Before the bad time came our country was the most beautiful in the
world. The sun rose higher, and there was seldom frost. The trees and
shrubs produced various fruits, which are now lost. In the fields we
had not only barley, oats, and rye, but wheat which shone like gold,
and which could be baked in the sun's rays. The years were not counted,
for one was as happy as another.
On one side we were bounded by Wr-alda's Sea, on which no one but us
might or could sail; on the other side we were hedged in by the broad
Twiskland (Tusschenland, Duitschland), through which the Finda people
dared not come on account of the thick forests and the wild beasts.
Eastward our boundary went to the extremity of the East Sea, and
westward to the Mediterranean Sea; so that besides the small rivers
we had twelve large rivers given us by Wr-alda to keep our land moist,
and to show our seafaring men the way to his sea.
The banks of these rivers were at one time entirely inhabited
by our people, as well as the banks of the Rhine from one end
to the other. Opposite Denmark and Jutland we had colonies and a
Burgtmaagd. Thence we obtained copper and iron, as well as tar and
pitch, and some other necessaries. Opposite to us we had Britain,
formerly Westland, with her tin mines.
Britain was the land of the exiles, who with the help of their
Burgtmaagd had gone away to save their lives; but in order that they
might not come back they were tattooed with a B on the forehead, the
banished with a red dye, the other criminals with blue. Moreover, our
sailors and merchants had many factories among the distant Krekalanders
and in Lydia. In Lydia (Lybia) the people are black. As our country
was so great and extensive, we had many different names. Those who
were settled to the east of Denmark were called Jutten, because often
they did nothing else than look for amber (jutten) on the shore. Those
who lived in the islands were called Letten, because they lived an
isolated life. All those who lived between Denmark and the Sandval,
now the Scheldt, were called Stuurlieden (pilots), Zeekampers (naval
men), and Angelaren (fishermen). The Angelaren were men who fished in
the sea, and were so named because they used lines and hooks instead of
nets. From there to the nearest part of Krekaland the inhabitants were
called Kadhemers, because they never went to sea but remained ashore.
Those who were settled in the higher marches bounded by Twisklanden
(Germany) were called Saxmannen, because they were always armed
against the wild beasts and the savage Britons. Besides these we had
the names Landzaten (natives of the land), Marzaten (natives of the
fens), and Woud or Hout zaten (natives of the woods).