How our Denmark was lost to us 1602 years after the submersion of
Atland. Through the mad wantonness of Wodin, Magy had become master
of the east part of Scandinavia. They dare not come over the hills
and over the sea. The mother would not prevent it. She said, I see
no danger in their weapons, but much in taking the Scandinavians
back again, because they are so degenerate and spoilt. The general
assembly were of the same opinion. Therefore it was left to him. A
good hundred years ago Denmark began to trade; they gave their iron
weapons in exchange for gold ornaments, as well as for copper and
iron-ore. The mother sent messengers to advise them to have nothing
to do with this trade. There was danger to their morals in it, and if
they lost their morals they would soon lose their liberty. But the
Denmarkers paid no attention to her. They did not believe that they
could lose their morals, therefore they would not listen to her. At
last they were at a loss themselves for weapons and necessaries, and
this difficulty was their punishment. Their bodies were brilliantly
adorned, but their cupboards and their sheds were empty. Just one
hundred years after the first ship with provisions sailed from
the coast, poverty and want made their appearance, hunger spread
her wings all over the country, dissension marched proudly about
the streets and into the houses, charity found no place, and unity
departed. The child asked its mother for food; she had no food to
give, only jewels. The women applied to their husbands, the husbands
appealed to the counts; the counts had nothing to give, or if they had,
they hid it away. Now the jewels must be sold, but while the sailors
were away for that purpose, the frost came and laid a plank upon the
sea and the strait (the Sound). When the frost had made the bridge,
vigilance ceased in the land, and treachery took its place. Instead
of watching on the shores, they put their horses in their sledges
and drove off to Scandinavia. Then the Scandinavians, who hungered
after the land of their forefathers, came to Denmark. One bright
night they all came. Now, they said, we have a right to the land of
our fathers; and while they were fighting about it, the Finns came to
the defenceless villages and ran away with the children. As they had
no good weapons, they lost the battle, and with it their freedom,
and Magy became master. All this was the consequence of their not
reading Frya's Tex, and neglecting her counsels. There are some who
think that they were betrayed by the counts, and that the maidens
had long suspected it; but if any one attempted to speak about it,
his mouth was shut by golden chains.
We can express no opinion about it, we can only say to you, Do not
trust too much to the wisdom of your princes or of your maidens;
but if you wish to keep things straight, everybody must watch over
his own passions, as well as the general welfare.
Two years afterwards Magy himself came with a fleet of light boats
to steal the lamp from the mother of Texland. This wicked deed he
accomplished one stormy winter night, while the wind roared and the
hail rattled against the windows. The watchman on the tower hearing
the noise, lighted his torch. As soon as the light from the tower fell
upon the bastion, he saw that already armed men had got over the wall.
He immediately gave the alarm, but it was too late. Before the guard
was ready, there were two thousand people battering the gate. The
struggle did not last long. As the guard had not kept a good watch,
they were overwhelmed. While the fight was going on, a rascally
Finn stole into the chamber of the mother, and would have done her
violence. She resisted him, and threw him down against the wall. When
he got up, he ran his sword through her: If you will not have me,
you shall have my sword. A Danish soldier came behind him and clave
his head in two. There came from it a stream of black blood and a
wreath of blue flame.
The Magy had the mother nursed on his own ship. As soon as she was well
enough to speak clearly, the Magy told her that she must sail with him,
but that she should keep her lamp and her maidens, and should hold a
station higher than she had ever done before. Moreover, he said that
he should ask her, in presence of all his chief men, if he would become
the ruler of all the country and people of Frya; that she must declare
and affirm this, or he would let her die a painful death. Then, when
he had gathered all his chiefs around her bed, he asked, in a loud
voice, Frana, since you are a prophetess, shall I become ruler over
all the lands and people of Frya? Frana did as if she took no notice
of him; but at last she opened her lips, and said: My eyes are dim,
but the other light dawns upon my soul. Yes, I see it. Hear, Irtha,
and rejoice with me. At the time of the submersion of Atland, the
first spoke of the Juul stood at the top. After that it went down,
and our freedom with it. When two spokes, or two thousand years,
shall have rolled down, the sons shall arise who have been bred
of the fornication of the princes and priests with the people, and
shall witness against their fathers. They shall all fall by murder,
but what they have proclaimed shall endure, and shall bear fruit in
the bosoms of able men, like good seed which is laid in thy lap. Yet a
thousand years shall the spoke descend, and sink deeper in darkness,
and in the blood shed over you by the wickedness of the princes and
priests. After that, the dawn shall begin to glow. When they perceive
this, the false princes and priests will strive and wrestle against
freedom; but freedom, love, and unity will take the people under their
protection, and rise out of the vile pool. The light which at first
only glimmered shall gradually become a flame. The blood of the bad
shall flow over your surface, but you must not absorb it. At last
the poisoned animals shall eat it, and die of it. All the stories
that have been written in praise of the princes and priests shall
be committed to the flames. Thenceforth your children shall live in
peace. When she had finished speaking she sank down.
The Magy, who had not understood her, shrieked out, I have asked
you if I should become master of all the lands and people of Frya,
and now you have been speaking to another. Frana raised herself up,
stared at him, and said, Before seven days have passed your soul
shall haunt the tombs with the night-birds, and your body shall be at
the bottom of the sea. Very good, said the Magy, swelling with rage;
say that I am coming. Then he said to his executioners, Throw this
woman overboard. This was the end of the last of the mothers. We do
not ask for revenge. Time will provide that; but a thousand thousand
times we will call with Frya, Watch! watch! watch!