Lyda out of fierce heat.
Finda out of strong heat.
Frya out of moderate heat.
When the last came into existence, Wr-alda breathed his spirit upon
her in order that men might be bound to him. As soon as they were
full grown they took pleasure and delight in the visions of Wr-alda.
Hatred found its way among them.
They each bore twelve sons and twelve daughters--at every Juul-time
a couple. Thence come all mankind.
Lyda was black, with hair curled like a lamb's; her eyes shone like
stars, and shot out glances like those of a bird of prey.
Lyda was acute. She could hear a snake glide, and could smell a fish
in the water.
Lyda was strong and nimble. She could bend a large tree, yet when
she walked she did not bruise a flower-stalk.
Lyda was violent. Her voice was loud, and when she screamed in anger
every creature quailed.
Wonderful Lyda! She had no regard for laws; her actions were governed
by her passions. To help the weak she would kill the strong, and when
she had done it she would weep by their bodies.
Poor Lyda! She turned grey by her mad behaviour, and at last she died
heart-broken by the wickedness of her children. Foolish children! They
accused each other of their mother's death. They howled and fought
like wolves, and while they did this the birds devoured the corpse. Who
can refrain from tears at such a recital?
Finda was yellow, and her hair was like the mane of a horse. She
could not bend a tree, but where Lyda killed one lion she killed ten.
Finda was seductive. Her voice was sweeter than any bird's. Her
eyes were alluring and enticing, but whoever looked upon them became
her slave.
Finda was unreasonable. She wrote thousands of laws, but she never
obeyed one. She despised the frankness of the good, and gave herself
up to flatterers.
That was her misfortune. Her head was too full, but her heart was too
vain. She loved nobody but herself, and she wished that all should
love her.
False Finda! Honey-sweet were her words, but those who trusted them
found sorrow at hand.
Selfish Finda! She wished to rule everybody, and her sons were like
her. They made their sisters serve them, and they slew each other
for the mastery.
Treacherous Finda! One wrong word would irritate her, and the
cruellest deeds did not affect her. If she saw a lizard swallow a
spider, she shuddered; but if she saw her children kill a Frisian,
her bosom swelled with pleasure.
Unfortunate Finda! She died in the bloom of her age, and the mode of
her death is unknown.
Hypocritical children! Her corpse was buried under a costly stone,
pompous inscriptions were written on it, and loud lamentations were
heard at it, but in private not a tear was shed.
Despicable people! The laws that Finda established were written
on golden tables, but the object for which they were made was never
attained. The good laws were abolished, and selfishness instituted bad
ones in their place. O Finda! then the earth overflowed with blood,
and your children were mown down like grass. Yes, Finda! those were
the fruits of your vanity. Look down from your watch-star and weep.
Frya was white like the snow at sunrise, and the blue of her eyes
vied with the rainbow.
Beautiful Frya! Like the rays of the sun shone the locks of her hair,
which were as fine as spiders' webs.
Clever Frya! When she opened her lips the birds ceased to sing and
the leaves to quiver.
Powerful Frya! At the glance of her eye the lion lay down at her feet
and the adder withheld his poison.
Pure Frya! Her food was honey, and her beverage was dew gathered from
the cups of the flowers.
Sensible Frya! The first lesson that she taught her children was
self-control, and the second was the love of virtue; and when they
were grown she taught them the value of liberty; for she said,
"Without liberty all other virtues serve to make you slaves, and to
disgrace your origin."
Generous Frya! She never allowed metal to be dug from the earth for
her own benefit, but when she did it it was for the general use.
Most happy Frya! Like the starry host in the firmament, her children
clustered around her.
Wise Frya! When she had seen her children reach the seventh generation,
she summoned them all to Flyland, and there gave them her Tex, saying,
"Let this be your guide, and it can never go ill with you."
Exalted Frya! When she had thus spoken the earth shook like the sea
of Wr-alda. The ground of Flyland sunk beneath her feet, the air
was dimmed by tears, and when they looked for their mother she was
already risen to her watching star; then at length thunder burst from
the clouds, and the lightning wrote upon the firmament "Watch!"
Far-seeing Frya! The land from which she had risen was now a stream,
and except her Tex all that was in it was overwhelmed.
Obedient children! When they came to themselves again, they made
this high mound and built this citadel upon it, and on the walls
they wrote the Tex, and that every one should be able to find it they
called the land about it Texland. Therefore it shall remain as long
as the earth shall be the earth.