The expulsion of the Gertmen and the founding of Gertmannia in India ¹

When Hellenia or Minerva was dead then the priests behaved as if she were yet with us, so that that should seem clear, have they declared Hellenia to be a goddess. And they wouldn’t let no other Mother be chosen, saying, they had fear that there were none among her maids whom they could trust as well as Minerva who was surnamed Nyhellenia.

But we wouldn’t not recognize Minerva as a goddess, since she herself had said that no one could be good or perfect as Wralda’s ghost.
Therefore we elected Gert Pire’s daughter.⁵

As the priests saw that they might not fry their herring on our fire, then went they about Athens and said that we wouldn’t recognize Minerva as a goddess out of envy, because she had shown the natives so much love.
Furthermore, they gave the folk images of her likeness, professing that they might ask everything thereof so long as they remain obedient.
Through all this preaching, that dumb folk became averse to us. But we had our stone burgh wall with two thorns surrounding us all the way to the sea. They might not therefore long come near us.¹⁰

Though what happened, in Egypt there was a highpriest, bright of eyes, clear of brain, light of spirit, his name was Cecrops, he came to give advice. As Cecrops saw that he with his people could not overrun our wall, then sent he messengers to Tyre.

Afterwards came thus three hundred ships full of soldiers from the wild mountain folk unexpectedly sailing to our harbour, while we were struggling with all our men upon the walls. As soon as the harbour had taken them in would the wild soldiers rob the town and our ships.

One soldier had already violated a maiden, but Cecrops would not abide that and the Tyrian seamen who yet had Frya’s blood in the body said, if thou doest that so shall we stick the red rooster in our ships and thou shalt not see thy mountains again.¹⁵
Cecrops who thought neither of murder nor of pillage sent messengers to Gert to demand the Burgh of her, she might have free passage with all her driven and movable property, her followers just as much.

The wisest of the burghers all well seeing that they could not hold the burgh, advised Gert that she should accept quickly before Cecrops became wroth and did otherwise. Three months afterwards went Gert hence with the very best of Frya’s children and seven times twelve ships.

When they were a while beyond the harbour, came there well thirty ships from Tyre with wife and child.
They would go to Athens, then, as they heard how it stood shaped there went they with Gert.²⁰
The seaking of the Tyrians brought everyone together through the strait which in these times ran out of the red sea.

At last they landed at the Punjab, that is in our speech “five waters” because five streams with her run into the sea.
Here set they themselves down. That land have they called Gertmannia.

The king of Tyre seeing afterwards that the very best of his seamen were gone away, sent all his ships with his wild soldiers to fetch them dead or living.²⁵

But as they came by the strait both sea and earth shook.
Forth heaved the earth her body so high that all the water in the strait ran out, that all mud flats and shores like a burgh wall rose up before him. That happened to the Gertmen for their virtue as all people may brightly and clearly see.