In the olden times, the Slavonic race knew nothing of liberty. They
were brought under the yoke like oxen. They were driven into the
bowels of the earth to dig metals, and had to build houses of stone as
dwelling-places for princes and priests. Of all that they did nothing
came to themselves, everything must serve to enrich and make more
powerful the priests and the princes, and to satisfy them. Under this
treatment they grew gray and old before their time, and died without
any enjoyment; although the earth produces abundantly for the good of
all her children. But our runaways and exiles came through Twiskland
to their boundaries, and our sailors came to their harbours. From
them they heard of liberty, of justice, and laws, without which
men cannot exist. This was all absorbed by the unhappy people like
dew into an arid soil. When they fully understood this, the most
courageous among them began to clank their chains, which grieved the
princes. The princes are proud and warlike; there is therefore some
virtue in their hearts. They consulted together and bestowed some of
their superfluity; but the cowardly hypocritical priests could not
suffer this. Among their false gods they had invented also wicked
cruel monsters. Pestilence broke out in the country; and they said
that the gods were angry with the domineering of the wicked. Then the
boldest of the people were strangled in their chains. The earth drank
their blood, and that blood produced corn and fruits that inspired
with wisdom those who ate them.
Sixteen hundred years ago (she writes, 593 B.C.), Atland was submerged;
and at that time something happened which nobody had reckoned upon. In
the heart of Findasland, upon a mountain, lies a plain called Kasamyr
(Cashmere) that is "extraordinary." There was a child born whose mother
was the daughter of a king, and whose father was a high-priest. In
order to hide the shame they were obliged to renounce their own
blood. Therefore it was taken out of the town to poor people. As the
boy grew up, nothing was concealed from him, so he did all in his
power to acquire wisdom. His intellect was so great that he understood
everything that he saw or heard. The people regarded him with respect,
and the priests were afraid of his questions. When he was of full age
he went to his parents. They had to listen to some hard language;
and to get rid of him they gave him a quantity of jewels, but they
dared not openly acknowledge him. Overcome with sorrow at the false
shame of his parents, he wandered about. While travelling he fell in
with a Frisian sailor who was serving as a slave, and who taught him
our manners and customs. He bought the freedom of the slave, and they
remained friends till death. Wherever he went he taught the people not
to tolerate rich men or priests, and that they must guard themselves
against false shame, which everywhere did harm to love and charity. The
earth, he said, bestowed her treasures on those who scratch her skin;
so all are obliged to dig, and plough, and sow if they wish to reap,
but no one is obliged to do anything for another unless it be out of
goodwill. He taught that men should not seek in her bowels for gold,
or silver, or precious stones, which occasion envy and destroy love. To
embellish your wives and daughters, he said, the river offers her pure
stream. No man is able to make everybody equally rich and happy, but
it is the duty of all men to make each other as equally rich and as
happy as possible. Men should not despise any knowledge; but justice
is the greatest knowledge that time can teach, because she wards off
offences and promotes love.
His first name was Jessos, but the priests, who hated him, called him
Fo, that is, false; the people called him Krishna, that is, shepherd;
and his Frisian friend called him Buddha (purse), because he had in
his head a treasure of wisdom, and in his heart a treasure of love.
At last he was obliged to flee from the wrath of the priests; but
wherever he went his teaching had preceded him, whilst his enemies
followed him like his shadow. When Jessos had thus travelled for
twelve years he died; but his friends preserved his teaching, and
spread it wherever they found listeners.
What do you think the priests did then? That I must tell you, and
you must give your best attention to it. Moreover, you must keep
guard against their acts and their tricks with all the strength
that Wr-alda has given you. While the doctrine of Jessos was thus
spreading over the earth, the false priests went to the land of
his birth to make his death known. They said they were his friends,
and they pretended to show great sorrow by tearing their clothes and
shaving their heads. They went to live in caves in the mountains, but
in them they had hid all their treasures, and they made in them images
of Jessos. They gave these statues to simple people, and at last they
said that Jessos was a god, that he had declared this himself to them,
and that all those who followed his doctrine should enter his kingdom
hereafter, where all was joy and happiness. Because they knew that
he was opposed to the rich, they announced everywhere that poverty,
suffering, and humility were the door by which to enter into his
kingdom, and that those who had suffered the most on earth should enjoy
the greatest happiness there. Although they knew that Jessos had taught
that men should regulate and control their passions, they taught that
men should stifle their passions, and that the perfection of humanity
consisted in being as unfeeling as the cold stones. In order to make
the people believe that they did as they preached, they pretended to
outward poverty; and that they had overcome all sensual feelings,
they took no wives. But if any young girl had made a false step,
it was quickly forgiven; the weak, they said, were to be assisted,
and to save their souls men must give largely to the Church. Acting
in this way, they had wives and children without households, and were
rich without working; but the people grew poorer and more miserable
than they had ever been before. This doctrine, which requires the
priests to possess no further knowledge than to speak deceitfully,
and to pretend to be pious while acting unjustly, spreads from east
to west, and will come to our land also.
But when the priests fancy that they have entirely extinguished the
light of Frya and Jessos, then shall all classes of men rise up who
have quietly preserved the truth among themselves, and have hidden
it from the priests. They shall be of princely blood of priests,
Slavonic, and Frya's blood. They will make their light visible,
so that all men shall see the truth; they shall cry woe to the acts
of the princes and the priests. The princes who love the truth and
justice shall separate themselves from the priests; blood shall flow,
but from it the people will gather new strength. Finda's folk shall
contribute their industry to the common good, Linda's folk their
strength, and we our wisdom. Then the false priests shall be swept
away from the earth. Wr-alda's spirit shall be invoked everywhere
and always; the laws that Wr-alda in the beginning instilled into
our consciences shall alone be listened to. There shall be neither
princes, nor masters, nor rulers, except those chosen by the general
voice. Then Frya shall rejoice, and the earth will only bestow her
gifts on those who work. All this shall begin 4000 years after the
submersion of Atland, and 1000 years later there shall exist no longer
either priest or oppression.
Dela, surnamed Hellenia, watch!
Thus runs Frana's last will: All noble Frisians, Heil! In the name of
Wr-alda, of Frya, and of Freedom, I greet you; and pray you if I die
before I have named a successor, then I recommend to you Teuntja, who
is Burgtmaagd in the citadel of Medeasblik; till now she is the best.
This Gosa has left behind her: Hail to all men! I have named no
Eeremoeder, because I know none, and because it is better for you to
have no mother than to have one you cannot trust. One bad time is
passed by, but there is still another coming. Irtha has not given
it birth, and Wr-alda has not decreed it. It comes from the East,
out of the bosom of the priests. It will breed so much mischief that
Irtha will not be able to drink the blood of her slain children. It
will spread darkness over the minds of men like storm-clouds over the
sunlight. Everywhere craft and deception shall contend with freedom and
justice. Freedom and justice shall be overcome, and we with them. But
this success will work out its own loss. Our descendants shall teach
their people and their slaves the meaning of three words; they are
universal love, freedom, and justice. At first they shall shine, then
struggle with darkness, until every man's head and heart has become
bright and clear. Then shall oppression be driven from the earth,
like the thunder-clouds by the storm-wind, and all deceit will cease
to have any more power. Gosa.