FROM GODDESS TO KING
A History of Ancient Europe from the
OERA LINDA BOOK
By Anthony Radford
CHAPTER 18
FRISO, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING
The story of Friso is by no means told to completion. For another forty years he would continue in the homeland area, always using the skills that he had learned from the Mediterranean generals to further his own ambition.
Konered continues the Book after Frethorik and Wiljo his father and mother. He gives us an account of the rebuilding after the disasters of 305 BC. His citadel at Lindaoord was lost, as he claimed all of them had been, but this cannot however include the mighty one at Texland. That account would contradict the other writings.
The period is more than fifty years after the quakes or about 250 BC. Some lands had been recovered from the sea in the immediate vicinity of the castle and more works were proceeding. He ends with the usual moral observation equivalent to our "God helps those who help themselves", and such advice as exists on community cooperation may be of value for our own time.
Here Konered tells of the exploits of Friso who had returned to the Rhine after serving for a generation in the Mediterranean. A lot of place names have been mentioned, some of which can be found still existing with modern but similar names in Holland. The nation was now more compact, even a remnant of its former self, but this looser confederation of independent states was still the most dominant force in that part of Europe and a match for Rome. The Fly River is not obviously identifiable with the small stream of that name that exists today but most likely it was the modern Rhine and flowing to the sea a little farther north than its present course.
My forefathers have written this book in succession. I will do this, the more because there exists no longer in my state any citadel on which events are inscribed as used to be the case. My name is Konered. My father’s name was Frethorik, my mother’s name was Wiljo. After my father’s death I was chosen as his successor. When I was fifty years old I was chosen for chief Grevetman.
My father has written how the Lindaoord and Liudgaard was destroyed. Lindahelm is still lost, the Lindaoord partially, and the north Lindgaard are still concealed by the salt sea. The foaming sea washes the ramparts of the castle. As my father has mentioned, the people, being deprived of their harbor, went away and built houses inside the ramparts of the citadel; therefore the bastion is called Lindwerd. The sea-people say Linwerd, but that is nonsense.
In my youth there was a portion of land lying outside the rampart all mud and marsh; but Frya’s people were neither tired nor exhausted when they had a good object in view. By digging ditches, and making dams of the earth that came out of the ditches, we recovered a good space of land outside the rampart, which had the form of a hoof three poles eastwards, three southwards, and three westwards. At present we are engaged in ramming piles into the ground to make a harbor to protect our rampart. When the work is finished, we shall attract mariners.
In my youth it looked very queer, but now there stands a row of houses. Leaks and deficiencies produced by poverty have been remedied by industry. From this men may learn that Wr-Alda, our universal father, protects all his creatures, if they preserve their courage and help each other.
Friso was a man of much experience. As a young Frisian seaman, he had gone to the Mediterranean and learned the languages of the Gauls and Greeks; and a generation later, as a family man, fighting for and against Alexander’s generals, he had returned to Texland. There he wasted no time in assuming important posts, starting a new family and preparing local youths in the ways of modern warfare for home defense. For the next forty years he tried to consolidate himself as permanent king but always faced strong moral opposition in the form of the "old maids", the remaining maidens that had survived the destruction of their temples in the earthquake. Eventually his descendants would become royal kings.
Konered, the writer of the time, and others, feared his ambition but must have secretly admired this man of action. He allied his family with important connections, clearly expecting the new hereditary, "might is right" attitude to take a more persuasive course in his homeland. Konered continues.
Now I will Write About Friso:
Friso, who was already powerful by his troops, was chosen chief Grevetman of the districts round Stavern. He laughed at our mode of defending our land and our sea-fights; therefore he established a school where the boys might learn to fight in the Greek manner, but I believe that he did it to attach the young people to himself. I sent my brother there ten years ago, because I thought, now that we have not got any Mother, it behooves me to be doubly watchful, in order that he may not become our master.
Gosa has given us no successors. I will not give any opinion about that; but there are still old suspicious people who think that she and Friso had an understanding about it. When Gosa died, the people from all parts wished to choose another Mother; but Friso, who was busy establishing a kingdom for himself, did not desire to have any advice or messenger from Texland.
When the messengers of the Landsaten came to him, he said that Gosa had been farseeing and wiser than all the counts together, and yet she had been unable to see any light or way out of this affair; therefore she had not had the courage to choose a successor, and to choose a doubtful one she thought would be very bad; therefore she wrote in her last will, "It is better to have no Mother than to have one on whom you cannot rely."
Friso had seen a great deal. He had been brought up in the wars, and he had just learned and gathered as much of the tricks and cunning ways of the Gauls and the princes as he required, to lead the other counts wherever he wished. See here how he went to work about that.
Friso had taken here another wife, a daughter of Wilfrethe, who in his lifetime had been chief count of Stavern. By her he had two sons and two daughters. By his wish Kornelia, his youngest daughter, was married to my brother. Kornelia is not good Frisian; her name ought to be written Korn-helia. Weemoed, his eldest daughter, he married to Kauch. Kauch, who went to school with him, is the son of Wichhirt, the king of the Geertmen. But Kauch is likewise not good Frisian, and ought to be Kaap. So they have learned more bad language than good manners.
We have been told how the Jutlanders were so named because they collected amber or jutten, as a valuable material in demand for foreign trade but they did not come from the peninsula of Jutland as we know it today. They were Baltic people from Schoonland or Scandinavia across the sea from Denmark. After the flooding they settled in the north of Denmark giving it the name of Jutland while the Denmarkers who had escaped to the higher lands returned to Zealand in the south which is now part of Holland.
The Zealanders, so named because they made their living from the sea, returned from their ships to find only barren swamps left. In view of this they resorted to piracy against Phoenician ships (probably Carthaginian), Kalta’s people or the Gauls whom they particularly disliked. Their swamp afforded no building materials and these fishermen did not have the skills to build a citadel to defend themselves against the Gauls. The Gauls or Celtics, to use a modern term, were stealing the Zealander’s sons for rowers and their daughters for wives. This is another instance of how the great flood of 305 BC disrupted the entire fabric of Western Europe, setting culture against culture and tribe against tribe.
By this date, little Frisian racial purity and culture had survived but we read on to find how the races were mixed to an even greater extent. It shows how the destruction was widespread, affecting many nations beyond the Baltic.
They complained to the Grevetman Friso, whose duty it was to hear their grievances, which he did, offering good advice and following it up with supplies to build forts at the entrance to their harbor. His son from his Mediterranean family supervised the construction, married the chief Alderman’s daughter and was eventually elected to succeed him as Grevetman. All this history that is recorded in the last half of the Oera Linda Book is about the home land of the authors, the lowlands of Western Europe and neighboring "German" lands. They would eventually diminish to no more than a few Frisian Islands with the island of Texel becoming the final remnant of Texland. It was still an extensive loose confederation of a score or more nations.
Now I must return to my story:
After the great flood of which my father wrote an account, there came many Jutlanders and Letlanders out of the Baltic, or bad sea. They were driven down the Kattegat in their boats by the ice as far as the coast of Denmark, and there they remained. There was not a creature to be seen; so they took possession of the land, and named it after themselves, Jutland.
Afterwards, many of the Denmarkers returned from the higher lands, but they settled more to the south; and when the mariners returned who had not been lost, they all went together to Zealand. By this arrangement the Jutlanders retained the land to which Wr-Alda had conducted them. The Zealand skippers, who were not satisfied to live upon fish, and who hated the Gauls, took to robbing the Phoenician ships.
In the southwest point of Scandinavia there lies Lindasburgt, called Lindasnose, built by one Apol, as it is written in the book. All the people who live on the coasts, and in the neighboring districts, had remained true Frisians; but by their desire for vengeance upon the Gauls, and the followers of Kalta, they joined the Zealanders. But that connection did not hold together, because the Zealanders had adopted many evil manners and customs of the wicked Magyars, in opposition to Frya’s people.
Afterwards, everybody went stealing on his own account; but when it suited them they held all together. At last the Zealanders began to be in want of good ships. Their shipbuilders had died, and their forests as well as their land had been washed out to sea. Now there arrived unexpectedly three ships, which anchored off the ringdike of our citadel. By the disruption of our land they had lost themselves, and had missed Flymond. The merchant who was with them wished to buy new ships from us, and for that purpose had brought all kinds of valuables, which they had stolen from the Celtic country and Phoenician ships.
As we had no ships, I gave them active horses and four armed couriers to Friso; because at Stavern, along the Alberga, the best ships of war were built of hard oak which never rots. While these sea rovers remained with us, some of the Jutmen had gone to Texland, and thence to Friso. The Zealanders had stolen many of their strongest boys to row their ships, and many of their finest daughters to have children by. The great Jutlanders could not prevent it, as they were not properly armed.
When they had related all their misfortunes, and a good deal of conversation had taken place, Friso asked them at last if they had no good harbors in their country. "Oh, yes", they answered; "a beautiful one, created by Wr-Alda. It is like a bottle, the neck narrow, but in the belly a thousand boats may lie; but we have no citadel and no defenses to keep out the pirate ships."
"Then you shall make them." said Friso.
"That is very good advice", said the Jutlanders; "but we have no workmen and no building materials; we are all fishermen and trawlers. The others are drowned or fled to higher lands."
While they were talking in this way, my messengers arrived at the court with the Zealand gentlemen. Here you must observe how Friso understood deceiving everybody, to the satisfaction of both parties, and to the accomplishment of his owns ends. To the Zealanders he promised that they should have yearly fifty ships of a fixed size for a fixed price, fitted with iron chains and crossbows, and full rigging as is necessary and useful for men-of-war, but they should leave in peace the Jutlanders and all the people of Frya’s race.
But he wished to do more; he wanted to engage all our sea rovers to go with him upon his fighting expedition. When the Zealanders had gone, he loaded 40 old ships with weapons for wall defenses, wood, bricks, carpenters, masons, and smiths, in order to build citadels. Whitto or Whitte his son he sent to superintend. I have never been well informed of what happened; but this much is clear to me, that on each side of the harbor a strong citadel has been built, and garrisoned by people brought by Friso out of Saksenmarken. Whitto courted Siuchthirte and married her. Wilhelm, her father, was chief Alderman of the Jutmen - that is, chief Grevetman or count. Wilhelm died shortly afterwards, and Whitto was chosen in his place.
According to Konered, Friso was using the same tactics that the Magy had been accused of employing, gaining a standing army of loyal followers and greatly increasing his influence in the process. These tactics included using his family for alliances, bribing the established prominent citizens and pandering to the greedy instincts of the young. Friso knew human nature and politics, but he also realized that no matter how much wealth or force he controlled, there could be no real power without popular support.
While Friso had opposition in the form of the old maidens who wanted the citadels to be rebuilt and a new Mother elected, he did have the support of the young. They were impressed by the return of the ships and new prosperity, including an abundance of work while new ships were being built. The young wanted a strong king to take back their lost lands, lost because of poor judgment shown by the Mothers. They were bound to win, or so it seemed, but the few old maidens who were left were still strong, for after forty years, Friso died and not as king.
What Friso Did Further:
Of his first wife he still had two brothers-in-law, who were very daring. Hetto - that is, heat - the youngest, he sent as messenger to Kattaburgt, which lies far in Saxony. Friso gave him to take seven horses, besides his own, laden with precious things stolen by the sea-rovers. With each horse there were two young sea-rovers and two young horsemen, clad in rich garments, and with money in their purses.
In the same way as he sent Hetto to Kattaburgt, he sent Bruno - that is, brown - the other brother-in-law, to Mannagarda oord. Mannagarda-oord was written Mannagarda ford in the earlier part of this book, but that is wrong. All the riches that they took with them were given away, according to circumstances, to princes, princesses, and chosen young girls. When his young men went to the tavern to dance with the young people there, they ordered baskets of spice, gingerbread, and turns of the best beer.
After these messengers he let his young people constantly go over to Saxony, always with money in their purses and presents to give away, and they spent money carelessly in the taverns. When the Saxon youths looked with envy at this they smiled, and said, "If you dare go and fight the common enemy you would be able to give much richer presents to your brides, and live much more princely". Both the brothers-in-law of Friso had married daughters of the chief princes, and afterwards the Saxon youths and girls came in whole troops to the Flymeer.
The burgtmaidens and old maidens who still remembered their greatness did not hold with Friso’s object, and therefore they said no good of him; but Friso, more cunning than they, let them chatter, but the younger maidens he led to his side with golden fingers.
They said everywhere, "For a long time we have had no Mother, but that comes from our being fit to take care of ourselves. At present it suits us best to have a king to win back our lands that we have lost through the imprudence of our Mothers." Further, they said, "Every child of Frya has permission to let his voice be heard before the choice of a prince is decided; but if it comes to that, that you choose a king, then also we will have our say. From all that we can see, Wr-Alda has appointed Friso for it, for he has brought him here in a wonderful way. Friso knows the tricks of the Gauls, whose language he speaks; he can therefore watch against their craftiness. Then there is something else to keep the eye upon. What count could be chosen as king without the others being jealous of him?"
All such nonsense the young maidens talked; but the old maidens, though few in number, tapped their advice out of another cask. They said always and to every one: "Friso does like the spiders. At night he spreads his webs in all directions, and in the day he catches in them all his unsuspecting friends. Friso says he cannot suffer any priests of foreign princes, but we say that he cannot suffer anybody but himself; therefore he will not allow the citadel of Stavia to be rebuilt; therefore he will not have the Mother again. Today Friso is your counselor, tomorrow he will be your king, in order to have full power over you."
Among the people there now exists two parties. The old and the poor wish to have the Mother again, but the young and the warlike wish for a father and a king. The first called themselves mother’s sons, the others father’s sons, but the mother’s sons did not count for much; because there were many ships to build, there was a good time for all kinds of workmen. Moreover, the sea-rovers brought all sorts of treasures, with which the maidens were pleased, the girls were pleased, and their relations and friends.
When Friso had been nearly forty years at Stavern he died. Owing to him many of the states had been joined together again, but that we were the better off for it I am not prepared to certify. Of all the counts that preceded him there was none so renowned as Friso; for, as I said before, the young maidens spoke in his praise, while the old maidens did all in their power to make him hateful to everybody. Although the old women could not prevent his meddling, they made so much fuss that he died without becoming king.
Friso had brought his remaining foreign-born children home, but with his new Frisian wife Swethirte, he had a son that he had named Adel after Adela, that heroine of the last three hundred years who initiated these recordings. He had him educated at the remaining citadel at Texland where he learned true Frisian ways.
There is a love story here, for Adel met a maiden in Texland who was willing to give up her promising future as a citadel virgin for marriage. His father told him to wait and enrolled him at age twenty in his military school. Adel was an amicable man. He made many friends and when Friso died, he not only married the maiden but succeeded his father as chief count.
Ifkja, his bride, tried in the manner of Adela to unite the various Frisian communities. One way was to proceed on a "grand tour" in the manner of a new burgtmaid. From the description of the tour, the nation was almost as extensive as in Apollonia’s time but subject to lawlessness and marauding bands of Germans. These Twisklanders were of mixed blood like so many of the new Frisians, but according to the tale, many felt the need to bleach their hair. This attitude survived into the language where words like "fair" mean both light colored and beautiful while "dark" also has a darker meaning; not a wholesome heritage for a new age. Times were not as safe as before, in part because of the policy of banishing criminals to Germany across the Rhine rather than to Britain as in ancient times before the Celtic cessation. These single men stole Tartar wives, and as their numbers grew, they became a new threat, the Franks. The origin of this European name is given according to their understanding.
Adel called a conference, but the purpose or result is lost as some pages are missing in the subsequent re-recording of the book. This section ends with a story of how some writings of Gosa came about and they follow next.
Now I Will Write About His Son Adel:
Friso, who had learned our history from the book of the Adelingen, had done everything in his power to win their friendship. His eldest son, whom he had by his wife Swethirte, he named Adel; and although he strove with all his might to prevent the building or restoring of any citadels, he sent Adel to the citadel of Texland in order to make himself better acquainted with our laws, language and customs.
When Adel was twenty years old Friso brought him into his own school, and when he had fully educated him he sent him to travel through all the states. Adel was an amiable young man, and in his travels he made many friends, so the people called him Atharik - that is, rich in friends - which was very useful to him afterwards, for when his father died he took his place without a question of any other count being chosen.
While Adel was studying at Texland there was a lovely maiden at the citadel. She came from Saxony, from the state of Suebaland, therefore she was called at Texland, Suobene, although her name was Ifkja. Adel fell in love with her, and she with him, but his father wished him to wait a little. Adel did as he wished, but as soon as he was dead, sent messengers to Berthold, her father, to ask her in marriage. Berthold was a prince of high-principled feelings. He had sent his daughter to Texland in the hope that she might be chosen Burgtmaid in her country, but when he knew of their mutual affection, he bestowed his blessing upon them.
Ifkja was a clever Frisian. As far as I have been able to learn, she always toiled and worked to bring the Frya’s people back under the same laws and customs. To bring the people to her side, she traveled with her husband through all Saxony, and also to Geertmania - as the Geertmen had named the country which they had obtained by means of Gosa. Thence they went to Denmark, and from Denmark by sea to Texland. From Texland they went to Westflyland, and so along the coast to Walhallagara; thence they followed the Zuiderryn till, with great apprehension, they arrived beyond the Rhine at the Marsaten of whom our Apollonia has written. When they had stayed there a little time, they returned to the lowlands.
When they had been some time descending towards the lowlands, and had reached about the old citadel of Aken, four of their servants were suddenly murdered and stripped. They had loitered a little behind. My brother, who was always on the alert, had forbidden them to do so, but they did not listen to him. The murderers that had committed this crime were German landers, who had at that time audaciously crossed the Rhine to murder and to steal. The German landers are banished and fugitive children of Frya, but their wives they have stolen from the Tartars. The Tartars are a brown tribe of Finda’s people, who are thus named because they make war on everybody. They are all horsemen and robbers. This is what makes the German landers so bloodthirsty.
The German landers who had done the wicked deed called themselves Frijen or Franken. There were among them, my brother said, red, brown, and white men. The red and brown made their hair white with lime-water - but as their faces remained brown, they were only the more ugly. In the same way as Apollonia, they visited Lydasburgt and the Alderga. Afterwards they made a tour of all the neighborhood of Stavern.
They behaved with so much amiability, that everywhere the people wished to keep them. Three months later, Adel sent messengers to all the friends that he had made, requesting them to send to him their "wise men" in the month of May...
(here there is a missing page)
"...his wife." he said, who had been Maiden of Texland, had received a copy of it. In Texland many writings are still found which are not copied in the book of Adelingen. One of these writings had been placed by Gosa with her last will, which was to be opened by the oldest maiden, Albetha, as soon as Friso was dead.
The Adelingen must have been a history of the descendants of Apol and Adela who were married in 558 BC. This became the Oera Linda family and for the next fifty years, the story has survived with the writings of their children but then not again until Frethorik and Wiljo who were married in 290 BC. This is all missing history although she eventually recorded the will of Gosa together with additional writings.
