One hundred and one years after the submersion of Aldland a people
came out of the East. That people was driven by another. Behind us,
in Twiskland (Germany), they fell into disputes, divided into two
parties, and each went its own way. Of the one no account has come to
us, but the other came in the back of our Schoonland, which was thinly
inhabited, particularly the upper part. Therefore they were able to
take possession of it without contest, and as they did no other harm,
we would not make war about it. Now that we have learned to know them,
we will describe their customs, and after that how matters went between
us. They were not wild people, like most of Finda's race; but, like the
Egyptians, they have priests and also statues in their churches. The
priests are the only rulers; they call themselves Magyars, and their
headman Magy. He is high priest and king in one. The rest of the people
are of no account, and in subjection to them. This people have not even
a name; but we call them Finns, because although all the festivals are
melancholy and bloody, they are so formal that we are inferior to them
in that respect. But still they are not to be envied, because they are
slaves to their priests, and still more to their creeds. They believe
that evil spirits abound everywhere, and enter into men and beasts,
but of Wr-alda's spirit they know nothing. They have weapons of stone,
the Magyars of copper. The Magyars affirm that they can exorcise
and recall the evil spirits, and this frightens the people, so that
you never see a cheerful face. When they were well established, the
Magyars sought our friendship, they praised our language and customs,
our cattle and iron weapons, which they would willingly have exchanged
for their gold and silver ornaments, and they always kept their people
within their own boundaries, and that outwitted our watchfulness.
Eighty years afterwards, just at the time of the Juulfeest, they
overran our country like a snowstorm driven by the wind. All who
could not flee away were killed. Frya was appealed to, but the
Schoonlanders (Scandinavians) had neglected her advice. Then all
the forces were assembled, and three hours from Godasburgt they
were withstood, but war continued. Kat or Katerine was the name of
the priestess who was Burgtmaagd of Godasburgt. Kat was proud and
haughty, and would neither seek counsel nor aid from the mother;
but when the Burgtheeren (citizens) knew this, they themselves
sent messengers to Texland to the Eeremoeder. Minna--this was the
name of the mother--summoned all the sailors and the young men from
Oostflyland and Denmark. From this expedition the history of Wodin
sprang, which is inscribed on the citadels, and is here copied. At
Aldergamude there lived an old sea-king whose name was Sterik, and
whose deeds were famous. This old fellow had three nephews. Wodin,
the eldest, lived at Lumkamakia, near the Eemude, in Oostflyland,
with his parents. He had once commanded troops. Teunis and Inka were
naval warriors, and were just then staying with their father at
Aldergamude. When the young warriors had assembled together, they
chose Wodin to be their leader or king, and the naval force chose
Teunis for their sea-king and Inka for their admiral. The navy then
sailed to Denmark, where they took on board Wodin and his valiant host.
The wind was fair, so they arrived immediately in Schoonland. When the
northern brothers met together, Wodin divided his powerful army into
three bodies. Frya was their war-cry, and they drove back the Finns
and Magyars like children. When the Magy heard how his forces had
been utterly defeated, he sent messengers with truncheon and crown,
who said to Wodin: O almighty king, we are guilty, but all that we
have done was done from necessity. You think that we attacked your
brothers out of ill will, but we were driven out by our enemies, who
are still at our heels. We have often asked your Burgtmaagd for help,
but she took no notice of us. The Magy says that if we kill half our
numbers in fighting with each other, then the wild shepherds will come
and kill all the rest. The Magy possesses great riches, but he has
seen that Frya is much more powerful than all our spirits together. He
will lay down his head in her lap. You are the most warlike king on
the earth, and your people are of iron. Become our king, and we will
all be your slaves. What glory it would be for you if you could drive
back the savages! Our trumpets would resound with your praises, and
the fame of your deeds would precede you everywhere. Wodin was strong,
fierce, and warlike, but he was not clear-sighted, therefore he was
taken in their toils, and crowned by the Magy.
Very many of the sailors and soldiers to whom this proceeding was
displeasing went away secretly, taking Kat with them. But Kat, who did
not wish to appear before either the mother or the general assembly,
jumped overboard. Then a storm arose and drove the ships upon the
banks of Denmark, with the total destruction of their crews. This
strait was afterwards called the Kattegat. When Wodin was crowned,
he attacked the savages, who were all horsemen, and fell upon Wodin's
troops like a hailstorm; but like a whirl-wind they were turned back,
and did not dare to appear again. When Wodin returned, Magy gave him
his daughter to wife. Whereupon he was incensed with herbs; but they
were magic herbs, and by degrees he became so audacious that he dared
to disavow and ridicule the spirits of Frya and Wr-alda, while he
bent his free head before the false and deceitful images. His reign
lasted seven years, and then he disappeared. The Magy said that he
was taken up by their gods and still reigned over us, but our people
laughed at what they said. When Wodin had disappeared some time,
disputes arose. We wished to choose another king, but the Magy would
not permit it. He asserted that it was his right given him by his
idols. But besides this dispute there was one between the Magyars and
Finns, who would honour neither Frya nor Wodin; but the Magy did just
as he pleased, because his daughter had a son by Wodin, and he would
have it that this son was of high descent. While all were disputing and
quarrelling, he crowned the boy as king, and set up himself as guardian
and counsellor. Those who cared more for themselves than for justice
let him work his own way, but the good men took their departure. Many
Magyars fled back with their troops, and the sea-people took ship,
accompanied by a body of stalwart Finns as rowers.
Next comes upon the stage the history of Neef Teunis and Neef Inka.
ALL THIS IS INSCRIBED NOT ONLY ON THE WARABURGT, BUT ALSO ON THE
BURGT STAVIA, WHICH LIES BEHIND THE PORT OF STAVRE.
When Teunis wished to return home, he went first towards Denmark;
but he might not land there, for so the mother had ordered, nor
was he to land at Flyland nor anywhere about there. In this way he
would have lost all his people by want and hardship, so he landed
at night to steal and sailed on by day. Thus coasting along, he at
length arrived at the colony of Kadik (Cadiz), so called because it
was built with a stone quay. Here they bought all kinds of stores,
but Tuntia the Burgtmaagd would not allow them to settle there. When
they were ready they began to disagree. Teunis wished to sail through
the straits to the Mediterranean Sea, and enter the service of the
rich Egyptian king, as he had done before, but Inka said he had had
enough of all those Finda's people. Inka thought that perchance some
high-lying part of Atland might remain as an island, where he and
his people might live in peace. As the two cousins could not agree,
Teunis planted a red flag on the shore, and Inka a blue flag. Every
man could choose which he pleased, and to their astonishment the
greater part of the Finns and Magyars followed Inka, who had objected
to serve the kings of Finda's people. When they had counted the people
and divided the ships accordingly, the fleet separated. We shall hear
of Teunis afterwards, but nothing more of Inka.
Neef Teunis coasted through the straits to the Mediterranean
Sea. When Atland was submerged there was much suffering also on
the shores of the Mediterranean, on which account many of Finda's
people, Krekalanders, and people from Lyda's land, came to us. On
the other hand, many of our people went to Lyda's land. The result
of all this was that the Krekalanders far and wide were lost to the
superintendence of the mother. Teunis had reckoned on this, and had
therefore wished to find there a good haven from which he might go
and serve under the rich princes; but as his fleet and his people had
such a shattered appearance, the inhabitants on the coasts thought
that they were pirates, and drove them away. At last they arrived
at the Phoenician coast, one hundred and ninety-three years after
Atland was submerged. Near the coast they found an island with two
deep bays, so that there appeared to be three islands. In the middle
one they established themselves, and afterwards built a city wall
round the place. Then they wanted to give it a name, but disagreed
about it. Some wanted to call it Fryasburgt, others Neeftunia; but
the Magyars and Finns begged that it might be called Thyrhisburgt.
Thyr was the name of one of their idols, and it was upon his feast-day
that they had landed there; and in return they offered to recognise
Teunis as their perpetual king. Teunis let himself be persuaded, and
the others would not make any quarrel about it. When they were well
established, they sent some old seamen and Magyars on an expedition as
far as the town of Sidon; but at first the inhabitants of the coast
would have nothing to do with them, saying, You are only foreign
adventurers whom we do not respect. But when we sold them some of
our iron weapons, everything went well. They also wished to buy our
amber, and their inquiries about it were incessant. But Teunis, who was
far-seeing, pretended that he had no more iron weapons or amber. Then
merchants came and begged him to let them have twenty vessels, which
they would freight with the finest goods, and they would provide as
many people to row as he would require. Twelve ships were then laden
with wine, honey, tanned leather, and saddles and bridles mounted in
gold, such as had never been seen before.
Teunis sailed to the Flymeer with all this treasure, which so
enchanted the Grevetman of Westflyland that he induced Teunis to
build a warehouse at the mouth of the Flymeer. Afterwards this place
was called Almanaland, and the market where they traded at Wyringen
was called Toelaatmarkt. The mother advised that they should sell
everything except iron weapons, but no attention was paid to what she
said. As the Thyriers had thus free play, they came from far and near
to take away our goods, to the loss of our seafaring people. Therefore
it was resolved in a general assembly to allow only seven Thyrian
ships and no more in a year.