Time

The Oera Linda Book

over de Linden, Chief Superintendent of the Royal Dockyard at the Helder, possesses a very ancient manuscript, which has been inherited and preserved in his family from time immemorial, without any one knowing whence it came or what it contained, owing to both the language and the writing being unknown.

As the grandson was at that time barely ten years old, the manuscript was taken care of for him by his aunt, Aafje Meylhoff, born Over de Linden, living at Enkhuizen, who in August 1848 delivered it to the present possessor.

He obtained at the same time permission to make a copy of it for the benefit of the Friesland Society, and was of opinion that it might be of great importance, provided it was not supposititious, and invented for some deceptive object, which he feared.

“The manufacture of paper from cotton must have been in use among the Chinese from very remote times, and must have become known to the Arabs by the conquest of Samarcand about the year 704.

From “thet bok thêra Adela folstar” (“The Book of Adela’s Followers”) we learn that in the time when Kadmus is said to have lived, about sixteen centuries before Christ, a brisk trade existed between the Frisians and the Phenicians, whom they named Kadhemar, or dwellers on the coast.

Further on we learn that about the same time a priestess of the castle in the island of Walcheren, Min-erva, also called Nyhellenia, had settled in Attica at the head of a Frisian colony, and had founded a castle at Athens.

This name is pure Fries, the same as Walhallagara, Folsgara, and comes from Minna, the name of an Eeremoeder, in whose time the voyages of Teunis and his nephew Inca took place.

The establishment of the colonists in the Punjab in 1551 before Christ, and their journey thither, we find fully described in Adela’s book; and with the mention of one most remarkable circumstance, namely, that the Frisian mariners sailed through the strait which in those times still ran into the Red Sea.[xiv]

It existed still in the time of Moses (Exodus xiv.

That in very remote times the sea really did flow through is proved by the result of the geological investigations on the isthmus made by the Suez Canal Commission, of which M.

This must have happened after the time of Moses, so that at the date of the Exodus (1564 B.C.) the track between Suez and the Bitter Lakes was still navigable, but could be forded dry-foot at low water.

This account of the pile dwellings in the Swiss lakes can only have been written in the time when these dwellings still existed and were lived in.

The accounts are natural and simple, often naïve, never contradict each other, and are always consistent with each other in time and place.

As, for instance, the arrival and sojourn of Ulysses with the [xviii]Burgtmaagd Kalip at Walhallagara (Walcheren), which is the most mythical portion of all, is here said to be 1005 years after the disappearance of Atland, which coincides with 1188 years before Christ, and thus agrees very nearly with the time at which the Greeks say the Trojan war took place.

The story of Ulysses was not brought here for the first time by the Romans.

Out of him proceeds everything—first the beginning, then time, and afterwards Irtha, the Earth.

And this Min-erva is at the same time the mysterious enigmatical goddess of whose worship scarcely any traces remain beyond the votive stones at Domburg, in Walcheren, Nehallenia, of whom no mythology knows anything more than the name, which etymology has used for all sorts of fantastical derivations.2

His name was Teunis, called familiarly by his followers Neef Teunis, or Cousin Teunis, who had chosen the Mediterranean as the destination of his expeditions, and must have been deified by the Tyrians at the time when the Phenician navigators began to extend their voyages so remarkably, sailing to Friesland in order to obtain British tin, northern iron, and amber from the Baltic, about 2000 years before Christ.

In later times we find her on the Roman votive stones in Walcheren, under the name of Nehallenia, worshipped as a goddess of navigation; and Pallas is worshipped by the Athenians as the protecting goddess of shipbuilding and navigation.

Time is the carrier who must eternally turn the “Jol” (wheel) and carry the sun along his course through the [xxii]firmament from winter to winter, thus forming the year, every turn of the wheel being a day.

It is true that language alters with time, and is continually subject to slight variations, owing to which language is found to be different at different epochs.

It is not only that of the eight writers who have successively worked at the book, each is recognisable by slight peculiarities in style, language, and spelling; but more particularly between the two parts of the book, between which an interval of more than two centuries occurs, a striking difference of the language is visible, which shows what a slowly progressive regulation it has undergone in that period of time.

Who could at that time have forged anything of that kind?

Whoever doubts this let him begin by showing where, when, by whom, and with what object such a forgery could be committed, and let him show in modern times the fellow of this paper, this writing, and this language.

Moreover, that the manuscript of 1256 is not original, but is a copy, is proved by the numerous faults in the writing, as well as by some explanations of words which already in the time of the copyist had become obsolete and little known, as, for instance, in page 82 (114), “to thêra flête jefta bedrum;” page 151 (204), “bargum jefta tonnum fon tha besta bjar.”

Beloved successors, for the sake of our dear forefathers, and of our dear liberty, I entreat you a thousand times never let the eye of a monk look on these writings.

Thirty years after the day on which the Volksmoeder was murdered by the commander Magy, was a time of great distress.

If I might add more, I would recommend that all the respectable girls in the towns should be taught; for I say positively, and time will show it, that if you wish to remain true children of Frya, never to be vanquished by fraud or arms, you must take care to bring up your daughters as true Frya’s daughters.

All these stories must be told by the fireside and in the field, wherever it may be, in times of joy or sorrow; and if you wish to impress it on the brains and the hearts of your sons, you must let it flow through the lips of your wives and your daughters.

Apol, Adela’s husband; three times a sea-king; Grevetman of Ostflyland and Lindaoorden.

Nine times he was chosen as duke or heerman (commander).

He was three times heerman.

He was chosen nine times for sea-king.

He was five times sea-king.

It was Frya’s day, and seven times seven years had elapsed since Festa was appointed Volksmoeder by the desire of Frya.

Then commenced time.

Time wrought all things, even the earth.

They each bore twelve sons and twelve daughters—at every Juul-time a couple.

When in dire distress, and when mental and physical energy avail nothing, then have recourse to the spirit of Wr-alda; but do not appeal to him before you have tried all other means, for I tell you beforehand, and time will prove its truth, that those who give way to discouragement sink under their burdens.[21]

To Wr-alda’s spirit only shall you bend the knee in gratitude—thricefold—for what you have received, for what you do receive, and for the hope of aid in time of need.

Anything that any man commences, whatever it may be, on the day appointed for Frya’s worship shall eternally fail, for time has proved that she was right; and it is become a law that no man shall, except from absolute necessity, keep that day otherwise than as a joyful feast.

The mother at Texland shall have three times seven active messengers, and three times twelve speedy horses.

In early times almost all the Finns lived together in their native land, which was called Aldland, and is now submerged.

If there is no time to choose, any one may come forward who feels himself capable of leading.

Whenever in time of war either ships or houses are destroyed, either by the enemy or as a matter of precaution, a general levy shall be assessed on the people to make it good again, so that no one may neglect the general welfare to preserve his own interest.

Time will hatch them, and we must watch that no harm happens to them.

Another time they came with a whole troop of people, when the plague was in the country, and said: We are all making offerings to the gods that they may take away the plague.

Hellenia answered: Frya has placed us here, and the carrier, that is, Time, must do the rest.

When we had been settled there a short time, and they discovered that we had no slaves, they were very much astonished; and when I explained to them that we had laws which made everybody equal, they wished to have the same; but they had hardly established them before the whole land was in confusion.

If the prisoner can prove by proper witnesses that [63]the death was accidental, he may go free; but if it happens a second time, he must go to the tin mines, in order to avoid any unseemly hatred or vengeance.

What appears at the top is the signs of the Juul—that is, the first symbol of Wr-alda, also of the origin or beginning from which Time is derived; this is the Kroder, which must always go round with the Juul.

In her time Finda also invented a mode of writing, [67]but that was so high-flown and full of flourishes that her descendants have soon lost the meaning of it.

Before the bad time came our country was the most beautiful in the world.

The banks of these rivers were at one time entirely inhabited by our people, as well as the banks of the Rhine from one end to the other.

Then watchfulness was doubly impressed upon us, and time taught us that union is force.

Eighty years afterwards, just at the time of the Juulfeest, they overran our country like a snowstorm driven by the wind.

When Wodin had disappeared some time, disputes arose.

Sons and daughters of Frya, you know that in these last times we have suffered much loss and misery because the sailors no longer come to buy our paper, but you do not know what the reason of it is.

On the other side of the Scheldt, where from time to time there come ships from all parts, they make now paper from pumpkin leaves, by which they save flax and outdo us.

At this time Rosamond the mother, who had done all in her power by gentle means to preserve peace, when she saw how bad it was, made short work of it.

Three months afterwards Geert departed with the best of Frya’s sons, and seven times twelve ships.

The sea-king of [105]the Tyrians brought them altogether through the strait which at that time ran into the Red Sea (now re-established as the Suez Canal).

At the time of the submersion of Atland, the first spoke of the Juul stood at the top.

Time will provide that; but a thousand thousand times we will call with Frya, Watch!

She waved it three times over her head, and each time a knight bit the earth.

In the progress of time all creation alters and changes, but goodness alone is unalterable; and since Wr-alda is good, he cannot [139]change.

From Wr-alda’s life sprang time and all living things, and his life takes away time and every other thing.

In the rest of their time they do housework, learn, and sleep.

In my time much has happened.

The bad time was coming; the bad time did come—Frya had forsaken us.

In our neighbourhood a little old woman tottered in and out of the houses, always calling out about the bad times.

I came to her; she stroked my chin; then I became bold, and asked her if she would show me the bad times and the images.

If so, then lose no time, or they will find no relatives alive.

After we had been settled 12 times 100 and twice 12 years in the Five Waters (Punjab), whilst our naval warriors were navigating all the seas they could find, came Alexander the King, with a powerful army descending the river towards our villages.

Antigonus had, among many others, one son named Demetrius, afterwards called the “City Winner.” He went once to the town of Salamis, and after he had been some time fighting there, he had an engagement with the fleet of Ptolemy.

At the same time he gave the order that no one should shoot before he did, and that we should all aim at the centre ship.

Since that time the good Northmen come often to Texland for the advice of the mother; still we cannot consider them real Frisians.

If the child begins to cry, and continues some time, it is a bad sign, and they suspect that the mother has committed adultery.

In the olden times, the Slavonic race knew nothing of liberty.

Under this treatment they grew [185]gray and old before their time, and died without any enjoyment; although the earth produces abundantly for the good of all her children.

Sixteen hundred years ago (she writes, 593 B.C.), Atland was submerged; and at that time something happened which nobody had reckoned upon.

Men should not despise any knowledge; but justice is the greatest knowledge that time can teach, because she wards off offences and promotes love.

One bad time is passed by, but there is still another coming.

They said everywhere, For a long time we have had no mother, but that comes from our being fit to take care of ourselves.

The first called themselves mother’s sons, the others father’s sons, but the mother’s sons did not count for much; because there were many ships to build, there was a good time for all kinds of workmen.

When they had stayed there a little time, they returned to the lowlands.

When they had been some time descending towards the lowlands, and had reached about the old citadel of Aken, four of their servants were suddenly murdered and stripped.

The murderers that had committed this crime were Twisklanders, who had at that time audaciously crossed the Rhine to murder and to steal.

Just as the seed of good herbs which has been sown by good men in the open day springs up from the ground, so time brings to light the evil seed which has been sown by wicked men in secret and in darkness.

Many things have happened to us, but among all the citadels that have been disturbed and destroyed in the bad time, Irtha has preserved Fryasburgt uninjured; and I may remark that Frya’s or God’s language has always remained here untainted.

In my country we have trees bearing berries, as large as your lime-trees, the berries of which are much sweeter and three times as large as your gooseberries.

If you do not alter your course, in time it will grow so strong that you cannot see what will be the end.

From that time there was no more talk of equality.

I do not wish to speak ill of our forefathers; I will only say that in the times so vaunted by some, the Burgtmaagden introduced disputes into our country, which the mothers were unable, either first or last, to put an end to.

Even at this very time our degenerate brothers and their soldiers have already come over the Scheldt.

If we wish to be and to remain free, it behoves our young men to leave reading and writing alone for a time; and instead of playing games of swinging and wrestling, they must learn to play with sword and spear.

In the north part of Britain there exists a Scotch people—the most of them spring from Frya’s blood—some of them are descended from the followers of Keltana, and, for the rest, from Britons and fugitives who gradually, in the course of time, took refuge there from the tin mines.

The Krekalanders formerly belonged to us only, but from time immemorial descendants of Lyda and Finda have established themselves there.

When the Trojans had nestled themselves among the near Krekalanders, with time and industry they built a strong town with walls and citadels named Rome, that is, [241]Spacious.

A short time ago the chief of the Gauls was established in the citadel, which is called Kerenac (Karnac), that is the corner, whence he issued his commands to the Gauls.

It is also said that Askar, by night, and at unseasonable times, kneeled to them with Frethogunsta; but one thing is certain, the citadel of Stavia was never rebuilt.

A long time ago I had [249]established a garrison of young men who all hated Askar, and kept away all other people.

How many people were carried off by this disease I cannot tell; but Prontlik, who heard it afterwards from the maidens, told me that Askar had helped out of his states a thousand times more free-men than he had brought dirty slaves in.