Along the Rhine

Ere a burghmaid takes on her position, must she travel through the land a full year.¹
Three graveburghers and three old maids go with her.

So is it also gone with me.
My voyage has been along the Rhine, this side upward and the other side down.
The higher up I came, the poorer the people seemed to me.⁵

Everywhere in the Rhine had one made cribs.
The sand which came therein, was poured over sheep fleeces in order to win gold.
But the maidens there wore no golden crowns thereof.
There had been more, but since we lost Skenland, they are gone to the mountains.
There they delve for iron ore of which they make iron.¹⁰

Above the Rhine, between the mountain ranges, there have I seen Marsata.
The Marsata are people who dwell upon lakes.
Their houses are built upon piles.
That is due to wild animals and evil men.

There are wolves, bears and black, grizzly lions.¹⁵
And they are the neighbours (swetsar)- (Swiss) or borderers of the near Greeks, the Kalta followers and the Germans gone wild, all grasping after robbery and booty.

The Marsata help themselves with fishing and hunting.
The hides are put together and prepared by the women, with birch bark.
The little hides are soft as a maid’s skin.

The burghmaid at Fryasburgh said to us that they were good, simple people.²⁰
Though had I not heard her speak thus, I should have thought that they were none of Frya’s, but savages, so shameless they seemed.
Their pelts and vegitables were traded through the Rhinelanders and exported on the seamen’s boats.

Along the Rhine was it all the same until Lydasburgh.
There was a great lake.
In upon this lake, were also people, who had their houses upon pilings.²⁵
But that was no Frya’s folk, but they were black and brown people, who had served as oarsmen to help the seamen home.
They must there abide until the fleet brings them away again.

At last, we came to Alderga.
By the south-harbour-head stands the Waraburgh, a stone house, therein are all sorts of shells, horns, weapons and clothes kept, from distant lands, brought back by the seamen.
A fourth (of an hour) thence is the Alderga, a great lake bordered with lots, houses and gardens, all richly decorated.³⁰

In upon the lake lies a great fleet ready, with flags of all kinds of colours.
On Frya’s day hung the shields around on the boards (sides).
Some shown like the sun.
The shields of the witking and rear-admirals were bordered with gold.

Behind (lit. abaft) the lake was a canal dug, running thence along the burg, Forana (Vroonen) and forth with a narrow mouth (enge mude-Egmond).³⁵
For the fleet was that the way out and the Fly, the way in.
On both sides of the canal are beautiful houses, painted with bright colours.
The gardens are surrounded with evergreen hedges.
I have seen women there, who wear felt tunics as though it were parchment.
Like at Starvere were the maidens adorned with golden crowns upon their heads and with rings about their arms and feet. ⁴⁰

Southward of Forana lies Alkmarum.
Alkmarum is a sea or lake, therein lies an island, upon that island must the black and brown men lodge just as at Lydasburgh.
The burghmaid of Forana told me, that the burghers go to them daily to teach them, what true freedom is and how the people aught to live in love to win blessings from Wr-alda’s ghost.
Were there any who would listen and might understand, so is he held until he were fully taught.
That is done to make the foreign folk wise, and to win friends everywhere.⁴⁵

Earlier had I been in the Saxonmarks at the burgh Mannagarda-ford.
Though there have I seen more poverty than I sense wealth here.
She answered: whoever there on the Saxonmarks comes courting to ask a maiden, the maiden also asks there:
canst thou keep thy house free against the bannished Germans, hast thou yet none felled (in battle), how many buffalos hast thou taken and how many bear wolf hides hast thou brought to market?
Thence is it come to be that the Saxons leave the farming to the women.⁵⁰
Thus, of a hundred together not one may read nor can write.

Thence is it come to be, that nobody has a motto upon his shield, but only a poor likeness of the shape of an animal, which he has killed.
And finally, thence is it come to be that they have become very warlike, but withal as dumb even as the animals which they catch, and even as poor as the Germans on whom they make war.

Before Frya’s folk, is the earth and sea created.
All our streams run into the sea.⁵⁵
Lyda’s folk and Finda’s folk shall destroy each other, and we must populate the empty lands.
In sailing far and wide lies our salvation.
Wilt thou now that the highlanders partake in our wealth and wisdom, so shall I give thee a bit of advice.

Let the maidens make it a habit to ask their suitors, before they say yes: Where all hast thou traveled about in the world, what couldest thou tell thy children about far lands and foreign folk? If they do thusly, so shall the warlike youths come to us. They shall become wiser and richer and we shall no longer not have no need of that foul nation.⁶⁰

The youngest of the maids, of them that were with me, came way out of the Saxonmarks.
When we now came home, has she asked leave to go home.
Afterwards is she become Burghmaid there, and thence is it come to be that thus today so many Saxons sail with the seamen.
End of the Appollonia Book.