The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century
History
The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century
Frisian language -- Texts
the poisoned animals shall eat it, and die of it. All the stories
that have been written in praise of the princes and priests shall
be committed to the flames. Thenceforth your children shall live in
peace. When she had finished speaking she sank down.
The Magy, who had not understood her, shrieked out, I have asked
you if I should become master of all the lands and people of Frya,
and now you have been speaking to another. Frana raised herself up,
stared at him, and said, Before seven days have passed your soul
shall haunt the tombs with the night-birds, and your body shall be at
the bottom of the sea. Very good, said the Magy, swelling with rage;
say that I am coming. Then he said to his executioners, Throw this
woman overboard. This was the end of the last of the mothers. We do
not ask for revenge. Time will provide that; but a thousand thousand
times we will call with Frya, Watch! watch! watch!
HOW IT FARED AFTERWARDS WITH THE MAGY.
After the murder of the mother, he brought the lamp and the
maidens into his own ship, together with all the booty that he
chose. Afterwards he went up the Flymeer because he wished to take
the maiden of Medeasblik or Stavoren and install her as mother;
but there they were on their guard. The seafaring men of Stavoren
and Alderga would gladly have gone to Jon, but the great fleet was
out on a distant voyage; so they proceeded in their small fleet to
Medeasblik, and kept themselves concealed in a sheltered place behind
trees. The Magy approached Medeasblik in broad daylight; nevertheless,
his men boldly stormed the citadel. But as they landed from the boats,
our people sallied forth from the creek, and shot their arrows with
balls of burning turpentine upon the fleet. They were so well aimed
that many of the ships were instantly on fire. Those left to guard
the ships shot at us, but they could not reach us. When at last a
burning ship drifted towards the ship of the Magy, he ordered the man
at the helm to sheer off, but this man was the Dane who had cleft the
head of the Finn. He said, You sent our Eeremoeder to the bottom of
the sea to say that you were coming. In the bustle of the fight you
might forget it; now I will take care that you keep your word. The
Magy tried to push him off, but the sailor, a real Frisian and strong
as an ox, clutched his head with both hands, and pitched him into
the surging billows. Then he hoisted up his brown shield, and sailed
straight to our fleet. Thus the maidens came unhurt to us; but the
lamp was extinguished, and no one knew how that had happened. When
those on the uninjured ships heard that the Magy was drowned, they
sailed away, because their crews were Danes. When the fleet was far
enough off, our sailors turned and shot their burning arrows at the
Finns. When the Finns saw that, and found that they were betrayed,
they fell into confusion, and lost all discipline and order. At this
moment the garrison sallied forth from the citadel. Those who resisted
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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