedom will be lost but eventually the free spirit within man will prevail and it will include the efforts of Findas people as well to bring universal law, freedom and justice to the whole earth. There will then be no more oppression. We are still waiting.

This Gosa has left behind her:

"Hail to all men! I have named no Earth Mother, 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 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 law, freedom, and justice. At first they shall shine, then struggle with darkness, until every mans head and heart has become bright and clear. Then shall oppression be driven from the earth, like the thunderclouds by the storm-wind, and all deceit will cease to have any more power."

Gosa.

Frethorik next relates the coming of a large fleet of Frisian-like seamen with their families into the area just two years after the election of Gosa. This would be 303 BC at the earliest, and for the first time these records can be compared to other written records of the stories, not counting Homer, that is, who still remains in the vale of mythology according to many of our standard references. These mercenariesfor in order to survive that is what they had becomehad fought for and against Alexander the Great and his generals, figures from generally recorded history.

Their king was Friso, who had come from the Rhine area more than twenty years previously. Their old sea-king was Wichhirt, a leader of the descendants of the Geertmen, the seamen who fled Greece and the Phoenicians, more than a thousand years earlier and previously related in the writings of Minno.

They were descendants of Jon of the Ionians and of the people of Minerva who was originally the Burgtmaid of Walhallagara. They wanted to return to their imagined roots, to leave forever the battles of the Mediterranean generals and kings who were ceaselessly vying for personal power.

Now I Will Relate How the Geertmen and Many Followers of Hellenia Came Back:

Two years after Gosa had become the Mother there arrived a fleet at Flymeer. The people shouted "Ho-n-seen" (What a blessing). They sailed to Stavern, 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 harbor in a boat, shouting again, "Ho-n-seen."

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 gray-haired 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 that now that we have a Mother it behooves 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. Friso remained with his people at Stavern, which they made again into a port as well as they could. Wichhirt 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.

King Alexander III of Macedonia died in 323 BC. He crossed the Indus river in the spring of 326 BC. We are told in the writings of Minno, how the Geertmen settled in India in 1550 BC, (-326 - 1224 = -1550) the date of an earthquake that closed access to the Red Sea from the Mediterranean. Whether that was the major quake of Cretan and Greek legend is not known, but it does date the time of Pallas Athena or Minerva to the first half of the sixteenth century before the Common Era.

The Geertmen had settled at the mouth of the Indus River in modern Pakistan, where five rivers entered the ocean, the Punjab region. Alexander came down the river with his formidable army only to find these people, who still called themselves Frisians and spoke a compatible language, taking refuge out on their large fleet. This infuriated Alexander because he wanted ships to sail around the south of India and up the Ganges. Armies that could raise thousands of elephants had too heavily defended the overland way, but with an expeditionary naval force he hoped to achieve his "holy pilgrimage." What Alexander wanted to do he did or got very angry if thwarted.

Wichhirt, the leader of the Geertmen, being ill had stayed ashore and now Alexander persuaded him to release his Frisians so that he could hire them for their seagoing skills. Alexander had brought Phoenicians and Joniers to India under the command of Nearchus, his admiral, and another historically recorded figure. With these forces the expedition sailed south. It is not known whether it went any further than Ceylon as it returned with reports of sickness, but actually we are told that there was so much dissent among the different groups that no order could be maintained.

Alexander did not go himself; perhaps he had hoped to attack overland from the rear. Meanwhile he had ordered his own soldiers to cut planks for the construction of another large fleet of fighting ships that the shipwrights of the Geertmen helped him build. He would be a sea-king himself and sail up the Ganges, and, to that end he ordered his own Macedonian soldiers to prepare for sea duty. This so frightened the land-accustomed soldiers that they burnt down the shipyards and in the flames the villages were also consumed. Furious at this mutinous act, Alexander would have executed all his own countrymen but was dissuaded by Nearchus. He then decided to bring his ships and all the men he could hire from the Geertmen back home.

In October 325 BC Nearchus left the Punjab with the Frisians, their wives and children too. Their homes had been destroyed, and they thought they were going no further than the mouth of the Euphrates in Mesopotamia, a place with which their ships had often traded.

History tells us that Alexander founded another town at the head of the Persian Gulf also named after himself. Before reaching there, he had met the fleet at the mouth of the Mana River where they were filling their water skins and they had named this place "New Geertmania." No significant town is shown there today and since the Frisians also claimed that this land was only three and a half thousand years old, as it had been uplifted at the time they settled in the Punjab, it should be possible to make geological tests that could confirm this.

When they reached the Euphrates, Alexander offered them much gold to take the entire fleet up the Red Sea to where a canal had once been. There the famous story of how elephants and camels dragged each boat over to the Mediterranean in three months is confirmed in this account. Nearchus wanted to settle them in Phoenicia but the Frisians did not like what these peoples had become and sought to try to reach their ancient motherland, the Rhine.

All this was taken from the diary of Liudgert, the admiral of Wichhirt.

After we had been settled 12 times 100 and twice 12 years in the Five Waters, while 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. Wichhirt 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.

Wichhirt 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 freeborn Fryas children, we may not 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, Wichhirt 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. Wichhirt 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 Phoenicians were always quarreling, 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 Alexanders 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 as to 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 Irtha 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 Geertmania (New Geertmania 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 King 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, 1,000 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 Phoenicia, but that no one would do. We said we would rather risk the attempt to return to Friesland.

Liudgert continues the story as recorded by Frethorik about 290 BC. In the next twenty years, the fleet operated in the Mediterranean and had acquired the services of Friso, an experienced Frisian who had brought his wife to the Inland Sea and were blessed with two very beautiful children, a boy and a girl. Friso becomes the sea-king of this new Mediterranean fleet, with the Geertmen working as mercenaries but in particularly, as freighters and engineers, first for Alexanders general Antigonus who had taken over Alexanders homeland of Macedon including Greece, and then for Demetrius, the son of Antigonus. They were at the battle of Salamis; they fought Ptolemy, the other general, who had taken over Egypt and helped in the capture of Rhodes, all recorded events of accepted history.

Demetrius heard about the beauty of Frisos children and arranged to have them brought to his quarters where he violated them. This act was so unthinkable to the Frisians that Friso, using his wife as a messenger, secretly ordered his children to take their own lives for the honor of their souls, which they did. The atrocity so affected the fleet that the Frisians and the Geertmen decided to return home to Friesland, in the hope of finding a life there free from princes and tyrants. The sailors corrupted the name of Demetrius to mean "mindless", giving us our word "demented".

The return was not accomplished easily as Demetrius and the Greek ships with the help of the Phoenician fleet followed in determined pursuit. Although the Frisian ships were heavily loaded with their families, Friso took advantage of the wind, Greek fire (flaming tarred arrows) and the huge crossbows they had mounted on the sterns of their ships to defeat the crowded pursuers in a sea battle which is described in detail. Following this clash the Frisian fleet was joined by new pursuers, some thirty ships of Joniers, who had also had enough of tyrants and wanted to return with them to the imagined home of their ancestors.

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 ruled 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 to there 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 harbor 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 Friesland, 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 joy (the sailors wives call their husbands joy or zoethart. The men call their wives comfort and fro or frolic).

As she dared not wait for her husbands 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 holes, 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 Fryas 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 harbor, 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 center 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 Phoenicians 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 Wichhirt, our king, said "No. The Joniers", said he, "are worshipers 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 Frisian 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."

In this final piece by Frethorik he gives us an insight into the language and customs of the different returning peoples, and is not very complimentary about the variations. He cites the purity of the Geertmen as an attribute to their isolated life in India for twelve hundred years but casts a critical eye on the Greeks and Joniers who had been corrupted by interaction with their neighbors over the centuries. He did not approve of their various customs especially the religious superstitions adopted from the idolaters.

Hail!

Whenever the Carrier has completed a period, then posterity shall understand that the faults and misdeeds that the Brokmen 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 Geertmen 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, sat; 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, Fasta, 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 - Fryas 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 had married Wiljo, a maiden of his own family lineage who continued the writing tradition after him, about 280 BC. She added much including ancient sources copied from Texland after the last Earth Mother died. Some political stability must have been enjoyed at the time because she starts by saying that Frethorik was the first to die a natural death in 108 years. She also mentions some of the other books that have been lost to us including the "Book of Songs". The other two mentioned, "The Book of Narratives" and "The Hellenia Book" may have been included in the Oera Linda Book by Wiljo.

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 Saxony. In the course of conversation it came out that we were both of Adelas race - thus our affection commenced, and we became man and wife. He left me with five children, two sons and three daughters. Konrad was my eldest son, Hachgana my second. My eldest daughter is called Adela, my second Frulik, and the youngest Nocht.

When I went to Saxony 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 honor 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.

Here are the writings of Della Hellenia as recorded by Wiljo. It is about very old times, of two thousand BC when the Slavonic race was enslaved to work in the mines and build houses for the priests and princes. Even under those conditions some of the free ideas of the Frisians had filtered into the mines and quarries, enough to inspire rebellion and worry the Finda overlords. The injustices must have produced some insurrections but that region never did return to Fryas fold.

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 Germany to their boundaries, and our sailors came to their harbors. 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.

No one knows who wrote the following inclusion into the book. From its contents it could be the Dark Ages, that is the first millennium, AD in Europe and before Christian teachings reached the remnants of Texland. It claims to date from the end of the sixth century BC but that is very difficult to believe by its contents. Perhaps it was edited or written a thousand years later. It is prophetic and tells of a teacher like Buddha or Jesus but with a different or combined story. Myths are based on true events but can undergo many changes and additions in the telling. This is most likely the story of Krishna dating it to the twenty-second century BC and contains some incontemporary editing from the subsequent translations.

It shows how the tales of the East could filter into the far west of Europe. Because the prophesy is for the present age, nineteenth and twentieth century it will be of interest to those who believe in channeled messages as even the Thousand Years of Revelation is mentioned. If that is so then the story could have dated from any time.

Sixteen hundred years ago, Atland was submerged and at that time something happened which nobody had reckoned upon. In the heart of Findas land, upon a mountain, lies a plain called Kasamyr 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 traveling 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 plow, 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 pure 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 offenses 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, while his enemies followed him like his shadow. When Jessos had thus traveled 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 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 Fryas 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. Findas folk shall contribute their industry to the common good, Lydas folk their strength, and we our wisdom. Then the false priests shall be swept away from the earth. Wr-Aldas 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 4,000 years after the submersion of Atland, and 1,000 years later there shall exist no longer either priest or oppression.

Dela, surnamed Hellenia, watch!

FROM GODDESS TO KING

A History of Ancient Europe from the

OERA LINDA BOOK

By Anthony Radford

CHAPTER 16

WHEN THE SECOND BAD TIMES CAME

Ithad been nearly nineteen centuries since a major upheaval of the earth had occurred in Western Europe. It is possible that the Mediterranean disturbances would have been recorded if they had been felt in the north because several histories from that era were remembered. But the Santorini disturbance of the sixteenth century BC was most likely to have been local to that region, no matter how devastating it was.

The writings now continue after over two centuries with Frethorik Oera Linda in approximately 290 BC. He explains the meaning of his name and hence the book as "Over the Lime Trees" and is probably a descendant of Apol, even an ancestor of Cornelius Over de Linden who first revealed the Oera Linda Book.

Frethorik was Askar of Ludwardia, an office which probably originated like a "count" as inventory-taker or "asker" in Adelas day, but which over the centuries eventually became a royal title in the days of King Askar. He begins by describing the further loss of territory to the Magy as a result of dishonoring Fryas teachings. These losses were not by combat but by the long-term intrigue of the Finns or Magyars such as corrupting the young or at least utilizing their enthusiasm for personal gratifications and defiance of authority.

The consequences of this perversity were, he claimed, the massive geological disasters that occurred at the time, 305 BC. Earthquakes and volcanic activity destroyed much of northwest Europe in a similar manner to how it was recorded about the sinking of Atland. Texland is today no more than the tiny island of Texel but there was a lot of land to the north of it, all lost to the ocean. The Frisian Islands now carry the names of citadels and districts that are described in the Oera Linda Book as supporting large, highly organized urban, farming, manufacturing and trading centers. Much of the geography of todays Holland must have been formed then with subsequent changes occurring by the slower forces of erosion, silting and mans reclamation projects.

The description of the disaster is quite graphic and covers a period of over a year. Later descriptions talk of three years of bad times with ominous weather preceding volcanic eruptions, but there is no doubt that the occurrences were of paramount proportions. Society was totally rearranged, as was the geography. The one exception was Fryasburgt. All the citadels had been destroyed even in Sweden, but the one at Texland had survived. Although these changes were of enormous magnitude, it could not have been as large or as far reaching as the sinking of Atland. A government system did survive, and many individual communities such as those of Denmark and the Frisian island area sought and found refuge on the ships despite the prodigious storms and weather described. Tsunamis or waves occurring at the time of earthquakes cause most of their destruction along coasts that have an accelerating shape to them, not to ships at sea but then losses of ships in the storms are also described.

My name is Frethorik, surnamed Oera Linda, which means over the Linden. In Ludwardia I was chosen as Askar. Ludwardia is a new village within the fortification of the Ludgarda, 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 honor 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 neighborhood 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 learned. Eight years afterwards I heard that our Burgtmaid had been unchaste, and that some of the Burgers 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 Saxons 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 cunning, 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 harvest month the earth bowed towards the north, and sank down lower and lower. In the winter month the low lands of Friesland 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 autumn and laid Friesland concealed under a sheet of ice. In 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 May everyone who dared went home. I came with a maiden to the citadel Liudgaard. How sad it looked there. The forests of the Lindaoord were almost all gone. Where Liudgaard 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 dike 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 travelers who were at home 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 1,888 years after the submersion of Atland.

This second disaster occurred in 305 BC (1888 - 2193 = -305). We have no maps from the time so it is hard to picture the previous coastlines. It is assumed that Northland is Norway and Westland is Britain but where was the lost land of the north? The fishing banks of the North Sea must have been above ground before then because dredgings have brought up identifiable trees. These species have been scientifically dated showing that the dry earth time was several thousand years earlier with the submergence date unknown; not an impossible correlation. When William the Conqueror came to England in the eleventh century, he rewarded one of his officers with the Dukedom of Dogger. This new noble neglected the repair of the dikes so that the sea claimed the Dogger Banks in his own lifetime. Also we know that Helgoland in the North Sea (a North Frisian Island and traditionally part of Germany) was very much larger from surviving ninth century maps, as large as a thousand square miles. It is now less than 400 sandy acres. If we go back nineteen hundred years earlier the problem of locating Atland gets even more difficult as the whole area isnt that large. Britain still had to be to the west and the compensating uplift of land would be in Scandinavia and also in the British fens.

In Sweden high mountains fell and became swamps, rivers of lava flowed over the land and whole forests were consumed by fire. The political advantage was taken as disunited villages rallied under newly elected kings to drive the Finns out of the north, to Finland it is presumed. Some mixed blood Finns were allowed to stay and a new settlement of the surviving lands took place. Overall, the events revitalized Fryas society for a new final surge of greatness. Here Frethorik, a descendent of Adela and Apol, continues the account of how the earth changed affected Scandinavia.

This Writing has Been Given to Me About Northland and Scandinavia:

When our land was submerged I was in Scandinavia. 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 Magy 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.

From about 300 BC until 500 AD the world enjoyed a warmer and more moist climate. The northern lands of Africa which are now very dry became the corn belt of the Mediterranean. The Middle East supported higher and more prosperous populations that have not had the same agricultural prosperity since. Rome expanded in population and incorporated the whole world that was known to them. This inevitably brought them into armed conflict with the West Europeans who were themselves rapidly increasing their population after the disaster of 305 BC.

FROM GODDESS TO KING

A History of Ancient Europe from the

OERA LINDA BOOK

By Anthony Radford

CHAPTER 15

DESCRIPTIONS FROM HAPPIER TIMES

Thissection recorded in the troubled times of the sixth century BC comes from the early inscriptions of the Frisians. It has been entitled "Oldest Doctrine" and is the second part of it. Again, we are reminded how wicked Findas people were, but particular exception is taken to their priests who made false idols and procured offerings and sacrifices for their own benefit in the name of God. It sounds familiar. Tactics that are popularly associated with the infamous Spanish Inquisition (true or false) are described in detail and all this is long before the era of the Church structure which had plenty of precedents for its use of power.

Following this vehemently exhorted piece is a surprisingly modern treatise combining religious philosophy, humanistic psychology and education in values. It is from the Oldest Doctrine and the original author is unknown. It is modern because there are many present day efforts to arouse our circumspection along these lines while the popularly extolled consciousness continues to sink. Maybe we will succeed on a global basis to bring all our peoples into a higher level of cooperation and trust. The Free people succeeded for nearly two thousand years in limiting the erosion of their society but eventually they could do little more than watch that fabric disintegrate into obscurity.

Remember that the passage was translated in the 1860s and modern words were chosen to describe the original concepts. Even the original was a translation of earlier works done in 1256 AD and 803 AD which copies in turn used words that could only have come from the Christian era.

Among Findas 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-Aldas spirit, and that Wr-Alda can only think by the help of their brains.

`That every creature is a part of Wr-Aldas 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-Aldas spirit, then Wr-Alda would be very stupid, instead of being sensible and wise; for their spirit labors to create beautiful statues, which they afterwards worship.

Findas 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 honored by the people, and who extract bloody sacrifices and rich offerings; but these presumptuous and false men, who call themselves Gods 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 honor 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-Aldas 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-Aldas 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-Aldas 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 Findas wicked people, and saying, "I am the best part of Wr-Alda", and through us alone he can think, we proclaim everywhere it is necessary.

"We, Fryas children, exist through Wr-Aldas 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-Aldas 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 seaweed driven up and down by the ebb and flood.

Apollonia continues her contribution with a description of her citadel at Liudgaard. A ninety foot hard-brick tower was supported by two three hundred foot houses and many other buildings portrayed in detail. Most of these citadels had previously been made of wood with the exception of Texland but none have survived. The tower contained the sacred lamp and the watch of the maidens tending the lamp is described. It must have been a meditation ritual.

The defenses included armories, barracks and moats together with the moorings of the fleet. These ships had brought many foreign herbs and woods back, which were tended in a garden, the discovery of their values being part of the maidens research duties. Apollonia has given the first account of a working community of that age. She describes her own citadel, the buildings and land usage and their particular dependence on the sea is depicted with enthusiasm. She encourages young girls to value an experienced seaman as opposed to an unfortunate "cow-herd". Much of the writings were indoctrinal that warn about the iniquitous Finda people but here we do get an insight into the everyday life of the community.

A final interesting section describes the initiation journey of a burgtmaid, in this case Apollonia herself. A new burgtmaid traditionally traveled throughout her country and other regions of Frya for one year. This was a formal initiation into the practical world of being an adviser to a district. Apollonia describes her own journey up one side of the Rhine to Switzerland and back down the right bank through Saxony to Fryasburgt on the North Sea. There were wolves, bears and "horrible lions" in Europe at that time as well as neighboring tribes all willing to attack and rob the unwary traveler.

The various peoples encountered on the journey are described including the Lake Dwellers of the Swiss. Modern Europe did not know these people until after the Oera Linda Book surfaced. The principal industries and resources are depicted and, as always, with emphases on products that the ships could take on their foreign expeditions.

Two segregated camps for foreign rowers, "black and brown men" are described as if the Frisians feared a contamination of their children. These men were, however, afforded the benefit of Fryas teachings while waiting for the ships to leave again. In Apollonias writings you can feel her pride as she describes the great fleet with its colored banners and shields.

In this description of everyday life, we learn that marriage was typically for love and with the girls consent. This is similar to todays western attitude but for the millennia in between these ages, even Western Europe had arranged marriages, a measure of the intervening patriarchal values.

Now I will Write About Myself, First About My Citadel, and then, About What I Have Been Able To See:

My city lies near the north end of the Liudgaard. The tower has six sides, and is ninety feet high, flat-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 dike, 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 Jule. 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 Burgtmaid.

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 dike, near the house of the Burgtmaid, stand the oven and the mill, worked by four oxen. Outside the citadel wall is the place where the Burgers and the soldiers live. The fortification outside is an hour long - not a seamans 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 dike thirty-six refuge-houses for the people who live in the neighborhood. The field serves for a camp and for a meadow. On the south side of the outer fortification is the Liudgaard, 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 Fryasburgt 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 Burgtmaid must teach them how to set work when they go among the people.

Before a Burgtmaid can take office, she must travel through the country a whole year. Three gray-haired Burgers 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 Scandinavia 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, (Germans) 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 womans skin. The Burgtmaid at Fryasburgt, 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 Fryas 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 Lydasburgt. There was a great river or lake, and upon this lake also there were people living upon piles. But they were not Fryas 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 harbor 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 hours 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 colors. On Fryas 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, 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 colors. The gardens are all surrounded by green hedges. I saw there women wearing felt tunics, as if it were writing felt. Just as at Stavern, the girls wore golden crowns on their heads, and rings on their 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 Burgtmaid of Forana told me that the Burgers go every day to teach them what real freedom is, and how it behooves men to live in order to obtain the blessing of Wr-Aldas 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 Saxony at the Mannagardaforde castle. There I saw more poverty than I could discover wealth here." she answered.

So whenever in Saxony a young man courts a young girl, the girls ask: "Can you keep your house free from the banished German landers? Have you ever killed any of them? How many cattle have you already caught, and how many bear and wolf-skins 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 German landers with whom they go to war.

The earth and sea were made for Fryas 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 traveled 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 maidens who were with me came from Saxony. When we came back she asked leave to go home. Afterwards she became Burgtmaid there, and that is the reason why in these days so many of our sailors are Saxons.

And so ends Apollonias contribution to the Book.