First Authored by: Son or grandson of Beden around 50 BC
Written into the book by: Son or grandson of Beden around 50 BC
Events described: Around 50 BC
See here how the punishment is come, Askar Gaols Franks and Magyars
See here how the punishment is come.¹
Once had they together conquered a whole fleet, it came out of the Mediterranean Sea.
This fleet was laden down with purple clothes and other fineries, which came out of Phoenicia.
The weak folk of the fleet were set ashore to the south of the Seine, but the stout folk were kept that they must serve as slaves.
The most beautiful were kept to abide on land and the loathsomest and blackest were kept on board to row.⁵
On the Fly was the purse dealt out, but without their witting was the punishment also dealt out.
Of the persons placed upon the foreign ships, were six dead from stomach-ache.
One thought that the food and drink were poisoned, therefore were all dumped overboard.
But stomach-ache remained and always, where slaves or goods came, came also stomach-ache within.
The Saxons brought it over their marches, with the Jutes travelled it to Skenland and along the coast to the Baltic Sea, with Askar’s seamen travelled it to Britain.¹⁰
We and those of Grenega let no goods nor people come over our boarders and therefore remained we free of the stomach-ache.
How many people the stomach-ache has taken away, wot I not to write, but Prontlik who afterwards heard it from the other maids, has informed me, that Askar has helped a thousand times more free people out of his states than he has brought foul slaves in.
Askar Gaols Franks and Magyars
When the pestilence was passed for good, came Germans who had become free, toward the Rhine, but Askar would not stand on a level with the princes of that bastard folk.
He would not allow that they should name themselves Frya’s children as Reintia had offered.¹⁵
The one folk came quite far way out of the Southeast, they called themselves Allemanna.
This name had they given themselves, for they yet without wives wandered about in the woods as exiles.
Later have they stolen wives from the slave folk, even as the Lithanians, but they have kept their name.
The other folk, that wandered about nearer (to us), call themselves Franks, not because they were free, but thus that their first king had been called Frank, who had made himself into a hereditary king with help from corrupt maids.
The folk which bordered on him, called themselves Thioth’s sons, that is folk’s sons, they had remained free people, accordingly they would never recognise a king or prince nor master, other than one who was chosen by common will in the general assembly.²⁰
Askar had already heard from Reintia, that the German princes were most always in enmity and feuding with each other.
Now he proposed to them, they should choose a duke from his folk, because he was afraid, so he said, that they should fight with each other for mastery.
Also said he that his princes could speak with the Gauls.
That, said he, was also the opinion of the Mother.
When the princes of the Germans came together, and after thrice seven days chose they Alrik as duke.²⁵
Alrik was Askar’s nephew, he gave him two hundred Scots and a hundred of the stoutest Saxons withal as a bodyguard.
The princes must send thrice seven of their sons to Staveren as guarantee of their troth.
Until now was everything done according to his wish, but when one should travel over the Rhine, wouldn’t the king of the Franks not stand under Alriks command.
Thereby leaped everything into a tizz.
Askar who believed that all went well, landed with his ships on the other side of the Scheldt, but there was one long enlightened as to his coming and on his guard.³⁰
They had to flee as soon as they were come, and Askar himself was taken.
The Gauls wist not whom they had captured, and afterwards was he exchanged for a high Gaul, whom Askar’s folk had brought with them.
While all that happened, ran the Magyar yet bolder than before hence over our neighbours’ lands.
By Egmond where before the burgh Forana had stood, ordered they a church built yet greater and richer than Askar had done at Staveren.
Afterwards said they that Askar had lost the cause against the Gauls, because the folk would not believe that Wodin would help them, and that they therefore would not pray to him.³⁵
Forth went they hence and abducted young children which they kept with them and brought them up in the secrets of their corrupt lore.
Were there people who….
(The rest is missing.)