Comparative Sample
Of the Old Frisian Laws, and the Language of the Manuscript.
| Dyo forme need is: hweerso en kynd jongh is finsen ende fitered noerd wr hef, jefta (sud) wr birgh. Soe moet die moder her kindes eerwe setta ende sella ende her kynd lesa ende des lives bihelpa. Dioe oder need is: jef da jere diore wirdat, ende di heta honger wr dat land faert, ende dat kynd honger stere wil, so moet dio moder her kindes eerwe setta ende sella ende capia her bern ky ende ey ende coern deerma da kinde des lives mede helpe. Dyo tredde need is: Als dat kind is al stocnaken, jefta huus laes, ende dan di tiuestera nevil ende calde winter oen comt sa faert allermanick oen syn hof ende oen sin huis ende an waranne gaten, ende da wiilda dier seket diin holla baem ende der birgha hlii, aldeer hit siin liif oen bihalda mey. Soe weinet ende scryt dat onieriga kind ende wyst dan syn nakena lyae ende syn huuslaes, ende syn fader deer him reda schuld, to ienst dyn honger ende winter nevil cald, dat hi so diepe ende dimme mitta fiower neylen is onder eke ende onder da eerda bisloten ende bitacbt, so moet dio moder her kindes eerwe setta ende sella omdat hio da bihield habbe ende biwaer also lang so hit onierich is, dat hit oen forste ner oen honger naet forfare. Anjum print. (1466.) | Thju forma nêd is: Sâhwersa en bårn jvng is fensen ånd fêterad northward vr-et hef jeftha sûdward vr tha berga, sa âch thju måm hjara bårns erva to settande ånd to seljande ånd hjra bårn to lêsane ånd thes lives to bihelpane. Thju ôthera nêd is: jef tha jêra djura wårthat ånd thi hête hvnger wr thet lând fârth ånd thåt bäån stjera wil, sa mot thju måm hjara bårns erva setta ånd selja ånd kâpja hiri bårne ky ånd skêp ånd kêren thêr mitha mån thet bårn thes lives bihelpe. Thju tredde nêd is: sâhwersa thåt bårn is stoknâked jefta hûslâs ånd then thi tjustera nêvil ånd kalda winter ankvmth, sa fârth allera månnalik an sin hof ånd an sin hus ånd an wârande gâta, ånd thet wilde kwik sykath thene hola bâm ånd thêre berga hly thêr-it sin lif an bihalda mêi, sa wênath ånd krytath thåt vnjêrich bårn ånd wyst then sin nâkeda litha ånd sin hûslâs-sâ ånd sin tât thêr him hrêda skolde tojenst tha hvnger ånd tha kalda winter nêvil, that hi sa djap ånd dimme mithfjuwer nêilum vndera êke ånd vnder tha irtha bisletten ånd bidobben is, sa mot thju måm hjara bårns erva setta and selja vmbe that hju tha bihield håve ånd tha wâringa al sa long sa hit vnjêrich sy, til thju-t hor an frost ner an hvnger navt vmkvma ne mêi. Translated by J. G. O. |
Adela.
Okke My Son—
You must preserve these books with body and soul. They contain the history of all our people, as well as of our forefathers. Last year I saved them in the flood, as well as you and your mother; but they got wet, and therefore began to perish. In order not to lose them, I copied them on foreign paper.
In case you inherit them, you must copy them likewise, and your children must do so too, so that they may never be lost.
Written at Liuwert, in the three thousand four hundred and forty-ninth year after Atland was submerged—that is, according to the Christian reckoning, the year 1256. Hiddo, surnamed Over de Linda.—Watch.
Beloved successors, for the sake of our dear forefathers, and of our dear liberty, I entreat you a thousand times never let the eye of a monk look on these writings. They are very insinuating, but they destroy in an underhand manner all that relates to us Frisians. In order to gain rich benefices, they conspire with foreign kings, who know that we are their greatest enemies, because we dare to speak to their people of liberty, rights, and the duties of princes. Therefore they seek to destroy all that we derive from our forefathers, and all that is left of our old customs.
Ah, my beloved ones! I have visited their courts! If Wr-alda permits it, and we do not shew ourselves strong to resist, they will altogether exterminate us.
Liko, surnamed over de Linda.
Written at Liudwert, Anno Domini 803.
The Book of Adela’s Followers.
Thirty years after the day on which the Volksmoeder was murdered by the commander Magy, was a time of great distress. All the states that lie on the other side of the Weser had been wrested from us, and had fallen under the power of Magy, and it looked as if his power was to become supreme over the whole land. To avert this misfortune a general assembly of the people was summoned, which was attended by all the men who stood in good repute with the Maagden (priestesses). Then at the end of three days the whole council was in confusion, and in the same position as when they came together. Thereupon Adela demanded to be heard, and said:—
You all know that I was three years Burgtmaagd. You know also that I was chosen for Volksmoeder, and that I refused to be Volksmoeder because I wished to marry Apol; but what you do not know is, that I have watched everything that has happened, as if I had really been your Volksmoeder. I have constantly travelled about, observing what was going on. By that means I have become acquainted with many things that others do not know. You said yesterday that our relatives on the other side of the Weser were dull and cowardly; but I may tell you that the Magy has not won a single village from them by force of arms; but only by detestable deceit, and still more by the rapacity of their dukes and nobles.
Frya has said we must not admit amongst us any but free people; but what have they done? They have imitated our enemies, and instead of killing their prisoners, or letting them go free, they have despised the counsel of Frya, and have made slaves of them.
Because they have acted thus, Frya cared no longer to watch over them. They robbed others of their freedom, and therefore lost their own.
This is well known to you, but I will tell you how they came to sink so low. The Finn women had children. These grew up with our free children. They played and gamboled together in the fields, and were also together by the hearth.
There they learned with pleasure the loose ways of the Finns, because they were bad and new; and thus they became denationalised in spite of the efforts of their parents. When the children grew up, and saw that the children of the Finns handled no weapons, and scarcely worked, they took a distaste for work, and became proud.
The principal men and their cleverest sons made up to the wanton daughters of the Finns; and their own daughters, led astray by this bad example, allowed themselves to be beguiled by the handsome young Finns in derision of their depraved fathers. When the Magy found this out, he took the handsomest of his Finns and Magyars, and promised them “red cows with golden horns” to let themselves be taken prisoners by our people in order to spread his doctrines. His people did even more. Children disappeared, were taken away to the uplands, and after they had been brought up in his pernicious doctrines, were sent back.
When these pretended prisoners had learned our language, they persuaded the dukes and nobles that they should become subject to the Magy—that then their sons would succeed to them without having to be elected. Those who by their