27 May 2017

Swiss pile-dwellings ~ archaelogy and reconstruction

Reconstruction of the Neolithic lake dwelling site discovered in Zurich [source]



These finds have been relevant in the discussion about OLB's authenticity as they can be considered as a confirmation. Hoax-theorists, however, argued that the manuscript must have been compiled after the remains had been found and made public in 1853, which would mean that Cornelis Over de Linden (and his witnesses) must have lied about having had the manuscript in his possession since 1848.

From Ottema's introduction of 1872 (translated by Sandbach):
Since the last twenty years attention has been directed to the remains of the dwellings on piles, first observed in the Swiss lakes, and afterwards in other parts of Europe. (See Dr E. Rückert, "Die Pfahlbauten;" Wurzburg, 1869. Dr T. C. Winkler, in the "Volksalmanak," t. N. v. A. 1867.) When they were found, endeavours were made to discover, by the existing fragments of arms, tools, and household articles, by whom and when these dwellings had been inhabited. There are no accounts of them in historical writers, beyond what Herodotus writes in book v. chapter 18, of the "Paeonen." The only trace that has been found is in one of the panels of Trajan's Pillar, in which the destruction of a pile village in Dacia is represented.
Doubly important, therefore, is it to learn from the writing of Apollonia that she, as "Burgtmaagd" (chief of the virgins), about 540 years before Christ, made a journey up the Rhine to Switzerland, and there became acquainted with the Lake Dwellers (Marsaten). She describes their dwellings built upon piles—the people themselves—their manners and customs. She relates that they lived by fishing and hunting, and that they prepared the skins of the animals with the bark of the birch-tree in order to sell the fare to the Rhine boatmen, who brought them into commerce. 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. In the second part of the writing, Konerèd oera Linda relates that Adel, the son of Friso (± 250 years before Christ), visited the pile dwellings in Switzerland with his wife Ifkja.
Later than this account there is no mention by any writer whatever of the pile dwellings, and the subject has remained for twenty centuries utterly unknown until 1853, when an extraordinary low state of the water led to the discovery of these dwellings. Therefore no one could have invented this account in the intervening period. Although a great portion of the first part of the work—the book of Adela—belongs to the mythological period before the Trojan war, there is a striking difference between it and the Greek myths. The Myths have no dates, much less any chronology, nor any internal coherence of successive events. The untrammelled fancy develops itself in every poem separately and independently. The mythological stories contradict each other on every point. "Les Mythes ne se tiennent pas," is the only key to the Greek Mythology.

Relevant fragments in the OLB:

Appolánja's account (p. 109 of original), new provisional translation:
Above the Rhine, between the mountains, I have seen Marsata or lake dwellers. Their houses are built on poles, for protection against wild beasts and evil people. There are wolves, bears and terrible black leopards. They are also the 'Swetsar' - or neighbours - of the near Creeklanders, Kelta-followers, and the savage Twiskers, all eager to rob and plunder. The Marsata gain their livelihood by fishing and hunting. The skins are prepared with birch bark and sewn by the women. The small skins are soft like Maidens' felt. The burg-Maiden at New Fryasburg told us that they were good and simple [110] people, but without that knowledge, I would have thought they were savages rather than Fryas, judging by their brutal looks. Their skins and herbs are traded by the Rhine dwellers. and exported by the sailors.
Koneréd's account (p. 156 of original), translation Sandbach:
From Texland they went to Westflyland, and so along the cost to Walhallagara; thence they followed the Zuiderryn (the Waal), till, with great apprehension, they arrived beyond the Rhine at the Marsaten of whom our Apollonia has written.

More information:
"Neolithic lake dwelling found in Zurich reconstructed" 2017 link
"Neolithic and Bronze Age lakeside settlements in the Alpine region" 2007 link
Pfahlbau Museum

03 May 2017

KYVA, SANA, TWISTA - quarrel, nag, dispute

Basile de Loose - De Kaartspelers, 1868
Cognates:

kijven - dutch
kífa - oldnorse
kiva - swedish

sana, sannia (streiten) - oldfrisian (Richthofen dictionary)
?senna - icelandic
zanken (quarrel) - eastfrisian
sanikje (nag) - frisian
zaniken ,, - dutch

twisten - dutch
zwisten - german
tvista - swedish
twist - english
tvistra - icelandic

Occurrences in OLB (fragment nr.):

KYVA - 1
BIKÍVJA - 9

SANA - 1
SÁNADE - 5

TWIST (noun) - 2,3,4,6,7,8
TWISTA (verb) - 5,10

Related: STRID, TWISPALT, FAITHE, VNÉNES, etc.

Ferdinand De Braekeleer - De echtelijke ruzie, 1870

1 [029/26]
SAHWERSA THÉR SWETHNATA ET SÉMNE KYVA ÀND SANA
VR ENZE SÉKA THA VR LÁND
If neighbours among each other quarrel and dispute
about some cause or piece of land

2 [030/06]
TILTHJU WI NAVT AN TWIST NE KVME NE MÜGE
VR SÉKA. STRIDANDE WITH VSA FRYA SÉDUM.
in order that we may not come into disputes
over causes that are in conflict with our free customs

3 [033/10]
ALSA RIST THÉR TWIST ÀND TWISPALT
there will arise quarrels and discord

4 [056/03]
BUTA ÀND BIHALVA THISSA TWIST
Besides this dispute

5 [056/10]
THAHWÍLA ALLE SÁNADE ÀND TWISTA
While all were nagging and quarrelling

6 [057/12]
THÁ HJA RÉD WÉRON KRÉJON HJA TWIST.
When they were ready they got into a dispute

7 [190/27]
AS TWIST ÀND TVÍSPALT ÀFTERNÉI INNA HÛSHALDNE GLUPTE
When, in consequence, quarrels and disputes arose in the households

8 [200/30]
ALSA WAS THRVCH THA FÍANSKIP THÉRA FÁMNA ÀND THÉRA GOLUM.
FAITHE ÀND TWIST IN OVIR THÀT BERCH.LAND KVMEN
MITH MORTH ÀND BRÔND
Due to the enmity between the Maidens and the Gols,
feud and strife had come into the mountainous land,
bringing with it murder and fire



9 [203/17]
THÀN SKILUN THA SKINNA JOWRE ÉTHLA JO KVMA WEKJA
ÀND JO BIKÍVJA VR JO LEFHÉD ÀND VNDIGERHÉD
The ghosts of your ancestors will come to wake you up
and blame you for your cowardice and carelessness

10 [209/22]
HJA SKOLDE MITH MANLIKÔTHERUM SKOLDUN TWISTA OVIR.ET MÁSTERSKIP
they would quarrel among each other about the reign

02 May 2017

BISJOWATH ~ new translation show off

When Teunis wished to return home, he went first towards Denmark; but he might not land there, ...



[056/31]
THAT HÉDE THJU MODER BISJOWATH
dat had de Moeder besteld (Dutch: Ottema, Jensma)
for so the mother had ordered (English: Sandbach, Raubenheimer)
das hatte die Mutter bestellt (German: Wirth)
dat had de Moeder geregeld (Dutch: Overwijn)
dat had de Moeder bestierd (Dutch: de Heer)
det hadde mora vurdert (Norse: Lien)
das hatte die Mutter angeordnet (German: Menkens)

(All translations being more or less the same.)

It was not hard to find a cognate, that explains this mysterious word:
Gtb (Geïntegreerde Taalbank): sjouwen
- Door middel van een sjouw ontbieden
vb:
Dat de Schipper den Zeevoogd aan boord geliefde te sjouwen, dat is, door een scheepszein aan boord te ontbieden
(1726)
Bekommering …, wat 'er dog in dat schip te doen mogt wezen, dat de Zeevoogd nog zoo laat op den dag aan 't zelve gesjouwt wierd,

- Een sjouw laten waaien, een sjouw hijschen
vb:
Tsjouwen. Een Vlag in een gerolt, een Tsjouw genaemt, achter af laten waeien, 't geen voor een merckteken streckt, om aen boort (er staat boot) te komen: oock wel een teken van noot (1671)

So in short, it means to signal at sea with flags. This makes perfect sense in the context and is not quite the same as "ordered" or "organised".

"Show" may very well be a modern cognate.
Old English sceawian "to look at, see, gaze, behold, observe; inspect, examine; look for, choose," (...) (source also of Old Saxon skauwon "to look at," Old Frisian skawia, Dutch schouwen, Old High German scouwon "to look at"), (...).

Causal meaning "let be seen; put in sight, make known" evolved c. 1200 for unknown reasons and is unique to English (German schauen still means "look at").
source

I will discuss with my proofreaders what a good translation of the fragment would be. (The Mother had had that signalled with flags?)