Writings of Frethorik about Fryasland Swamped

The Writings of Frethorik and Wiliow.¹
My name is Frethorik surnamed oera Linda, that is to say, over the Lindens.
At Liudwardia am I chosen to be Asga.

Liudwardia is a new thorp within the ramparts of the burgh Liudgarda, whence the name is come into disrepute.
In my time has much happened.⁵
Much had I written thereabout, but afterwards are also many things told to me.
From one and another will I write a story after this book, to honour the good people and dishonour the evil.

In my youth heard I complaints all about, a bad time came, a bad time was come.
Frya had forsaken us, her watch maids had she held back, for godlike images were found within our borders.
I burned with curiosity to see the images.¹⁰

In our neighbourhood hobbled an old maid, in and out of the houses, always talking about bad times.
I turned along side of her.
She stroked my chin.
Now I became bold and asked her if she would once show me the bad time and the images.
She laughed good-naturedly and brought me upon the burgh.¹⁵
An old man asked me if I could read and write.
No, said I.
Then must you first go and learn said he, otherwise may it not be shown to you.
Daily went I to the scribe to learn.

Eight years later, I heard that our burghmaid had committed whoredom and some burghers had committed treason with the Magy and many people were on their side.²⁰

Strife came everywhere.
There were children who revolted against their elders.
In secret were the upstanding people murdered.
The old maid who had exposed everything was found dead in a ditch.
My dad, who was a judge, would have wrack for (avenge) her.²⁵
At night was he murdered in his house.

Three years later was the Magy boss without dispute.
The Saxons remained pious and upstanding.
To them fled all good people.
My mom died over it.³⁰

Now did I as the others.
The Magy exalted in his wickedness.
But earth should show him, that she might let no Magy nor idols at the holy womb whence she bore Frya.
Even as the wild horse shakes his mane after he has thrown his rider in the grass, just so shook earth her forests and mountains.
Streams spread over the fields.³⁵

The sea seethed.
Mountains spewed toward the clouds, and what they spewed, the clouds flung back upon the earth.
By the onset of the Harvestmounth, slanted earth northwards, she sank down, lower and lower.
On the Wolfmonth (wintermonth) lay the low marks (Denmarks) of Frya’s land buried under the sea. The forest which the images were in, were heaved up and played in the winds.⁴⁰

The year after, came frost in the Waningmonth and old Frya’s land lay hidden under a white (snow blanket).
In Woodgatheringmonth came storms winds out of the North, with moving mountains of ice and stones.
When spring came, earth heaved herself up.
Ice melted in two.
The ebb came and the forests with the images drifted into the sea.⁴⁵

In Joy or Lovemonth, everyone went sailing home again who dared.
I came with a maid to the burgh Liudgaarde.
How sad it looked.
The woods of the Lindaoorden were mostly gone.
That which has been Liudgaarde was sea.⁵⁰

The breakers lashed the dike.
Ice had taken the tower away and the houses lay in through each other.
On the slope of the dike found I a stone.
Our scribe had written his name in it, that was a beacon to me.
As it was gone with our burgh, was it gone with others, in the highlands were they through earth, in the lowlands were they through water fordone.⁵⁵

Only Fryasburgh at Texland was left unharmed.
But all the land which had lain northwards, was under sea.
Yet is it not brought up.
On this shore of the Flymeer, so it is told, were thirty salt marshes come to be, arising from the forests which were driven out with ground and all.
At Westflyland, fifty.⁶⁰

The canal which had run through the land, athwart to the Alderga, was silted up and ruined.
The seamen and other sailing folk, who were at home, had saved themselves with kin and sibs aboard their ships.

But the black folk from Lydasburgh and Alikmarum had done likewise.
While the black folk drove southward, had they saved many maidens, and after no one came to ask for them, they kept them to be their wives.

The people who came back, went all within the dike of the burgh to dwell, because it was all broken and mired without.
The old houses were tumbled together.

From the highlanders bought one kine and sheep, and in the great houses where foremerly the maids had sat, is now clothing and felt made for a living.
That happened 1888 years after Atland was suken.