Our First History¹

Festa Take up your pen
This stood written upon the walls of Fryasburgh at Texland; it stands also at Stavia and at Medeasblik.
It was Frya’s day and, to the hour, it was seven times seven years ago that Fasta was installed as folksmother after Frya’s wishes.
The burgh Medeasblik was ready and a maid was chosen.⁵
Now should Fasta strike up the new foddick and when that was done in the presence of the folk, then called Freya from her watchstar so that all the people might hear; Fasta take thy pen and write the things which I thus might not say; Fasta did as she was bidden.
Hence, are we, Frya’s children, come upon our first history.

This Is Our First History
Wralda, who alone is good and everlasting, made the beginning, then came time; time wrought all things, also Earth.
Earth bore all grasses, plants and trees, all lovely animals and all bad animals.¹⁰
All what is good and dear, brought she forth by day and all what is evil and bad brought she forth in the night.
After the twelfth Yulefest, bore she three maids.

Lyda was out of glowing, Finda was out of hot, Frya out of warm stuff.
When they came naked, Wralda fed them with his breath, to the (end) that mankind should be bound to him.
As soon as they were ripe, they took joy and pleasure in the dreams (sight?) of Wralda.¹⁵
Hatred came among them; and now bore each twelve sons and twelve daughters, each Yuletide, two.
Thereof are all people come.

Lyda
Lyda was black, curly haired as the lambs, like stars blinked her eyes; yea the prey bird’s looks were unsteady by comparison to hers.
Sharp Lyda.²⁰
She could hear a snake creep.
And wheresoever there were fish in the water, it escaped not her nosterils.
Intense Lyda.
A great tree could she bend and wheresoever she ran, broke no flower stem under her feet.
Violent Lyda.²⁵
Harsh was her voice and when she screamed out of grimness, so ran each one swiftly away.
Wonderful Lyda.
She cared not to know of laws.
Her deeds were steered by her passions.
To help the weak, she killed the stout and when she had done it, she wept by the body.³⁰
Poor Lyda.
She became gray of exposure and in the end, she died of a sore heart for her children’s evil.
Unwise children.
They accused each other of their mother’s death, they cried like wolves and also fought and while they did that, the birds ate the body.
Who may withhold his tears.³⁵

Finda
Finda was yellow and her hair like the mane of a horse.
She could not bend a tree; but where Lyda made one lion die, there killed she well ten.
Seductive Finda.
Sweet was her voice and no bird could sing as she could, her eyes allured and ogled but he who looked on them became a slave.⁴⁰
Unreasonable Finda.
She wrote a thousand laws then she followed none of them.
She shunned the good for their forthrightness, then, to flatterers, she gave herself hastily away.
That was her ill luck.
Her head was too full; though her heart too idle.⁴⁵
She cared for none as she cared for herself and she would that everyone should love her.
False Finda, honey sweet were her words, though whoever trusted her, him was misfortune near by.
Selfish Finda.
Over all would she wield (power) and her sons were like her; they had themselves served by their sisters and struck each other dead for mastery.
Double-hearted Finda.⁵⁰
At spiteful words, she became irate and the worst deeds never touched her.
If she saw a lizard devour a spider, then she became, about the heart, like ice; but if she saw her child murder one of Frya’s, her bosom swole with pleasure.
Hypocritical children.
Under a costly stone, they laid her body down, with pompous script, they adorned it, grieving in order to be heard, but in the stillness, they wept not a tear.
Loathsome folk, the legal text which Finda left behind was written on golden leaves; though the best (intentions) wherefore they were made were never of any use.⁵⁵
The good laws were swept out and self-seeking, evil ones written there instead.
Oh Finda! Then was the earth full of blood and thy children took off the heads of people like grass blades.
Yes Finda, those are the fruits of thy idleness.
Shine down from thy watchstar and cry.

Frya⁶⁰
Beautiful Frya.
Like beams of the midday sun shone her hair which was as fine as spiderweb.
Able Frya.
If her lips unlocked, then birds hushed and leaves rustled no more.
Powerful Frya.⁶⁵
Through the strength of her look, the lion stretched down before her feet and the snake held back his poison.
Pure Frya.
Her food was honey and her drink was dew gathered in the bosoms of the blooms.
Enlightened Frya.
The first thing which she taught her children was self-control; the other was love of virtue and when they were grown, she taught them the worth of freedom.⁷⁰
When without freedom, said she, are all other virtues good only to make you into slaves, your heritage to everlasting shame.
Mild Frya.
Never let she metal be delved out of the earth for her own gain, but when she did, it was for everyones use.
Luckiest Frya.
As the stars swim about the Earth, swim her children about her.⁷⁵
Wise Frya.
When she had brought up her children to the seventh generation, she then called them all together at Flyland.
There she gave them her tex and said, “Let it be your pathfinder that nothing shall ever go ill for you”.
Chosen Frya.
When she had said it, the earth shook like Wralda’s sea.⁸⁰
Flyland’s bottom sank down under her feet.
The air was black and newleaf (yellow-green), washed by tears, and when they looked around for their mother, she was already upon her watchstar.
Then, at last, thunder spoke out of the clouds and lightning wrote on the sky, watch!

Farseeing Frya.
The land whence she was borne up is now a stream and but for her tex, all therein was overwhelmed which was come from her hands.
Obedient children.⁸⁵
When they came to themselves, then made they a high-(walled) town, built this burgh thereupon, on the walls of which they wrote the tex, and so that all people who should, may find (it), they have called the land thereabout, Texland.
Thus shall it remain so long as the Earth is the Earth.