THESE ARE THE RULES CONCERNING BASTARDS.

1. If any man sets fire to another's house, he is no Frisian, he is

a bastard. If he is caught in the act, he must be thrown into the

fire; and wherever he may flee, he shall never be secure from the

avenging justice.

2. No true Frisian shall speak ill of the faults of his neighbours. If

any man injures himself, but does no harm to others, he must be his

own judge; but if he becomes so bad that he is dangerous to others,

they must bring it before the count. But if instead of going to the

count a man accuses another behind his back, he must be put on the

pillory in the market-place, and then sent out of the country, but

not to the tin mines, because even there a backbiter is to be feared.

3. If any man should prove a traitor and show to our enemies the paths

leading to our places of refuge, or creep into them by night, he must

be the offspring of Finda; he must be burnt. The sailors must take his

mother and all his relations to a desolate island, and there scatter

his ashes, in order that no poisonous herbs may spring from them. The

maidens must curse his name in all the states, in order that no child

may be called by his name, and that his ancestors may repudiate him.

War had come to an end, but famine came in its place. There were

three men who each stole a sack of corn from different owners, but

they were all caught. The first owner brought his thief to the judge,

and the maidens said everywhere that he had done right. The second

owner took the corn away from his thief and let him go in peace. The

maidens said he has done well. The third owner went to the thief's

house, and when he saw what misery was there, he went and brought a

waggon-load of necessaries to relieve their distress. Frya's maidens

came around him and wrote his deed in the eternal book, and wiped

out all his sins. This was reported to the Eeremoeder, and she had

it made known over the whole country.

The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century · 第 35 / 129 题