Bad circumstances and Adelas Advice ¹

Thirty years after the day that the folksmother was murdered by the highest Magy, circumstances were bad.
All states that lie on the other side of the Weser were cut off from us and came under the authority of the Magy and it was feared that they should become powerful over all the land.
To ward against that ill luck, a general meeting was called where were gathered all menfolk who stood in good standing with the maidens.
Then after more than three days had thus expired, all the council was in a tizz and all as they were at their coming.⁵

Adelas Advice
Thereupon, Adela answered and quoth: You all wit that I have been Burghmaid for three years and you wit that I was chosen to be Mother and also that I never wanted to be a Mother for I wished Apol to be my own.

Though what you wit not is that I have followed all happenings even as if I really had been Folksmother.
I have steadily traveled back and forth, looking at what thus happened.
Thereby are many things laid bare to me of which others know not.¹⁰
You have yesterday said that our kinsmen on the other side of the Weser were cowardly and slovenly.

Though I may say to you that the Magy has not won a precinct through the power of his weapons but only through the evil and, yet more, through the rapacity of their dukes and athels.
Frya has said that we should not let any unfree people live with us.

But what have they done? They have closely followed the way of our foes.
For, instead of killing their prisoners or letting them go free, they have scorned Frya’s advice and made them to slaves.¹⁵
Because they so did, Frya no longer made watch over them.
They have taken another’s freedom and that is the reason that they have lost their own.
Though that is all known to yourselves.

But I will tell to you how they, by degrees, ended up so low.
The wives of the Finns bear children.²⁰
These grow up with our free children.
Sometimes, they would frolic and yell with them if they were together with them at the hearth.
There heard they, with lust, the misleading Finnish sagas for they were mysterious and new.

So, are they disfrisianated, notwithstanding the authority of their elders.
When the children became grown, and saw that the Finnish children may handle no weapons and must barely work, they then took a disliking to work and were hard highfaring (proud).²⁵
The bosses and their stoutest sons crept by the lewd Finnish maidens and brought their own daughters, through the foul example from the way (of righteousness).
They let themselves be beguilded by the fairest Finnish knaves, to the ridicule of their foul elders.
When the Magy got that on the nose (got wind of that), they then took the most beautiful Finns and Magyars, promising red kine with golden horns, to whomsoever was captured by us folk, thereafter to spread his lore (among us).

But his people did more; children were made to be missing, brought to the uplands, and thus brought up in his evil lore.
Then they were sent back.³⁰
When the seeming slaves were mighty in our speech, they then set themselves at the board of the Dukes and athels and quoth that they should become subservient to the Magy, so could their sons succeed them without having to go through the people.

Them that, for good deeds, had gained a back yard for their house, they promised yet a front yard.
Who had gotten them a front and back yard, they promised a roundeal and them that had a roundeal, a whole estate.
Were the athels too hard Frya’s (too true to Frya), then turned they their faces and held on to their bastard sons.
Yesterday, there were among you those who would call all the folk together in order to force the easterly states to their duty.³⁵

Though, in my simple opinion, that shall come out ill.
Think any that it yet became worse, should you well dare to let your healthy kine wander among the sick ones? Indeed no! So must all assent and agree therewith that the lot should come off badly.
Who then should be so trusting as to dare let his children among a folk that all and all is rotten.

May I give you a bit of advice.
You must, before all things, choose a new folksmother.⁴⁰
I wot well that you therewith sit and brood, that, indeed, of the thirteen Burghmaids whom we yet have left over, there are well eight who contend for the honour.
But that should I not tell you.
Tuentia, who is maid of the burgh, Medeasblik, has never announced (candidacy), though she is full of knowledge and clear-sighted and well as hard set upon her folk and our duties as all others together.

Forth, should I tell you, you must go to the burghs and there record, all of you, Frya’s tex together with all histories, yea all that is to be found on the walls until all shall not be lost and, along with the burghs, be come to naught.
There stands written: The Mother shall have, about her, helpers and messengers, one and twenty maids and learning maids (understudies).⁴⁵

Might I add thereto, to teach as many upstanding daughters as there may be in the burgh, for I say in truth and time shall prove that if you would remain Frya’s true children, never to be won through guile nor weapons, take care that your daughters become true Frya’s women.
Children must learn how great our land once had been, what great people our forbears were, how great we yet are if we compare ourselves to others.
One must tell them of the heroes and their heroic deeds and also of our far sea voyages.
Take care to do all this telling by the hearth at home and wherever it may be, by blitheness as well as sorrow.
But, should it come steadfast on the brain and on the heart, then must all learning stream over the lips of your wives and daughters.⁵⁰