The Oera Linda Book

Written in 1256 AD, from a diary
which was put together 560-558 BC.

from the Original Frisian text

verified by Dr. Ottema

by :

William R. Sandbach

Londen, Trubner & Co, 1876

GLOSSARY OF NAMES, WORDS FROM THE BOOK

• Adel, Son of Friso and husband of Ifkja.
• Adela, The un-elected Earth Mother, the Maiden of Liudgaard, whom the people wanted to elect after the murder of Frana in 589 BC. Instead, she resigned to marry Apol, became matriarch, to what was to become the Oera Linda family, and advised the copying of the citadel records that led to the Oera Linda Book.
• Adelbond, A mutual defense and attack agreement among surviving citadels made by Apol against the Magy.
• Adelbrost, Son of Adela who briefly continued the Book after his mothers death until his own murder.
• Aldland, The old land, Atland or home country.
• aldermen The older men of a burgt who made the laws of their district by popular assembly. They did not become law until approved by the burgtmaid.
• Alexander, King of Macedonia who becomes a historically verifiable figure in the Book. He purchased the fleet of the Geertmen in India and was responsible for their return to the Mediterranean.
• Alkmarum, A settlement with an island in a lake where black rowers were kept while waiting for the ships.
• Allemannen, A name exiled Germans gave themselves when they were without women.
• Almanland, A fortified trading town, not a city but an important free-market port for ships of all nations.
• Alrik, King Askars nephew who tried to unite the German tribes under his Uncles patronage but was thwarted by the independent Franks.
• Alvader, A term probably introduced in Christian times meaning Our Father and referring to Wr-Alda or God.
• Angelaren, Angles or Engles. A people of Fryas land who made their living as rod fishermen or anglers.
• Antigonus, The general of Alexander who took over Greece after his death. Father of Demetrius.
• Apol, Husband of Adela. A sea-king who became Grevetman of Ostflyland and Lindaoord.
• Apol, (son) Younger son of Adela who founded the citadel of Lindasburgt in Norway in order to avenge his parents murder against the followers of the Magi. He formed the Adelbond agreement for this purpose.
• Apollonia, Daughter of Adela, Burgtmaid of Liudgaard and important compiler of the "Book of Adelas Followers".
• Athens, The "City of Friends", named by Minerva when she left Crete to found a new citadel.
• Atlantic, The ocean where ships of the "old land" (Atland) sailed.
• Asegaboek, A city or districts code of laws and moral conducts.
• Askar, Originally the asker or inquirer of property, a government post most likely related to taxation or defense levy. It became a royal title and name of the first hereditary king at the end of the age. See Black Adel.
• Atharik, The name meaning rich in friends given to Adel, the son of Friso who succeeded his father as chief count in the first step to royal succession.
• Athenia, The district around Athens, "the city of friends", Attica.
• Atland, Same as Aldland but a shortened version used by the seamen.
• Beeden, One of the last contributors to the Book. A grandson of Frethorik, he was required to acknowledge Adel III as overlord before succeeding his uncle as count.
• Berthold, The father of Ifkja, wife of Frisos son Adel.
• Black Adel, King Askar who was the fourth king after Friso. He appealed to military prowess by censuring the learning of writing as unworthy of a soldier when lands had to be restored from the enemy.
• Brokmen, A term used by Frethorik to deplore the commercialism rampart at the end of the age.
• Burgtmaid, Burgtmaagd, or local Mother of a citadel. Head of the maidens or virgins and eligible for election to Earth Mother.
• Burgtmaster, A mayor of a town.
• Cecrops, An Egyptian priest-commander who laid siege to Athens and negotiated the safe evacuation of the Geertmen.
• Count, Originally a public office that counted the market sales on which taxes were levied. It become associated with the public levy or call to arms in time of defense and then the chief count, an elected position led on to hereditary kingship when combined with that of Askar.
• Coward, A youth who had to stay home and tend the cows because he was unfit for service with the sea-kings.
• Dela, Dela Hellenia was a prophet who may have added her later contribution in Christian times.
• Demetrius, Son of Antigonus whose depravity caused the sailors to coin the word demented (without mind).
• Druids, The name meaning "liars", given to missionary priests from Sidon by Frisians because they claimed to speak the truth. (See Golen and Triuwenden).
• Earth Mother, Eeremoeder, or Earth Mother, the chief of state elected from the Burgtmaiden who served as the defender of Fryas laws for the protection of the combined states. Resolutions passed by the combined assemblies of the aldermen had to be approved by her before they became law. She could call a general levy of the military forces. She resided at Texland in the largest citadel of them all.
• Evin, A sacred name related to Eve, not even to be spoken in ancient times.
• Fasta, Festa, Vesta. The first Earth Mother, appointed by Frya after the loss of Atland. She received and codified Fryas Tex and built the first citadel at Texland. She became the goddess Hestia or Vesta and gave her name to the Vestal Virgins in later millennia.
• Finda, The second goddess created by Wr-Alda who mothered the yellow race. Her children ultimately conquered all of Europe and interbred with Fryas and Lydas descendants to form the present population mixture. They were the persistent foe of the Free peoples.
• Forest, The woods where the foe (Findas people) rested at night.
• Flyburgt, The city at Flymeer or the mouth of the Fly river.
• Flyland, The district around the Fly river (modern Vlie) which may have been the northern branch of the Rhine.
• Forana, A great citadel and trading port of the low lands.
• Frana, The Earth Mother who was murdered by the Magy after a marine invasion of Texland.
• Franken, Franks or Frijen. A German tribe which preferred to remain independent of King Askar and invaded Gaul in the third century BC. Named after their first hereditary king.
• Frethogunsta, The daughter of the king of Hals who married Askar. She brought idolatry into the royal family.
• Frethorik, A grandson of Adela and important contributor to the Book. He was elected Askar in his time and told us the story of the recovery after the disasters of 305 BC.
• Friesland, The name for the lands of the descendants of Frya, originally all of Europe but finally just a coastal area of Holland.
• Frigg, The later day Scandinavian name for their understanding of the goddess Frya.
• Frijen, An early name for Franken used when they had elected kings.
• Friso, A Frisian who traveled to India and helped Alexander of Macedonia bring back to the Mediterranean the Indus fleet. He served Antigonus and Demetrius before bringing the Geertmen to the Rhine in the time of Gosa. He wanted to be permanent king and his descendants succeeded eventually in doing this.
• Frya, The third goddess created by Wr-Alda and mother of the white race. She gave her sacred `Tex to Fasta, the first Earth Mother, thereby inventing phonetic writing. Her name gave us "freedom" and "friend" but was much misunderstood by the succeeding Finda peoples who had many names for her in their attempt to incorporate her into their pantheon.
• Fryasburgt, The federal capital city at Texland.
• Gedrosten, Runaways from India who settled in Afghanistan. So named by the Hindu priests.
• Geert, The Mother or Burgtmaid of Athens who succeeded Minerva. She and her followers escaped to India after the siege of Athens about 1560 BC.
• Geertmen, The descendants of the followers of Geert, even fifteen hundred years after her time.
• Geertmania, The name the Geertmen gave to their new home on the Rhine. Named after their land in the Punjab.
• Godfried, A sea-king circa 2000 BC known as the `Old who is credited with adding a decimal number system to writing.
• Golen, Missionary priests from Sidon who celebrated cruel festivals. They were much hated by Frisians who called them Druids. They gave their name to Gaul.
• Gosa, Gosa Makonta was the last elected Earth Mother, 323 BC. Her citadel survived the "second bad times".
• Greva, The elders. Age was held in respect and incorporated into government.
• Grevetman, A high civic office like a local governor. Originally a hearer of grievances.
• Hachgana, Son of Wiljo, father of Beeden, a late contributor to the Book.
• Heerman, Forerunner of the position "duke" when it was an elective office, a circuit judge.
• Helgoland, A tiny island off the North Frisian Islands that was known to be much larger in historical times. Could have originally been part of Atland.
• Hellenia, A shortened name for Nyhellenia Minerva. Not to be confused with Dela Hellenia. (See Minerva).
• Hellicht, An Earth Mother who predicted that Fryas customs would never take firm hold in Athens.
• Hellingers, The original seamen name for the Greeks, meaning cliff hangers.
• Hiddo, Hiddo Over de Linda wrote the opening lines of the Book in 1256 AD.
• Hyperboria, A far land beyond the north wind.
• Ifkja, Wife of Adel, the son of Friso who tried to unite the country in the final good times.
• Inka, A nephew of Sterik and cousin of Wodin and Teunis. He took half the renegade fleet and sailed into the Atlantic, never to be heard from again.
• Irtha, Mother Earth, Gaea, Gaia.
• Jon, Jon, John, Jhon meaning "given". A sea-king who became a pirate against the Phoenicians and based in the Ionian island named after him. Rosamond issued a warrant against him for destroying Kaltas citadel.
• Joniers, The descendant of the followers of Jon or Ionians known for their seamanship.
• Jonischen, Ionian, Jons Islands or the Pirate Islands. The reference at the time of Ulysses.
• Jutlanders, Jutmen, originally meaning those who trade in amber (jutten). They were from the Baltic but migrated to Denmark after the "second bad times".
• Jule, A wheel meaning a day or a year. The cycle of the sun.
• Jule-time, Jule-tide, the shortest day of the year, eventually celebrated as Christmas.
• Julefest, The festival associated with Jule-tide.
• Kaat, Original name of Kalip or Calypso, the Burgtmaid of Walhallagara who entertained Ulysses.
• Kadhemers, The inhabitants of the north part of Crete who never went to sea. A dweller near the coast. A Phoenician.
• Kadmus, A legendary Phoenician who is traditionally credited with bring the alphabet to Greece.
• Kadik, Modern Cadiz in Spain.
• Kalip, (see Kaat)
• Kalta, A name given to the Burgtmaid Sijred of Flyburgt by the sailors because of her devious ways. Her followers became known as Kelts or Celts. After loosing the election, she rebelled against the new Earth Mother and set up a rival state, with the help of the magi, that included Gaul and Britain. Kaltasburgh Kerenak, the new citadel of Kalta which was probably in Scotland.
• Katerine, Kat, the Burgtmaid of Godasburgt in Norway who after being overrun by the Magy chose death to disgrace and gave her name to the Kattegat or strait where she drowned.
• Keeren Herne, Kerenak or Chosen Corner. (See Kaltasburgh).
• Kerenak, (See Keeren Herne)
• King, An elected leader or general for a campaign. Sons were not allowed to succeed fathers as king.
• Konered, Son of Frethorik and Wiljo, who contributed to the Book after their deaths.
• Kreta, Crete, the land of criers because they shouted at foreign ships that came too close.
• Kroder, The hand or spoke that goes around the Jule or circle. These symbols were used to form the first phonetic alphabet.
• Letlanders, People from the Baltic or the bad sea.
• Letten, Isolated islanders so named because they are let alone.
• Liko, Liko Over de Linden wrote the second letter in the Book that was copied from the 803 AD original.
• Linda, Meaning lime trees or plane trees, this term has given rise to many family and place names including the authors of the Book. Originally it was a distinction or reward for service, to be able to build ones house in the location that was "over the lime trees".
• Lithauers, A name given to a German tribe which always attacked the face of their enemies. It means "face hewers".
• Liudgaard, A citadel that gave rise to many names beginning with "Liud". It was located at the mouth of the Rhine and was inundated by the sea in 305 BC.
• Liudgert, The admiral of Wichhirt who settled in Walhallagara and was elected king after Wichhirt. He described the Punjab in his writings.
• Libya, From Lyda, or Africa as it was known to the Mediterranean.
• Lyda, The first Goddess, created by Wr-Alda, who was the mother of the black race. Little is known of her except her strong passion. Her descendants were often employed as rowers in the great fleets but never as slaves. Many ultimately married into Europe.
• Lydasburgt, A town on the Rhine were the black rowers were kept waiting for the fleet to leave again.
• Magy, The title of the priest-king of the Finns and Magyars in much the same way as Pharaoh was used by the Hebrew bible.
• magi The various priest-kings of Findas people who ruled with fear and magic. A chief Druid.
• Makonta, Surname of Gosa, the last Earth Mother.
• Marsaten, The lake dwellers of Switzerland. They were considered poor members of Friesland.
• Medesblik, An important citadel that dates from the time of the first Earth Mother.
• Minerva, Pallas Athena in Greek. Hellene or Nyhellenia Minerva, the Rhine maiden who was brought to Crete and Athens by the sea-king Jon and founded a citadel there.
• Minno, King Minos, an ancient sea-king, who gave laws to Crete and eventually returned to the Rhine where he left his contributions to the Book on the walls of Walhallagara from where they were copied a thousand years later.
• Missellia, The island that became Marseilles. It was mistakenly sold to the Golen of Sidon hence the name "miss sale". It eventually became the first city of the Gaul in southern France.
• Navigator, Originally meant a seaman. Someone who made foreign voyages.
• Nearchus, The admiral of Alexander who was in charge of the expeditions using the fleet of the Geertmen.
• Neef, Nephew or cousin.
• Nyhellenia, (see Minerva)
• Pallas Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, Minerva.
• Phonisia, Palmland, or Phoenicia. The land of the Golen at Sidon.
• Prontlik, A latter-day burgtmaid of Texland who escaped the ambitions of King Askar by hiding in a neighboring forest with her maidens. The last Mother of the most ancient citadel.
• Puniers, Phoenicians or Carthaginians. A mixture of Finns, Frisians and Blacks. They were the same people who settled Gaul under their Golen or priests. Those ones became known as Celts while the south Mediterranean peoples were the traditional enemies of Rome.
• Reintja, The last Burgtmaid of Stavia who made a deal with King Askar to rebuild her citadel in return for rallying the districts to support him. He reneged on the deal.
• Rika, The old Maiden who tried to oppose the ambitions of Frisos successors to form hereditary kingships and desert the old ways.
• Rome, This city is traditionally believed to be named after its founder Romulus but the Frisians say the word means spacious and was founded by Trojans.
• Saxmen, Inhabitants of the north bank of the Rhine. Originally a term for ax-men or foresters because they were always armed against the wild beasts. In the forth century BC it appears as a German tribe.
• Schoonland, Ancient name for Scandinavia not including Denmark.
• Scythian, The horsemen of the Slavonic regions that were originally considered part of Fryas race and culture before the first disasters. There have been many archaeological discoveries of these tall, fair people in the Caucasus regions.
• Sea-king, The elected leader for the expedition of a merchant fleet. The huge fleets commanded respect and fair trade because of their armed might. He was above the admiral and chief merchant.
• Sijred, (see Kalta)
• Skrivfilt, The ancient name for paper or parchment of linen base and an important commercial product.
• Sterik, An old sea-king who had three nephews named Wotan, Teunis and Inka. Stuurlieden Inhabitants near Denmark who made their living in small boats. The name came to mean navigator in the modern sense.
• Teunis, Neef Teunis or Neptune of later traditions. He gave his name to Tunisia, founded Tyre and was acclaimed to be the first king of the Phoenicians by the Golan of Sidon.
• Teuntia, The Burgtmaid of Medesblik who was recommended by Gosa Makonta to succeed her. There was no conclusive election.
• Texel, A tiny island in Holland; all that remains of Texland and the city of Fryasburgt.
• Texland, The original province of Fryas land where the first citadel and seat of the Earth Mother was built for Fasta.
• Thyr, Thor. One of the idols of the Finns whose name was given to Tyre by Teunis and his followers who became the Phoenicians. In Finland, the son of Odin.
• Thyriers, Early Phoenicians.
• Triuwenden, "Abstainers from the truth", a word that became Druids.
• Troost, A burgtmaid of Stavia.
• Tuntia, A burgtmaid of Cadiz.
• Twiskar, A resident of Twiskland or Germany.
• Ulysses, A sea-king who visited from the Mediterranean who visited Kalip after failing to get a sacred lamp from the Earth Mother. His exploits inspired the original Odyssey.
• Urgetten, The "Forgotten" or residents west of the Punjab.
• Walhalla, Where the valiant soldiers go after an honorable death.
• Walhallagara, Minervas Rhineland citadel in 1600 BC and later that of Kaat (Calypso).
• Waraburgt, An international trading center, not a maidens city.
• Wichhirt, The leader of the Geertmen at the time of Alexander. He returned with his people to settle in the Emude and contributed much of the Indian section to the Book.
• Wiljo, Wife of Frethorik who continued the Book after him.
• Witkoning, A sea-king.
• Wodin, Senior cousin and commander of Neef Teunis and Neef Inka who disgraced the northern campaign by marrying the daughter of the Magy who kept him drugged as a puppet king and then deified him. He became known as Odin.
• Wr-Alda, God. Neither male nor female, the oldest concept of monotheism meaning "all that is", the "Oldest One".
• Yren, People west of the Punjab, the Iranians, meaning "morose" but named by Hindu priests from whom they wanted to escape.
• Zeecampers, A Frisian people named because they made their living on the seashore.
• Zoethart, A sailors sweetheart or lively heart.

The Oera Linda Book

Written in 1256 AD, from a diary
which was put together 560-558 BC.

from the Original Frisian text

verified by Dr. Ottema

by :

William R. Sandbach

Londen, Trubner & Co, 1876

APPENDIX A - EXTRACTS FROM THE BOOK

Frys Tex That was Inscribed on the Walls of all Citadels.

• Prosperity awaits the free. At last they shall see me again. Though him only can I recognize as free who is neither a slave to another nor to himself. This is my counsel:
• When in dire distress, and when mental and physical energy avail nothing, then have recourse to the spirit of Wr-Alda; but do not appeal to him before you have tried all other means, for I tell you beforehand, and time will prove its truth, that those who give way to discouragement sink under their burdens.
• To Wr-Aldas spirit only shall you bend the knee in gratitude - threefold - for what you have received, for what you do receive, and for the hope of aid in time of need.
• You have seen how speedily I have come to your assistance. Do likewise to your neighbor, but wait not for his entreaties. The suffering would curse you, my maidens would erase your name from the book, and I would regard you as a stranger.
• Let not your neighbor express his thanks to you on bent knee, which is only due to Wr-Aldas spirit. Envy would assail you, Wisdom would ridicule you, and my maidens would accuse you of irreverence.
• Four things are given for your enjoyment - air, water, land, and fire - but Wr-Alda is the sole possessor of them. Therefore, my counsel to you is, choose upright men who will fairly divide the labor and the fruits; so that no man shall be exempt from work or from the duty of defense.
• If ever it should happen that one of your people should sell his freedom, he is not of you, he is a bastard. I counsel you to expel him and his mother from the land. Repeat this to your children morning, noon, and night, till they think of it in their dreams.
• If any man should deprive another, even his debtor, of his liberty, let him be to you as a vile slave; and I advise you to burn his body and that of his mother in an open place, and bury them fifty feet below the ground, so that no grass shall grow upon them. It would poison your cattle.
• Meddle not with the people of Lyda, nor of Finda, because Wr-Alda would help them, and any injury that you inflicted on them would recoil upon your heads.
• If it should happen that they come to you for advice or assistance, then it behooves you to help them; but if they should rob you, then fall upon them with fire and sword.
• If any of them should seek a daughter of yours to wife, and she is willing, explain to her her folly; but if she will follow her lover, let her go in peace.
• If your son wishes for a daughter of theirs, do the same as to your daughter; but let not either one or the other ever return among you, for they would introduce foreign morals and customs, and if these were accepted by you, I could not longer watch over you.
• Upon my servant Fasta I have placed all my hopes. Therefore you must chose her for Earth Mother. Follow my advice, then she will hereafter remain my servant as well as all the sacred maidens who succeed her. Then shall the lamp which I have lighted for you never be extinguished. Its brightness shall always illuminate your intellect, and you shall always remain as free from foreign domination as your fresh river-water is distinct from the sea.

Fastas Laws Established before 2100 BC.

These Are The Laws Established For The Government of Citadels:

• When a citadel is built, the lamp belonging to it must be lighted at the original lamp in Texland, and that can only be done by the Mother.
• Every Mother shall appoint her own maidens. She may even choose those who are mothers in other towns.
• The Mother of Texland may appoint her own successor, but should she die without having done so, the election shall take place at a general assembly of the whole nation.
• The Mother of Texland may have twenty-one maidens and seven assistants, so that there may always be seven to attend the lamp day and night. She may have the same number of maidens who are mothers in other towns.
• If a maiden wishes to marry, she must announce it to the Mother, and immediately resign her office, before her passion shall have polluted the light.
• For the service of the Mother and of each of the burgtmaidens there shall be appointed twenty-one townsmen: seven civilians of mature years, seven warriors of mature years, and seven seamen of mature years.
• Out of the seven three shall retire every year, and shall not be replaced by members of their own family nearer than the fourth degree.
• Each may have three hundred young townsmen as defenders.
• For this service they must study Fryas Tex and the laws. From the sages they must learn wisdom, from the warriors the art of war, and from the sea-kings the skill required for distant voyages.
• Every year one hundred of the defenders shall return to their homes, and those that may have been wounded shall remain in the citadels.
• At the election of the defenders no burgher or Grevetman, or other person of distinction, shall vote, but only the people.
• The Mother at Texland shall have three times seven active messengers, and three times twelve speedy horses. In the other citadels each maiden shall have three messengers and seven horses.
• Every citadel shall have fifty farm workers chosen by the people, but only those may be chosen who are not strong enough to go to war or to go to sea.
• Every citadel must provide for its own sustenance, and must maintain its own defense, and look after its share of the general contributions.
• If a man is chosen to fill any office and refuses to serve, he can never become a burgher, nor have any vote. And if he is already a burgher, he shall cease to be so.
• If any man wishes to consult the Mother of a burgtmaid, he must apply to the secretary, who will take him to the burgtmaster. He will then be examined by a surgeon to see if he is in good health. If he is passed, he shall lay aside his arms, and seven warriors shall present him to the Mother.
• If the affair concerns only one district, he must bring forward not less than three witnesses; but if it affects the whole of Friesland, he must have twenty-one additional witnesses, in order to guard against any deceptions.
• Under all circumstances the Mother must take care that her children, that is, Fryas people, shall remain as temperate as possible. This is her most important duty.
• If she is called upon to decide any judicial question between a Grevetman and the community, she must incline towards the side of the community in order to maintain peace, and because it is better that one man should suffer than many.
• If any one comes to the Mother for advice, and she is prepared to give it, she must do it immediately. If she does not know what to advise, he must remain waiting seven days; and if she then is unable to advise, he must go away without complaining, for it is better to have no advice at all than bad advice.
• If a mother shall have given bad advice out of ill-will, she must be killed or driven out of the land, deprived of everything.
• If her Burgers are accomplices, they are to be treated in a similar manner.
• If her guilt is doubtful or only suspected, it must be considered and debated, if necessary, for twenty-one weeks. If half the votes are against her, she must be declared innocent. If two-thirds are against her, she must wait a whole year. If the votes are then the same, she must be considered guilty, but may not be put to death.
• If any one of the one-third who have voted for her wish to go away with her, they may depart with all their live and dead stock, and shall not be the less considered, since the majority may be wrong as well as the minority.

The Universal Laws that were Begun by Fasta.

• All freeborn men are equal, wherefore they must all have equal rights on sea and land, and on all that Wr-Alda has given.
• Every man may seek the wife of his choice, and every woman may bestow her hand on him whom she loves.
• When a man takes a wife, a house and yard must be given to him. If there is none, one must be built for him.
• If he has taken a wife in another village, and wishes to remain, they must give him a house there, and likewise the free use of the common.
• To every man must be given a piece of land behind his house. No man shall have land in front of his house, still less an enclosure, unless he has performed some public service. In such a case it may be given, and the youngest son may inherit it, but after him it returns to the community.
• Every village shall possess a common for the general good, and the chief of the village shall take care that it is kept in good order, so that posterity shall find it uninjured.
• Every village shall have a marketplace. All the rest of the land shall be for tillage and forest. No one shall fell trees without the consent of the community, or without the knowledge of the forester; the forests are general property, and no man can appropriate them.
• The market charges shall not exceed one-twelfth of the value of the goods either to native or strangers. The portion taken for the charges shall not be sold before the other goods.
• All the market receipts must be divided yearly into a hundred parts, three days before the Jule-day.
• The Grevetman and his council shall take twenty parts; the keeper of the market ten, and his assistants five, the Earth Mother one, the midwife four, the village ten, and the poor and infirm shall have fifty parts.
• There shall be no usurers in the market. If any should come, it will be the duty of the maidens to make it known through the whole land, in order that such people may not be chosen for any office, because they are hardhearted. For the sake of money they would betray everybody - the people, the mother, their nearest relations, and even their own selves.
• If any man should attempt to sell diseased cattle or damaged goods for sound, the market keeper shall expel him, and the maidens shall proclaim him throughout the country.

The Final Section of the Laws of Minno.

Laws For The Navigators:

• All Fryas sons have equal rights, and every stalwart youth may offer himself as a navigator to the Alderman, who may not refuse him as long as there is any vacancy.
• The navigators may choose their own masters.
• The traders must be chosen and named by the community to which they belong, and the navigators have no voice in their election.
• If during a voyage it is found that the king is bad or incompetent, another may be put in his place, and on the return home he may make his complaint to the Alderman.
• If the fleet returns with profits, the sailors may divide one-third among themselves in the following manner:
• The king twelve portions, the admiral seven, the boatswains each two portions; the captains three, and the rest of the crew each one part; the youngest boys each one-third of a portion, the second boys half a portion each, and the eldest boys two-thirds of a portion each.
• If any have been disabled, they must be maintained at the public expense, and honored in the same way as the soldiers.
• If any have died on the voyage, their nearest relatives inherit their portion.
• Their widows and orphans must be maintained at the public expense; and if they were killed in a sea-fight, their sons may bear the names of their fathers on their shields.
• If a topsailsman is lost, his heirs shall receive a whole portion.
• If he was betrothed, his bride may claim seven portions in order to erect a monument to her bridegroom, but then she must remain a widow all her life.
• If the community is fitting out a fleet, the purveyors must provide the best provisions for the voyage, and for the women and children.
• If a sailor is worn out and poor, and has no house or patrimony, one must be given to him. If he does not wish for a house, his friends may take him home; and the community must bear the expense, unless his friends decline to receive it.

The Oera Linda Book

Written in 1256 AD, from a diary
which was put together 560-558 BC.

from the Original Frisian text

verified by Dr. Ottema

by :

William R. Sandbach

Londen, Trubner & Co, 1876

The Writings of Beden

06 Chapter I: My name is Beden, son of Hachgana -

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

2. [...] therefore I will allow it a place here.

06 Chapter II: Letter of Rika the elder-femme, read at Staveren at the Yule-feast -

1. My greeting to all of you whose forefathers came here with Friso. According to what you say, you are not guilty of idolatry. I will not speak about that now, but will at once mention a failing which is very little better. You know, or you do not know, of the thousand glorious titles Wr-Alda has; but you all know that he is named Alfeder, because that everything comes and proceeds from him for the sustenance of his creatures.

2. It is true that Irtha is named sometimes Alfedstre, because she brings forth all the fruits and grains on which men and beasts are fed; but she would not bear any fruit or grain unless Wr-Alda gave her the power. Women who nourish their children at their breasts are called nurses, but if Wr-Alda did not give them milk the children would find no advantage; so that, in short, Wr-Alda really is the nourisher.

3. That Irtha should be called Alfedstre, and that a mother should be called a feeder, one can understand, figuratively speaking; but that a father should be called a feeder, because he is a father, goes against all reason. Now I know whence all this folly comes. Listen to me. It comes from our enemies; and if this is followed up you will become slaves, to the sorrow of Frya and to the punishment of your pride.

4. I will tell you what happened to the slave people; from that you may take warning. The foreign kings, who follow their own will, place Wr-Alda below the crown. From envy that Wr-Alda is called Alfeder, they wish also to be called feeders of the people. Now, everybody knows that kings regulate neither productiveness nor wealth; and that they have their sustenance by means of the people, but still they persist in their arrogance.

5. In order to attain their object they were not satisfied from the beginning with free gifts, but imposed a tax upon the people. With the tax thus raised they hired foreign soldiers, whom they retained about their courts. Afterwards they took as many wives as they pleased, and the smaller princes and gentry did the same.

6. When, in consequence, quarrels and disputes arose in the households, and complaints were made about it, they said every father is the feeder of his household, therefore he shall be master and judge over it. Thus arose arbitrariness, and as the men ruled over their households the kings would do over their people.

7. When the kings had accomplished that, that they should be called feeders of the people, they had statues of themselves made, and erected in the temples beside the statues of their idols, and those who would not bow down to them were either killed or put in chains. Your forefathers and the Twisklandar had intercourse with the foreigners, and learned these follies from them. But it is not only that some of your men have been guilty of stealing titles, I have also much to complain of against your wives.

8. If there are men among you who wish to put themselves on a level with Wr-Alda, there are also women who wish to consider themselves equals of Frya. Because they have borne children, they call themselves mothers; but they forget that Frya bore children without having intercourse with a man. Yes, they not only have desired to rob Frya and her folk-mothers of their glorious titles - with whom they cannot put themselves upon an equality - but they do the same with the glorious names of their fellow creatures.

9. There are women who allow themselves to be called ladies, although they know that that only belongs to the wives of princes. They also let their daughters be called femmes, although they know that no young girls are so called unless they belong to a burgh. You all fancy that you are the better for this name stealing, but you forget that jealousy clings to it, and that every wrong sows the seed of its own rod.

10. If you do not alter your course, in time it will grow so strong that you cannot see what will be the end. Your descendants will be flogged by it, and will not know whence the stripes come. But although you do not build burghs for the femmes and leave them to their fate, there will still remain some who will come out of woods and caves, and will prove to your descendants that you have by your disorderliness been the cause of it.

11. Then you will be damned. Your ghosts will rise frightened out of their graves. They will call upon Wr-Alda, Frya, and her femmes, but they shall receive no succour before the Yule shall enter upon a new circuit, and that will only be three thousand years after this century.

12. The end of Rikas letter.

06 Chapter III: [...] therefore I will first write about Swarte Adel -

1. Swarte Adel was the fourth king after Friso. In his youth he studied first at Texland, and then at Staveren, and afterwards travelled through all the states. When he was twenty-four years old his father had him elected judge and named Askar. As soon as he became Askar he always took the part of the poor. He said:

2. "The rich do enough of wrong by means of their wealth, therefore we ought to take care that the poor look up to us."

3. By arguments of this kind he became the friend of the poor and the terror of the rich. It was carried so far that his father looked up to him. When his father died he succeeded, and then he wished to retain his office as well, as the kings of the east used to do. The rich would not suffer this, so all the people rose up, and the rich were glad to get out of the assembly with whole skins.

4. From that time there was no more talk of equality. He oppressed the rich and flattered the poor, by whose assistance he succeeded in all his wishes. King Askar, as he was always called, was seven feet high, and his strength was as remarkable as his height. He had a clear intellect, so that he understood all that was talked about, but in his actions he did not display much wisdom. He had a handsome countenance and a smooth tongue, but his soul was blacker than his hair.

5. When he had been king for a year, he obliged all the young men in the state to come once a year to his residence to have a sham fight. At first he had some trouble with it, but at last it became such a habit that old and young came from all sides to ask if they might take part in it. When he had brought it to this point, he established military schools. The rich complained that their children no longer learned to read and write.

6. Askar paid no attention to it; but shortly afterwards, when a sham fight was held, he mounted a throne and spoke aloud:

7. "The rich have come to complain to me that their boys do not learn to read and write. I answered nothing; but I will now declare my opinion, and let the general assembly decide."

8. While they all regarded him with curiosity, he said further:

9. "According to my idea, we ought to leave reading and writing at present to the femmes and elders. I do not wish to speak ill of our forefathers; I will only say that in the times so vaunted by some, the burgh-femmes introduced disputes into our country, which the folk-mothers were unable, either first or last, to put an end to.

10. "Worse still, while they talked and chattered about useless customs the Golar came and seized all our beautiful southern country. Even at this very time our degenerate brothers and their soldiers have already come over the Skelda. It therefore remains for us to choose whether we will carry a yoke or a sword.

11. "If we wish to be and remain free, it behoves our young men to leave reading and writing alone for a time; and instead of playing games of swinging and wrestling, they must learn to play with sword and spear. When we are completely prepared, and the boys are big enough to carry helmet and shield and to use their weapons, then, with your help, I will attack the enemy.

12. "The Golar may then record the defeat of their helpers and soldiers upon our fields with the blood that flows from their wounds. When we have once expelled the enemy, then we must follow it up till there are no more Golar, slaves, or Tartarar to be driven out of Fryas inheritance!"

13. "That is right!" the majority shouted, and the rich did not dare to open their mouths.

14. He must certainly have thought over this address and had it written out, for on the evening of the same day there were copies in at least twenty different hands, and they all sounded the same. Afterwards he ordered the ship people to make double prows, upon which steel crossbows could be fixed. Those who were backward in doing this were fined, and if they swore that they had no means, the rich men of the district were obliged to pay.

15. Now we shall see what resulted from all this bustle. In the north part of Brittania, which is heavily forested, there exists a Skotse people. Most of them spring from Fryas blood, some of them are descended from the followers of Kaltana, and, for the rest, from Britne and fugitives who gradually, in the course of time, took refuge there from the tin mines. Those who came from the tin mines have wives, either altogether foreign or of foreign descent.

16. They are all under the dominion of the Golar. Their arms are wooden bows and arrows pointed with stags horn or flint. Their houses are of turf and straw, and some of them live in caves in the mountains. Sheep that they have stolen form their only wealth. Some of the descendants of Kaltanas followers still have iron weapons, which they have inherited from their forefathers.

17. In order to make myself well understood, I must let alone for a while my account of the Skotse people, and write something about the Heinde Krekalandar. The Heinde Krekalandar formerly belonged to us only, but from time immemorial descendants of Lyda and Finda have established themselves there.

18. Of these last there came in the end a whole troop from Troia. Troia is the name of a state that the Fere Krekalandar had taken and destroyed. When the Trojans had nestled themselves among the Heinde Krekalandar, with time and industry they built a strong state with walls and a burgh named Rome, that is, "Spacious". When this was done, the people by craft and force made themselves masters of the whole land.

19. The people who live on the south side of the Middel Sea come for the most part from Phonisia. The Phonisiar are a bastard race of the blood of Frya, Finda, and Lyda. The Lyda people were there as slaves, but by the unchastity of the women these black people have degenerated the other people and dyed them brown.

20. These people and the people of Rome are constantly struggling for the supremacy over the Middel Sea. The Romar, moreover, live at enmity with the Phonisiar; and their priests, who wish to assume the sole government of the World, cannot bear the sight of the Golar.

21. First they took from the Phonisiar Missellia - then all the lands lying to the south, the west, and the north, as well as the southern part of Brittania - and they have always driven away the Phonisiar priests, that is the Golar, of whom thousands have sought refuge in North Brittania. A short time ago the chief of the Golar was established in the burgh which is called Kerenak, that is the corner, whence he issued his commands to the Golar. All their gold was likewise collected there.

22. Keren Herne, or Kerenak, is a stone burgh which once belonged to Kalta. Therefore the femmes of the descendants of Kaltanas followers wished to have the burgh again. Thus through the enmity of the femmes and the Golar, hatred and quarrelling spread over Berchland with fire and sword. Our navigators often came there to get wool, which they paid for with prepared hides and linen.

23. Askar had often gone with them, and had secretly made friendship with the femmes and some princes, and bound himself to drive the Golar out of Kerenak. When he came back there again he gave to the princes and the fighting men iron helmets and steel bows. War had come with him, and soon blood was streaming down the slopes of the mountains.

24. When Askar thought a favourable opportunity occurred, he went with forty ships and took Kerenak and the chief of the Golar, with all his gold. The people with whom he fought against the soldiers of the Golar, he had enticed out of the Saxanamark by promises of much booty and plunder. Thus nothing was left for the Golar. After that he took two islands for stations for his ships, from which he used later to sally forth and plunder all the Phonisiar ships and states that he could reach.

25. When he returned he brought nearly six hundred of the finest youths of the Skotse mountain people with him. He said that they had been given him as hostages, that he might be sure that the parents would remain faithful to him; but this was untrue. He kept them as a bodyguard at his court, where they had daily lessons in riding and in the use of all kinds of arms.

26. The Denamarkar, who proudly considered themselves sea warriors above all the other navigators, no sooner heard of the glorious deeds of Askar, than they became jealous of him to such a degree, that they would bring war over the sea and over his lands.

27. See here, then, how he was able to avoid a war. Among the ruins of the destroyed burgh of Stavia there was still established a clever burgh-femme, with a few femmes. Her name was Reintia, and she was famed for her wisdom. This femme offered her assistance to Askar, on condition that he should afterwards rebuild the burgh of Stavia.

28. When he had bound himself to do this, Reintia went with three femmes to Hals. She travelled by night, and by day she made speeches in all the markets and in all the assemblies.

29. Wr-Alda, she said, had told her by his thunder that all Fryas people must become friends, and united as brothers and sisters, otherwise Findas people would come and sweep them off the face of Irtha.

30. After the thunder Fryas seven watch-femmes appeared to her in a dream seven nights in succession. They had said:

31. "Disaster hovers over Fryasland with yoke and chains; therefore all the people must do away with their surnames, and only call themselves Fryas Children, or Fryas people.

32. "They must all rise up and drive Findas people out of Fryas inheritance. If you will not do that, you will bring the slave chains round your necks, and the foreign chiefs will ill-treat your children and flog them till the blood streams into your graves. Then shall the spirits of your forefathers appear to you, and reproach your cowardice and thoughtlessness."

33. The stupid people who, by the acts of the Magyarar, were already so much accustomed to folly, believed all that she said, and the mothers clasped their children to their bosoms. When Reintia had brought the king of Hals and the others to an agreement, she sent messengers to Askar, and went herself along the Balda Sea.

34. From there she went to the Hlithhawar, so called because they always strike at their enemys face. The Hlithhawar are fugitives and banished people of our own race, who wander about in the Twiskland. Their wives have been mostly stolen from the Tartarar. The Tartarar are a branch of Findas race, and are thus named by the Twisklandar because they never will be at peace, but provoke people to fight. She proceeded on beyond the Saxanamark, crossing through the other Twisklandar in order always to repeat the same thing.

35. After two years had passed, she came along the Rene home. Among the Twisklandar she gave herself out for a folk-mother, and said that they might return as free and true people; but then they must go over the Rene and drive the Golar out of Fryas south lands. If they did that, then her king Askar would go over the Skelda and win back the land.

36. Among the Twisklandar many bad customs of the Tartarar and Magyarar have crept in, but likewise many of our laws have remained. Therefore they still have femmes, who teach the children and advise the old. In the beginning they were opposed to Reintia, but at last she was followed, obeyed, and praised by them where it was useful or necessary.

37. As soon as Askar heard from Reintias messengers how the Juttar were disposed, he immediately, on his side, sent messengers to the king of Hals. The ship in which the messengers went was laden with womens ornaments, and took a golden shield on which Askars portrait was artistically represented. These messengers were to ask the kings daughter, Frethogunsta, in marriage for Askar.

38. Frethogunsta came a year after that to Staveren. Among her followers was a Magy, for the Juttar had been long ago corrupted. Soon after Askar had married Frethogunsta, a temple was built at Staveren. In the temple were placed monstrous images, bedecked with gold-woven dresses. It is also said that Askar, by night, and at unseasonable times, kneeled to them with Frethogunsta; but one thing is certain, the burgh of Stavia was never rebuilt.

39. Reintia was already come back, and went angrily to Prontlik the folk-mother, at Texland, to complain. Prontlik sent out messengers in all directions, who proclaimed that Askar is gone over to idolatry. Askar took no notice of this, but unexpectedly a fleet arrived from Hals. In the night the femmes were driven out of the burgh, and in the morning there was nothing to be seen of the burgh but a glowing heap of rubbish.

40. Prontlik and Reintia came to me for shelter. When I reflected upon it, I thought that it might prove bad for my state. Therefore, we hit upon a plan which might serve us all. This is the way we went to work. In the middle of the Krylwald, to the east of Liudwerd, lies our place of refuge, which can only be reached by a concealed path. A long time ago I had established a garrison of young men who all hated Askar, and kept away all other people.

41. Now it was come to such a pitch among us, that many women, and even men, talked about ghosts, white women, and dwarfs, just like the Denamarkar. Askar had made use of all these follies for his own advantage, and we wished to do the same. One dark night I brought the femmes to the burgh, and afterwards they went along the path dressed in their short white kilts, mimicking dwarfs and ghosts, so that nobody dare go there any more.

42. When Askar thought he had his hands free, he let the Magyarar travel through his states under all kinds of names, and, except in Grenega and my state, they were not turned away anywhere. After that Askar had become so connected with the Juttar and the Denamarkar, they all went roving together; but it produced no real good to them.

43. They brought all sorts of foreign treasures home, and just for that reason the young men would learn no trades, nor work in the fields; so at last he was obliged to take slaves; but that was altogether contrary to Wr-Aldas wish and Fryas counsel. Therefore the punishment was sure to follow it.

44. This is the way in which the punishment came. They had all together taken a whole fleet that came out of the Middel Sea. This fleet was laden with purple cloths and other valuables that came from Phonisia. The weak people of the fleet were put ashore south of the Seiene, but the strong people were kept to serve as slaves. The handsomest were retained ashore, and the ugly and black were kept on board ship as rowers.

45. In the Fly the plunder was divided, but, without their knowing it, they divided the punishment too. Of those who were placed in the foreign ships six died of colic. It was thought that the food and drink were poisoned, so it was all thrown overboard, but the colic remained all the same. Wherever the slaves or the goods came, there it came too.

46. The Saxmannar took it over to their marches. The Juttar brought it to Skenland and along the coasts of the Balda Sea, and with Askars navigators it was taken to Brittania. We and the people of Grenega did not allow either the people or the goods to come over our boundaries, and therefore we remained free from it.

47. How many people were carried off by this disease I cannot tell; but Prontlik, who heard it afterwards from the femmes, told me that Askar had helped out of his states a thousand times more Children of Frya than he had brought dirty slaves in.

48. When the pest had ceased, the Twisklandar who had become free came to the Rene, but Askar would not put himself on an equality with the princes of that vile degenerate race. He would not suffer them to call themselves Fryas Children, as Reintia had offered them, but he forgot then that he himself had black hair.

49. Among the Twisklandar there were two tribes who did not call themselves Twisklandar. One came from the far south-east, and called themselves Allemannar. They had given themselves this name when they had no women among them, and were wandering as exiles in the forests. Later on they stole women from the slave people like the Hlithhawar, but they kept their name.

50. The other tribe, that wandered about in the neighbourhood, called themselves Frankar, not because they were free, but the name of their first king was Frank, who, by the help of the degenerate femmes, had had himself made hereditary king over his people. The people nearest to him called themselves "Thioths Sons" - that is, "Sons of the People". They had remained Children of Frya, because they never would acknowledge any king, or prince, or master except those chosen by general consent in a general assembly.

51. Askar had already learned from Reintia that the Twisklander princes were almost always at war with each other. He proposed to them that they should choose a duke from his people, because, as he said, he was afraid that they would quarrel among themselves for the supremacy. He said also that his princes could speak with the Golar. This, he said, was also the opinion of the folk-mother.

52. Then the princes of the Twisklandar came together, and after twenty-one days they chose Alrik as duke. Alrik was Askars nephew. He gave two hundred Skotse and one hundred of the greatest Saxmannar to go with him as a bodyguard. The princes were to send twenty-one of their sons as hostages for their fidelity.

53. Thus far all had gone according to his wishes; but when they were to go over the Rene, the king of the Frankar would not be under Alriks command. Thereupon all was confusion. Askar, who thought that all was going on well, landed with his ships on the other side of the Skelda; but there they were already aware of his coming, and were on their guard. He had to flee as quickly as he had come, and was himself taken prisoner.

54. The Golar did not know whom they had taken, so he was afterwards exchanged for a noble Gol whom Askars people had taken with them. While all this was going on, the Magyarar went about audaciously over the lands of our neighbours. Near Egmuda, where formerly the burgh Forana had stood, they built a temple larger and richer than that which Askar had built at Staveren.

55. They said afterwards that Askar had lost the battle against the Golar, because the people did not believe that Wodin could help them, and therefore they would not pray to him. They went about stealing young children, whom they kept and brought up in the mysteries of their abominable doctrines.

56. Were there people who [...]

The Oera Linda Book

Written in 1256 AD, from a diary
which was put together 560-558 BC.

from the Original Frisian text

verified by Dr. Ottema

by :

William R. Sandbach

Londen, Trubner & Co, 1876

The Writings of Konered

05 Chapter I: My forefathers have written this book in succession -

1. I will do the same, the more because there exists no longer in my state a burgh on which events are inscribed as used to be the case. My name is Konered. My fathers name was Frethorik, my mothers name was Wiliow. After my fathers death I was chosen as his successor. When I was fifty years old I was chosen for chief reeve.

2. My father has written how the Lindawrda and Liudgarda were destroyed. Lindahem is still lost, the Lindawrda partially, and the north Liudgarda is still concealed by the salt sea. The foaming sea washes the ramparts of the burgh. As my father has mentioned, the people, being deprived of their harbour, went away and built houses inside the ramparts of the burgh; therefore that complete circuit is called Liudwerd. The navigators say Liuwrd, but that is nonsense.

3. 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 mud 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.

4. At present we are engaged in ramming piles into the ground to make a harbour to protect our rampart. When the work is finished we shall attract navigators. In my youth it looked very queer, but now there stands a row of houses.

5. Leaks and deficiencies produced by poverty have been remedied by industry. From this men may learn that Wr-Alda, our Alfeder, protects all his creatures, if they preserve their courage and help each other.

05 Chapter II: Now I will write about Friso -

1. Friso, who was already powerful by his troops, was chosen chief reeve of the districts round Staveren. He laughed at our mode of defending our land and our sea fights; therefore he established a school where the boys might learn to fight in the Krekalandar 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 folk-mother, it behoves me to be doubly watchful, in order that he may not become our master.

2. 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 folk-mother; but Friso, who was busy establishing a kingdom for himself, did not desire to have any advice or messenger from Texland.

3. When the messengers of the Landsaton came to him, he said that Gosa had been far-seeing and wiser than all the reeves together, and yet she had been unable to see any light or way out of this affair; therefor 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:

4. "It is better to have no folk-mother than to have one on whom you cannot rely."

5. 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 Golar and the princes as he required, to lead the other reeves wherever he wished. See here how he went to work about that.

6. Friso had taken here another wife, a daughter of Wilfrethe, who in his lifetime had been chief reeve of Staveren. By her he had two sons and two daughters. By his wish Kornelia, his younger daughter, was married to my brother. "Kornelia" is not good Fryas language; her name ought to be written "Kornhelia".

7. Wemod, his elder daughter, he married to Kauch. Kauch, who went to school with him, is the son of Wichhirte, the king of the Gertmannar. But "Kauch" is likewise not good Fryas language, and ought to be "Kap". So they have learned more bad language than good manners.

8. Now I must return to my story.

9. After the great flood of which my father wrote an account, there came many Juttar and Letne out of the Balda or Kuade Sea. They were driven down the Katsgat in their boats by the ice as far as the coast of Denamark, and there they remained. There was not a creature to be seen; so they took possession of the land, and named it after themselves, Juttarland.

10. Afterwards many of the Denamarkar returned from the higher lands, but they settled more to the south; and when the navigators returned who had not been lost, they all went together to Seland. By this arrangement the Juttar retained the land to which Wr-Alda had conducted them. The Selandar navigators, who were not satisfied to live upon fish, and who hated the Golar, took to robbing the Phonisiar ships.

11. In the south west point of Skenland there lies Lindasburch, called Lindasnose, built by one Apol, as is written in the book. All the people who live on the coasts, and in the neighbouring districts, had remained true Children of Frya; but by their desire for vengeance upon the Golar, and the followers of Kaltana, they joined the Selandar. But that connection did not hold together, because the Selandar had adopted many evil manners and customs of the wicked Magyarar, in opposition to Fryas people.

12. Afterwards, everybody went stealing on his own account; but when it suited them they held all together. At last the Selandar 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 ramparts of our burgh. By the disruption of our land they had lost themselves, and had missed Flymuda.

13. 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 Kaltanarland and Phonisiar ships. As we had no ships, I gave them active horses and four armed couriers to Friso; because at Staveren, along the Alderga, the best ships of war were built of hard oak which never rots.

14. While these sea rovers remained with us, some of the Juttar had gone to Texland, and thence to Friso. The Selandar had stolen many of their strongest boys to row their ships, and many of their finest daughters to have children by. The great Juttar could not prevent it, as they were not properly armed. When they had related all their misfortunes, and a good deal of conversation had taken place, Friso asked them at last if they had no good harbours in their country.

15. They answered, "Oh, yes; a beautiful one, created by Wr-Alda. It is like a bottle, the neck narrow, but in the belly a thousand large boats may lie; but we have no burgh and no defences to keep out the pirate ships."

16. Friso said, "Then you should make them."

17. The Juttar said, "That is very good advice; but we have no workmen and no building materials; we are all fishermen and trawlers. The others are drowned or fled to the higher lands."

18. While they were talking in this way, my messengers arrived at the court with the Selandar gentlemen. Here you must observe how Friso understood deceiving everybody, to the satisfaction of both parties, and to the accomplishment of his own ends. To the Selandar 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 that they should leave in peace the Juttar and all the people of Fryas race.

19. But he wished to do more; he wanted to engage all our sea rovers to go with him upon his fighting expedition. When the Selandar had gone, he loaded forty old ships with weapons for wall defences, wood, bricks, carpenters, masons, and smiths, in order to build burghs. Witto, or Witte, his son, he sent to superintend.

20. I have never been well informed of what happened; but this much is clear to me, that on each side of the harbour a strong burgh has been built, and garrisoned by people brought by Friso out of Saxanamark. Witto courted Siuchthirte and married her. Wilhem, her father, was chief alderman of the Juttar - that is, chief reeve or officer. Wilhem died shortly afterwards, and Witto was chosen in his place.

05 Chapter III: What Friso did further -

1. 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 Kattaburch, which lies far in the Saxanamark. 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.

2. In the same way as he sent Hetto to Kattaburch, he sent Bruno that is, "Brown" - the other brother-in-law, to Mannagardawrda. Mannagardawrda was written Mannagardaforda 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.

3. When his young men went to the tavern to dance with the young people there, they ordered baskets of spice, gingerbread, and tuns of the best beer. After these messengers he let his young people constantly go over to the Saxanamark, always with money in their purses and presents to give away, and they spent money carelessly in the taverns.

4. When the Saxmannar youths looked with envy at this they smiled, and said:

5. "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."

6. Both the brothers-in-law of Friso had married daughters of the chief princes, and afterwards the Saxman youths and girls came in whole troops to the Flymar.

7. The burgh-femmes and elder-femmes 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 femmes he led to his side with golden fingers. They said everywhere:

8. "For a long time we have had no folk-mother, but that comes from 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 folk-mothers."

9. 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 Golar, whose language he speaks; he can therefore watch against their craftiness. Then there is something else to keep the eye upon. What reeve could be chosen as king without the others being jealous of him?"

10. All such nonsense the young femmes talked; but the elder-femmes, though few in number, tapped their advice out of another cask. They said always and to every one:

11. "Friso does like the spiders. At night he spreads his webs in all directions, and in the day he catches in them all his unsuspecting friends. Friso says he cannot suffer any priests or foreign princes, but we say that he cannot suffer anybody but himself; therefore he will not allow the burgh of Stavia to be rebuilt; therefore he will not have the folk-mother again. Today Friso is your counsellor, tomorrow he will be your king, in order to have full power over you."

12. Among the people there now existed two parties. The old and the poor wished to have the folk-mother again, but the young and the warlike wished 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 femmes were pleased, the girls were pleased, and their relations and friends.

13. When Friso had been nearly forty years at Staveren he died. Owing to him many of the states had been joined together again, but that we were the better for it I am not prepared to certify. Of all the reeves that preceded him there was none so renowned as Friso; for, as I said before, the young femmes spoke in his praise, while the elder-femmes 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.

05 Chapter IV: Now I will write about his son Adel -

1. Friso, who had learned our history from The Book of Adelas Followers, 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 burghs, he sent Adel to the burgh of Texland in order to make himself better acquainted with our laws, language, and customs.

2. 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 reeve being chosen.

3. While Adel was studying at Texland there was a lovely femme at the burgh. She came from Saxanamark, from the state of Suobaland, therefore she was called at Texland Suobene, although her name was Ifkia. 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 Bertholda, her father, to ask her in marriage.

4. Bertholda was a prince of high-principled feelings. He had sent his daughter to Texland in the hope that she might be chosen burgh-femme in her country, but when he knew of their mutual affection he bestowed his blessings upon them. Ifkia was a clever Child of Frya. 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.

5. To bring the people to her side, she travelled with her husband through all Saxanamark, and also to Gertmannia - as the Gertmannar had named the country which they had obtained by means of Gosa. Thence they went to Denamark, and from Denamark by sea to Texland. From Texland they went to Westflyland, and so along the coast to Walhallagara; thence they followed the Suder Hrenum, till, with great apprehension, they arrived beyond the Rene at the Marsatar of whom our Apollonia has written.

6. 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 burgh 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.

7. The murderers that had committed this crime were Twisklandar, who had at that time audaciously crossed the Rene to murder and to steal. The Twisklandar are banished and fugitive Children of Frya, but their wives they have stolen from the Tartarar. The Tartarar 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 Twisklandar so bloodthirsty.

8. The Twisklandar who had done the wicked deed called themselves Fryar or Frankar. 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.

9. In the same way as Apollonia, they visited Lydasburch and the Alderga. Afterwards they made a tour of all the neighbourhood of Staveren. They behaved with so much amiability, that everywhere the people wished to install Adel as king. Three months later, Adel sent messengers to all the friends that he had made, requesting them to send to him their representatives in the Minna Month [...]

10. [...] his wife, he said, who had been a femme at Texland, had received a copy of it. In Texland many writings are still found which are not copied in The Book of Adelas Followers. One of these writings had been placed by Gosa with her last will, which was to be opened by the most senior elder-femme, Albethe, as soon as Friso was dead.

05 Chapter V: Here is the writing with Gosas advice -

1. When Wr-Alda gave children to the mothers of mankind, he gave one language to every tongue and to all lips. This gift Wr-Alda had bestowed upon men in order that by its means they might make known to each other what must be avoided and what must be followed to find true life, and to hold that life to all eternity.

2. Wr-Alda is wise and good, and all foreseeing. As he knew that happiness and holiness would flee from Irtha when wickedness could overcome virtue, he has attached to the language an equitable property. This property consists in this, that men can neither lie nor use deceitful words without stammering or blushing, by which means the innately bad are easily known.

3. As thus our language opens the way to happiness and blessedness, and thus helps to guard against evil inclinations, it is rightly named the language of the gods, and all those by whom it is held in honour derive honour from it. But what has happened? As soon as among our half brothers and sisters deceivers arose, who gave themselves out as servants of the good, it soon became otherwise.

4. The deceitful priests and the malignant princes, who always clung together, wished to live according to their own inclinations, without regard to the laws of right. In their wickedness they went so far as to invent other languages, so that they might speak secretly in anybodys presence of their wicked and unworthy affairs without betraying themselves by stammering, and without showing a blush upon their countenances.

5. But what has that produced? Just as the seed of good herbs which has been sown by good men in the open day springs up from the ground, so time brings to light the evil seed which has been sown by wicked men in secret and in darkness.

6. The wanton girls and effeminate youths who consorted with the immoral priests and princes, taught the new language to their companions, and thus spread it among the people till the language of the gods was clean forgotten.

7. Would you know what came of all this? How that stammering and blushing no longer betrayed their evil doings - virtue passed away, wisdom and liberty followed; unity was lost, and quarrelling took its place; love flew away, and unchastity and envy met round their tables; and where previously justice reigned, now it is the sword. All are slaves - the subjects of their masters, envy, bad passions and covetousness.

8. If they had only invented one language things might possibly have still gone on well; but they invented as many languages as there are states, so that one people can no more understand another people than a cow a dog, or a wolf a sheep. The navigators can bear witness to this. From all this it results that all the slave people look upon each other as strangers; and that as a punishment of their inconsiderateness and presumption, they must quarrel and fight till they are all destroyed.

05 Chapter VI: Here is my counsel -

1. If you wish that you alone should inherit the World, you must never allow any language but the language of the gods to pass your lips, and take care that your own language remains free from outlandish sounds. If you wish that some of Lydas children and some of Findas children remain, you must do the same.

2. The language of the Ast Skenlandar has been perverted by the vile Magyarar, and the language of the followers of Kaltana has been spoiled by the dirty Golar. Now, we have been weak enough to admit among us the returned followers of Hellenia, but I anxiously fear that they will reward our weakness by debasing our pure language.

3. Many things have happened to us, but among all the burghs that have been disturbed and destroyed in the bad time, Irtha has preserved Fryasburch uninjured; and I may remark that Fryas language, or the language of the gods, has always remained here untainted.

4. Here in Texland, therefore, schools should be established; and from all the states that have kept to the old customs the young people should be sent here, and afterwards those whose education is complete can help those who remain at home.

5. If foreigners come to buy ironwares from you, and want to talk and bargain, they must come back to the language of the gods. If they learn the language of the gods, then the words, "To Be Free", and, "To Have Justice", will come to them, and glimmer and glitter in their brains to a perfect light, and that flame will destroy all bad princes and hypocritical dirty priests.

6. The native and foreign messengers were pleased with that writing, but no schools came from it. Then Adel established schools himself. Every year Adel and Ifkia went to inspect the schools. If they found a friendly feeling existing between the natives and foreigners, they were extremely pleased.

7. If there were any who had sworn friendship together, they assembled the people, and with great ceremony let them inscribe their names in a book which was called The Book of Friendship, and afterwards a festival was held. All these customs were kept up in order to bring together the separate branches of Fryas race; but the femmes who were opposed to Adel and Ifkia said that they did it for no other reason than to make a name for themselves, and to bring all the other states under their subjection.

8. Among my fathers papers I found a letter from Liudgert the Gertman. Omitting some passages which only concern my father, I proceed to relate the rest.

9. Pangab, that is, "Five Rivers", and by which we travel, is a river of extraordinary beauty, and is called "Five Rivers" because four other streams flow into the sea by its mouth. Far away to the eastward is another large river, the Helige or Sacred Gongga. Between these two rivers is the land of the Hindos. Both rivers run from the high mountains to the plains. The mountains in which their sources lie are so high that they reach the heavens, and therefore these mountains are called Himellaia.

10. Among the Hindos and others out of these countries there are people who meet together secretly. They believe that they are pure children of Finda, and that Finda was born in the Himellaia mountains, whence she went with her children to the lowlands. Some of them believe that she, with her children, floated down upon the foam of the Gongga, and that that is the reason why the river is called the Helige Gongga.

11. But the priests, who came from another country, traced out these people and had them burnt, so that they do not dare to declare openly their creed. In this country all the priests are fat and rich. In their temples there are all kinds of monstrous images, many of them gold.

12. To the west of the Pangab are the Yrar, or "Morose", the Gedrostne, or "Runaways", and the Orjetten, or "Forgotten". These names are given by the priests out of spite, because they fled from their customs and religion.

13. On their arrival our forefathers likewise established themselves to the east of the Pangab, but on account of the priests they likewise went to the west.

14. In that way we learned to know the Yrar and the other people. The Yrar are not savages, but good people, who neither pray to nor tolerate images; neither will they suffer priests or temples; but as we adhere to the light of Fasta, so they everywhere maintain fire in their houses.

15. Coming still further westward, we arrive at the Gedrostne. Regarding the Gedrostne: they have been mixed with other people, and speak a variety of languages. These people are really savage murderers, who always wander about the country on horseback hunting and robbing, and hire themselves as soldiers to the surrounding princes, at whose command they destroy whatever they can reach.

16. The country between the Pangab and the Gongga is as flat as Fryasland near the sea, and consists of forests and fields, fertile in every part, but this does not prevent the people from dying by thousands of hunger. The famines, however, must not be attributed to Wr-Alda or Irtha, but to the princes and priests.

17. The Hindos are timid and submissive before their princes, like hinds before wolves. Therefore the Yrar and others have called them Hindos, which means "Hinds". But their timidity is frightfully abused. If strangers come to purchase corn, everything is turned into money, and this is not prevented by the priests, because they, being more crafty and rapacious than all the princes put together, know very well that all the money will come into their pockets.

18. Besides what the people suffer from their princes, they suffer a great deal from poisonous and wild beasts. There are great elephants that sometimes go about in whole flocks and trample down cornfields and whole villages. There are great black and white cats which are called tigers. They are as large as calves, and they devour both men and beasts.

19. Besides other creeping animals there are snakes from the size of a worm to the size of a tree. The largest can swallow a cow, but the smallest are the most deadly. They conceal themselves among the fruits and flowers, and surprise the people who come to gather them. Any one who is bitten by them is sure to die, as Irtha has given no antidote to their poison, because the people have so given themselves up to idolatry.

20. There are, besides, all sorts of lizards, tortoises, and crocodiles. All these reptiles, like the snakes, vary from the size of a worm to the trunk of a tree. According to their size and fierceness, they have names which I cannot recollect, but the largest are called alligators, because they eat as greedily the putrid cattle that float down the stream as they do living animals that they seize.

21. On the west of the Pangab where we come from, and where I was born, the same fruits and crops grow as on the east side. Formerly there existed also the same crawling animals, but our forefathers burnt all the underwood, and so diligently hunted all the wild animals, that there are scarcely any left.

22. To the extreme west of the Pangab there is found rich clay land as well as barren heaths, which seem endless, occasionally varied lovely spots on which they eye rests enchanted. Among the fruits there are many that I have not found here. Among the various kinds of corn some is as yellow as gold. There are also golden apples, of which some are as sweet as honey and others as sour as vinegar.

23. In our country there are nuts as large as a childs head. They contain cheese and milk. When they are old oil is made from them. Of the husks ropes are made, and of the shells cups and other household utensils are made. I have found in the woods here bramble and holly berries. In my country we have trees bearing berries, as large as your lime-trees, the berries of which are much sweeter and three times as large as your gooseberries.

24. When the days are at the longest, and the sun is in the zenith, a mans body has no shadow. If you sail very far to the south and look to the east at midday, the sun shines on your left side as it does in other countries on the right side.

25. With this I will finish. It will be easy for you, by means of what I have written, to distinguish between false accounts and true descriptions.

26. Your Liudgert.