The war between the burgmaids Kelta and Minerva

Now will we write about the warfare of the burghmaids Kalta and Min-erva and how we lost all our southern lands and Britain to the Gauls.¹

By the Southern-Rhein-mouth and the Scheldt, there are seven islands, named after Frya’s seven watch maids of the week.
In the middle upon one island is the burgh Walhalla-gara, and on the walls thereof is the following saying written: read, learn and watch.
563 years after Aldland was sunken, sat here a wise burghmaid, Min-erva was her name.
Surnamed Nyhellenia by the seamen.⁵

This surname was well chosen, for the advice which she lent was new(ny) and bright (hell) above all others.

Over the Scheldt at the Flyburgh sat Syrhed.
This maid was full of guile, beautiful was her countenance and quick was her tongue, but the advice which she gave was ever in obscure words.
Therefore was she called Kalta by the seamen, the land dwellers thought it were an honourary name.

In the final will of the late Mother, stood Rosa-muda the first, Min-erva the second, and Syrhed the third described as successors.¹⁰
Minerva had no thought about that but Syrhed was thus knocked through (offended).
Like a foreign princess, would she be honoured, feared and prayed to, but Min-erva would only be loved.
At last came all seamen even from the Denmarks and from the Flymeer, for to ask of her their grace.

That wounded Syrhed for she would excell above Min-erva.
So that one should have great esteem for her watchfulness, made she a cock upon her flag.¹⁵

Then Min-erva went to it and made a herd dog and a night owl upon her flag.
The hound, said she, watches over his master and the owl over fields so that they are not wasted by mice.
But the cock has friendship for no one and through his wantonness and pride is he oft the murderer of his next kin.

As Kalta saw that her work came out wrong, she went from bad to worse.
Quietly she let Magyar come to her to teach her magic.²⁰
When she had her enough thereof, she threw herself into the arms of the Gauls.
Though from all those missdeeds might she become no better.

As she saw that the seamen more and more shrank from her, then would she win them through fright.

When the moon was full and the sea stormy, then lept she over the wild waves, calling to the seamen that they should all be lost if they would not worship her.
Furthermore, she blinded their eyes, thereby they held water for land and land for water, thereby is many a ship lost with man and mouse.²⁵

Upon the first war feast when all her land dwellers were armed, she let hogsheads of beer be poured, in that beer she put Magic drink.
When the folk were altogether drunk, she climbed up upon her steed, leaning to, with her head against her spear, dawn could not be more beautiful.

When she saw that all eyes were fixed upon her, opened she her lips and quoth:
sons and daughters of Frya’s, ye wit well that we in recent times have suffered much harm and failure for the seamen no longer come to buy our paper, but ye wit not wherefore it is come to be.
Long have I held myself back in this matter though now can I no longer.³⁰
Hark then friends so that ye might wit whereafter ye may bite.

On the other side of the Scheldt, where they have withal access to all seas, there make they today paper from pumpkin leaves, thereby they spare linen and they can do well without us.
Because the making of paper now always has been our greatest industry, so has the Mother willed that one should leave it to us.

But Min-erva has bewitched all the folk, yes bewitched friends, just as (she has) all our kine which is lately dead.
Thus out must it be, were I no burghmaid, I should well wit, I should burn the witch in her own nest.³⁵
When she had the last word out, sped she herself toward her burgh, but the drunken folk was so inspired, that it might not watch over its judgement.

In mad boldness went they ever over Sandfall and meanwhile after night fell went they just as boldly loose upon the burgh.
Though Kalta missed again her goal, Min-erva and her maids and the foddik were all saved through the alert seamen.