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 wanton girls and effeminate youths who consorted with the immoral
priests and princes, taught the new language to their companions,
and thus spread it among the people till God's language was clean
forgotten. Would you know what came of all this? how that stammering
and blushing no longer betrayed their evil doings;--virtue passed
away, wisdom and liberty followed; unity was lost, and quarrelling
took its place; love flew away, and unchastity and envy met round
their tables; and where previously justice reigned, now it is the
sword. All are slaves--the subjects of their masters, envy, bad
passions and covetousness. If they had only invented one language
things might possibly have still gone on well; but they invented as
many languages as there are states, so that one people can no more
understand another people than a cow a dog, or a wolf a sheep. The
mariners can bear witness to this. From all this it results that
all the slave people look upon each other as strangers; and that as
a punishment of their inconsiderateness and presumption, they must
quarrel and fight till they are all destroyed.
HERE IS MY COUNSEL.
If you wish that you alone should inherit the earth, you must never
allow any language but God's language to pass your lips, and take care
that your own language remains free from outlandish sounds. If you
wish that some of Lyda's children and some of Finda's children remain,
you must do the same. The language of the East Schoonlanders has been
perverted by the vile Magyars, and the language of the followers
of Kaltana has been spoiled by the dirty Gauls. Now, we have been
weak enough to admit among us the returned followers of Hellenia,
but I anxiously fear that they will reward our weakness by debasing
our pure language.
Many things have happened to us, but among all the citadels that have
been disturbed and destroyed in the bad time, Irtha has preserved
Fryasburgt uninjured; and I may remark that Frya's or God's language
has always remained here untainted.
Here in Texland, therefore, schools should be established; and from all
the states that have kept to the old customs the young people should
be sent here, and afterwards those whose education is complete can
help those who remain at home. If foreigners come to buy ironwares
from you, and want to talk and bargain, they must come back to God's
language. If they learn God's language, then the words, "to be free"
and "to have justice," will come to them, and glimmer and glitter in
their brains to a perfect light, and that flame will destroy all bad
princes and hypocritical dirty priests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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