Learn to read the OLB ~ reading exercises

Oera Linda reading exercises, by theme, as posted on the Unexplained Mysteries forum.

[xxx/yy] - x = OLB original manuscript page number, y = line
[O+S] = page in both Ottema (Dutch) and Sandbach (English) translation (1876)

With some corrections or suggested improvements and notes added.

1. ROME, THAT IS RUM

1. [010/28]
THA TO THA LESTA SPRÀK TONGAR UT.A WOLKA ÀND BLIXEN SKRÉF AN.THÀT LOFT.RVM.. WÁK.
[O+S p.19]
Toen ten laatste sprak donder uit de wolken en bliksem schreef aan het luchtruim: waak!
then at length [last] thunder burst [spoke] from the clouds, and the lightning wrote upon the firmament [airspace] "Watch [wake]!"

2. [048/20]
THÁ VS LÁND SÁ RUM ÀND GRÁT WÉRE HÉDON WI FÉLO ASONDERGANA NÁMON.
[O+S p.69]
Daar ons land zoo ruim en groot was, hadden wij vele afzonderlijke namen.
As our country [land] was so [spacious and] great and extensive, we had many different names.

3. [050/12]
BÀNDA FINDA.S FOLK KÉMON THA LÉTOGHA RUMTNE BIFÁRA.
[O+S p.71]
Benden Findas volk kwamen de ledige ruimten bezetten.
Troops of Finda's people came and settled in the empty places [spaces].

4. [053/32]
WÎND WAS RUM ÀND ALSA WÉRON HJA AN EN ÁMERÎNG TO SKÉN.LAND.
[O+S p.77]
De wind was ruim, en zoo waren zij in een ommezien in Schoonland.
The wind was fair [(plenty)], so they arrived immediately in Schoonland.

5. [069/16]
THACH THÁ HJA INNER HAVE HLIPON FONTH MÀN HJA NAVT RUM NOCH VMBE ALLE SKÉPA TO BISLÚTA
[O+S p.97]
Doch toen zij in de haven liepen, vond men die hier niet ruim genoeg om alle schepen te bevatten
[But] When they entered the harbour, there was not room for [to contain] all the ships,

6. [078/08]
NIMMÀN NE MACHT EN HUS TO BVWANDE THÀT RUMER ÀND RIKKER WÉRE AS THÀT SINRA NÉSTUM
[O+S p.109]
niemand mocht een huis bouwen, dat ruimer en rijker was als dat van zijn buurman
no one might build a house larger or better [more spacious and rich] than [that of] his neighbours

7. [093/09]
HJU SÉIDINI THÀT SAHWERSA HI ADELA VPRUMA KOSTE
[O+S p.129]
zij zeide hem dat, bijaldien hij Adela uit den weg [op]ruimen konde
she told him that if he could get Adela out of the way [(if he could 'space her up')]

8. [101/06]
ALDAM BIDRÍWATH HJA MITH EN RUM EMOD ( * )
[O+S p.139]
Dat alles bedrijven zij met een ruim gemoed
They do all this with an easy [('spacious')]conscience
( * ) Note: origin “emotion” (Dutch: “emotie“)

9. [199/20]
THÁ THA TRÔJANA TO THA HÉINDA KRÉKALANDUM NEST.LED WÉRON
THÁ HÀVON HJA THÉR MITH TID ÀND FLIT ÉNE STERKE STÉD MITH WÁLLA ÀND BURGUM BVWED
ROME THAT IS RUM HÉTEN.
[O+S p.239]
Toen de Trojanen in de heinde Krekalanden genesteld waren,
toen hebben zij daar met tijd en vlijt eene sterke stad met wallen en burgten gebouwd,
Rome, dat is Ruim, geheeten.
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, Spacious.

10. [206/30]
THÁ ÁSKAR MÉNDE THÀT.ER THA HÔNDA RUM HÉDE
[O+S p.249]
Toen Askar meende dat hij de handen ruim had
When Askar thought he had his hands free [('spacious')]

######

2. OERA SKELDA ~ Over the Scheldt

1. [062/14]
OVERA SKELDA ETÉRE FLÍ.BURCH SAT SÍRHÉD
[O+S p.87]
Over de Schelde op de Flyburgt, zat Sijrhed
On the other side of the Scheldt, at Flyburgt, Sijrhed presided

2. [066/11,28; 067/04]
THÁ STRÁMADA THÀT ORA SKELDE FOLK TO HÁPA
(...)
HELP.RIK THENE HÉR.MAN LÉT.IM INBANNA.
MEN THA HWILA ALLE WÉRAR JETA O.RA SKELDA WÉRON.
FOR JON TO BEK. NÉI.T.FLY.MAR ÀND FORTH WITHER NÉI VSA ÀLANDUM
(...)
HI DÉDE RJUCHT. HWAND AL VSA ÀLANDAR
ÀND ALLE.T O.RA SKELDA FOLK THÉR FJUCHTEN HÉDON
WRDON NÉI BRITTANJA BROCHT
[O+S p.93]
Toen stroomde het andere [over-de-]Schelda volk te hoop
(...)
Helprijk, de heerman, liet hem indagen,
maar terwijl alle soldaten nog aan de overzijde van de Schelde waren,
voer Jon terug naar het Flymeer en terstond daarna [weer] naar onze eilanden
(...)
Hij deed terecht, want al onze eilanders
en al het andere [over-de-]Schelde volk, die gevochten hadden,
werden naar Brittanje gebracht
Then the other [over-the-]Schelda people poured out towards her
(...)
Helprik, the chief, summoned him to appear;
but while all the soldiers were on the other side of the Scheldt,
Jon sailed back to the Flymeer, and then straight [again] to our islands
(...)
He did well, for all our islanders,
and [all] the other [over-the-]Scheldt people who had been fighting
were transported [brought] to Britain

3. [204/19]
SÁ SKOLDE HJRA KÉNING ÁSKAR OVERA SKELDA GVNGGA ÀND THÉR THÀT LAND OFWINNA
[O+S p.245]
dan zoude haar koning Askar over de Schelde gaan en daar het land afwinnen
then her King Askar would go over the Scheldt and win back the land

4. [210/07]
ÁSKAR THÉR MÉNDE THÀT ALLES GOD GVNG. LANDE MITH SINA SKÉPA ANNA THA ÔRE SÍDE THÉRE SKELDA
[O+S p.253]
Askar, die meende, dat alles goed ging, landde met zijne schepen aan de overkant der Schelde
Askar, who thought that all was going on well, landed with his ships on the other side of the Scheldt

######

3. WITKING and SEAKING

1. [027/25] ÉWA FARA STJURAR (Laws for the navigators)
4. JEF MÀN VPPE RÉIS BIFINTH THÀT THENE KÉNING ÀRG JEFTA VNBIKVMMEN IS.
SÁ MÜGON HJA EN ÔRA NIMMA.
KVMON HJA TO BÀK SÁ MÉI THENE KÉNING HIM SELF BIKLAGJA BY THA ÔLDERMÔN.
5. KVMTH THÉR FLÁTE TO HONK ÀND SIN THÉR BÁTA.
SÁ MOTON THA STJURAR THÉR.OF EN THRIMENE HÀVA.
ALTHUS TO DÉLANDE.
THI WITKÉNING TWILF MÔNIS DÉLA. (...)
[O+S p.41]
4. Als men op reis bevindt, dat de koning slecht of onbekwaam is,
dan mogen zij een ander nemen.
Komen zij weer thuis, dan mag de koning zich beklagen bij den olderman.
5. Komt de vloot weder thuis, en zijn er baten,
dan moeten de zeelieden daarvan een derde deel hebben,
aldus te deelen.
De witkoning twaalf mansdeelen, (...)
4. If during a voyage it is found that the king is bad or incompetent,
another may be put in his place,
and on the return home he may make his complaint to the Olderman.
5. If the fleet returns with profits,
the sailors may divide one-third among themselves
in the following manner:
The [wet]king twelve portions, (...)

2. [045/17] INUT THA WAGAR THÉRE WARABURGH (on the walls of the Waraburch)
THER WITKÉNING. THÀT IS SÉKÉNING. GODFRÉIATH THENE ALDA. (...)
[O+S p.65]
De Witkoning d[at]. i[is]. Zeekoning Godfried, de oude, (...)
The Witkoning — that is, the Sea-King Godfried the Old — (...)

3. [074/16] OVER THA GÉRTMANNA (about the Gertmanna)
THI WÉT.KING THÉRA THYRJAR BROCH ALGADUR THRUCH THA STRÉTE
THÉR VNDER THISSE TIDA VPPA THA RÁDE SÉ UT HLIP
[O+S p.105]
De zeekoning der Thyriers bracht allen te zamen door de straat,
die in deze tijden op de Roode zee uitliep
The sea-king of the Tyrians brought them altogether through the strait
which at that time ran into the Red Sea

4. [110/29] APOL.LÁNJA (Apollanja)
THA SKILDA THÉR WITKING ÀND THÉRA SKOLTA BI THA NACHTUM WÉRON MITH GOLD OMBORAD.
[O+S p.153]
De schilden van den zeekoning en den schout bij nacht waren met goud omboord.
The shields of the sea-king and the admiral were bordered with gold.

5. [005/10,23,27] GRÉVET.MANNA (reeves)
APOL. ADELAS MAN. THRIA IS.ER SÉ.KENING WÉSEN (...)
E.NOCH (...) NJVGUN MEL IS.ER TO SÉKENING KÉREN (...)
FOPPO (...) FIF MEL IS.ER SÉKENING WÉSEN
[O+S p.11]
Apol, Adelas man, driewerf is hij zeekoning geweest (...)
Enoch (...) negenmaal is hij tot zeekoning gekozen (...)
Foppe (...) vijf maal is hij zeekoning geweest
Apol, Adela's husband; three times a sea-king (...)
Enoch (...) He was chosen nine times for sea-king (...)
Foppe (...) He was five times sea-king.

6. [016/12] BURGUM-ÉWA (burg-laws)
FON THA SÉ.KENINGGAR THENE KUNSTA THÉR BI THÀT BUTE.FÁRA NÉTHLIK SEND
[O+S p.27]
van de zeekoningen de kundigheden die bij het buitenvaren noodig zijn.
from the sea-kings the skill[-s] required for distant voyages

7. [029/14] SKRIFTUM MINNO.S (Minno's writings)
MINNO WAS EN ALDE SÉKÉNING
[O+S p.43]
Minno was een oude zeekoning
Minno was an ancient [old] sea-king

8. [053/15,27] SKÉDNESE FON WODIN (history of Wodin)
ANDA ALDER.GÁ.MVDE THÉR RESTE EN ALDE SÉ.KÀNING.
STERIK WAS SIN NÔME (...)
THA SÉ.KÀMPAR KÉRON TÜNIS TO.RA SÉ.KÀNING
[O+S p.75]
Aan de Aldergamude daar ruste een oude zeekoning,
Sterik was zijn naam (...)
en de zeekampers kozen Teunis tot hun zeekoning
At Aldergamude there lived an old sea-king
whose name was Sterik (...)
the naval force chose Teunis for their sea-king

9. [065/20] SKÉDNESSE FON JON (history of Jon)
JON THÀT IS JÉVA. WAS SÉ.KÀNING. BERN TO.T.ALDER.GÁ
[O+S p.91]
Jon, dat is gegeven, was zeekoning, geboren te Alderga
Jon —that is, “Given”— was a sea-king, born at Alberga [Alderga]

10. [122/08] DÉI.BOK LJUD.GÉRT (Ljudgert's diary)
NW WILDER SELVA SÉ.KÉNING WERTHA.
ÀND MITH ÉL SIN HÉR THJU GONGGA VPFÁRA
[O+S p.167]
Nu wilde hij zelf zeekoning worden,
en met zijn geheele heir den Ganges opvaren
Now he would himself [wanted to] become a sea-king [himself],
and sail with his whole army up the Ganges

######

4. BRAIN

1. [005/04] ADELAS RÉD (Adela's advise)
MEM (sic) SKIL.ET STANDFÀST KVMA
AN DET BRYN ÀND AN DÀT HIRTA.
THÀN MOTON ALLE LÉRINGA OVERA WÉRA JVWERA WIVA
ÀND TOGHATERA THÉR.IN STRÁMA.
[O+S p.11]
Maar zal het standhoudend komen
in het brein en in het hart,
dan moeten alle leeringen over de lippen uwer vrouwen
en dochteren daarin vloeijen.
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
( * brains and hearts should actually be singular)

2. [014/04] TEX. FRYA.S (Frya's Tex)
THÀT LJUCHT THÉRA. SKIL THÀN ÉVG JVWE BRYN VPKLARJA
[O+S p.23]
Het licht daarvan zal dan eeuwig uw brein verlichten [opklaren]
[then] its brightness [light] shall always illuminate [clear up] your intellect [brain]

3. [073/07] OVER THA GÉRTMANNA (about the Gertmanna)
HEL FON ÁGNUM. KLÁR FON BRYN ÀND LICHT FON GÁST
[O+S p.103]
helder van oogen, klaar van brein, en verlicht van geest
bright of eye, clear of brain, and enlightened of mind ( * )
( * light of ghost or spirit?)

4. [100/07] FORM.LÉR ~ OTHERA DÉL (primal teachings; 2nd part)
THET HJARA GÁST THET BESTE DÉL IS FON WR.ALDA.S GÁST
ÀND THET WR.ALDA ALLÉNA MÉI THÀNKJA THRVCH HELPE HJAR.IS BRYN
[O+S p.139]
dat hun geest het beste deel is van Wralda’s geest,
en dat Wralda alleen kan denken door hulp van hun brein
that their spirit is the best part of Wr-alda' s spirit,
and that Wr-alda can only think by the help of their brains

5. [103/13] FORM.LÉR ~ OTHERA DÉL (primal teachings; 2nd part)
THA WR.ALDA VS SKOP HETH ER VS IN THRVCH SINE WISHÉD.
BRYN. SINTÚGA. HÜGJA ÀND FÉLO GODA AINSKIPA LÉNAD
[O+S p.143]
Toen Wralda ons schiep, heeft hij ons in zijne wijsheid,
brein, zintuigen, geheugen en vele goede eigenschappen geleend
When Wr-alda created us, he lent us [through] his wisdom,
brains, organs [senses], memory, and many other good qualities

6. [162/11] GOSA.S RÉD (Gosa's advise)
IN HJARA BRÉIN SKILET THÀN BIJINA TO GLIMMANDE ÀND TO GLORANDE
TILTHJU ELLA TO.NE LOGHA ( * ) WARTH
[O+S p.219]
in hun brein zal het dan beginnen te glimmen en te gloren
tot dat alles tot eene vlam wordt
and glimmer and glitter in their brains [it will begin to glimmer and glore?]
to a perfect light [till all will become a flame]
( * LOGHA ==>> logic?!)

######

5. The number three ...[

Spelling of "three"-related words in OLB
(Note the many different spellings, sometimes even on one page.)

THRJA - 13X
THRIA - 2X
THRÍJA/ THRIJA - 10X
THRJU/ THRJV - 15X
THRÉ - 20X
THRI/ THRÍ - 4X

[Hid/17] THRJA THÚSOND (3000)
[Lik/24] THRJU JÈR (3 year)
[001/02] THRITTICH JÉR (30)
[001/14] THRJV ETMELDA (3x 24 hours)
[001/17] THRJV JÉR (3 year)
[005/10] THRJA IS.ER (3X he is)
[006/19] THRJA MANGÉRTA (3 girls)
[011/27] THRJU WARA (3X)
[016/01] THRIM FON ELIK SJVGUN (3/7)
[016/07] THRÉ HVNDRED (300)
[016/24] THRJA SJVGUN (3X7)
[016/25] THRIA TWILIF (3X12)
[016/27] THRÉ BODON (3 messengers)
[017/23] THRÉ BODON ( ,, )
[017/24] THRJA SJVGUN (3X7)
[020/22] THRJA DÉGAN (3 days)
[022/05] THRÉ JÉR (3 year)
[022/19] THRÉ JÉR ( ,, )
[023/31] THRÉ BURCH.HÉRA (3 burgers)
[028/04] THRÉ DÉLA (3 parts)
[040/11] THRÉ WÉTA (3 laws or 'wits')
[042/05] THRJA VRIELDA (3X pay for it)
[044/08] THRÉ MANNISKA (3 people)
[050/07] THRJU JÉR (3 year)
[050/24] THRI PÉLA (3 poles)
[052/30] THRI PÉLUN ( ,, )
[053/18] THRÉ NÉVA (3 cousins or nephews)
[054/04] THRI WIGA (3 parts (of an army))
[058/23] THRJU ÉLANDA (3 islands)
[068/20] THRJU SKÉPA (3 ships)
[073/14] THRJU.HVNDRED SKIPUN (300)
[074/07] THRÉ MONATHA (3 months)
[074/12] THRITICH SKÉPUN (30 ships)
[075/13] THRJU SKÉPA (3 ships)
[090/01] TWÍJA THRITICH DÉGA (2X30 days)
[090/24] THRITICH JÉR (30 years)
[095/11] THRÍJA SWIKTE HJA (3X she ...?)
[096/15] HÁCHSTENS THRIA (max. 3)
[096/26] THRJU BERN (3 born = children)
[097/04] THRÉ SKIP.LJUDA (3 ship-people)
[106/15] THRIJA THRITTICH FÉT (3X30)
[106/19] THRIJA HONDRED BRÉD (300 broad = wide)
[106/19] THRIJA SJVGUN FÉT (3X7 feet)
[106/24] THRIJA SJVGUN FÉT ( ,, )
[106/25] THRIJA TWILIF FÉT (3X12 feet)
[106/32] THRJU HUSA (3 houses)
[107/10] VPPA ÔRA THRJA (up the other 3)
[107/20] THRIJA HVNDRED (300)
[107/23] THRIJA TWILIF (3X12)
[107/28] THRJU.HERNICH ('3-horny'; triangular)
[108/09] THRJA STUNDA (3 hours)
[108/16] THRJU JÉR (3 year)
[108/30] THRÉ GRÉVA BURCH.HÉRA (3 important burgers)
[108/31] THRÉ ALDA FÁMNA (3 old (= former) Fams)
[115/04] THRJU JÉR LÉTTER (3 years later)
[116/26] THRITTICH SALTA MARA (30 salt lakes or mares)
[123/19] THRJA DÉGA (3 days)
[123/29] ÉN ÀND THRITICH DÉGA (31 days)
[124/14] THRJA MÔNATHA (3 months)
[129/25] THRITTICH SKÉPUN (30 ships)
[130/17] THRJA MÔNATHA (3 months)
[130/19] THRJA DÉGA (3 days)
[133/17] 63 JÉR (63 year)
[133/32] THRJU THOGHATERA (3 daughters)
[134/05] THRJU BOKA (3 books)
[142/22] THRJU WORDA (3 words)
[143/32] THRÉ PÉLA (3 poles)
[144/01] THRÉ PÉLA ( ,,)
[144/02] THRÉ PÉLA ( ,,)
[148/01] THRÍ SKÉ(PA) (3 ships)
[157/27] THRÉ MÔNATHA (3 months)
[168/06] THRÉ WÁRA GRÁTER (3X bigger)
[192/30] THRÉ.THÜSAND JÉR (3000 year)
[202/24] THRIM FÁMNA (3 Fams)
[209/27] THRIJA SIUGUN ETMELDE (3X7 x 24 hours)
[209/32] THRIJA SJVGUN (3X7)

... and Druids

[060/23] ca. 2000 BC
THA GOLA. ALSA HÉTON. THA SÀNDALINGA.PRESTERA SÍDON.IS.
THA GOLA HÉDON WEL SJAN THET ET LAND THÉR SKÀRES BIFOLKAD WAS
ÀND FÉR FON THÉR MODER WÉRE.
VMB IRA SELVA NW EN GODE SKIN TO JÉVANE.
LÉTON HJA RA SELVA IN VSA TÁL AN.A.TROW E.WÍDENA HÉTA.
MEN THAT WÉRE BÉTRE WÉST.
AS HJA RA SELVA FON THÉRE TROW E.WENDENA NÔMATH HÉDE.
JEFTA KIRT WÉI TRJV.WENDNE
LIK VSA STJURAR LÉTER DÉN HÀVE.
[O+S p.85]
De Golen, zoo heetten de zendeling-priesters van Sydon,
hadden wel gezien dat het land daar schaars bevolkt was
en ver van de Moeder was.
Om nu zich zelven een goeden schijn te geven,
lieten zij zich zelve in onze taal aan de trouw gewijden heeten,
maar dat was beter geweest,
als zij zich zelve van de trouw gewenden genoemd hadden
of kort weg Triuwenden,
gelijk onze zeelieden later gedaan hebben.
The Golen, as the missionary priests of Sidon were called,
had observed that the land there was thinly peopled,
and was far from the mother.
In order to make a favourable impression,
they had themselves called in our language followers of the truth;
but they had better
have been called abstainers from the truth,
or, in short, "Triuwenden,"
as our seafaring people afterwards called them.

######

6.Some etymologies, synonyms and explanations in the OLB: "X = Y"

The Oera-Lindas or Over-de-Lindens who assembled the manuscript, had access to information that was under threat of getting lost. They sometimes knew the (original) meaning of words and they knew that if they would not copy or add this information, future generations would no longer understand all of the text.

I have made a list of examples where this sort of information is given in the common construction "..., that is ..." (or: "X = Y").

By doing this I discovered that much of this information was lost in translation, specially in the English version by Sandbach. (This was a translation not straight from the original, but from Ottema's Dutch translation.)

In fragment nrs. 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14, 16 and 17a below, Sandbach has completely ignored the "X = Y" construction!

This is one of the reasons why it's so much more interesting to read the original.

I even dare say that it's impossible to really understand the true value of the OLB by only reading a translation.

1. [Hidde/16]
NÉI ÁTLAND SVNKEN IS.
THÀT THRJA THÚSOND.FJVWER HVNDRED ÀND NJUGON ÀND FJVWERTIGOSTE JÉR.
THÀT IS NEI KERSTEN RÉKNONG
THAT TVELF.HVNDRED.SEX ÀND FIFTIGOSTE JÉR
[O+S p.3]
nadat Atland verzonken is,
het drie duizend vier honderd negen en veertigste jaar,
dat is naar de Christen-rekening
het twaalf honderd zes en vijftigste jaar
the three thousand four hundred and forty-ninth year
after Atland was submerged—
that is, according to the Christian reckoning,
the year 1256

2. [005/16]
TO HÉRTOGA. THÀT IS. TO HYR.MAN
[O+S p.11]
tot hertog dat is tot heerman
as duke or heerman

3. [014/10]
EN ÉW. THÀT IS HVNDRED JÉR
[O+S p.23]
eene eeuw, dat is honderd jaren
a century, that is, a hundred years

4. [017/15]
THA LÉTSA. THÀT IS THÉNE HÉLENER
[O+S p.27]
den leetse, dat is den heelmeester
[by the létsa, that is] the surgeon

5. [019/12]
É. THÀT IS WÉTER
[O+S p.31]
ee, dat is water
sea [é, that is water]

6. [023/24]
ET GULDNETAL. THÀT IS THÀT MIDDELTAL FON ALLE BISLUTA ETSÉMNE
[O+S p.37]
het guldengetal, dat is het middengetal van alle besluiten te zamen
(...) [the 'golden count', that is the average of all decisions together]

7. [036/01]
THENE KRODER. THÀT IS TID
[O+S p.53]
de Kroder, dat is de Tijd
the carrier, that is, Time

8. [045/10]
THÀT JOL. THÀT IS THÀT FORMA SINNEBILD WR.ALDA.S
[O+S p.65]
het Juul, dat is het eerste zinnebeeld van Wralda
the Juul—that is, the first symbol of Wr-alda

9. [045/17]
THER WITKÉNING. THÀT IS SÉKÉNING
[O+S p.65]
Witkoning d.i. Zeekoning
Witkoning—that is, the Sea-king

10. [050/24]
THRI PÉLA THÀT IS EN HALF TY
[O+S p.73]
drie palen, dat is een halftij
(...) [three poles, that is half a tide]

11. [061/15]
PHONISIA. THAT IS PALM.LAND
[O+S p.87]
Phonisia, dat is Palmland
Phonisia, that is, Palmland

12. [065/20]
JON THÀT IS JÉVA
[O+S p.91]
Jon, dat is gegeven
Jon—that is, “Given”

13. [066/16]
RÔSA.MOND. THÀT IS RÔSA.MVDA
[O+S p.93]
Rosamund, dat is Rosamuda
Rosamond [that is Rosemouth]

14. [068/27]
LYDIA. THÀT IS. LYDAHIS.LAND
[O+S p.97]
Lydia (...), dat is Lydas land
Lybia [that is Lydas land]

15. [074/20]
PANG.AB. THAT IS IN VSA SPRÉKE. FIF WÉTERUM
[O+S p.105]
Pangab, dat is in onze spraak vijf wateren
Punjab, called in our language the Five Rivers

16. [098/30]
ÉVGE SETMA THET IS ÉWA
[O+S p.137]
eeuwige inzettingen [zeden?], dat is wetten [?]
eternal principles [that is ...?]

17. [126/13-18]
JOI (...) THÀT IS BLIDESKIP
FRO JEFTA FROW THÀT IS FRÜ
FRO.LIK. THÀT IS ÉLIK AN FRÜ
[O+S p.173]
joi (...), dat is blijdschap
fro of frow, dat is vreugde
frolik dat is aan vreugde gelijk
joi (...) [that is joy]
fro or frow, that is, vreugde [a different sort of joy...]
frolic; that is the same as vreugde

18. [136/13]
KASAMÍR. THET IS SJELDSUM
[O+S p.185]
Kasamyr, dat is, zeldzaam
Kasamyr that is “extraordinary” [or: rare]

19. [138/09]
FO. THÀT IS FALX
KRIS.EN. THÀT IS HERDER
[O+S p.187]
Fo, dat is valsch
Krishna [Krisen], dat is herder
Fo, that is, false
Krishna [Krisen], that is, shepherd

20. [150/05+22; 151/01]
WITTO. THAT IS WITTE
HETTO. THAT IS HÉTE
BRUNO. THÀT IS BRUNE
[O+S p.203-205]
Witto, dat is witte
Hetto, dat is heete
Bruno, dat is bruine
Witto, or Witte [white-one]
Hetto—that is, heat [hot-one]
Bruno that is, brown[-one]

21. [150/15]
VRESTE ALDERMÀN (...) THAT IS VRSTE GRÉVETMAN JEFTA GRÉVE
[O+S p.203]
opperste Olderman (...) dat is opperste Grevetman of Graaf
chief Alderman (...) that is, chief Grevetman or Count

22. [163/15]
PANG.AB. THAT IS FYF WÀTERA
[O+S p.221]
Pangab, dat is vijf wateren
Punjab, that is five rivers

23. [199/24]
ROME THAT IS RUM
[O+S p.239]
Rome, dat is Ruim
Rome, that is, Spacious

24. [200/17]
THA FONÍSJAR PRESTERA. THAT HÉTH. THA GOLA
[O+S p.241]
de Phoenicische priesters, dat is de Golen
the Phœnician priests, that is the Gauls

25. [200/22]
KÉRENÀK. THAT IS HERNE
KÉREN.HERNE JEFTHA KÉREN.ÀK
[O+S p.241]
Kerenak, dat is hoek
Keeren herne of Kerenak
Kerenac, that is the corner
Keeren Herne, or Kerenac

26. [209/11]
THJOTH.HIS SVNA THAT IS FOLK.HIS SVNA
[O+S p.251]
Thioth-his zonen dat is volkszonen
Thioth-his sons — that is, sons of the people [or folk]

######

7. "Tree", "Boom", "Baum"

The following list shows that the Fryans used two different words for our source of wood, the material that ships (and most houses) used to be built of (see fragment 13!).

What is fascinating, is that the one (TRE or THRE) is now used in England and Scandinavia - and NOT in Germany and the Netherlands, incl. Flanders, while the other (BAM or BOM) is used in Germany and the Netherlands ("Baum" resp. "boom") - and NOT in England and Scandinavia.

Fragments nr. 2 and 6 suggest that the original difference between the two words was that BAM/ BOM was a big (real) tree, while TRE/ THRE was more like a shrub, branch or twig, something more easily bendable.

Not surprisingly, the Linda or Linde (Tilia) tree is also mentioned (fragments 7, 8, 9 and 15).
To my disappointment, Sandbach has translated them into "lime-trees".

1. [006/15]
JRTHA BÀRDE ALLE GÀRSA KRÚDON ÀND BÔMA
[O+S p.13]
de aarde baarde alle gras[sen], kruiden en boomen
The earth bore grass[ses], herbs, and trees

2. [007/10+32]
EN STORE BÁM KVN HJU BÚGJA (...)
ÉNE THRÉ NE KV HJA NAVT NI BÚGJA
[O+S p.13-15]
Een sterken boom kon zij buigen (...)
een boom [tak] kon zij niet buigen
She could bend a large tree (...)
She could not bend a tree [shrub, branch or twig?]

3. [020/09]
THA THA BÁMA THÉRA NE MÉI NIMMAN NAVT FÀLLA
[O+S p.31]
Doch de boomen daarin zal niemand vellen
[but] No one shall fell trees [there]

4. [047/09]
ANDA BÁMA ÀND TRÉJON WAXTON FRÜGzDA ÁND NOCHTA
[O+S p.67]
Aan de boomen en heesters [?] groeiden vruchten en ooft [noten]
The trees and shrubs [?] produced various fruits [and nuts]

5. [085/26]
ÀND HILDON HJA SKUL AFTER THÀT LY THÉRA BÁMUN
[O+S p.119]
en hielden zich schuil achter de luwte der boomen
and kept themselves concealed in a sheltered place behind trees

6. [096/29]
THÉR HIPTH HJA NÉI.T KRÍL.WOD. GRIPT ELSNE TRÉON
[O+S p.135]
Daarop ijlt zij naar het Krijlwoud, grijpt elzentakken
Then she ran to the Krylwood and got some elder branches

7. [104/13]
HJU SOCHTE SKUL VNDERA WÁRANDE LINDA
[O+S p.143]
zij zocht eene schuilplaats onder de beschuttende lindeboom
She sought a hiding-place under the sheltering lime-trees [linda-tree]

8. [105/06]
WARANDA LINDA WITH THA SVNNE.STRÉLUM
[O+S p.145]
eene beschuttende linde tegen de zonnestralen
lime-trees [a protecting linda-tree] to protect us from the rays of the sun

9. [107/26]
LJUDGÁRDA. OMTUNAD THRVCH THET GRÁTE LINDA.WALD
[O+S p.149]
Liudgaarde omtuind door het groote Lindenwoud
Liudgaarde, enclosed by the great wood of [lindas] lime-trees

10. [107/30]
HWAND THÉR SEN FÉLO FÉRLANDESKA THRÉJA ÀND BLOMMEN
[O+S p.149]
Want daar zijn vele buitenlandsche boomen [?] en bloemen
for there are a great number of [many] foreign trees [?] and flowers

11. [109/27]
THA HUDA WRDAT THRVCH THA WIVA TOMAKAD
ÀND BIRHET MITH SKORS FON BERKUM
[O+S p.151]
De huiden worden door de vrouwen toegemaakt
en bereid met schors van berken
The skins are sewn together by the women,
and prepared with birch bark

12. [122/05]
HI HÉDE SINA SALT.ATHA BÁMA KAPJA LÉTA
[O+S p.167]
Hij had zijne soldaten boomen laten kappen en tot planken maken
He bad let his soldiers cut down trees and make planks

13. [148/14]
HWAND TO STÁVEREN ÀND ALLINGEN THÀT ALDER.GÁ
THÉR WRDON THA BESTA WÉRSKÉPA MAKED.
FON HERDE ÉKEN WOD THÉR NIMMERTHE NÉN ROT AN NE KVM
[O+S p.201]
Want te Staveren en langs het Alderga,
daar werden de beste oorlogschepen gemaakt
van hard eiken hout, daar nimmer verrotting in komt
because at Stavere, [and] along the Alberga,
the best ships of war were built
of hard oak which never rots

14. [166/19+32]
SNÁKA FON AF THA GRÁTE ÉNER WÍRME
ÔL TO THA GRÁTE ÉNER BÁM (...)
ÔL THISA DISKA SIND YVIN ALS THA SNÁKA
FON OF.NE WÍRME TIL.NE BÁMSTAME GRÁT
[O+S p.225]
slangen van de grootte van een worm
af [al] tot de grootte van een boom (...)
al deze disken zijn evenals de slangen
van een worm tot een boomstam groot
snakes from the size of a worm
to the size of a tree (...)
All these reptiles, like the snakes,
vary from the size of a worm to the trunk of a tree

15. [168/04]
BY VS SIND BÉI.BÁMA ALS JOW LINDA.BÁMA
[O+S p.227]
Bij ons zijn bessenboomen zoo groot als uwe lindeboomen
In my country we have [berry-]trees bearing berries, as large as your lime- [linda-]trees

######

8. Ambiguous "WOOD": timber, forest and fury???

The following shows how "wood" (in OLB: "WOD") was ambiguous and must have been the root of the name "WODIN".

In fragments 1 and 4, "WOD" refers to wood/ forest (Dutch: woud, German: Wald).

In fragments 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12, it means wood/ timber (Dutch: hout, German: Holtz).

In fragments 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, the word WODIN or WODAN (that are most probably derived from WOD) refers to anger, rage or fury (Dutch: woede, German: Wut)

1. [049/09]
THÉR TO BOPPA HÉDON WI THA NÔMA. LAND.SÁTON MÁR.SATA ÀND HOLT JEFTA WOD.SÁTA
[O+S p.71]
Daarenboven [71]hadden wij de namen Landzaten, Marzaten en Hout- of Woudzaten
Besides these we had the names Landzaten (natives of the land), Marzaten (natives of the fens), and Woud or Hout zaten (natives of the woods)

2. [074/06]
BIFIRA SÉKROPS WODIN WRDE ÀND OVERS BIGVNDE
[O+S p.103]
voor dat Cecrops woedend werd en anders begon
before Cecrops became furious and changed his mind

3. [085/03]
ÉL WEL SÉIDE THENE MAGÍ MITH VRBORGNE WODIN
[O+S p.103]
Heel goed [wel], zeide de Magy met verkropte [verborgen] woede
Very good [well], said the Magy, swelling with [hidden] rage

4. [096/29]
THÉR HIPTH HJA NÉI.T KRÍL.WOD. GRIPT ELSNE TRÉON
[O+S p.135]
Daarop ijlt zij naar het Krijlwoud, grijpt elzentakken
Then she ran to the Krylwood and got some elder branches

5. [104/26]
STORNE WIND KÉM TO BEK JETA WODANDER AS TO FORA
[O+S p.145]
De stormwind kwam terug, woedender als te voren
The [storm-] wind grew stronger [came back, more raging than before]

6. [107/20]
KRÁN.BOGA. TODEKTH MITH WOD ÀND LÉTHER
[O+S p.147]
kraanbogen, gedekt met hout en leder
crossbows [?] covered with wood and leather

7. [120/24]
THA ALEXANDRE FORNOM
THÀT IM SÁN.E GRÁTE FLÁTE VNTFÁRA WAS.
WÀRTH ER WODIN.LIK.
TO SWÉRANDE HI SKOLDE ALLE THORPA AN LOGHA OFFERJA
JEF WI NAVT TO BEK KVMA NILDE.
[O+S p.165]
Toen Alexander vernam
dat zulk eene groote vloot hem ontvaren was,
werd hij als woedend,
zweerende dat hij alle dorpen aan de vlam zoude offeren,
zoo wij niet wilden terug komen
When Alexander heard
that such a large fleet had escaped him,
he became furious,
and swore that he would burn [offer] all the villages [to flames]
if we did not come back

8. [122/19]
MEN ALEXANDER WÉRE WODIN
[O+S p.167]
Maar Alexander was woedend
but Alexander was furious

9. [124/01]
TWA.HONDRED ÉLEPHANTA. THVSEND KÉMLUN.
TOLÉDEN MITH WODEN BALKUM.
RÁPUM ÀND ALLERLÉJA ARK
[O+S p.169]
200 olifanten, 1000 kameelen,
[beladen] met houten balken,
roopen (touwen) en allerlei gereedschap
200 elephants, 1000 camels,
[loaded with] a quantity of timber,
ropes, and all kinds of implements

10. [148/14]
HWAND TO STÁVEREN ÀND ALLINGEN THÀT ALDER.GÁ
THÉR WRDON THA BESTA WÉRSKÉPA MAKED.
FON HERDE ÉKEN WOD THÉR NIMMERTHE NÉN ROT AN NE KVM
[O+S p.201]
Want te Staveren en langs het Alderga,
daar werden de beste oorlogschepen gemaakt
van hard eiken hout, daar nimmer verrotting in komt
because at Stavere, [and] along the Alberga,
the best ships of war were built
of hard oak which never rots

11. [150/02]
BURCH.WÉPNE. WOD. HIRBAKEN STÉN.
TIMBER.LJUD MIRTSELÉRA ÀND SMÉDA
[O+S p.203]
burgtwapenen, hout, hardgebakken steenen,
timmerlieden, metselaren, en smeden
weapons for wall defences, wood, [hardbaked] bricks,
carpenters, masons, and smiths

12. [198/30]
HJARA WÉPNE SEND WODEN BOGA
[O+S p.239]
hunne wapenen zijn houten bogen
Their arms are wooden bows

######

To complete my special about trees, wood and forests, here's another list of fragments with:

9. WALD/ WOD = wood/ forest (dutch: woud/ bos; german: Wald)

Note that in fragment #9 "LINDA.WALD" is translated into "Linda's wood", while in fragment #12 exactly the same word is translated into "wood of lime-trees".

Also note fragment #16: "WALDA THÉRA LINDA WRDA", translated as "forests of the Lindaoorden".

This is what the 'Over de Linden'/ 'Oera Linda' family (and hence the book) is named after, not the river, which is mentioned nowhere in the whole manuscript!

1. [005/14]
GRÉVETMAN OVIR.A HÁGA FENNA ÀND WALDA
[O+S p.11]
grevetman over de Hoogefennen en Wouden
Grevetman over the Hoogefennen and Wouden [Woods]

2. [020/07]
ALLE.T ÔRA LÁND SKIL BVW ÀND WALD BILÍVA.
THA THA BÁMA THÉRA NE MÉI NIMMAN NAVT FÀLLA.
BUTA MÉNA RÉDA
ÀND BUTA WÉTA THES WALD.GRÉVA.
HWAND THA WALDA SEND TO MÉNA NITHA.
THÉRVMBE NE MÉI NIMMAN THÉR MÀSTER OF SA
[O+S p.31]
Al het andere land zal bouw en bosch blijven.
Doch de boomen daarin zal niemand vellen,
buiten gemeene raad,
en buiten weten van den woudgraaf.
Want de wouden zijn ten gemeenen nutte,
daarom mag niemand er meester van zijn.
All the rest of the land shall be for tillage and forest.
No one shall fell trees
without the consent of the community,
without the knowledge of the forester;
for the forests are general property,
and no man can appropriate them

3.[047/22]
FON OVIRA TICHTA WALDA ÀND OVIR IT WILDE KWIK
[O+S p.67]
wegens de dichte wouden en het wild gedierte
on account of the thick forests and the wild beasts

4. [049/09]
THÉR TO BOPPA HÉDON WI THA NÔMA.
LAND.SÁTON MÁR.SATA ÀND HOLT JEFTA WOD.SÁTA
[O+S p.71]
Daarenboven hadden wij de namen
Landzaten, Marzaten en Hout- of Woudzaten
Besides these we had the names
Landzaten (natives of the land), Marzaten (natives of the fens), and Woud or Hout zaten (natives of the woods)

5. [050/02]
WALDA BÀRNADON THÉR.THRVCH ÀFTER EKKORUM
[O+S p.71]
Wouden brandden daardoor achterelkander weg
Whole [because of that] forests were burn[t]ed one after the other

6. [050/10]
THAT TWISK.LAND TO FÁRA.N HALFDÉL VNTWALT
[O+S p.71]
het Twiskland voor de helft ontwoud
the wood was destroyed through the half of Twiskland [deforested]

7. [069/32]
VPPET GRÁTESTE GVNG.ER INNA THA WALDA
TWISK THÀT BERCHTA EN BURCH BVWA
[O+S p.99]
Op het grootste ging hij in het woud
tusschen het gebergte eene burgt bouwen
Upon the largest he built a city
in the wood between the mountains

8. [087/06]
THÉR FLJUCHTE FUND SIN ENDE IN TO THA POLUM
FON ET KRÍLINGER WALD
[O+S p.121]
die vluchtte vond zijn einde in de poelen
van het Krylinger woud
those who fled found their death in the marshes
of the Krylinger wood

9. [094/10]
HINNE GLUPATH THRVCH LINDA.WALD.IS PÁDA
[O+S p.131]
binnengeslopen door de paden van Lindaswoud
slipped in through the paths of Linda's wood

10. [096/29]
THÉR HIPTH HJA NÉI.T KRÍL.WOD
[O+S p.135]
Daarop ijlt zij naar het Krijlwoud
Then she ran to the Krylwood

11. [097/18]
THA WALD FÜGLON FLJUCHTATH TO FÁRA THA FÉLO FORSYKAR
[O+S p.135]
De woudvogelen vluchten voor de vele bezoekers
The birds of the forest fled [flee] before the numerous visitors

12. [107/26]
THJU LJUDGÁRDA. OMTUNAD THRVCH THET GRÁTE LINDA.WALD
[O+S p.149]
de Liudgaarde omtuind door het groote Lindenwoud
the Liudgaarde, enclosed by the great wood of lime-trees

13. [115/16]
ÉVIN SÁ SKEDDE JRTHA HJRA WALDA ÀND BERGA
[O+S p.159]
even zoo schudde Irtha hare wouden en bergen
so Irtha shook her forests and her mountains

14. [115/27]
THA WALDA THÉR BYLDA IN WÉRON
[O+S p.159]
De wouden, daar beelden in waren
The woods in which the images were

15. [116/04]
EBBE KÉM ÀND THA WALDA MITHA BYLDUM DRÉVON NÉI SÉ
[O+S p.159]
Ebbe kwam en de wouden met de beelden dreven naar zee
with the ebb the forests with the images drifted out to sea

16. [116/09]
THA WALDA THÉRA LINDA WRDA WÉRON MÉST WÉI
[O+S p.159]
De wouden der Lindaoorden waren meest weg
The forests of the Lindaoorden were almost all gone

17. [116/25]
AN THÀS KÁD FONT FLÍMÁRE WÉRON (...)
THRICHTICH SALTA MÁRA KVMEN
VNSTONDEN THRVCH THA WALDA
THÉR MITH GRVND ÀND AL VRDRÉVEN WÉRON
[O+S p.161]
Aan dezen oever van het Flymeer waren (...)
dertig zoute plassen gekomen,
ontstaan door de wouden,
die met grond en al weg gedreven waren
At the mouth [this side] of the Flymeer (...)
thirty salt swamps were found,
consisting of the forest
and the ground that had been swept away

18. [130/29]
THÉR WÉRON BERGA THÉR THA KRUNNA OF SWIKTE.
THESSE TRULDON NÉTHER ÀND BROCHTON WALDA ÀND THORPA WÉI
[O+S p.179]
Er waren bergen, wier kruinen aftuimelden,
deze stortten neder en vernielden wouden en dorpen
The tops of high mountains fell
and destroyed whole forests and villages

20. [147/31]
HJARA WALDA WÉRON MITH GRVND ÀN AL FON.T LAND OF.FÁGED
[O+S p.201]
hunne wouden waren met grond en al van het land weggevaagd
their forests as well as their land had been washed out to sea

21. [165/20]
AFWIXLATH MITH FJELDUM ÀND WALDUM
[O+S p.223]
afgewisseld met velden en wouden
consists of [varried with] forests and fields

22. [167/15]
VSA ÉTHLA HAVON ALLE KRÍL.WALDA VRBÀRNATH
[O+S p.225]
onze voorvaderen hebben alle kreupelbosschen [or: krielwouden] verbrand
our forefathers burnt all the underwood

23. [168/02]
HÍR INNA WALDA HÀV IK KRUP ÀND STÁK.BÉJA SJAN
[O+S p.227]
Hier in de wouden heb ik kruip- en steekbessen gezien
I have found in the woods here bramble and holly berries

24. [192/20]
THACH SKILUN THÉR BILÍWA. HJA SKILUN FON UT WALD ÀND HOLUM KVMA
[O+S p.233]
toch zullen er blijven, zij zullen uit wouden en holen komen
there will still remain some who will come out of woods and caves

25. [206/10]
MIDDEL IN.T KRÍLWALD BIASTEN LJVD.WERDE
LÉITH VSA FLÍ JEFTHA WÉRA
[O+S p.247]
Midden in het Krijlwoud beoosten Liudwerd
ligt onze vlied of weerburg
In the middle of the Krijlwood, to the east of Liudwerd,
lies our splace of refuge

26. [208/31]
THÁ HJA JETA SVNDER WIVA INNA THA WALDA AS BANNANE OMME.DWARERDE
[O+S p.251]
toen zij nog zonder vrouwen in de wouden als bannelingen omdwaalden
when they had no women among them, and were wandering as exiles in the forests

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A translation or print error of Ottema, copied by Sandbach:

27. [050/07]
THRJU JÉR WAS JRTHA ALSA TO LYDANDE
MEN THÁ HJU BÉTER WÉRE
MACHT MÀN HJRA VVNDA SJA
[O+S p.71]
Drie jaren was de aarde zoo lijdende,
maar toen zij herstelde,
kon men hare wouden [wonden] zien
During three years this continued [Earth suffered],
but at length it ceased [when she got better],
and forests [her wounds] became visible

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Same word, different meaning:

WALD = force, violence, power, command, influence etc.

An other, more common spelling of this word is WELD.
This will be the subject of a near-future post.

28. [002/21]
SÁ SEND HJA VNT.FRYAST VNTHÔNKES
THENE WALD HJARAR ALDRUM
[O+S p.7]
Zoo zijn zij ontfriesd ondanks
de macht hunner ouders
thus they became denationalised [defryanised?] in spite of
the efforts [power, influence?] of their parents

29. [005/08]
GRÉVET.MANNA VNDER HWAMMIS WALD THIT BOK A.WROCHTEN IS
[O+S p.11]
grevetmannen onder wier bestuur dit boek is vervaardigd
Grevetmen under whose direction this book is composed

30. [017/29]
BY ALLE SÉKUM MOT THA MODER WALDA ÀND NJVDA THÀT HJRA BÀRN.
THÀT IS FRYAS FOLK. SÁ MÉT.RIK BILÍWA AS THÀT WÉSA MÉI
[O+S p.29]
Bij alle zaken moet de Moeder zorgen en hoeden dat hare kinderen,
dat is Fryas volk, zoo maatrijk blijven, als het wezen kan
Under all circumstances the mother must take care that her children,
that is, Frya’s people, shall remain as temperate [?] as possible

31. [118/11]
HALD HJAM ALOND JOW WÀLDICH BISTE
VMRA WITHER HONK TO FORA
[O+S p.163]
Houdt hen tot dat gij in staat zijt
om hen weder naar huis te voeren
Keep them till you are able
to send them back

32. [129/31]
THRVCH DEMÉTRIUS WÉRON HJA WÀLDANTLIK NÉI THERE ALDA HÁVE SKIKAD
[O+S p.177]
Door Demetrius waren zij gewelddadig naar de oude haven gestuurd
They had been compelled by Demetrius to go to the old haven

######

10. FRYA =/= FRÉJA !!!

Numbers between {...} refer to the fragments below.

Primary meaning FRÉJA: to ask (35x; 2x with G instead of J)
Dutch: vragen

FRÉGE - (he) asked {1,24}
FRÉJA - (to) ask, (the) asking, (he) asks {4,5,8,12,14,17,20,21,26,37}
FRÉJAD - (he has) asked {30}
FRÉJANDE - (to) ask {11,15,29,33,36}
FRÉJATH - (he/we/they) (have) asked {9,10,18,19,28c}
FRÉJDE - (he) asked {16}
FRÉJE - (I/he) asked {25,27ab,31ab,32,34}
FRÉJER - he asked {22}
FRÉJETH - (I have) asked {23}
FRÉJON - (they) asked {6,7}

Secondary meaning FRÉJA: to (ask or invite for) love (6x; 2x BI-)
Oldfashioned Dutch: (be-) vrijen (FRÉJAR = vrijer)

FRÉJA - (to) invite for love {3}
~ BIFRÉJAD - (he has) invited for love {35}
~ BIFRÉJANDE - (to) invite for love {28b}
FRÉJAR - lover {2,28a,29}

The word "GOD" in OLB almost always just means "good" or "perfect", but it can also mean "God".

Therefore, the name "GODFRÉJATH" (p.045/17) will have been double ambiguous:

God-asked or Good-loved

Dutch: God-(ge)vraagd or Goed-(ge)vreeën

(The meanings God-loved and good-asked are also possible, but less likely.)

This is very different from what the usual etymology for "Godfried" or "Godfrey" says: peace of God.

This also proves that GODFRÉJATH is a different name than GODFRIED, as it has a different meaning, although the latter may have evolved out of the first.

----------------------

1. [001/16]
THA TO THA LESTA FRÉGE ADELA THÀT WIRD
[O+S p.5]
Toen ten laatste vroeg Adela het woord
Thereupon Adela demanded [or: asked] to be heard

2. [013/12]
SÁHWERSA ANNEN FON HJAM ÉNER JVWER TOGHATERUM
TO WIF GÉRTH ÀND HJU THAT WIL.
THÀN SKILUN J HJA HJRA DVMHÉD BITJVTHA
THACH WIL HJU TOCH HJRA FRÉJAR FOLGJA
THAT HJA THAN MITH FRÉTHO GÁ
[O+S p.23]
Zoo wanneer een van hun eene uwer dochteren
tot vrouw [of: wijf] begeert, en zij dat wil,
dan zult gij haar hare dwaasheid [of: domheid] beduiden,
doch wil zij toch haren vrijer [of: vrager] volgen,
dat zij dan met vrede ga
If any of them should seek a daughter of yours
to wife, and she is willing,
explain to her her folly;
but if she will [still wants to] follow her lover [or: asker],
let her go in peace

3. [019/15]
ALLERA MANNALIK MÉI.T WIF SINRA KÉSA FRÉJA
ÀND EK TOGHATER MÉI EFTER HJRA HELD.DRVNK BJADA THÉR HJU MINTH
[O+S p.31]
Elk manspersoon mag de vrouw zijner keuze vrijen [of: vragen],
en elke dochter mag haren heildrank aanbieden aan hem, dien zij bemint
Every man may seek [ask] the wife of his choice,
and every woman [each daughter] may bestow her hand on him [offer her healing drink to] whom she loves

4. [029/22]
SA FOCHT.ET VS VMBE THAT A KÁP TO FRÉJA
[O+S p.43]
zoo voegt het ons dat te koop te vragen
it is proper that we should offer [or: ask] to buy it

5. [029/29]
ÀND HJA VS FRÉJA EN ORDÉL TO SPRÉKA
[O+S p.43]
en zij ons verzoeken [of: vragen] een oordeel uit te spreken
and they request [or: ask] us to arbitrate

6. [033/27]
ÀND FRÉJON MIN.ERVA HWÉR OF HJRA ERVA LÉJON
[O+S p.49]
en vraagden Min-erva, waar hare erven gelegen waren
and asked Min-erva where her possessions lay

7. [034/14]
ENE.S KÉMON HJA ÀND FRÉGON.
AS THV THÀN NÉN THJONSTER NE BISTE
[O+S p.51]
Eens kwamen zij en vroegen:
als gij dan geen tioenster (heks) zijt
She was once [they came and] asked,
If you are not a witch

8. [035/22]
THÉRVMBE NE KAN IK NAVT FRÉJA JEF HJA BETER WRDA WILLA
[O+S p.51]
daarom kan ik niet vragen of zij beter willen worden
therefore I cannot ask them to do better

9. [035/26]
HWANATH KVMTH.ET KWÁD THÀN WÉI
FRÉJATHTHA PRESTERA
[O+S p.51]
Waar komt het kwaad dan weg,
vroegen de priesteren
Where, then, does evil come from?
asked the priests

10. [035/30]
WÉRVMB WÉRTH.ER.ET KWÁD THÀN NAVT
FRÉJATH THA.PRESTERA
[O+S p.53]
waarom weert hij dan het kwaad niet,
vroegen de priesters
why does he not turn away the bad?
asked the priests

11. [038/32]
SVME WILDON NÉI TEX.LÁND VMBE THÉR ÉNE TO FRÉJANDE
[O+S p.57]
Sommigen wilden naar Texland om aldaar eene te vragen
some of us wished to go to Texland to look for her [ask one there]

12. [053/04]
THÉRVMBE NE LÉT HJU NÉN RÉD NI FOLLISTAR ANDA MODER NE FRÉJA
[O+S p.75]
daarom liet zij noch raad, noch helpers [of: volgers] aan de Moeder vragen
and [therefore she] would neither seek [or: ask] counsel nor aid [or: followers] from the mother

13. [054/15]
WI HÀVATH OFTEN HELPE AN THINRE BURCH.FÁM FRÉJATH
[O+S p.77]
Wij hebben dikwijls aan uwe burgtmaagd hulp gevraagd
We have often asked your Burgtmaagd for help

14. [059/13]
ÁK WÉRON HJA SÉR NY. NÉI VSA BÀRNSTÉNUM
ÀND THÀT FRÉJA THÉR NÉI NAM NÉN ENDE
[O+S p.83]
Ook waren zij zeer begeerig naar onze barnsteenen,
en het vragen daarnaar nam geen einde
They also wished to buy our amber,
and their inquiries about it were incessant
[or: the asking about it did not end]

15. [060/15]
NW KÉMON HJA THÀT A KÁP TO FRÉJANDE
[O+S p.85]
Nu kwamen zij dat te koop vragen
They now came and asked to buy that [actually: came to ask]

16. [070/18]
MIN.ERVA FRÉJDE JEF WI VS IN THÉRE MINNA MACHTE NITHER SETTA
[O+S p.99]
Minerva vroeg of wij ons in der minne mochten nederzetten
Min-erva asked if we might settle there peaceably

17. [071/02]
MEN MIN.ERVA FRÉJA
HO BIST WEL AN THINA SLÁVONA KVMEN
[O+S p.99]
Maar Minerva vraagde:
hoe zijt gij wel aan uwe slaven gekomen?
But Min-erva said [asked].
How did you get your slaves?

18. [071/14]
AS HJA THAT NW ELLA TELLAD HÉDE.
FRÉJATH HJA MITH ÉR.BJADENESSE VM ÍRSENE.BURCHWÉPNE
[O+S p.101]
Als zij nu dit alles verhaald [of: verteld] hadden,
vroegen zij eerbiedig om ijzeren burgtwapenen
When they had finished their story [or: told all]
they asked respectfully for iron [burch-]weapons

19. [071/19]
AS HJU THÉRAN TOSTEMAD HÉDE FRÉJATH THA LJUDA...
[O+S p.101]
Als zij daarin toegestemd hadden, vroegen die lieden...
When this had been agreed to, the people asked...

20. [072/29]
FORTH JAVON HJA THAT FOLK BYLDNISSE FON HIRA LIKNESS
TJÚGANDE THAT HJA THÉRAN ELLA FRÉJA MACHTE
ALSANAKA HJA HÉROCH BILÉWON
[O+S p.103]
Daarop gaven zij het volk beeldtenissen van hare gelijkenis,
betuigende dat zij daaraan alles mochten vragen,
zoo lang zij gehoorzaam bleven
Thereupon they gave the people statues of [resembling] her,
declaring that they might ask [all] of them whatever they liked,
as long as they were [stayed] obedient to her

21. [083/07]
... THÀT HI HJRI FRÉJA SKOLDE...
[O+S p.115]
... dat hij haar vragen zoude...
... that he should ask her...

22. [083/12]
AS ER THÉR AFTER AL SINRA FORSTA
OM JRA LÉGER TO.GADURAD HÉDE FRÉJER LÚD
[O+S p.115]
Toen hij daarna alle zijne voornaamsten
om haar leger vergaderd had, vroeg hij luide:
Then, when he had gathered all his chiefs
around her bed, he asked, in a loud voice

23. [084/27]
IK HÀV THI FRÉJETH JEFTH IK BÁS SKILDE WERTHA
[O+S p.117]
ik heb u gevraagd of ik meester [of: baas] zoude worden
I have asked you if I should become master [or: boss]

24. [091/22]
THACH NW FRÉGE MIN BURCH.FÁM THET WORT
[O+S p.127]
doch nu vroeg mijne Burgtmaagd het woord
only that my Burgtmaagd asked to speak

25. [104/01]
BIST EN ÀFTE FRYA.S. FRÉJE TRÁST
[O+S p.143]
Zijt ge een echte Fries, vroeg Troost
Are you a true Frisian? Troost asked

26. [104/08]
NINMAN MACHT HJU FRÉJA
[O+S p.143]
Niemand kon zij vragen
She could ask no one

27. [105/15-18]
HWÉR STAND THIN HUS THÀN. FRÉJE TRÁST. (...)
NE STAND.ET THÀN NAVT VPP.EN NOL. JEFTHA THERP. FRÉJE TRÁST
[O+S p.145]
Waar stond uw huis dan, vroeg Troost. (...)
Stond het dan niet op eene nol (ronde hoogte) of terp, vroeg Troost
Where did your house stand? Troost asked. (...)
Did it not stand on a knoll? Troost asked

28. [112/03]
SÁ HWERSA THÉR AN DA SÁXANA MARKA
EN FRÉJAR KVMATH EN MANGÉRTE TO BIFRÉJANDE.
ALSA FRÉJATH THA MÀNGÉRTNE THÉR...
[O+S p.153]
zoo wanneer daar aan de Saxenmarken
een vrijer [of: vrager] een meisje komt bevrijen [of: bevragen],
dan vragen de meisjes daar...
So whenever at the Saxenmarken
a young man [or: asker] courts [or: asks] a young girl,
the girls [there] ask...

29. [113/03]
LÉT ET THA MANGÉRTNE TO WÉNHÉD WRDE
HJARA FRÉJAR TO FRÉJANDE. ÉR HJA JA SEGSA
[O+S p.155]
Laat het de meisjes tot eene gewoonte worden
om hare vrijers [of: vragers] te vragen, eer zij ja zeggen:
Let the girls, when they are asked to marry, [make it a habit]
before they say yes, ask their lovers [or: askers]

30. [113/16]
HETH HJU ORLOVI FRÉJAD VMBE NÉI HJRA HUS TO GÁNE
[O+S p.155]
heeft zij verlof gevraagd om naar huis te gaan
she asked leave to go home

31. [114/15]
NW WRD.IK DRIST ÀND FRÉJE (...)
EN GRÉVE.MÀN FRÉJE MY (...)
[O+S p.157]
Nu werd ik vrijmoedig en vroeg (...)
Een grijsaard vroeg mij (...)
then I became bold, and asked (...)
An old man asked me (...)

32. [118/02]
MEN GOSA FRÉJE
[O+S p.163]
Maar Gosa vroeg:
She [but Gosa] asked them:

33. [119/23]
NW WI.N MODER HÀVE AGON WI HJRA RÉD TO FRÉJANDE
[O+S p.165]
nu wij eene Moeder hebben, behooren wij haar raad te vragen
now that we have a mother it behoves us to ask her advice

34. [148/28]
THÁ (...) THÉRVR FÉLO WORDON WIXLAD WÉRON.
FRÉJE FRISO TO THA LESTA
[O+S p.201]
Toen (...) daarover vele woorden gewisseld waren,
vroeg Friso ten laatste
When (...) a good deal of conversation had taken place,
[or: when many words were exchanged about it]
Friso asked them at last

35. [150/13]
WITTO HETH SJUCHT.HIRTE BIFRÉJAD ÀND TO SIN WIF NOMEN
[O+S p.203]
Witto heeft Siuchthirte bevrijd [of: bevraagd] en tot zijne vrouw genomen
Witto [had] courted Siuchthirte and married her [taken her to his wife]

36. [196/12]
THAT ALD ÀND JONG UT ALLE WRDUM WÉI KÉMOM
TO FRÉJANDE JEF HJA MACHTE MITHA DVA
[O+S p.235]
dat oud en jong uit alle oorden weg kwamen,
om te vragen, of zij mochten mede doen
that old and young came from all sides
to ask if they might take part in it

37. [205/09]
THISSA BODON MOSTEN FRÉJA JÉF ASKAR
THES KÀNINGHIS TOGHTER FRÉTHO.GUNSTA
TO SIN WIF HÀVE MACHTE
[O+S p.247]
Deze boden moesten vragen of Askar
des konings dochter Frethogunsta
tot zijne vrouw mocht hebben
These messengers were to ask
the King's daughter, Frethogunsta,
in marriage for Askar

######

11.Feared Frisians?

One of the many different old Dutch spellings of "Frisians" is "Fresen".

The following fragments show that this name may also have caused associations that were slightly different from "free".

Modern dutch:
fear = vrees
to fear = vrezen
to be feared = vreselijk

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. [001/07]
ET STAND.TO FRÉSANE THAT.ER WELDIG SKOLDE WERTHA
[O+S p.5]
het stond te vreezen, dat hij geweldig zoude worden
it looked as if [was to be feared that] his power was to become supreme

2. [024/23]
HETH THENE KÉNING EN FRÉSALIK FOLK OFSLAGEN
[O+S p.37]
Heeft de koning een gevreesd volk afgeslagen
If a king has conquered a dangerous [feared] enemy

3. [040/08]
ÉWA TO FRÉSANE AS HJARA SWÉTE WINA MITH DÉJANDE FENIN
[O+S p.59]
even te vreezen als hunne zoete wijnen met doodend vergif
as much to be feared as their sweet wine with deadly poison

4. [041/27]
IS HWA WRAK THÀN MOTER AVBÉR SÉGA
THAT NIMMAN FON HIM TO FRÉSANE NACH TO DUCHTANE HETH
[O+S p.61]
Is iemand machteloos [impotent], dan moet hij openbaar zeggen
dat niemand van hem te vreezen [noch te duchten] heeft
If a man is impotent, he must openly declare
that no one has anything to fear from him

5. [043/11]
IS HWA MISDÉDOCH FAR IM SELVA
THA NAVT FRÉSELIK FAR EN ÔRA.
SÁ MÉI HI HIM SELVA RJUCHTA
[O+S p.63]
Is iemand misdadig jegens hem zelven,
maar niet te vreezen voor anderen,
dan mag hij zijn eigen rechter wezen
If any man injures [is harmful to] himself,
but does no harm to [not to be feared by] others,
he must be his own [may] judge [himself]

6. [043/22]
THRVCH THAT EN ÉRE RÁWER ÁK THER IS TO FRÉSANE
[O+S p.63]
want een eerrover is ook [daar] te vreezen
because even there a backbiter [litt.: honour-robber] is to be feared

7. [052/09]
THÉR.VR IS.T FOLK ÔLAN IN ANGE FRÉSE
[O+S p.75]
daarover is het volk steeds in bange vrees,
and this frightens the people
[because of this, the people always live in terrible fear]

8. [062/27]
LIK EN WR.LANDESKE FORSTINE WILDE HJU
ÉRATH FRÉSATH ÀND BÉDEN WÉSA
[O+S p.89]
Even als eene buitenlandsche vorstin wilde zij
geëerd, gevreesd en gebeden wezen
Like a foreign princess [queen], she wished
to be honoured, feared, and worshipped

9. [063/22]
AS HJU SACH THAT THA STJORAR MÁR ÀND MÁR FON JRI WÉKE
THA WILDE HJU RA THRVCH FRÉSE WINNA
[O+S p.89]
Toen zij zag, dat de zeelieden meer en meer van haar weken,
wilde zij hen door vrees winnen
When she saw that the sailors kept more and more aloof from her,
she tried to win them back by fear

10. [069/13]
HIR SÉIDE MIN.ERVA SKIL BY SKIN NÉN FRÉSE
TOFARA FORSTUM NACH PRESTERUM NÉDICH WÉSA
[O+S p.97]
Hier, zeide Minerva, zal misschien geene vrees
voor vorsten of priesters noodig wezen
Here, said Min-erva, we need not perhaps
have any fear of princes or priests

11. [072/12]
TO SEGANDE HJA HÉDE FRÉSE
[O+S p.101]
zeggende, dat zij vrees hadden
saying that they feared [or: they had fear]

12. [094/32]
AS ER SACH HO SINA ELDRA IN FRÉSE WÉRON
[O+S p.131]
Als hij zag hoe zijne ouders in vrees waren
When he saw the danger of [how] his parents [were in fear]

13. [105/24]
THV HEST AL THIN LÉVA EN GRÚWEL HAD AN THA MÀNNISKA
UT FRÉSE THÀTSTE AWET JÉVA JEFTHA DVA MOSTE TO FARA HJAM
[O+S p.145]
Gij hebt al uw leven een afkeer [gruwel] gehad van [aan] de menschen,
uit vrees, dat gij iets geven of doen moest voor hun
All your life you have avoided your neighbours [had a disgust for the people],
fearing [or: out of fear] that you might have to give or do something for them

14. [156/17]
FON WAL.HALLA.GÁRA BRÚDON HJA
ALINGEN THÉRA SÚDER HRÉNUM
ALONT HJA MITH GRÁTA FRÉSE
BOPPA THÉRE RÉNE BY THA MÁRSATA KÉMON
[O+S p.211]
Van Walhallagara vertrokken zij
langs den Zuiderrijn (de Waal),
totdat zij met groote vrees
boven den Rijn bij de Marsaten kwamen
thence they followed From Walhallagara they left
[along] the Zuiderryn (the Waal),
till, with great [fear] apprehension, they
arrived beyond the Rhine at the Marsaten

15. [166/22]
MÁR THA LÍTHSTE SIND NOCH FRÉSLIKER ALS THAM
[O+S p.225]
maar de kleinste zijn nog vreeselijker als die
but the smallest are the most deadly [even more to be feared than them]

16. [167/02]
NÉI THAT HJA GRÁT JOF FRÉSLIK SIND. SIND HJARA NÔMA
[O+S p.225]
naar dat zij groot of vreeselijk zijn, zijn hunne namen
According to their size and fierceness [or: frightfulness?], they have names

######

12.@ # $ % & * Priests!?

The OLB is rather negative about priests and other authorities.

Let's look at some of their qualifications.

(The numbers between {...} refer to the fragments below.)

BIDROGLIK = deceitful (NL: bedrieglijk) {8}
FALSK = false (NL: vals) {1,3}
FALX = ,, {4,6,7}
LÀF = cowardly (NL: laf) {5}
NÍDIG = needy, angry, jealous, spiteful (NL: nijdig) {12}
SKIN.FRÁN = pseudo-pious, hypocritical (NL: schijnvroom) {5,10}
SMÚGRIG = dirty, filthy, nasty (NL: smerig) {10}
TJOK ÀND RIK = fat and rich (NL: dik en rijk) {11}
WAN.WIS = pseudo-wise (NL: waanwijs) {4}
WL = foul (NL: vuil) {2,9}

(Personal note: My westfrisian grandmother would use similar terms in this context.)

This anti-authoritarian attitude of the OLB will have been one of the main causes for the emotional and therefore often irrational nature of the debate about it.

The 19th century elite understood very well that this mysterious manuscript had to be much more than just a students' joke.

It had the potential to cause revolution.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. [033/15] Skriftum Minno's
ET NIDIGE FOLK FINDA.S MITH HJARA FALSKA PRESTERUM
[O+S p.49]
het nijdige volk Findas met zijne valsche priesteren
the spiteful Finda's people with their false priests

2. [078/18] Ulysus
VMBE BY THA WLA PRESTRUM IN EN GODA HROP TO WÉSANDE
STÀLDON HJA THÉR FALSKA DROCHTEN LIKANDA ÀND VNTUCHTIGA BILDA IN.
BY THA WLA PRESTRUM ÀND FORSTUM
WRDON THA KNÁPA ALTOMET MÁRA GÉRT AS THA TOGHATERA
[O+S p.109]
om bij de vuile priesteren in een goeden dunk te wezen,
plaatsten zij daar op valsche goden gelijkende en ontuchtige beelden in.
Bij de vuile priesteren en vorsten
werden soms de knapen meer begeerd, als de dochteren
in order to remain in good odour with the nasty priests,
they placed there likenesses of false gods and unchaste statues.
Sometimes the dirty priests and princes
wished for the boys rather than the girls

3. [084/08] Denamarka lost
THIT SJANDE SKILUN THA FALSKA FORSTA ÀND PRESTER
ALSAMEN WITH FRYDOM KÀMPA ÀND WOXELJA
[O+S p.117]
Dit ziende zullen de valsche vorsten en priesters
allen te zamen tegen de vrijheid kampen en worstelen
When they perceive this, the false princes and priests
will strive and wrestle against freedom

4. [101/01] Form-leer Apollanja
MEN THI WAN.WISA FALXA MANNA
THAM HJARA SELVA GODIS SKALKA JEFTHA PRESTERA NOMA LÉTA.
BÜRATH ÀND SÁMNATH ÀND GETTHATH ALDAM TOFARA DROCHTNE
THÉR ER NAVT NE SEND VMBET SELVA TO BIHALDANDE
[O+S p.139]
Maar die wanwijze valsche mannen,
die zich zelf godsdienaren ( * ) of priesteren laten noemen,
beuren en zamelen en vergaderen dat alles voor afgoden,
die niet bestaan, om het zelf te behouden
[ * or: godschalken, gosschalken]
but these presumptuous and false men,
who call themselves God's servants and priests,
receive and collect everything in the name of the idols
that have no real existence, for their own benefit

5. [135/27] Dela/Hellenja
MEN THA LÀFA SKIN.FRÁNA PRESTARA NE MACHTON THÀT NAVT NE LYDA.
EMONG HJARA FORSINDE GODUM HÉDON HJA ÁK WRANG.WRÀDA DROCHTNE E.SKÉPEN
[O+S p.185]
Maar de laffe schijnvrome priesters konden dat niet dulden,
onder hunne verdichte goden hadden zij ook booze wreede gedrochten geschapen
but the cowardly hypocritical priests could not suffer this.
Among their false gods they had invented also wicked cruel monsters

6. [138/29] Dela/Hellenja
THAHWILA JES.US LÉRE VR JRTHA FOR.
GVNGON THA FALXA PRESTERA NÉI.T LÁND SINRA BERTA
SIN DÁD AVBÉRA
[O+S p.189]
Terwijl de leer van Jessos over de aarde zich uitbreidde,
gingen de valsche priesters naar het land zijner geboorte,
om zijn dood bekend te maken
While the doctrine of Jessos was thus spreading over the earth,
the false priests went to the land of his birth
to make his death known

7. [141/07] Dela/Hellenja
THA SKILUN THA FALXA PRESTERA WÉI FÁGATH WERTHA FON JRTHA
[O+S p.191]
Dan zullen de valsche priesters weggevaagd worden van de aarde
Then the false priests shall be swept away from the earth

8. [159/12] Gosa
THA BIDROGLIKA PRESTERA ÀND THA WRANG WRÉJA FORSA (sic).
THÉR IMMER SÉMIN HÉLADON.
WILDON NÉI WILKÉR LÉVA
ÀND BUTA GOD.IS ÉWA DVAN
[O+S p.215]
De bedriegelijke priesters en de boosaardige vorsten,
die altijd te zamen heulden,
wilden naar willekeur leven
en buiten de wetten des goeds handelen
The deceitful priests and the malignant princes,
who always clung together,
wished to live according to their own inclinations,
without regard to the laws of right

9. [160/01] Gosa
THA LODDERIGA MANGÉRTNE ÀND THA VNMÀNLIKA KNÁPA
THÉR MITHA WLA PRESTERUM ÀND FORSTUM HORADON
VNTLVKADON THA NYA TÁLA AN HJARA BOLA
[O+S p.217]
De wulpsche meisjes en verwijfde knapen,
die met de onzedelijke priesters en vorsten boeleerden,
ontlokten die nieuwe talen aan hunne boelen
The wanton girls and effeminate youths
who consorted with the immoral priests and princes,
taught [learnt] the new language[-s] to [from] their companions

10. [162/14] Gosa
THISSA LOGHA SKIL ALLE BALDA FORSTA VRTÉRA
ÀND ALLE SKIN.FRÁNA ÀND SMÚGRIGA PRESTERA
[O+S p.219]
Deze vlam zal alle slechte vorsten verteeren
en alle schijnvrome en smerige priesters
that flame will destroy all bad princes
and hypocritical dirty priests

11. [164/14] Ljudgert
IN THET LÔND SIND ÔLLE PRESTERA TJOK ÀND RIK
[O+S p.223]
In dit land zijn alle priesters dik en rijk
In this country all the priests are fat and rich

12. [164/22] Ljudgert
OL THISA NÔMA SIND AR THRVCH THA NÍDIGE PRESTERA JÉVEN
[O+S p.223]
Al deze namen zijn hun door de nijdige priesters gegeven
These names are given by the [jealous?] priests out of spite

######

13. The Saxons and the Saxanamarks

Most of the following fragments show that the Fryans and the Saxons must have been friendly together most of the time. They seem to have mixed well and many Saxons seem to have repopulated what is now Holland after the big flood of 300 BC.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. [005/13] (grevetmen Adela)
THER SAX.MAN. STORO SYTJA.S MAN.
GRÉVETMAN OVIR.A HÁGA FENNA ÀND WALDA. (...)
THA BURGA BVDA ÀND MANNA.GÁRDA.FORDA
[O+S p.11]
De Saxman Storo, Sytias man,
grevetman over de Hoogefennen en Wouden (...)
de burgten Buda en Manna-garda-forda
The Saxman Storo, Sytia's husband [man];
Grevetman over the Hoogefennen and Wouden [woods]. (...)
The towns [burgs] Buda and Manna-garda-forda

2. [049/04] (before the bad times)
THÉRA THÉR IN DA HÁGE MARKA SÁTON
THÉR ANNA TWISK.LANDA PÁLON
WRDON SAXMANNA HÉTON.
UT HÁWEDE HJA IMMER WÉPNED WÉRON
VR THÀT WILDE KWIK ÀND VRWILDARDA BRITNE
[O+S p.69]
Die in de hooge marken gezeten waren [zaten],
welke aan de Twisklanden paalden [palen],
werden Saxmannen geheeten,
uithoofde zij altijd gewapend waren
tegen het wild gedierte en de verwilderde Britten [= (weg)gebrachtene]
Those who were settled in the higher marches
bounded by [bordering the] Twisklanden (Germany)
were called Saxmannen,
because they were always armed
against the wild beasts and the savage Britons [= outcasts]

3. [087/29] (Adelbrost)
SJUGUN MÔNATHA ÀFTER WERTH.ER EN MÉNA
ACHT BILIDSEN ÀND WEL TO GRÉNEGÁ
UT ÉRSÉKE THAT ANNA SAXANA MARKA PÁLTH
[O+S p.123]
Zeven maanden daarna werd eene algemeene
vergadering belegd en wel te Grenega,
uit oorzaak dat het aan de Saksamarken paalt
Seven months later a general
assembly was called at Grenega (Groningen),
because it was on the boundary of Saxamarken

4. [094/15] (Bruno)
EN JUNGE SAXMÀN BIRÉD EN WILDE BUFLE
THÉRER SELVA FENSEN HÉDE ÀND TÀMAD
[O+S p.131]
een jonge Saksman bereed een wilden buffel,
dien hij zelf gevangen en getemd had
A young Saxon bestrode a wild bull [bufalo]
which he had caught and tamed [himself]

5. [111/31] (Apollanja)
ÉR HÉDIK ANDA SÁXANA MARKA.
TO THÉRE BURCH MÀNNA.GÁRDA.FORDA WÉST
[O+S p.153]
Weleer was ik in de Saxenmarken
op de burgt Mannagardaforde geweest
I had been before in the Saxenmarken,
at the Mannagardaforde castle (Munster)

6. [112/03] (Apollanja)
SÁ HWERSA THÉR AN DA SÁXANA MARKA
EN FRÉJAR KVMATH EN MANGÉRTE TO BIFRÉJANDE
[O+S p.153]
zoo wanneer daar aan de Saxenmarken
een vrijer een meisje komt bevrijen
So whenever at the Saxenmarken
a young man [lover] courts a young girl

7. [112/13] (Apollanja)
DÁNA IST KVMEN THÀT THA SAXMANA.
THJU BUW ANDA WIVA VRLÉTEN HÀVE
[O+S p.153]
Daar van daan is ’t gekomen, dat de Saxmannen
den landbouw aan de vrouwen [wijven] overgelaten hebben
And from this it comes that the Saxons
have left the cultivation of the soil to the women [wives]

8. [113/14] (Apollanja)
THA JONGSTE THÉR FÁMNA FON THÉRA. THÉR BY MI WÉRON.
KÉM UTA SAXSANA.MARKA WÉI
[O+S p.155]
De jongste van de maagden, die bij mij waren,
kwam uit de Saxenmarken weg
The youngest of the maids who were with me
came from the Saxenmarken

9. [113/19] (Apollanja)
ÀND DÁNA IST KVMEN THÀTER HJUDÉGA
SÁ FELO SAXMÀNNA BY THA STJURAR FÁRE
[O+S p.155]
daarvan daan is het gekomen, dat heden ten dage
zoo vele Saxmannen bij onze zeelieden varen
and that is the reason why in these days
so many of our sailors are Saxons [sail with the navigators]

10. [115/06] (Frethorik)
THA SAXMÀNNA WÉRON FROME ÀND FROD BILYWEN
[O+S p.159]
De Saxmannen waren vroom en braaf gebleven
The Saxmen had remained religious [pious?] and upright

11. [118/23] (Frethorik)
THÁ VSA LÁNDA WITHER TO BIGANA WÉR
KÉMON THÉR BANDA ERMA SAXMANNA ÀND WIVA
NÉI THA VVRDUM FON STAVERE ÀND THÀT ALDERGA.
VMBE GOLDEN ÀND ÔRA SJARHÉDA TO SÉKANE
FONUT THA WASIGE BODEME.
THACH THA STJURAR NILDO HJA NAVT TO LÉTA
THA GVNGON HJA THA LÉTHOGA THORPA BIHÉMA
TO WEST FLÍLAND. VMBE RA LIF TO BIHALDANE
[O+S p.163]
Toen onze landen weder te begaan waren,
kwamen er benden arme Saxmannen en vrouwen
naar de oorden van Staveren en het Alderga,
om gouden en andere sieraden te zoeken
uit de drassige bodem.
Doch de zeelieden wilden hen niet toelaten.
Toen gingen zij de ledige dorpen bewonen
te West Flyland, om hun lijf te behouden
When our country began to recover,
there came troops of poor Saxon men and women
to the neighbourhoods of Staveren and Alderga,
to search for gold and other treasures
in the swampy lands.
But the sea-people [navigators] would not permit it,
so they went and settled in the empty village[-s]
of the West Flyland in order to preserve their lives

12. [133/24] (Wiljo)
MIN NÔM IS WIL.JO, IK BIN THA FÁM
THÉR MITH HIM FONA SAXANA MARKA TO HONK FOR
[O+S p.183]
Mijn naam is Wiljo, ik ben de maagd [fam],
die met hem uit de Saksenmarken naar huis voer
My name is Wiljo. I am the maiden [fam]
who came home with him from Saxsenmarken

13. [134/04] (Wiljo)
THÁ.K NÉI THA SAXANA MARKA FOR.
HÀV IK THRJU BOKA HRET
[O+S p.183]
Toen ik naar de Saksenmarken voer,
heb ik drie boeken gered
When I went to Saxsenmarken
I preserved three books

14. [150/09] (Konered about Friso)
AN BYDE SIDA THÉRE HAVES.MVDE
IS ÉNE WITH.BURCH BVWED.
THÉR IN IS FOLK LÉID
THAT FRISO UTA SAXANA MARKA TÁCH
[O+S p.203]
dat aan beide zijden van den havenmond
[is] eene versterkte [zee-]burgt gebouwd is,
en daarin is volk gelegd,
dat Friso uit de Saksenmarken trok
on each side of the harbour
a strong citadel [seaburg] has been [is] built,
and garrisoned by people
brought by Friso out of Saksenmarken

15. [150/23] (Konered about Friso)
THENE JONGSTE SKIKT.ER AS SENDA BODA NÉI KATTA.BURCH
THÀT DJAP INNA SAXANAR MARKA LÉID
[O+S p.203]
den jongste zond hij als zendbode naar Kattaburgt,
dat diep in de Saksenmarken ligt
the youngest, he sent as messenger to Kattaburgt,
which lies far in the Saxsenmarken

16. [151/14] (Konered about Friso)
AFTER THISSA BODON LÉT.ER IMMER JONGK.FOLK
OVER THA SAXANAR MARKA FÁRA
[O+S p.205]
Na deze boden liet hij gedurig jongvolk
over de Saksenmarken trekken
After these messengers he let his young people
constantly go over to the Saxsenmarken

17. [151/20] (Konered about Friso)
JEF.T NV BÉRDE THÀT THA SAXANA KNÁPA
THÉR NÍDICH NÉI UTSÁGON
[O+S p.205]
Als het nu gebeurde dat de Saksen knapen
daar afgunstig op zagen...
When [or: if it happened that] the Saxsen youths
looked with envy at this

18. [151/28] (Konered about Friso)
ÀFTERNÉI KÉMON THA SAXANAR KNÁPA ÀND MANGÉRTNE
BY ÉLLE KEDDUM NÉI THÀT FLÍ.MAR DEL
[O+S p.205]
naderhand kwamen de Saksische jongelingen [knapen] en meisjes
bij geheele troepen [kudden] naar het Flymeer afzakken
afterwards the Saxsen youths and girls
came in whole troops to the Flymeer

19. [155/13] (Konered about Adel)
HJU KÉM FONUT THA SAXANA.MARKUM WÉI.
FONUT.ÉRE STÁTHA THÉR IS KÉTHEN SVÔBA.LAND
[O+S p.209]
Zij kwam uit de Saksenmarken weg,
uit de staat die genoemd is Suobaland
She came from Saxenmarken,
from the state of [that is called] Suobaland

20. [156/05] (Konered about Adel)
VMBE THA MÀNNISKA VPPA HJRA SÍD TO KRÉJANDE.
WAS HJU MITH HJRA FRJUDELF FON OF HJRA TÁT
THRVCH ALLE SAXANA MARKA FÁREN
AND FORTH NÉI GÉRT.MÀNNJA
[O+S p.211]
Om de menschen op hare zijde te krijgen,
was zij met haren echtgenoot van haren vader
door alle Saksenmarken gereisd
en voorts naar Geertmannia
To bring the people to her side,
she travelled with her husband [from her dad]
through all Saxenmarken,
and also to Geertmannia

21. [201/19] (anonymus about Askar)
THÀT FOLK WÉRMITH HI WITH THA SALT.ÁTHUM THERA GOLUM KÀMPED HÉDE
HÉD.ER ÚT.A SAXANA.MARKUM LVKTH
[O+S p.243]
Het volk waarmede hij tegen de soldaten der Golen had gestreden,
had hij uit de Saksenmarken gelokt
The people with whom he [had] fought against the soldiers of the Gauls,
he had enticed out of the Saxenmarken

22. [204/08] (anonymus about Askar)
FORTH GVNG HJU ÀFTERA SAXNA.MARKA
TWERES THRVCH THA ÔRA TWISK.LANDA HIN
[O+S p.245]
Voorts ging zij achter de Saksenmarken,
dwars door de andere Twisklanden heen
She proceeded on beyond the Saxsenmarken,
crossing through the other Twisklanders

23. [208/02] (anonymus about Askar)
THA SAXMANNA BROCHTEN HJU OVIR HJARA MARKA.
MITH THA JUTTAR FOR HJU NÉI SKÉNLAND
ÀND ALINGEN THÉRE KÁD FON THA BALDA.SÉ.
MITH ASKAR HIS STJÚRAR FOR HJU NÉI BRITANJA
[O+S p.251]
De Saksmannen brachten ze [haar] over hunne marken;
met de Jutten voer zij naar Schoonland
en langs de kusten van de Baltische zee;
met Askar zijne zeelieden voer zij naar Brittannia
The Saxsenmen took it [brought her] over to their marches.
[with] The Jutlanders brought it [she sailed] to Schoonland
and along the coasts of the Baltic Sea,
and with Askar's mariners it was taken [she sailed] to Britain

24. [209/29] (anonymus about Askar)
HI JEF HIM TWÉN HVNDRED SKOTSE
ÀND HVNDRED THÉRA STOROSTA SAXMANNA
MITH TO LIF.WÉRA
[O+S p.253]
hij gaf hem tweehonderd Schotten
en honderd van de grootste Saksmannen
mede tot eene lijfwacht
He gave him two hundred Scotch
and one hundred of the greatest Saksmannen
to go with him as a bodyguard

######

14. Meta-physics in the OLB ~ the word "GÁST" (ghost or spirit)

Dutch: geest
German: Geist

This word is mostly used in the OLB in the context of the 'Worldghost' or 'Spirit of the Over-old-one' (WR-ALDA'S GÁST). See fragments nr. {1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,16,19,20,21,23,24,27}

And once refering to Frya's ghost or spirit: {18}

In the context of a (living) human spirit or mind: {4,12,17,20,21,22,23,28}

Refering to bad or evil spirits: {10,11,26}

And to spirits of the dead in general: {25}

As an element of the word BIGÁSTERET or BIGÁSTERED (inspired, enchanted, excited): {14,15} The Dutch version "begeesterd" is very old-fashioned and hardly ever used anymore, but the German version "begeisterd" is still commonly used.

I wonder if there's an etymological relation to the word "guest" (Dutch: gast).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1. [011/18] Tex Frya's
SÁHWERSA THJU NÉD ÀRG SY.
ÀND GODE RÉD ÀND GODE DÉD NAWET MÁR NE FORMÜGE
HROP THÀN THI GÁST WR.ALDAS AN
[O+S p.19]
Zoo wanneer de nood erg is,
en goede raad en goede daad niets meer vermogen,
roep dan den geest van Wralda aan
When in dire distress,
and when mental and physical energy avail nothing,
then have recourse to the spirit of Wr-alda
[or: when the need is bad,
and good counsil and good deeds don't help,
call for Wralda's ghost]

2. [011/26] Tex Frya's
WR.ALDAS GÁST MÉI MÀN ALLÉNA
KNIBUWGJANDE TÁNK TOWÍA
[O+S p.21]
Wraldas geest mag men alleen
kniebuigende [of: knielende] dank toewijden
To Wr-alda's spirit only shall you [one]
bend the knee in gratitude
[or: offer kneeling thanks]

3. [012/06] Tex Frya's
NIM NÀMMAR KNI.BUWGJANDE TÁNK FON.JV NÉSTON ÁN.
THJUS ÁGATH WRALDA.S GÁST
[O+S p.21]
Neem nimmer kniebuigende [(=knielende) dank] van uwen naaste[n] dank aan,
deze behoort aan Wraldas geest
Let not your neighbour express his thanks to you on bended knee,
which is only due to Wr-alda's spirit
[or: Never accept kneeling thanks from your relatives.
This belongs to Wralda's ghost]

4. [031/29] Skriftum Minno's
THÉRA. HWAM.HIS GÁST THÀT LESTIGOSTE SY. ÀND THÉRTRVCH STERIK.
THAM.HIS HÔNE KRÉIATH KÉNING.
ÀND THA ÔRA MOTON ALWENNA AN SIN WELD VNDER.WURPEN WÉSA
TIL EN ÔTHER KVMTH THÉR.IM FON.A SÉTEL DRÍWET
[O+S p.47]
Diegene wiens geest het listigste is en daardoor sterk,
diens haan kraait koning
en de andere moeten allerwege aan zijn wil onderworpen wezen,
totdat een ander komt die hem van den zetel verdrijft
Whoever is the most crafty crows over the others,
and tries to make them submit to him,
till another comes who drives him off his perch
[or: the one who's ghost is most cunning, and therefore strong,
his rooster crows: "king",
and the others will have to submit to him,
until another comes who chases him from his seat]

5. [032/18] Skriftum Minno's
THESSA NIGUNG HÀVATH WI TRVCH WR.ALDA.S GÁST. VSA FODERS.
THÉR IN FRYAS BERN BOGTH
THÉRVM BE SKIL HJU VS ÁK ÉVG BIKLÍWA
[O+S p.47]
Deze neiging hebben wij door den geest van Wralda onzen vader [voeder],
die luide spreekt in Fryas kinderen [boogt, pocht, praalt?].
Daarom zal die [ons] ook eeuwig beklijven.
We derive this disposition from the spirit of our father Wr-alda [our feeder],
which speaks strongly [shines?] in Frya's children,
and will eternally remain so
[or: therefore it shall always stay with us]

6. [032/21] Skriftum Minno's
ÉWA IS ÁK THET ÔRA SINNA.BYLD FON WR.ALDA.S GÁST.
THÉR ÉVG RJUCHT ÀND VN.FORSTOREN. BILIWATH
AFSKÉN.ET AN SIN LICHÉME ÀRG TO GÉIT
[O+S p.47]
Ewa (eeuwig [of: even, recht]) is ook het andere zinnebeeld van Wralda['s geest],
die eeuwig recht en onverstoord blijft,
ofschoon het in zijn ligchaam erg toe gaat
Eternity [Ewa or even (right)] is another symbol of Wr-alda['s ghost],
who [that] remains always just and unchangeable [undisturbed or calm]
[even when its body is shaken badly?]

7. [033/02] Skriftum Minno's
IS THÉR ENG KWÁD DÉN
HWÉRVR NÉN ÉWA TAVLIKT SEND
SA MOT MÀN ÉNE MÉNA ACHT BILIDSA
THÉR ORDÉLTH MÀN NÉI THA SIN
THÉR WR.ALDA.S GÁST AN VS KÉTH
VMBE OVER ELLA RJUCHT.FÉRDICH TO BIRJUCHTANDE
[O+S p.49]
Is er eenig kwaad bedreven,
waaromtrent geene wetten gemaakt zijn,
zoo moet men eene algemeene vergadering beleggen,
daar oordeelt men naar den zin,
dien Wraldas geest in ons spreekt,
om over alles rechtvaardig te oordeelen
If any crime is committed
respecting which no law has been made,
a general assembly of the people shall be called,
where judgment shall be pronounced
in accordance with the inspiration of Wr-alda's spirit
[or: there one decides in the way
that Wralda's ghost speaks to us,
to judge right over all]

8. [035/23] Skriftum Minno's ~ 2
MEN IK NE KÀN NÉNE GODA THÉR ÀRG.DVANDE SEND.
THÉRVMBE NE KAN IK NAVT FRÉJA JEF HJA BETER WRDA WILLA.
IK KÀN ÉN GODE. THÀT IS WRALDAS GÁST.
MEN THRVCH THAM ER GOD IS. DVATH.ER ÁK NEN KWÁD
[O+S p.51]
maar ik ken geene goden [of: goeden] die kwaaddoende zijn,
daarom kan ik niet vragen of zij beter willen worden.
Ik ken slechts een goede, dat is Wralda’s geest,
maar omdat hij goed is, doet hij ook geen kwaad
[but] I know no gods [or: good ones] that do evil,
therefore I cannot ask them to do [if they want to become] better.
I only know one good spirit, that is Wr-alda's [spirit];
and [but] as he is good he never does evil

9. [045/21] about the Jol-signs
WY MÜGON WRALDA ÉVG THANK TOWYA
THÀT HI SIN GÁST SA HERDE.
INVR VSA ÉTHLA HETH FÁRA LÉTN
[O+S p.65]
Wij mogen Wralda eeuwig dank wijden,
dat hij zijn geest zoo krachtig
over onze voorvaderen heeft laten varen
We may be eternally thankful to Wr-alda
that he allowed his spirit to exercise
such an influence over our forefathers
[or: to sail so strongly in our elders]

10. [052/02] Arrival of the Magjara
FORTH NE SEND HJA NAVT TO BINYDANE.
HWAND HJA SEND SLÁVONA FON THA PRESTERUM
ÀND JETA FÜL ÀRGER FON HJARA MÉNINGA.
HJA MÉNATH THAT ELLA FVL KVADA GÁSTON IS.
THÉR INDA MÀNNISKA ÀND DJARA GLUPPE.
MEN FON WR.ALDA.S GÁST NÉTON HJA NAWET
[O+S p.73]
Voorts zijn zij niet te benijden,
want zij zijn slaven van hunne [de] priesters,
maar [en] nog veel meer [erger] van hunne meeningen.
Zij meenen, dat alles vol is van booze [kwade] geesten [is],
die in de menschen en dieren sluipen;
maar van Wraldas geest weten zij niets
But still [furthermore] they are not to be envied,
because they are slaves to their priests,
and still more [worse] to their creeds.
They believe that evil spirits abound everywhere,
and enter [that sneak] into men [people] and beasts [animals],
but of Wr-alda's spirit they know nothing

11. [052/] Arrival of the Magjara
THA MÁGJARA TELLATH
THAT HJA THA ÀRGE GÁSTON BANNA ÀND VRBANNA MÜGON.
THÉR.VR IS.T FOLK ÔLAN IN ANGE FRÉSE
ÀND VPPERA WÉSA NIS NINMER NÉN BLÍDSKIP TO BISJAN
[O+S p.75]
De Magyaren verhalen [vertellen],
dat zij de booze [erge] geesten kunnen bannen en verbannen,
daarover is het volk steeds in bange vrees,
en op hun gelaat [wezen] is nimmer vrolijkheid [blijdschap] te zien
The Magyars affirm
that they can exorcise and recall the evil spirits,
and this frightens the people,
[because of this, the people always live in terrible fear]
so that you never see a cheerful face
[or: and on their faces joy is never to be seen]

12. [054/20] History of Wodin
THENE MÁGÍ HETH FÜL RIKDOM.
MEN HI HETH SJAN
THAT FRYA WELDIGER IS
AS AL VSA GÁSTON ET SÉMINE
[O+S p.77]
De Magy heeft vele rijkdommen [enkelvoud],
maar hij heeft gezien,
dat Frya veel machtiger is
als alle onze geesten te zamen
The Magy possesses great riches,
but he has seen
that Frya is much more powerful
than all our spirits together

13. [055/18] History of Wodin
ÀFTENÉI WÀRTH.I MITH KRÚDON BIRÉKAD.
MEN THÉR WÉRON TAWER.KRÚDON MONG.
HWAND WODIN WARTH BI GRÁDUM ALSA SÉR VRMÉTEN.
THAT.I FRYA ÀND WR.ALDAS GÁST MIS.KÀNA ÀND SPOTA THVRADE.
THAWÍLA HI SIN FRYA HALS BOG
TOFARA FALSKA DROCHTEN.LIKANDE BYLDUM
[O+S p.79]
Daarop werd hij met kruiden berookt,
doch er waren tooverkruiden onder;
want Wodin werd trapsgewijze zoo zeer vermetel,
dat hij Frya en Wraldas geest durfde miskennen en bespotten,
terwijl hij zijn vrije hals boog
voor de valsche gedrochtelijke [of: afgoden-gelijkende] beelden
Whereupon he was incensed with herbs;
but they [some of them] were magic herbs,
and [as Wodin] by degrees he became so audacious
that he dared to disavow and ridicule [Frya and] the spirits of Frya and Wr-alda,
while he bent his free head
before the false and deceitful images [of idols]

14. [059/28] History of Tunis and Inka
THI GRÉVA.MAN FON WEST.FLÍ.LAND.
WÀRTH THRVCH AL THESSA THINGA BIGÁSTERET
[O+S p.83]
De grevetman [of: graaf] van Westflyland
werd door al deze dingen verrukt [of: begeesterd]
which so enchanted the Grevetman of Westflyland
[or: the reeve of Westflyland
was inspired by all these things]

15. [065/05] Kalta and Minerva
MEN THAT VRDRVNKEN FOLK WAS ALTHUS DÉNERA BIGÁSTERED
THAT.ET VR SIN RÉDE NAVT MOCHT TO WÁKANE
[O+S p.91]
maar het beschonken volk was zoo opgewonden [of: begeesterd],
dat het over zijne rede niet vermocht te waken
but the drunken people were so excited [or: inspired]
that they did not stop to weigh what they had heard
[or: that they could not watch over their reason]

16. [072/16] About the Gertmanna
MEN WI NILDON MIN.ERVA NAVT AS ÉNE GODENE NAVT BIKÀNNA
NÉIDAN HJA SELVA SEID HÉDE
THAT NIMMAN GOD JEFTA FVLKVMA WÉSA NE KVNDE
THÀN WR.ALDA.S. GÁST
[O+S p.101]
Maar wij wilden Minerva niet als eene Godin [of: Goede, Volkomene] erkennen,
naardien zij zelve ons gezegd had,
dat niemand goed of volkomen kon wezen,
als Wraldas geest
But we would not recognise Min-erva as a goddess [or: good-one, perfect-one],
because she herself had told us
that no one could be perfectly good [or perfect]
except the spirit of Wr-alda

17. [073/06] About the Gertmanna
AN ÉGIPTALANDA THÉR WÉRE EN OVER.PRESTER.
HEL FON ÁGNUM. KLÁR FON BRYN ÀND LICHT FON GÁST.
SIN NÁM WÉRE SÉKROPS
[O+S p.103]
een Egyptenaar die een overpriester was,
helder van oogen, klaar van brein, en verlicht van geest,
zijn naam was Cecrops
an Egyptian [who was a] high priest,
bright of eye, clear of brain, and enlightened of mind [or: light of spirit],
whose name was Cecrops

18. [078/05] Ulysus' scribe about Athenja
ALSA NÁKA THÉR JETA.N STRÉL FON FRYA.S GÁST WELDANDE WÉRE
WÀRTH AL ET BVW.SPUL TO MÉNA WERKA FORWROCHTEN
ÀND NIMMÀN NE MACHT EN HUS TO BVWANDE
THÀT RUMER ÀND RIKKER WÉRE AS THÀT SINRA NÉSTUM
[O+S p.109]
Alzoo lang er nog een straal van Fryas geest opwelde [heersend was],
werd al de bouwstof tot gemeene werken verarbeid,
en niemand mocht een huis bouwen,
dat ruimer en rijker was als dat van zijn buurman [naasten]
As long as a ray of Frya's spirit existed [ruled],
all the building materials were for common use,
and no one might build a house
larger or better [richer] than [that of] his neighbours [or: next-ones]

19. [098/12] Form-lere (first, oldest or formal learning or doctrine)
WR.ALDA IS OVERAL AINWARDICH.
MEN NARNE TO BISJA.
THÉRVMBE WÀRTH HETH WÉSA GÁST HÉTEN
[O+S p.137]
Wralda is overal tegenwoordig [of: eigenwaardig],
maar nergens te aanschouwen [of: bezien],
daarom wordt dit wezen geest genoemd
Wr-alda is omnipresent [litt: over-all ownworthy]
but invisible [litt: nowhere to be seen],
and therefore [the being] is called a spirit [or: ghost]

20. [100/02] Other part of Form-ler
EMONG FINDA.S FOLK SEND WAN.WÍSA.
THÉR THRVCH HJARA OVER.FINDINGRIKHÉD AL SA ÀRG SEND EWERDEN
THÀT HJA HJARA SELVA WIS MÁKJA ÀND THA INEWIDA BITJUGA
THÀT HJA THET BESTA DÉL SEND FON WR.ALDA.
THET HJARA GÁST THET BESTE DÉL IS FON WR.ALDA.S GÁST
ÀND THET WR.ALDA ALLÉNA MÉI THÀNKJA THRVCH HELPE HJAR.IS BRYN
[O+S p.139]
Onder Findas volk zijn wanwijzen,
die door hunne overvindingrijkheid zoo boos [erg] zijn geworden,
dat zij zich zelven wijs maken en de ingewijden doen gelooven [of: betuigen],
dat zij het beste deel zijn van Wralda;
dat hun geest het beste deel is van Wralda’s geest,
en dat Wralda alleen kan denken door hulp van hun brein
Among Finda's people there are false teachers [or: pseudo-wise],
who, by their over-inventiveness, have hecome so wicked [or: bad]
that they make themselves and their adherents believe
that they are the best part of Wr-alda,
that their spirit is the best part of Wr-alda' s spirit,
and that Wr-alda can only think by the help of their brains

21. [100/16] Other part of Form-ler
WÉRE HJARA GÁST WR.ALDA.S GÁST
SÁ SKOLDE WR.ALDA ÉL DVM WÉSA
IN STÉDE FON LICHT AND WIS.
HWAND HJARA GÁST SLÁVTH HIM SELVA IMMER OF
VMBE SKÉNE BYLDA TO MÁKJANDE
THÉRY ÀFTERNÉI ANBID
[O+S p.139]
Ware hun geest Wraldas geest,
dan zoude Wralda heel dom wezen,
in plaats van verstandig en wijs.
Want hun geest slooft zich altijd af
om schoone beelden te maken,
die zij naderhand aanbid[t]den
If their spirit was Wr-alda's spirit,
then Wr-alda would be very stupid,
instead of being sensible and wise;
for their spirit labours [like a slave]
to create beautiful statues,
which they [it] afterwards worship[-s]

22. [101/31] Other part of Form-ler
HWAT THUS VSA OMME.FANG TREFT
ALSA SEND WY EN DÉL FON WRALDAS VNENDELIK WÉSA.
ALSA THA OMMEFANG FON AL ET SKÉPENE.
THACH HWAT ANGA VSA DÁNTE
VSA AINSKIPA VSA GÁST ÀND AL VSA BITHÀNKINGA
THISSA NE HÉRA NAVT TO THET WÉSA
[O+S p.141]
Wat dus onzen omvang betreft,
zoo zijn wij een deel van Wraldas oneindig wezen
als de omvang van al het geschapene.
Doch wat onze gedaante aangaat,
onze eigenschappen, onzen geest en al onze bedenkingen,
deze behooren niet tot het wezen
In what regards our existence,
we are a part of Wr-alda's everlasting [or: unending] being,
like the existence of all [that was] created beings;
but as regards our form,
our qualities, our spirit, and all our thoughts,
these do not belong to the being

23. [103/05] Other part of Form-ler
WY FRYA.S BERN SEND FORSKINSLA THRVCH WR.ALDA.S LÉVA.
BY T.ANFANG MIN ÀND BLÁT.
THACH IMMER WÀRTHANDE ÀND NÁKANDE TO FVLKVMENLIKHÉD,
SVNDER Á SA GOD TO WRDA AS WR.ALDA SELVA.
VSA GÁST NIS NAVT WR.ALDAS GÁST.
HI IS THÉRFON ALLÉNA EN AFSKINSLE
[O+S p.143]
wij Fryas kinderen zijn verschijnselen door Wraldas leven;
bij den aanvang gering [of: min] en bloot:
doch altijd wordende en naderende [of: nakende] tot volkomenheid,
zonder ooit zoo goed te worden als Wralda zelf.
Onze geest is niet Wralda’s geest,
hij is daarvan slechts een afschijnsel
We, Frya's children, exist through Wr-alda's life —
in the beginning mean and base [or: bare],
but always advancing towards perfection
without ever attaining the excellence of [or: becoming as good as] Wr-alda himself.
Our spirit is not Wr-alda's spirit,
it is merely a shadow [reflection] of it

24. [111/19] Apollanja's report
THJU BURCH.FÁM FON FOR.ÁNA SÉIDE MY.
THÀT THA BURCH.HÉRA DÉISTIK TO RÁ GUNGON.
VMBRA TO LÉRANDE. HWAT ÀFTE FRYDOM SÍ.
ÀND HO THA MÀNNISKA AN THÉRE MINNE AGON TO LÉVANE
VMBE SÉJEN TO WINNANDE FON WR.ALDA.S.GÁST
[O+S p.153]
De Burgtmaagd van Forana zeide mij,
dat de burgtheeren dagelijks tot hen gingen
om hun te leeren, wat echte vrijheid is,
en hoe de menschen in der minne behooren te leven
om zegen te erlangen [of: winnen] van Wraldas geest
The Burgtmaagd of Forana told me
that the burgtheeren go every day
to teach them what real freedom is,
and how it behoves men to live
in order to obtain the blessing of Wr-alda's spirit

25. [132/21] Frethorik about the Jonjar
HWERSA IMMAN EN BYLD MÁKATH
ÀFTER ÉNNEN VRSTURVEN ÀND THET LIKT
SÁ LÁWATH HJA
THÀT THENE GÁST THES VRSTURVENE THÉR INNE FÁRATH.
THÉRVR HÀVATH HJA ALLE BYLDA VRBURGEN.
FON FRYA. FÀSTA. MÉDÉA. THJANJA.
HELLÉNJA ÀND FÉLO ÔTHERA
[O+S p.181]
Wanneer iemand een beeld maakt
naar een afgestorvene en het gelijkt,
dan gelooven zij,
dat de geest des overledene daarin vaart.
Daarom hebben zij alle beelden verborgen
van Frya, Fâsta, Medea, Thiania,
Hellenia en vele andere
When they [someone] make[-s] a statue
of a dead person [and it's alike]
they believe
that the spirit of the departed enters into it;
therefore they have hidden their [all] statues
of Frya, Fâsta, Medea, Thiania,
Hellenia, and many others

26. [133/10] Frethorik about the Jonjar
ÔLON LÁWATH HJA AN BOSA GÁSTA.
HEXNA. KOLLA. ULDERMANKES. ÀND ELFUN
AS JEF HJA FON THA FINNA WEI KÉMEN
[O+S p.181]
Vervolgens gelooven zij aan booze geesten,
heksen, kollen, aardmannetjes en elfen,
alsof zij van de Finnen afstammen
Moreover, they believe in bad spirits [or: angry ghosts],
witches, sorcerers, dwarfs [or: trolls], and elves,
as if they descended from the Finns

27. [141/07] Dela a.k.a. Hellenja
THA SKILUN THA FALXA PRESTERA WÉI FÁGATH WERTHA FON JRTHA.
WR.ALDA HIS GÁST SKIL ALOMME ÀND ALLERWÉIKES ÉRATH ÀND BIHROPA WERTHA.
THA ÉWA THÉR WR.ALDA BI.T.ANFANG IN VS MOD LÉIDE
SKILUN ALLÉNA HÉRAD WERTHA
[O+S p.191]
Dan zullen de valsche priesters weggevaagd worden van de aarde;
Wraldas geest zal alom en allerwege geëerd en aangeroepen worden;
de wetten die Wralda bij den aanvang in ons gemoed legde,
zullen alleen gehoord worden
Then the false priests shall be swept away from the earth.
Wr-alda's spirit shall be invoked [and honoured] everywhere and always;
the laws that Wr-alda in the beginning instilled into our consciences
shall alone be listened to

28. [142/14] Gosa's prophecy
THJUSTRENESSE SKIL HJU IN OVERNE GÁST THÉRA MÀNNISKA SPRÉDA
LIK TONGAR.IS WOLKA OVIRET SVNNE LJUCHT
[O+S p.193]
Duisternis zal hij over den geest der menschen spreiden,
gelijk onweers [donder]wolken over het zonnelicht
It will spread darkness over the minds of men [spirits of the people]
like storm- [thunder-]clouds over the sunlight

######

The adjective "FRY" or "FRYA"

Dutch - vrij
German - frei
English - free

1. [002/03] Adela's read
FRYA HETH SÉIT WI NE SKOLDON NÉN VNFRYA LJVD BY VS TOLÉTA
[O+S p.5]
Frya heeft gezegd: wij moesten geene onvrije lieden bij ons toelaten
Frya has said we must [should] not admit [unfree people] amongst us any but free people

2. [002/16] Adela's read
THISSA WAXTON VPPA MITH VSA FRYA BÀRN
[O+S p.7]
deze groeiden op met onze vrije kinderen
These grew up with our free children

3. [011/14] Tex Frya's
HELD BÉID THA FRYA
[O+S p.19]
Heil verbeidt de vrijen
Prosperity awaitsv[or: hail, health to] the free

4. [026/14] Rights to be secure
MÀN LÉRTH HJA VSA FRYA SÉDE
[O+S p.39]
[M]en leert hen onze vrije zeden
that they may [One] learn[-s them] our free customs

5. [030/06] Notes of Minno
TIL THJU WI NAVT AN TWIST NE KVME NE MÜGE
VR SÉKA. STRIDANDE WITH VSA FRYA SÉDUM.
[O+S p.45]
opdat wij niet in twist mogen komen
over zaken strijdende met onze vrije zeden
in order that we may not come into disputes
about matters foreign to [conflicting with] our free customs

6. [033/18] Notes of Minno
TO THA LESTA KLÀPPATH HJA SLÁVONA.BANDA
OM JAHWELIKES FRYA HALS
[O+S p.49]
ten laatste sluiten zij slavenbanden
om een ieders vrijen hals
at last [they] throw the bonds of slavery
over every freeman's [free] neck

7. [055/23] History of Wodin
THAWÍLA HI SIN FRYA HALS BOG
TOFARA FALSKA DROCHTEN.LIKANDE BYLDUM
[O+S p.79]
terwijl hij zijn vrije hals boog
voor de valsche gedrochtelijke [of: afgoden-gelijkende] beelden
while he bent his free [neck] head
before the false and deceitful images [of idols]

8. [073/32] About the Gertmanna
HJU MACHTE FRYA UTTOCHTE HÁ
[O+S p.103]
zij mocht vrijen uittocht hebben
offering her [she could have] free exit

9. [190/18] Rika's letter
TILTHJU HJA TO.RA DOL KVMA MACHTE
ALSA HÀVON HJA THET FORMA NAVT FVLDÉN WÉST
MITH THA FRYA JEFTA
MEN HÀVON HJA THÀT FOLK ÉNE TINS VPLÉID
[O+S p.231]
Opdat zij tot hun doel mochten komen,
zoo zijn zij in het eerst niet voldaan geweest
met de vrije giften,
maar hebben het volk eene schatting opgelegd
In order to attain their object [or: reach their goal]
they were [initially] not satisfied from the beginning
with [the] free [or: voluntary] gifts,
but imposed a tax upon the people

10. [204/13] Anonymous about Swarte Adel
BY THA TWISK.LANDAR HÉDE HJU HJARA SELVA AS MODER ÚTJÁN
ÀND SÉID THÀT HJA MOCHTON
AS FRY ÀND FRANKA MÀNNISKA WITHER KVMA
[O+S p.245]
Bij de Twisklanders had zij zich zelve voor Moeder uitgegeven,
en gezegd, dat zij mochten
als vrije en franke menschen terugkomen
Among the Twisklanders she gave herself out for a mother,
and said that they might return
as free and true [?] people

11. [208/14] Anonymous about Swarte Adel
THÀT ÁSKAR THÚSAND MEL MÁRA FRYA MÀNNISKA
ÚT SINA STÁTUM HULPEN HETH
AS.ER VVLA SLÁVONA INBROCHTE
[O+S p.251]
dat Askar duizendmaal meer vrije menschen
uit zijne staten geholpen heeft,
als hij er vuile slaven in bracht
that Askar had helped out of his states
a thousand times more free-men [people]
than he had brought dirty [or: foul] slaves in

12. [209/12] Anonymous about Swarte Adel
HJA WÉRON FRYA MÀNNISKA BILÉWEN
[O+S p.251]
zij waren vrije menschen gebleven
They had remained free [people]

######

The verb "FINDA"

A study of the meaning of the name FINDA, from the second mother of the creation myth.

Dutch - vinden
German - finden
Danish - find
Norwegian - finner
English - to find
Icelandic - Finna

1. [004/12] Adela's read
FORTH SKOLD.IK RÉDA
J MOSTE NÉI THA BURGUM GÁ.
ÀND THÉR VPSKRÍWA ALLE ÉWA. FRYA.S TEX.
BIJVNKA ALLE SKÍDNISA.
JÁ ELLA THÀT.ER TO FINDA SÍ. VPPA WÁGUM.
TIL THJU ELLA NAVT VRLÊREN NI GÁ
ÀND MITH.A BURGUM ALSA VRDÉN NAVT NE WERTH
[O+S p.9]
Voorts zoude ik aanraden,
gij moest naar de burgten gaan
en daar opschrijven alle wetten van [en] Fryas tex,
benevens alle geschiedenissen,
ja alles wat er te vinden is op de wanden,
opdat die alle niet verloren gaan,
en met de burgten tevens niet worde vernield
I should farther recommend
that you should visit all the citadels,
and write down all the laws of [and] Frya's Tex,
as well as all the histories,
and all that is written [one can find] on the walls,
in order that it may not be [lost]
[and] destroyed with the citadels

2. [011/08] Ode to Frya
ÀND VMBE THAT ALLERA MANNALIK HJA SKOLDE MÜGA FINDA
HÀVATH HJA THÀT LAND RONDOMME TEX.LAND HÉTEN
[O+S p.19]
en omdat iedereen die zoude mogen vinden,
hebben zij het land daarom heen Texland geheeten
and that every one should be able to find it
they called the land about it Texland

3. [018/04] Burg-Ewa
ÀND FINDATH HJU THJU SÉKE TVIVELIK
SÂ MOT HJU TO BÁTE FON THÉR MÉNTE SPRÉKA
[O+S p.29]
en vindt zij de zaak twijfelachtig,
zoo moet zij ten bate der gemeente spreken
[left out by S.: and she finds the case to be doubtful,]
she must incline towards the side [speak in the benefit] of the community

4. [027/26] Stjurar-Ewa
JEF MÀN VPPE RÉIS BIFINTH
THÀT THENE KÉNING ÀRG JEFTA VNBIKVMMEN IS.
SÁ MÜGON HJA EN ÔRA NIMMA
[O+S p.41]
Als men op reis bevindt,
dat de koning slecht of onbekwaam is,
dan mogen zij een ander nemen
If [one finds out] during a voyage it is found
that the king is bad or incompetent,
[they may take] another may be put in his place

5. [030/28] Minno's notes
JEF WI VS VPPEN VRLANDISKA MÀRKT FINDA.
SY.ET HÉINDE JEFTHA FÉR
[O+S p.45]
zoo wij ons op eene buitenlandsche markt bevinden,
hetzij nabij of ver af
If we [...] [find ourselves on] a foreign market,
whether distant or near

6. [036/02] Minno on Minerva
WITH ALLE RAMPUM IS RÉD ÀND HELP TO FINDANDE
[O+S p.53]
voor alle rampen is raad en hulp te vinden
For all calamities there is counsel and remedy to be found

7. [080/12] Dena Marka lost
KREK HONDRED JÉR EFTERE DÉI THAT ET FORMA SKIP
MITH LIFTOCHTA FONA KÁD FÁREN WAS.
KÉM ERMODE ÀND LOK THRVCH THA ANDERNA BINNA.
HONGER SPRÉDA SINA WJVKA ÀND STRÉK VPPET LAND DEL.
TWISPALT HLIP STOLTE IN OVERE STRÉTA ÀND FORTH TO THA HÚSA IN.
LJAFDE NE KV NÉN STEK LÔNGER NAVT FINDA
ÀND ÉNDRACHT RUN ÉWÉI
[O+S p.111]
Juist [Krek] honderd jaar na [de dag] dat het eerste schip
met leeftocht van de kust in zee gestoken [kade gevaren] was,
kwam armoede en gebrek door de vensters binnen,
honger spreidde zijne wieken uit en streek op het land neder,
tweespalt liep trotsch over de straat, en voorts de huizen in,
liefde kon geen steun [stek] langer vinden,
en eendracht liep [rende] weg
Just [Correct] one hundred years after the first ship
with provisions sailed from the coast,
poverty and want made their appearance [entered through the windows],
hunger spread her wings all over the country [and descended on the land],
dissension marched proudly about the streets and into the houses,
charity found no [love could no longer find a] place,
and unity departed [ran away]

8. [087/28] Adelbrost
HIRA LERSTA WILLE WAS SOK ÀND NARNE TO FINDNE
[O+S p.123]
Haar uiterste wil was weg en nergens te vinden
her [last] will was [lost and] nowhere to be found

9. [099/10] Formlearn
ÀND THÉR NIS NÉNE WISHÉD TO FINDANDE NER TO GARJANDE BUTA THAM
[O+S p.137]
en er is geen wijsheid te vinden, noch te vergaderen buiten die
nor is [there] any wisdom to be found or gathered but in them

10. [100/03] Other part of Formlearn
OVER.FINDINGRIKHÉD
[O+S p.139]
overvindingrijkheid
over-inventiveness [litterally: over-findingrichness]

11. [107/06] Apollanja's burg
IN VPPA THÉRE SÚDERWACH IS THÉNE TEX WRYTEN.
AN THA FÉRE SÍDE THÉRA FINTH MÀN THJU FORM.LÉRE.
ANNA WINSTERE SÍDE THA ÉWA.
THA ORA SÉKA FINTH MÀN VPPA ÔRA THRJA
[O+S p.147]
Op de zuiderwand is de Tex gegrift.
Aan de rechterzijde van deze vindt men de formleer;
aan de linkerzijde de wetten.
De andere zaken vindt men op de drie andere zijden
On the south wall the Tex is inscribed.
On the right side of this are [one finds] the formulae,
and on the other [left] side the laws;
the other things are found upon the three other sides

12. [118/02] Frethorik on Gosa
KÀNST ÉN ÀND ÔR TOBEK FORA NÉI HJRA LÁNDUM
THÀN ÁCHSTE SPOD TO MÁKJANDE.
OWERS NE SKILUN HJA HJARA MÁGA NAVT WITHER NE FINDA
[O+S p.163]
**** gij een en ander terug voeren naar hunne landen,
dan behoort gij spoed te maken,
anders zullen zij hunne bloedverwanten niet weder vinden
Can you send them all [one and other] back to their country [lands]?
If so, then lose no time [or: then you should make speed],
or they will [not] find no [back their] relatives alive

13. [120/16] Ljudgert's daybook
THA HWILA VSA SÉKÀMPAR
ALLE SÉA BIFÁREN HÉDE
THÉR TO FINDANE
[O+S p.165]
terwijl onze zee[kampers]strijders
alle zeeën bevoeren [bevaren hadden],
die er [daar] te vinden waren
whilst our naval warriors
were navigating [had navigated] all the seas
they could find [there to be found]

14. [141/04] Prophecy of Dela a.k.a. Hellenja
FINDA.S FOLK SKIL SINA FINDINGRIKHÉD
TO MÉMA NITHA WENDA.
THÀT LYDA.S FOLK SINA KRÀFTA ÀND WI VSA WISDOM
[O+S p.191]
Findas volk zal zijne vindingrijkheid
ten gemeenen nutte aanwenden,
en Lydas volk zijne krachten, en wij onze wijsheid
Finda's folk shall contribute their industry [litt. 'findingrichness', see #10]
to the common good,
Linda's folk their strength, and we our wisdom

15. [158/11] Gosa's read
THÁ WR.ALDA BERN JEF ANTHA MODERA FON THÀT MÀNNISKELIK SLACHTE
THÁ LÉIDER ÉNE TÁLE IN ALLER TONGA ÀND VP ALLER LIPPA.
THJUS MÉIDE HÉDE WR.ALDA ANTHA MÀNNISKA JÉVEN.
TIL THJU HJA MÀNLIK ÔTHERA THÉRMITH MACHTE KÀNBÉR MÁKJA.
HWAT MÀN FORMÍDE MOT ÀND HWAT MÀN BIJAGJA MOT
VMBE SÉLIGHÉD TO FINDANE ÀND SÉLIGHÉD TO HALDANE IN AL ÉVGHÉD
[O+S p.215]
Toen Wralda kinderen gaf aan de moeders van het menschelijk geslacht,
toen legde hij ééne taal in aller tongen en op aller lippen.
Dit geschenk had Wralda aan de menschen gegeven,
opdat zij elkander daarmede mochten kenbaar maken,
wat men vermijden moet en wat men najagen moet
om zaligheid te vinden en zaligheid te houden in alle eeuwigheid
When Wr-alda gave children to the mothers of mankind,
he gave one language to every tongue and to all lips.
This gift Wr-alda had bestowed upon men
in order that by its means they might make known to each other
what must be avoided and what must be followed
to find salvation, and to hold salvation to all eternity

16. [167/18] Ljudgert the Gertman's letter
KVMTH MAN ÉL WEST.LIK FON PANG.AB
THEN FINTH MAN NEFFEN FETTE ETTA ÁK DORRA GÉST.LANDA
THÉR VN.ENDLIK SKINA
BIHWILA OFWIXLATH MITH LJAFLIKA STRÉKA
HWÉRAN THET ÁG FORBONDEN BILÍWET
[O+S p.225]
Komt men heel westelijk van Pangab,
dan vindt men nevens vetten kleigrond ook dorre geestlanden,
die eindeloos schijnen,
bij wijlen afgewisseld met liefelijke streken,
waaraan het oog geboeid blijft
To the extreme west of the Punjab
there is found rich clay land as well as barren heaths,
which seem endless,
occasionally varied lovely spots
on which the eye rests enchanted

17. [189/21] Rika's letter
ÁK WIVA THER HJARA BERN MÀMA LÉTA AN HJARA BROSTA
WERTHAT FÉDSTRA HÉTEN.
THÁ NE JÉF VVR.ALDA THÉR NÉN MELOK IN
SA NE SKOLDON THA BERN THÉR NÉNE BÁTE BY FINDA.
SÁ THÀT BÍ SLOT FON REKNONG
VVR.ALDA ALLÉNA FÉDER BILÍWET
[O+S p.229]
Ook vrouwen, die hare kinderen zogen aan hare borsten,
worden voedsters genoemd.
Doch gaf Wralda daar geene melk in,
zoo zouden de kinderen daar geen baat bij vinden.
Zoodat bij slot van rekening
Wralda alleen de voeder blijft
[also] Women who nourish their children at their breasts
are called nurses [litt. feedsters],
but if Wr-alda did not give them milk [in there]
the children would find no advantage;
so that, in short [at the end of the calculation],
Wr-alda really is the nourisher [alone stays feeder] ( * )

( * ) this word later evolved into father, but was initially genderless.

######

The verb "LYDA"

A study of the meaning of the name LYDA in OLB.

Dutch - lijden
German - Leiden
Swedish - lidande
Danish, Norwegian- lidelse
English - to suffer

1. [011/31] tex Frya's
J HÀWED SJAN HO RING IK HELPE LÉNDE.
DVA AL ÉN MITH JO NÉSTON.
MEN NE TOF NAVT TIL MÀN JO BÉDEN HETH.
THA LYDANDE SKOLDE JO FLOKA
MIN FÁMNA SKOLDUN JVWA NÁMA UFFÁGA UT.ÀT BOK
ÀND IK SKOLDE JO LIK VNBIKÀNNADE OFWISA MOTA
[O+S p.21]
Gij hebt gezien, hoe spoedig ik hulp verleende.
Doe al eender met uwen naaste;
maar en toef niet tot dat men u gebeden heeft;
de ulijdende zoude u vloeken,
mijne maagden [fammen] zouden uwen naam uitwisschen uit het boek
en ik zoude u als een onbekende moeten afwijzen
You have seen how speedily I have come to your assistance [offered help].
Do likewise to your neighbour [or: next ones],
but wait not for his entreaties [act not til one has asked you].
The suffering would curse you,
my maidens would erase your name from the book,
and I would regard [have to reject] you as [like] a stranger [litt. unknown]

2. [020/02] Mena Ewa ~ Common laws
EK THORP SKIL EN HÉM.RIK HÀVA NÉI SINA BIHOF
ÀND THÉNE GRÉVA SKIL NJVDA
THAT ALRA EK SIN DÉL BIDONGTH ÀND GOD HALD
TIL THJU THA ÀFTER.KVMANDE NÉN SKÀDA NAVT NE LYDA NE MVGE
[O+S p.31]
Elk dorp zal een hemrik hebben naar zijne behoefte
en de graaf zal hoeden
dat elk zijn deel bemest en goed houdt,
opdat de nakomelingen geene schade lijden mogen
Every village shall possess a common [?] for the general good [its need],
and the chief of the village [reeve] shall take care
that it is kept in good order [each fertilises his part and keeps it good],
so that posterity shall find it uninjured [the aftercoming may suffer no damage]

3. [050/07] Arge Tid ~ bad times
THRJU JÉR WAS JRTHA ALSA TO LYDANDE
MEN THÁ HJU BÉTER WÉRE
MACHT MÀN HJRA VVNDA SJA
[O+S p.71]
Drie jaren was de aarde zoo lijdende,
maar toen zij herstelde,
kon men hare wouden [wonden] zien
During three years this continued [Earth was suffering],
but at length it ceased [when she got better],
and forests [her wounds] became visible

4. [135/27] Dela/ Hellenja
MEN THA LÀFA SKIN.FRÁNA PRESTARA NE MACHTON THÀT NAVT NE LYDA
[O+S p.185]
Maar de laffe schijnvrome priesters konden dat niet dulden [lijden]
but the cowardly hypocritical priests could not suffer this

5. [139/15] Jes-us of Kasamir
VRMITES HJA WISTON THÀT JES.US
ÀJEN THA RIKA TO FJELDA TÁGEN HÉDE.
SÁ KÉTHON HJA ALLERWÉIKES
THAT ÀRMODE HÁ. ÀND ÉNFALD SÁ.
THJU DÜRE WÉRE VMBE IN SIN RIK TO KVMANE.
THÀT THÉRA THÉR HÍR VP IRTHA THÀT MÁSTE LÉDEN HÉDE.
NÉIMELS THA MÁSTA NOCHTA HÀVA SKOLDE
[O+S p.189]
Vermits zij wisten dat Jessos [Jes-us]
tegen de rijken was te velde getrokken,
verkondigden zij allerwegen,
dat armoede lijden [hebben] en eenvoudig zijn
de deur was om in zijn rijk te komen,
dat degene die [hier] op aarde het meeste geleden hadden,
hier namaals de meeste vreugde [geneugten] hebben zouden
Because they knew that he [Jes-us]
was [had been] opposed to the rich,
they announced everywhere
that [having] poverty, suffering, and humility [being simple]
were the door by which to enter into his kingdom [empire],
and that those who had suffered the most [here] on earth
should [afterwards have the most pleasures] enjoy the greatest happiness there

6. [153/04] Konered on Friso
FRISO SÉITH THAT.ER NÉNE PRESTERA
NER POPPA FORSTA LÍDE NE MÉI.
MEN IK SEG.
HI NE MÉI NIMMAN LÍDA AS HIM SELVA
[O+S p.207]
Friso zegt dat hij geene priesteren
noch vreemde vorsten lijden mag,
maar ik zeg,
hij mag niemand lijden dan hem zelven
Friso says he cannot suffer any priests
or foreign princes [litt. -firsts],
but we [*I*] say
that he cannot suffer anybody but himself

7. [166/08] Ljudgert de Gertman's letter
BUTA ÀND BIHALVA THET THA LJUDA
THÉR FÜL FON HJARA FORSTA LYDA.
MOTON HJA ÁK NOCH FÜL
FON THET FENÍNIGE ÀND WILDE KWIK LYDA
[O+S p.225]
Buiten en behalve dat de menschen [luiden]
daar veel van hunne vorsten lijden,
moeten zij ook nog veel
van het vergiftige [venijnige] en wilde gedierte lijden
Besides what [the fact that] the people
suffer [much there] from their princes [or: kings],
they [also] suffer a great deal [much]
from [the] poisonous and wild beasts

Forum # 6 (apr. 6 - 21, 2011)

Posted 07 April 2011 - 06:32 PM
Another clue I found that Viking is derived from Vitking meaning (primarily) Seaking:

The origins of the Rus' Khaganate are unclear. The first Scandinavian settlers of the region arrived in the lower basin of the Volkhov River in the mid-8th century. The country comprising the present-day Saint-Petersburg, Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl, and Smolensk regions became known in Old Norse sources as "Gardarike", the land of forts. Norse warlords, known to the Turkic-speaking steppe peoples as "köl-beki" or "sea-kings", came to dominate some of the region's Finno-Ugric and Slavic peoples, particularly along the Volga trade route linking the Baltic Sea with the Caspian Sea and Serkland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_Khaganate

If Norse warlords in another language were known as "sea-kings", then why not in their own, or that of their ancestors, as made plausible by OLB?

### Posted 07 April 2011 - 06:36 PM
Meta-physics in the OLB ~ the word "GÁST" (ghost or spirit)

Dutch: geest
German: Geist

This word is mostly used in the OLB in the context of the 'Worldghost' or 'Spirit of the Over-old-one' (WR-ALDA'S GÁST). See fragments nr. {1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,16,19,20,21,23,24,27}

And once refering to Frya's ghost or spirit: {18}

In the context of a (living) human spirit or mind: {4,12,17,20,21,22,23,28}

Refering to bad or evil spirits: {10,11,26}

And to spirits of the dead in general: {25}

As an element of the word BIGÁSTERET or BIGÁSTERED (inspired, enchanted, excited): {14,15} The Dutch version "begeesterd" is very old-fashioned and hardly ever used anymore, but the German version "begeisterd" is still commonly used.

I wonder if there's an etymological relation to the word "guest" (Dutch: gast).
==>> reading exercises

### Posted 09 April 2011 - 05:42 AM
Abramelin, on 08 April 2011 - 06:34 PM, said:
Well, something did happen around 2200 BC, and that is a change in weather patterns all over the world. But we also had a Little Ice Age during and after the late Middle Ages, but nothing points to some major catastrophic and world-wide disaster like a comet impact or something. It could have been caused by Icelandic volcanoes erupting and/or a change in sea currents.

We should be aware that when the text about the big flood (that could be read on the walls of all the burgs) was copied in the 6th century BC, the story was already some 16 centuries old. That means that, although without doubt it had been a big disaster for the Fryans, part of it may have been dramatic exaggeration.

### Posted 09 April 2011 - 05:44 AM
Alewyn, on 08 April 2011 - 06:09 PM, said:
Secondly, the list seems to talk about people that lived East and North-East from Frisia. One would therefore not expect to see OLB names amongst them. In fact, I would suggest that had the names been similar, it would have proven that the OLB was copied from these "older" writings. As it stands, it would seem that the OLB was written quite independetly from these old "Germanic" writings, even though the time frame may be the same.

I would have to study those German texts to have a solid opinion about it, but it seems to me that they are similar to the Frisian historiography of the same period; partly based on older sources and/or oral tradition and partly based on fantasy (similar to our gossip magazines LOL).

If there are similarities between the 16th century sources and the OLB, it can either mean that one has inspired the other, or that they are both based on an older (possibly true) source.

### Posted 09 April 2011 - 08:37 AM
One of the most important reasons why OLB is rejected by most Dutch scholars seems to be that the language is relatively easy to understand.

Since the oldest known texts in Dutch, Frisian, Saxon etc. are more difficult to understand, people assume, that anything older should be even more difficult than, or more different from our 'modern' language.

What they don't realize is that while the written history (written language) had been thoroughly destroyed in a few hunderd years of cultural genocide, the spoken language may have stayed almost the same for people who did not migrate and mix too much.

In the late Middle Ages, the only people who could read and write, had learnt this in Latin (not counting the few exceptions like Liko and Hidde, who risked their lives writing in the old language).

At some point they tried to write down the commonly spoken language (that was much older than Latin), but they had no more examples, they had to construct or actually reconstruct the spelling.

So instead of the evolution of language being linear or exponential (from very primitive to very advanced), it was actually more cyclic; at some point very advanced, and then as a result of wars, migrations and mixing of cultures, it became confused and partly forgotten, while later, in times of relative peace, it was reconstructed again.

Because of the similarities in the North-European languages, we can conclude that they must have had the same (or at least a shared) origin, much older than any known written source.

Nowhere ever have I seen one convincing example of "modern Dutch" in OLB that would prove that it cannot be as old as it says it is.

### Posted 09 April 2011 - 01:32 PM
Alewyn, on 08 April 2011 - 12:27 PM, said:
In my geology studies many years ago, we were taught the “Principle of Uniformity” which holds that “the present is the key to the past.” That is to say that the processes that are in motion today were also in motion in the distant past.

This is similar to the “Theory of Uniformitarianism” that we find in the Philosophy of Naturalism. This theory assumes that the same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now, have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe. It is frequently summarized as "the present is the key to the past," because it holds that all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world.

My contention is that this theory does not only apply to the natural sciences, but also to human behaviour.

Having studied the Oera Linda Book in some detail over the last few years, there are many events in the book that the author(s) describe that tells me they could only describe these if they actually lived through them. The thing is that these were not major historical events or facts, but rather the seemingly casual remarks made in passing. Unless you have experienced this yourself, you would not even notice it.

The OLB describes a few occasions where the Fryan Folk encountered less developed people, settled, tried to educate (and rule them) and then they were kicked out.
Now, when I read this, I cannot help but seeing the similarities with South African history (my “Principle of ‘Human’ Uniformity”).

Please understand that I am not trying to defend or attack anything in S.A. history – I am merely trying to show how human nature has not changed at all over the last few thousand years. From this distance in time, we can now clearly see the picture as it unfolded, but this would not have been possible during the 19th century in the Netherlands.
Let me give a few examples:

In 1652 AD, the Dutch started a halfway station at the Cape of Good Hope (Present day Cape Town) on the Southern tip of Africa, on their long sea voyages between Europe and India. At the time, they had no intention to colonize Africa. Through time, however, the colonists migrated north until they eventually formed the Union of South Africa (under British rule) in1910 and eventually the fully autonomous Republic of South Africa outside the British Commonwealth in 1961. In 1994, the country for the first time became fully democratic by extending the franchise to the majority of the black peoples in the country.
Now let us consider the Oera Linda Book:

1. When Minerva arrived in Attica and started building Athenia, the locals became upset because the “Frisians” did not have slaves. Now why did they react that way? Surely one would have thought that they would have been happy that the Frisians were not about to make slaves of them.
The reason is that the Frisians did not present job opportunities to them. This is something I have encountered countless times in S.A. history and throughout my life. When you start any business in S.A., the locals will only support you, understandably, if you give them employment. If you do not, you will have a fight on your hands.

2. When the Gertmanne were kicked out of Athens, the locals introduced many changes. The most pronounced were the changes in the judicial system. Previously all litigation was done in the “Frisian” language only, then in both Fries and Doric (?) and eventually in the local language only.
Before 1994 in S.A., most state departments, the police, the army, etc, were predominantly Afrikaans. Today the numbers of Afrikaners in these departments are almost non-existent and you will, for most of the time, not be served if you address them in Afrikaans.

3. The OLB describes how the priests and rulers in Athens corrupted the laws after the Gertmanne had left. The same happened in Zimbabwe and all over Africa, and is now happening in South Africa.

4. The Gertmanne in the OLB did not want to live under a foreign government and they chose their own leaders before they were kicked out of Athens.
In S.A. we had the same thing when many people emigrated to Australia, New Zeeland, Canada, etc. The right-wingers in S.A. who could not emigrate, tried to form their own homeland, etc.

In South Africa, Afrikaners are being ridiculed as “Boere” (Farmers) whereas the Frisians that remained in Athens were called “Sea Monsters” (From “Sea Peoples”)

5. When Minnos settled on Crete, the locals wanted democracy. They got it but the rulers soon changed it to suit themselves.
Now think of post-colonial Africa. They all wanted democracy but the tyrants and dictators still rule despite the guise of democracy.
(I am following the events in the Middle East with keen interest)

6. In South Africa, the Afrikaners brought in Apartheid (Separateness) to protect themselves (and their privileged position). I would suggest the same happened in Athens, Crete, India and with the Hyksos in Egypt. That is why they were so resented by the locals. My evidence shows that the descendants of the Gertmanne introduced the Caste system in India. (a different form of Apartheid).

Consider also the privileged positions of the Dutch, British, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German Colonists all over the world until the advent of “Uhuru” in the 1950’s / 1960’s. Even the Australians exploited their indigenous peoples.

I could go on but you will understand what I am trying to say. These subtle and perhaps naïve descriptions is unlikely to have been dreamt up by some hoaxer in the 19th century.

I know it is difficult to visualize or describe the backgrounds in the OLB, but it is these things that convinced me that the OLB is true. With our debate here on UM and my own further investigations, I am even more convinced.

This is one of the best posts we had in a long time.

### Posted 09 April 2011 - 04:30 PM
Re-reading parts of Jensma's thesis "De Gemaskerde God" (2004), about his conspiracy theory of 3 men having created the OLB in the 19th century, I found a fragment that I had forgotten about, but which is relevant.

If it would have been a good book, a pleasant read -and that does not mean at all that it would have to be easy, or confirm all or most of my ideas and beliefs- if Jensma for example would have been more modest with terms like "undoubtedly", "without a bit of doubt", "absolutely obvious", "utterly unthinkable", etcetera, I would have read it more thoroughly and taken it more seriously.

The best term to describe the reading experience I can think of is a Dutch one: "tenenkrommend", which litterally means "toe-curling" (a combination of terrifying, horrifying, disgusting?).

Anyway, the relevant part I had forgotten or suppressed (on page 256) was about some sheets of empty paper that were discovered between the things Cornelis Over de Linden had left behind when he died. It was discovered in the 1920-s, that is some 50 years after COL had died in 1874 (rather late I would say!?). The paper was "for the most part cut in the same size and also had lines drawn with pencil just like the paper from the OLB. This paper was not made brown (yet). These pages had been (...) numbered with pencil in the handwriting of COL" (my improvised translation). The handwritten pagenumbers appeared to fit in the gaps from the OLB; 193-194 and 169-188.

This leaves us with some questions:

1. How certain is it that it is indeed Over de Linden's handwriting?

2. Is the paper of the same fabrication as that of the OLB, if so, how old is it?

3. Is it possible that he inherited the empty paper together with the manuscript? (And that his aunt, uncle, grandfather or someone else had copied it from an older original?)

4. Is it possible that he himself had copied the OLB from an older original (that maybe did not look so nice or was falling apart), but somehow decided to make his copy look older than it was (to increase its perceived value?) and hide the fact that he had copied it?

5. Is it possible that there was no older original, and that Jensma's theory is right: that writer/ poet/ reverend Haverschmidt wrote most of the text, that filologist (Frisian language expert) Verwijs took care of the translation into quasi-old-Frisian, and that Over de Linden wrote everything down on quasi-old paper in the Jolscript? In other words a co-poduction of three conspiring men, who all three took their secret with them in their graves?

It seems obvious that Over de Linden did not have the creative and intellectual capacity to have created the OLB by himself.

If Verwijs and Haverschmidt had been involved, it means that Verwijs has shamelessly lied to his colleagues, even under oath, and that Haverschmidt has fooled his former teacher Ottema, whom he much liked and respected.

Personally, I find it very hard to believe (for psychological reasons) that Verwijs and Haverschmidt were involved and it's indeed obvious that Over de Linden cannot have done it alone. Therefore I suggest a better look at questions 3 and 4.

There's some other clues I also found re-reading, that strongly suggest that the manuscript already existed before 1850, that is; before the Swiss pole-houses (as described in OLB) were discovered by archaeologists. I plan to share these clues with the forum soon.

For now I will take a deep breath and study Jensma's chapter about Cornelis Over de Linden once more. I can think of more pleasant things, but it needs to be done. (And his style of writing somehow is difficult to translate into English.)

I hope all this made sense, my English is not at its best today.

### Posted 10 April 2011 - 12:39 PM
The Puzzler, on 10 April 2011 - 07:06 AM, said:
I'd like to know what you thought of the find that tannin was in common ink 1400 years ago, my post a few above.

Sorry, Puzzler I have not been responding to many very interesting posts recently, but I try to read them all.

I don't know about tannin and if it would be relevant to the OLB-paper. The tea-coloring hypothesis was never confirmed as far as I know (nor the smoke-house theory). I'm not in the best position to research this now, work mostly off-line. Lots of fascinating material in preparation though...

### Fragment of the letter from Cornelis Over de Linden to Eelco Verwijs of 7 October 1867, introducing the manuscript, now known as OLB. (My improvised translation, from "De Gemaskerde God", page 237; from now on I'll refer to this book as DGG.)

Dear sir!
When in my childhood I visited my grandparents in Enkhuizen, and my grandfather (he was a master carpenter) spoke to me in confidence, he used to say: "You speak fancy now, but you must remember that we are not of Hollandic, but of pure Frisian blood, when you're older I'll explain all that, because your father doesn't care about it." The old man died before he could tell me about it. Some 18 years ago [in 1848], visiting my family, my aunt gave me two manuscripts, that she had not been allowed to give me when her husband was still alive, although my grandfather had demanded it. The biggest is thicker than a Bible; the beginning is Latin and most is old-Hollandic. The smallest has to be some variety of old-Frisian and is written in a type of letters that look to me as capital Roman letters. The big one is of use to me, the small one not. (...)"

He continues writing how a friend suggested to ask a specialist for his opinion about the small manuscript.

I have highlighted the two (i.m.o.) significant parts of this letter.

First.
His grandfather must have known what the manuscript was about and he must have loved it, while his son, the father of Cornelis did not care about it. This means that he will have tried to get his son interested, telling stories about it, maybe reading from it. In other words, apart from the passing over of the physical tradition (the manuscript), there was also an oral tradition; stories being told from older to younger generations. Those stories may not always have explicitly referred to the manuscript! So Cornelis may have known parts of the content of the OLB, or certain words from it, without knowing that it came from the OLB. (This is important for something I'll write about later.)

Second.
His uncle had forbidden his wife (Cornelis' aunt) to give the manuscript to him. Why? Did he like it so much himself? Did he think it would kindle Cornelis' megalomania or otherwise not be good for him to know too much about his family's past? If it's a 19th century copy, was he the one who made it (and maybe sold the original)? Who knows, but anyway, I sense something suspicious about this uncle.

Another fragment from the hand of Cornelis Over de Linden (1873 or 1874) about how he had received the book (free translation, DGG p.238-239).

Again, note the fragments about the grandfather loving it, while the father was not interested, and about the uncle who didn't want Cornelis to have it.

Once when I visited my mother and some other family, I was at my aunts at a moment when her second husband Koop Meylhof was not at home. I think it was in the year 1847 or -8. We were in the garden that I loved because I had such good memories of when my grandparents lived there. A pear tree carried three ripe pears that I asked for, saying that since grandfathers death, I had not tasted fruits from this garden. She agreed and said: "Now that you mention your grandfather, I have something for you that I had to keep until you had grown up. Hendrik..." (Hendrik Reuvers was the name of her first husband) "... didn't want me to give it to you, but Koops doesn't know about it, therefore I should give it to you now." I expected something like a watch, but she came back with an old book. Then she said: "This is, as grandfather said, an old Frisian manuscript from our ancestors. He didn't want to give it to your father, because he wasn't interested, therefore I had to keep it for you."
I put it under my coat and could hardly hide my disappointment. "You don't seem very happy with it", she said. "But if you knew how much your grandfather loved it, you'd be more happy. I only heard about it, but I believe they are Frisian papers of nobility. Etc." To please her, I showed some more gratitude, and promised that I would learn to read it and that I would tell her what it said. (She died in the year 49. So if she would not had given it to me, Koops would have laid his hands upon it - or one of her children, that are named Reuvers.) One might as well have given me Hebrew, I couldn't read any of it and when I told my wife that they were papers of nobility, she thought it was a joke.

Another fragment by Cornelis, addressed to his grandson Cornelis and family, dated 1873 or 1874 (DGG, p.240-241).

Analysing the events concerning the book, I believe it was all meant to happen like it did. If I had not gone to visit my mother in Enkhuizen, I would not have seen my aunt Aafje; had the pears not been ripe when I was in the garden with her, I would not have spoken about grandfather, and she would not have thought of the book. The next year she died, and since no-one except her knew the book, it would have disappeared.
If I could have spent the night at my cousins, I would not have met Siderius and the book would not have gotten translated.
If mister Eelco Verwijs had been more generous, I would have had a translation as a manuscript, for I would not have had it printed.
Possibly, you'll probably say, nothing would have been lost. But I am superstitious enough, to think, that God wanted to have this history revealed, and therefore I also believe, that He did it to cast out the false history, and replace it with the true one.
That this will not happen during my lifetime, I also believe, but you are still young, so it is possible, that you will live to see part or all of this happen.
Some people are already found, who consider the book to be authentic. One day intelligent people will rise, who will challenge the priests and prove, that they have destroyed our history and our monuments, with the purpose of making us believe that our ancestors were like animals; that we owe nothing to them [our ancestors], but everything to the Jews, Greeks and other deceitful people.

Jensma’s theory, in short, is that Cornelis was a blatant liar and deceiver (as were Verwijs and Haverschmidt).

The writings of Cornelis don’t sound like lies to me. In fact, I find it very hard to believe that this man would have lied to his children and grandchildren about a matter this important.

Also, if Jensma’s suggestion that Over de Linden would sometimes drink too much is true, it’s most unlikely that, were he involved in the creation of the book, he would never have spoken about his secret to anyone, while being drunk. (Drunk people and children are honest, they said in my youth.)

But there’s much more information that is in strong conflict with Jensma’s theory that Over de Linden was one of the hoaxers.

In 1876 a schoolteacher from Den Helder, Cornelis Wijs, remembered an incident that happened in 1831. He was working on a ship called Nehalennia, on which the father of Cornelis, Jan Over de Linden was also working. The latter had in joyous moods often taken pride in the fact that he descended from the oldest family of the world, and in the same context he would also ridicule nobility [dutch: “adel“].
Another two teachers that went to school with Over de Linden’s oldest son Cornelis [around 1848], remembered a similar incident. As a 14 year old schoolboy, this Cornelis II (1833-1868) would sometimes have fights with a fellow student from a noble family, a certain ‘baron’ Eichstorff, who took pride in his high descent. Cornelis would have said: “Your German noble descent means nothing to me; we are of much older nobility than you, and Frisian.” And: “Father says it [that we are of noble descent], and he knows it from a book with such strange letters, that we can‘t even read it; Father can only read bits of it.” The two fellow students who remembered this incident, as well as two other people from Den Helder made an official ‘sealed‘ statement [at a notary], declaring that between 1848 and 1850, they had known of the existence of the manuscript (without having seen it themselves). (free translation, DGG, p.241-243)

A similar statement by a sea-officer named W.M. Visser who had made a note in his diary on 23 December 1854. On that day Cornelis Over de Linden had told him about the book, that “not only was written in a strange language, but also with such strange letters, that he could not read it.” (DGG, p.243 and footnote)

After mentioning several other, similar statements that confirm the existence in the 1840-s of old, important Over de Linden family documents, Jensma’s conclusion is that “... there surely must have existed some sort of family document. But because the OLB [...] must have been written in the 1850-s or early 1860-s [see below], it is impossible that this concerns the OLB” (DGG, p.243).

And: “About a possible, no longer existing ‘Frisian’ manuscript [that must have existed in the family] one can only speculate. If there was one, it was not saved, but destroyed by Cornelis and ‘replaced’ by the OLB” (DGG, p.244). Behold a nice example of Jensma’s logic and way of reasoning.

Note:
This dating of the OLB between the 1850-s to early 1860-s is mostly based on the discovery of the Swiss pole-houses in 1854, the digging of the Suez channel in 1859, and the publication of a book “Minnebrieven”, an early-feministic novel, in 1861 by Multatuli (Eduard Douwes Dekkers), because he used a character (a daughter and milk-maid) called “Thugater” (milk-maid in Sanskrit), as daughter in OLB is spelled TOGHATERA. (For Jensma “irrefutable” proof that OLB is inspired by Minnebrieven.) Note also that Haverschmidt, according to Jensma’s hypothesis the mastermind behind the OLB, was only 25 years old in 1860!

### Posted 11 April 2011 - 07:04 PM
Alewyn, on 10 April 2011 - 02:29 PM, said:
In trying to understand the “primitive” religion of the OLB, one must first try to define, what I would like to call, the 4 basic concepts:
1. Wralda (pronounced Ra-alda). This could mean “the most ancient of ancients” or the “most ancient father”. This was their name for “God” or the “Creator”.

Interesting post Alewyn. I can't dive very deep in it now, but have a few comments.

I like "dust" better than the "matter" I used earlier. Note that the Dutch "stof" can both mean "dust" and "fabric". With ambiguities like this, a footnote in the translation might be good.

The W or VV (double-you) is pronounced like the OE in "boer" or the English OO as in "proof" or "poor" or OU in "you" (I can't hear the difference); WR-ALDA, therefore is pronounced as (Dutch/ Afrikaans:) OER-ALDA, or (English:) OOR-ALDA, or (German:) UR-ALDA.

Have you also considered Monism?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism

### Posted 12 April 2011 - 04:44 AM
Otharus, on 11 April 2011 - 06:33 PM, said:
His grandfather must have known what the manuscript was about and he must have loved it, while his son, the father of Cornelis did not care about it. This means that he will have tried to get his son interested, telling stories about it, maybe reading from it. In other words, apart from the passing over of the physical tradition (the manuscript), there was also an oral tradition; stories being told from older to younger generations. Those stories may not always have explicitly referred to the manuscript! So Cornelis may have known parts of the content of the OLB, or certain words from it, without knowing that it came from the OLB. (This is important for something I'll write about later.)

From the moment Cornelis Over de Linden decided that he would have the mysterious family manuscript analysed and translated, he must have felt inspired to start writing himself. He left many notebooks that can be dated from 1867 till his death in 1874. A schoolteacher from Den Helder, Gerrit Jansen, helped him correct his writings from 1867 on and visited him more than 100 times. My guess is that he would write down anything he remembered from what he had learnt from the older members of his family and his own thoughts about it. Also, although he said he could hardly read anything from the manuscript himself when he asked for help in 1867, in the process of making copies for the Frisian scholars, he may have started to learn and understand some of it after all. He never gave away the whole manuscript, always parts of it only. Therefore he was able to continue his own study of it, while the 'specialists' in Leeuwarden did their part. A big difference being, that Cornelis had also received some oral tradition about the book, while the Frisian specialists were 'hindered' by their preconceived 'knowledge' about the past.

The following fragment, from the hand of Over de Linden and estimated to date from 1867, shows that he had knowledge of some of the content of the OLB, but also, that he knew more that just that. The notebook was named "Thoughts and comments by brother Cornelis".

"The Hollandic word 'wereld' [world] is a bastardisation of the old Frisian word Wr-alda, pronounced as 'oer-alda' [oor-alda], which meant 'overoude' [over-old-one]. The word 'wereld' is bastardised, just like the German word 'welt', Oldfrisian 'wald', pronounced as 'welt', that means power [magt] and also influence [gezag].
By pronouncing the word wr-alda or oer-alda, as both forms occur, was connected the association with the galaxy, and the notion of a most ancient being; and when the the word 'wald' was used, one thought of its power and influence.
When nowadays people speak of 'wereld' or 'welt', one mostly merely associates it with a material space, being otherwise empty. But enough of this; let's see how this bastardisation was introduced into the world.
The first inhabitants of these lands, the 'Friezen' [Frisians], actually 'Fria's bern' [sic!], that means children of Fria, called the V 'oe' [oo], also 'joe' [you], the W double 'oe' and double 'joe'. But after they had been forced, by the violence of the Frankish weapons and the evil plans of strange priests, to embrace the doctrine and history of the slave-people from the south-east, in stead of their own laws and history, their lettering skills were lost by 'lieverlede' ['lovesuffering'?]. Now that all this had been passed over to the hands of Frankish monks, the V became 'vouw' [vow?] and the W double 'vouw', like they later became 'vee' [vay] and 'wee' [way]. Yet, the Frisians that lived around and near the 'Zuiderzee' [South-sea], held on to the old language and spelling as much as they could. But instead of 'oer-alda', later more frequently 'wrald', wrauld', 'rauld' and 'ruald' were found. Gysbert Japix wrote 'wrâd'. Nowadays in the small piece of the once large 'Fria'sland', one also writes 'wrâod', so both leaving out the 'l'. If the W would be pronounced as a double or long-stretched 'oe', and connected with the 'r' to one syllable, it would mean 'oer-âd' - over-old, or 'oer-âod', depending on the pronounciation, but in both cases 'over-old'. But if the W is used as 'Wee' [way], and the word is pronounced in one syllable, than it is as wasted as the word 'wereld' [world]."

This to Jensma again is 'irrefutable' proof that Cornelis knew the content of the OLB before he received a translation from Ottema or Verwijs. And therefore he had to be one of the 'hoaxers'. Jensma does not like doubt and jumps to conclusions too fast.

Since the grandfather of Cornelis loved the book so much, it is very well possible that he taught his children from it, or discussed things with local teachers, from whom Cornelis it may have learnt. The above to me sounds more as information that is passed on orally, than from reading the OLB or a translation, as there are parts that are not mentioned in OLB, for example the link between 'wr-alda' and 'wald' or 'weld'.

More and more, it becomes clear to me, why the great-grandfather of Cornelis, Jan Over de Linden or Overlende, who was a writer ['clerk' or administrator] in 1741 Leeuwarden, left (east) Friesland shortly after his marriage in 1745, to settle in the far more free-spirited Westfriesland [Enkhuizen], where he became a book trader and publisher. (Something Jensma does not write about...)

The next 'proof' for the 'fact' that Cornelis must have held the pen from which the OLB-ink flowed, is that he sometimes placed a comma in the beginning of a new line, something we also see in the manuscript.

Example:
This is an example
, of comma's placed
in the beginning
, instead of at the
end of the line.

There's other explanations possible for this.
1) It's a peculiarity that his grandfather, who loved the manuscript, passed on to his descendant.
2) Cornelis, studying the manuscript and identifying more and more with it, copied the habit. He only had primary school education and was mostly a self-educated, and educated by family.

Did Cornelis make the manuscript, or did the manuscript - directly or indirectly - make Cornelis?

### Posted 12 April 2011 - 07:16 AM
Cornelis Over de Linden (ca.1867):
Otharus, on 12 April 2011 - 04:44 AM, said:
"The first inhabitants of these lands, the 'Friezen' [Frisians], actually 'Fria's bern' [sic!], that means children of Fria..."

Cornelis, writing about the correct spelling and pronounciation of the word "wr-alda", spells the name of the primal mother as "Fria", a spelling we find only sparsely in the OLB, while it is common in West-Flandres. The OLB-spelling is, with few exceptions, "FRYA".

Jensma will argue that this must have been yet another trick of 'arch-liar' Over de Linden to confuse and deceive us. In theory this is possible, but psychologically far more unlikely than that he was honest and had NOT received his knowledge from reading the manuscript, but rather from oral tradition.

### Posted 12 April 2011 - 07:17 AM
When the first doubts about the authenticity and age of the manuscript reached Cornelis he answered to Ottema:

"My grandfather or my father can't have written it, they were 'timbermen' [carpenters] just like me. Furthermore then [when it was supposedly created] all that remained of them were some bones.
If it [the manuscript] is that young, my good old auntie must have made it. Perhaps she was a witch, there's quite a few of them in Enkhuizen. But if it contains that many spelling mistakes and other flaws, the devil must have deceived her, or maybe his knowledge of the Frisian language wasn' that good." (DGG, p.259)

Three weeks after Ottema's first publication of the OLB in 1872, when a tempest of criticism was being released, he wrote Ottema again, suggesting a plan for revenge:

"Among my fantasies of revenge, that flew through my brain, there is one that is getting stronger. I leave it to your better judgement, because I know that, if you like it, you will be able to make it happen. This is my plan.
You people [in Friesland] have a public Frisian society, that in my (possibly wrong) opinion does not function properly. This society is supposed to study and education of the old Frisian language. I would like to add a secret society to that. One that aims at expanding the Frisian element more. Such a society might name itself 'Adela's Followers'.
To expand the Frisian element, it should acquire every farm within the borders of Friesland, that becomes available through death. It shall place a motivated and honest pure-blooded Frisian farmer on that farm, who can make it his by working hard. This society can also be of good use in elections for local counsels or representatives of the people. If one would start this, one should take good care that it would only have pure-blooded Frisian members, etc.
If my plan of revenge is successful, the other Netherlandic farmers can move to America, and the Frisian farmers can stay here to take over the property, that belongs to them". (DGG, p.259-260)

It's obvious and understandable that this was written, driven by negative, almost desperate emotions.

From what I know of human health, his death only two years later (aged 63) may very well have been primarily caused by what can be termed a 'broken heart'. (But I know this is beyond the subject of discussion here.)

### Posted 12 April 2011 - 03:29 PM
The Puzzler, on 12 April 2011 - 10:24 AM, said:
Grandfather but if Cornelis thinks his grandfather is uncapable of it, maybe he worked on it with his daughter (Cornelis aunt), she wrote it up through his ideas, maybe.

The aunt was illiterate and the grandfather a naval carpenter...
Grandfather Andries may have learnt to read and interpret the book (or part of it), with help of his father Jan (the book publisher and trader), but to create something like it is of a whole different order.
In fact, I don't even believe that a team of the most studied men of their times could have created it, if they would have tried.
Also Puzzler, think about it, you are a mother yourself.
can you imagine any (grand-) parent who would pass on such a big lie to their children?

### Posted 12 April 2011 - 05:54 PM
After primary school Cornelis Over de Linden learnt to be a (naval) carpenter, probably from his father, who had learnt the art from his father. He was a third generation 'shipstimberman' (scheepstimmerman), who made a good career with the Royal Navy, that was based in Den Helder.

He also had an impressive library, so he must have liked to read and (at later age?) he became passionate about writing himself, although no-one seems to have been very impressed with his work and he needed someone to correct his mistakes. (I would be very interested to read all of it some day.)

The earlier posted fragment from him about the word "wr-alda" showed that he had specialised knowledge and interest in the original meaning, spelling and pronunciation of words. Things like that can be passed on in families for many generations. In the past much more so, I believe, than in the last few generations.

Apparently he has helped Ottema solve several translating problems.

The following fragment of DGG (p.260 and footnotes) about this is interesting for various reasons:

1)
It is remarkable for example how at a certain point Ottema asked Over de Linden for typical North-Hollandic, or Westfrisian language qualities, and how Over de Linden answered with a whole list of words [that he had put together with assistance of schoolmaster Dekker from Den Helder].

Ottema was delighted: "... I have discovered 30 words that are not known to us [(east-) Frisians] but that are used in the manuscript!"

2)
A good example also is the correspondence about the translation of the word 'Od' (the most discussed word from the whole OLB in its literature). [Here Jensma had placed a footnote, but this only reads: "cancelled"???]

Ottema initially thought this would mean something like 'misfortune' or 'bad luck'. But Over de Linden knew exactly what the correct meaning of the word was:

"... page 6 [of Ottema's translation] reads OD TRAD TO RA BINNA translated as 'bad luck passed through the door' [onluk trad (de) deur binnen]. For door I found on page 94 DURE. Shouldn't it be: OD nature, life-force, fertilising force, or an even better word, entered her?" [letter 5 November 1871]

The word OD is related to Oldsaxon "ôd" - fortune- or good luck-bringing force [gelukbrengende kracht]. The Dutch word for stork, 'ooievaar' might have been derived from this.

Ottema did not accept this correction, he changed his interpretation and derived the word from Latin 'Odi' = I hate.

A comment about part 1) of the above fragment.
The Westfrisian dialect seems to be closer related to the OLB language, than (east-) Frisian. Being a Westfrisian myself (although not really having grown up with a hardcore dialect), I had this feeling before and have mentioned it several times in the forum. This may very well be one of the reasons why the OLB was misinterpreted; It's not old-Frisian, but more old-Westfrisian!

That is, the 'Fryan' language stayed more pure and unchanged on the west-side of the Flymar, later Zuiderzee (South-sea). This makes perfect sense too, as it is further away from Denmark and Germany and it was the part that included Texland, now Texel, where the main centre of education and knowledge had been (until the Christenings?).

Comments about part 2)
I find it absurd that Ottema ignored Over de Linden's suggestion and chose for the Latin "od" (hate) rather than the old-Saxon "ôd" (fortune or life-force) in his translation of "OD" in the creation myth. (In old-Norse it appears to have meant 'spirit', which would also fit more into the context than 'hate'.)

I can think of two possible explanations.

First, that he might have had the preconceived idea that the creation myth should have an 'original sin' type of element in it; pregnancy means bad luck?!

Second, that he might have felt embarrassed with any association to fertility. Is this yet another example of the difference between the generally more liberal, free-spirited Westfrisians and the more conservative, suppressed (east-) Frisians? Or is it just the 'simple' carpenter versus the well-educated scholar?

If Ottema really believed that his very own name meant 'bad luck' or 'hate', this could i.m.o. even be related to his suicide in 1879...

### Posted 13 April 2011 - 10:28 AM
The adjective "FRY" or "FRYA"

Dutch - vrij
German - frei
English - free
==>>> see reading exercises

### Posted 13 April 2011 - 10:51 AM
The Puzzler, on 13 April 2011 - 06:04 AM, said:
Seems the frYan, Y is only in West-Frisian language...?
Maybe an older version of West-Frisian, not the modern or Dutch one.

The old "y" is mostly replaced by "ij" in modern Dutch.

The word for sound, BTW is "geluid", from "luiden";
een klok luiden = to sound a bell

Therefore, LYDA would most likely have evolved into "lijden" (to suffer).
Or, less likely "leiden", which sounds the same and means to lead.

### Posted 13 April 2011 - 02:59 PM
The verb "FINDA"
A study of the meaning of the name FINDA, from the second mother of the creation myth.
Dutch - vinden
German - finden
Danish - find
Norwegian - finner
English - to find
Icelandic - Finna
==>>> see reading exercises

### Posted 13 April 2011 - 05:39 PM
The verb "LYDA"
A study of the meaning of the name LYDA in OLB.
Dutch - lijden
German - Leiden
Swedish - lidande
Danish, Norwegian- lidelse
English - to suffer

### Posted 14 April 2011 - 09:43 AM
Abramelin, on 13 April 2011 - 09:09 PM, said:
And.. I didn't ignore what you posted about the Over the Linden family, but it's clear to me that you must have ignored what I posted about Cornelis' grandson.... that he was present when friends of his grandpa visited his grandpa, that they were discussing some document late at night, and laughed like bats from hell when they did.

Cornelis' grandson ~ a 'witness report' out of the third hand

Version 1 ~ Jensma (2006), p.42:
That Over de Linden has to have been the handwriter of the book, is confirmed by an important witness report of a family member. A grandson that had lived with him said that he had one day seen grandfather write 'on big sheets of paper', after which in the evening two learned doctors visited to discuss the work that had been done.

Because we can date this witness report, we can date these activities to have happened in the summer of 1869. This probably explains the big difference in quality between the first and the second part of the book, as discussed before. The first part (or a significant part of it) had already been finished in the early summer of 1867, when Over de Linden send a few copied pages of the 'original' from Den Helder to Friesland. So he waited with finishing the second part until someone was found to be interested. This took a rather long time - almost two years - but when the Frisian Society gave Verwijs permission to have a transcription made of the handwriting, then there suddenly was a hurry. It was probably only then that not only superfluous parts from the original manuscript were edited, but also in a hurry much too long stories were written and added (for example the more than boring fragment about the arrival of Friso in Friesland [120/10-130/20]).

Version 2 ~ Jensma (2004), p.161:
From later times also, signs of doubt exist. The grandson of Cornelis I, who in 1906 had shown to 'know all about it' by means of a smile on his face, we'll meet him in a next chapter, just like a certain Riek Mulder-Pomper. From 1917 she had shared house with the widow of a grandson [a different one] of Cornelis I, Floris August Over de Linden (1863-ca.1910). The latter had lived in the house of his grandfather in the 1860-s and had seen how Over de Linden 'was writing on big sheets of paper all day'. The question whether this testimony is trustworthy is not relevant here yet, but rather the way the family reacted to it:

"Years later, when he heard about the controversy around the book and had a good think about it, he went to his oldest brother Cor [= Cornelis III] (there was also a sister Brecht) and told him, that it was all nonsense, as he himself had seen Grandfather write the book [aged 5 or 6 years old!].
But Cor had become furious and had said, that he had no clue, that he should mind his own business, and keep his mouth shut, because after all the book said that they descended from kings! So he kept it for himself, he no longer could ask his grandfather, who had already passed away, and therefore he informed his wife about it. And Mrs. O.d.L. told me, probably because she thought, that at least someone should know. But first I had to solemnly promise her to never speak about it with anyone 'because of the sensitivity of the family'." (Letter signed Santpoort, 7 Oct. 1965)

Version 3 ~ Jensma (2004), p.257:
Now a witness report that leaked out of the family circle of the Over de Lindens starts to prove useful as evidence. Grandson Floris, who had lived in the house of Over de Linden, claimed later that:

"... as a very little child he was brought to his grandfather. This grandfather must have been a very funny man, who was fooling everyone around and was always telling strange stories and said things that make you laugh. In one summer a few 'learned doctors from Leeuwarden', as the grandfather called them, came to visit, and took him out to go sailing. But there was a day, that the grandfather no longer joined, but was writing all day on big sheets of paper. He had fun, but never wanted to tell the little boy why. In the evening the 'learned doctors' came and grandfather would read to them what he had written during the day. Then they laughed loudly, and Floor had heard them shout: they'll be surprised and they'll never believe it! Years later, when he heard..." [etcetra, see above] "... because after all the book said that they descended from kings!"

Although this story is not out of the first hand, all factual material we have found so far fits within such an imagination of matters. Over de Linden has handwritten the book and was supervised by two 'learned doctors from Leeuwarden'. Frisian men therefore, who were more learned than Over de Linden himself. I will return to this witness report in the next chapter.

Version 4 ~ Jensma (2004), p.298:
The OLB-files of Tresoar contain a note of a certain Roovers, captain of the ship 'De Kortenaer'. It was signed Batavia [Dutch Indies] 4 Sept. 1868, addressed to Cornelis Over de Linden. Roovers and medical doctor of the ship inform Over de Linden about the death of his oldest son Cornelis II and his wife Margaretha Krul shortly before; on their deathbed they had asked the captain to send their three little children to grandfather Over de Linden in Den Helder, and Roovers asked Over de Linden to come and collect the children in Rotterdam. And so it happened; the three children were registered in Den Helder on 31 Dec. 1868.

In the last chapter I quoted from the witness report of [the maid of!] the widow of one of these grandchildren, namely Floris August Over de Linden. Born in Soerabaja on 22 May 1863, he was five years old when he, together with his brother Cornelis III (11 years old) and his sister Brechtje (9), came to live with his grandfather and his second wife. Floris remembered of this period, as his widow would repeatedly [???] tell her maid, how 'two learned doctors from Leeuwarden' had visited his grandfather and went out sailing with him. Later grandfather stayed home and Floris had seen him write on big sheets of paper. In the evening the guests had come back and together with grandfather they had - shatter-laughing - reviewed the written works. A strong argument in favour of this witness report, I remarked, is that it was indeed Over de Linden who has handwritten the OLB manuscript. [not a proven fact]

This note creates a difficulty though. Because the children arrived in Holland a long time after Verwijs had written the state officials and for more than one-and-a-half year had tried to introduce the manuscript into the world. One would say, that the witness report about Floris can therefore not be true. At second thought though another, much better explanation presents itself, namely that Over de Linden had not completely finished the manuscript in the beginning of 1869 and that the events that Floris remembered occurred not before the summer of 1869.

Footnote:
In his report [to state officials] about the manuscript of 1867 Verwijs wrote, that it 'contains about 200 pages in 4, the last part of which apparently is missing though...'. The usual interpretation of this is obviously that the OLB ends at page 210 in the middle of a sentence which (indeed) suggests that part is missing. But one can also interpret it, that the last part was missing and therefore still had to be made or finished. Based on existing writings that still needed editing, he estimated the expected size of the book at 200 pages.

I must admit that Goffe Jensma has a good imagination.
But mine is better.
With one simple question I can sweep his theory off the table:

What if King Willem of the Netherlands himself would have heard of the manuscript and taken an interest in it, what if he would have suddenly sent a telegram saying that he would arrive with the first next ship or horse and carriage, to personally come and have a look at the manuscript himself?

Surely, the supposed hoaxers Over de Linden and Verwijs would not have taken the risk to stand empty handed, and be demasked as swindlers, after their many attempts to get a transcription and translation of the manuscript funded!

### Posted 14 April 2011 - 03:00 PM
Otharus, on 14 April 2011 - 09:43 AM, said:
Version 1 ~ Jensma (2006), p.42:
That Over de Linden has to have been the handwriter of the book, is confirmed by an important witness report of a family member. (...)

Version 4 ~ Jensma (2004), p.298:
(...) A strong argument in favour of this witness report, I remarked, is that it was indeed Over de Linden who has handwritten the OLB manuscript.

Did anyone notice what happened here?
Both arguments are not strong enough by themselves, so Jensma uses the one to support the other.

### Posted 15 April 2011 - 10:11 AM
The Oera Linda Boek, a 'cold case' and 'hot item'.
by Henk Porck, Ellen van der Grijn, Adriaan Kardinaal

[published in the magazine of the Dutch Royal Archivists Union (KVAN), edition April 2011;
improvised translation by Otharus, translator notes between "[...]"]

Introduction and research question

The OLB from Tresoar (Centre for Frisian History and Literature) in Leeuwarden is one of the most remarkable manuscripts from our Dutch written cultural heritage. The only certainty we have about it is, that it is not what it pretends to be. In the manuscript, it is claimed that it was written in the year 1256, and that it is a copy of a much older text [note #1]. On 190 pages, a story is told about a mythical Frisian empire, in a unique 'rune script' [note #2]. In 1867 the manuscript became known as being in the possession of Cornelis Over de Linden who had inherited it from his family ('Oera Linda' means 'Over de Linden'). Ancestors of Cornelis would have assembled the text and passed it on to following generations.

Although some still defend the authenticity of the document, it became clear very soon after the 'discovery' that the OLB is not an original medieval codex: it was written on paper that was made by machines in a language that is a combination of old Frisian and 'modern' Dutch [note #3]. Yet, the OLB remains a great mystery and is still today a fascinating subject of research. In Goffe Jensma's thesis (2004), the text is partly interpreted as a religious allegory, while the famous poet and reverend François HaverSchmidt (Piet Paaltjens) is argued to have been the author. He would have worked together with the owner of the manuscript, Cornelis Over de Linden, and Eelco Verwijs, archivist and famous philologist. According to Jensma, the OLB was not meant to permanently deceive the readers, its aim would have been to create a temporary illusion of authenticity. Therefore, it is to be regarded as a mystification, rather than as a forgery.

Our interest in the OLB was based on the examination of the manuscript's paper in the 1870-s. Paper specialists then concluded that the paper had been fabricated after 1840 on a machine, and that the paper had been artificially coloured to make it look older. The organisation of the 19th century examination was limited, and apart from a brief inspection by a German paper-producer in the 1930-s, no new research of the OLB-paper had been done. The question behind our study was if we, with our current knowledge and more advanced research-facilities, can draw more accurate conclusions about the physical and chemical characteristics of the document, and with that about the history of its genesis.

Methods and organisation

Besides visual research of the physical characteristics of the paper, like the vergé-pattern (shining light through it), the exact size of the sheets, and the cutting edges, some physical paper-qualities were measured, like weight, thickness and smoothness. Microscopic research of the fibres was also done. The chemical composition of the material was analysed by use of several spectrometric methods: X-ray fluorescence (XRF), hyper spectral imaging (HSI and laser-ablation (LA-ICP-MS).

The research material consisted, besides the sheets of the OLB, of a pile of unused paper, that was also in the possession of Cornelis Over de Linden, but had never been examined, as well as some letters from the correspondence of Eelco Verwijs. We were obviously utterly careful doing our examinations of the material, partly because of the poor state of the material.

Initiated by the paper-historian interest and speciality of the authors, this research was only possible thanks to the cooperation with a multidisciplinary team of specialists: Jacob van Sluis (Tresoar, Leeuwarden), Goffe Jensma (University Groningen, KNAW-Frisian Academy, Leeuwarden), Georgine Calkoen (Proost and Brandt laboratory, Diemen), Andrew van Es (Dutch Forensic Institute, NFI, Den Haag), Luc Megens (National Service for Cultural Inheritance, RCE, Amsterdam), Roberto Padoan and Gabriëlle Beentjes (both of the National Archive, Den Haag). By working together with these experts and their organisations, the desired test-materials could be made available, the several tests could be done and the results of the research could be adequately discussed and interpreted.

[I have ignored a fragment about how to conserve old documents etcetera as this is of no relevance here.]

Work in progress

The research is in the final stage and not completely finished. The results so far, specially the conclusions from the fibre-analysis, have given more clues for a more accurate dating of the paper of the OLB. The spectrometric tests most of all have confirmed the suspicion that Cornelis Over de Linden himself played an important part in the genesis of the OLB, because the unused paper that was in his possession appears to be identical to the paper of the manuscript. Another interesting conclusion of the research is the fact that the sheets of the OLB can be distinguished into several groups, based on the vergé-patterns and other physical qualities of the paper, which points to a certain chronology of the creation of the several parts that the manuscript consists of. A possible relationship to the genesis of the text of the handwriting still needs to be researched [note #4].

The first test-results were presented in 2006 at the congress of the International Union of Paper-historians (IPH) in Spain [note #5]. End of 2009 an expert meeting was held in the Den Haag Royal Library, where the provisional results of the continued research were discussed. By now yet another phase of additional research is finished and a final publication is prepared (planning: 2013).

In the end we hope that our research of the OLB can be used to reveal this intriguing mystification and the role that the 'perpetrators' François HaverSchmidt, Eelco Verwijs and Cornelis Over de Linden played in this 'cold case'.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Notes
#1 The choice of words already suggests lies and deception (hoax), but it is very well possible that later copyist(s) just did not add notes, like the ones in 803 and 1256 AD did.
#2 The script is actually more similar to Old Greek and Roman capitals, than to Runes.
#3 What is meant here is that it contains words and expressions that have not been found in (other) old (written) sources, but that remind of more modern languages (which are more and more based on the oral language of the common people). One might also say that both old Frisian and 'modern' Dutch (as well as many other languages and dialects) still carry traces of the OLB language. Therefore, if the paper is modern, it does not mean that the information on it also is.
#4 Dutch text of this sentence: "Een mogelijke relatie met de genese van de tekst van het handschrift moet nog worden uitgezocht." This means that Jensma cannot fit the results into his current theory. Therefore the main conclusions are not reveiled and the main article about the test results is delayed until somewhere in 2013. I guess that is how long he needs to fabricate a new theory, so he can try to save his reputation and credibility...
#5 A. Kardinaal, E. v.d. Grijn, H. Porck, The Oera Linda Boek. A literary forgery and its paper, in: IPH Congress Book 16 (2006), p. 177-185.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Paper age and colouring

The most important and most obvious results - which would have been the new, more accurate dating of the paper and how it was coloured (whether natural or artificial) - are left out of the article.

When I asked questions about this, I received the answer that they actually prefer to not give me any "other or further conclusions from the research" and that I will have to wait till the official publication, which as said is planned to happen somewhere in 2013...

I wonder...
Have I been too critical and outspoken here about the works of their undoubtedly most important research-group member professor doctor G.Th. Jensma? It's unthinkable that he would not keep a direct or indirect eye on this discussion.

### Posted 15 April 2011 - 02:02 PM
Abramelin, on 15 April 2011 - 01:43 PM, said:
Thanks for posting and translating, Otharus.
I guess we both will agree that this is somewhat .... disappointing.

Very disappointing, indeed.

Quote
And what is a historian (Jensma) doing here?? Is he also a chemist/physicist?? Was he only invited to add 'weight' to the research?

I actually don't think he's a historian at all. He got his doctor's degree with his theological thesis and is professor Frisian culture and literature (zero new students this year LOL). He probably had nothing better to do and he wants to stay the official mister OLB, I guess, that's why he wants the monopoly on the test results, until he has a new theory published. All wild guesses of course.

Quote
Btw, it wasn't only you who was critical about Jensma, but so was I. And I am being the skeptic here, lol.

Well, I'm as skeptic as one can be about his work! Hahaha

PS I have asked for a PDF copy of the 2006 report, although I don't expect much more news of it.

### Posted 15 April 2011 - 02:10 PM
Bezum, on 15 April 2011 - 01:53 PM, said:
I don't think the question is whether it is artificial or natural anymore. The question of the research is in what year (later than 1840) it is produced and HOW it has been colored.

Good, that is: neutral, unbiased research must be without preconceived ideas.
Who knows if those 19th century 'specialists' were all neutral and did not say what was expected of them?

From this article it's technically still possible that the paper was created with 'machines' in the 13th century (in Turkey or China or ...?) and that the researchers believe that the 3 supposed hoaxers had laid their hands on this old paper to create their joke.

All very unlikely, but not impossible.
They should just have reported their results, or say WHY they won't reveal the truth.

### Posted 15 April 2011 - 03:09 PM
Abramelin, on 15 April 2011 - 02:29 PM, said:
Come on Otharus, imagine you have a centuries old document about your family history. Would you soak it in tea (or whatever) first, and then bring it to officials to investigate?
And you think that smudgy brown-yellow color is making the document look 'better'??
If Over de Linden wanted to make it look more like the 'original', then why didn't he show the officials the original in the first place??
And it would mean he had seen the original, or else he would not have tried to make the new copy look like it.

Who said Over de Linden did it?
What if his uncle Hendrik Reuvers, who had forbidden his wife Aafje Over de Linden to give the manuscript to her cousin Cornelis, (as she had promised her father (his grandfather) Andries Over de Linden,) made the copy and sold the original to some rich guy or secret society of spiritists or whatever? The perceived value of the copy is higher when it looks old. Who knows one day the REAL original shows up. Imagine what that would be worth now...

I am preparing a post about this guy.
Did you never make an old looking pirate treasure-map as a kid?
We tried to make it look old by burning the edges and rubbing earth on the paper.

Edit: as I said earlier, Cornelis may have received the unused paper together with the manuscript. Jensma says the numbering was in his handwriting, but I want to see that with my own eyes. I no longer trust his judgement.

### Posted 16 April 2011 - 03:49 AM
Abramelin, on 15 April 2011 - 06:57 PM, said:
I found out the ancient Prussians had their own script, a script that is still hard to translate.

I wonder how many, and what kind of sources in this script exist.

To me it looks more like a secret (coded) script than one that would be practical to use .
Again, like the old looking pirate maps we made as kids, it reminds me of the sort of coded alfabets we used to create at primary school.

OLB mentions that there were other peoples who had secret scripts, and that it will have been the case is easy to imagine, as sensitive messages sometimes had to be carried through enemy territory, and there have been long periods of war and animosity.

The Jol script is practical and easy to use. I actually find it more easy to imagine that the old Greek and Roman capitals evolved out of it than the other way around, that the ones who 'invented it' used Greek and Roman letters as an example. (But that may be just me.)

### Posted 17 April 2011 - 06:09 AM
Abe, the information about the Prussians and Russians is very interesting.

Concerning Halbertsma; have you thought of the question why a respectable Frisian like Halbertsma would want to elevate a Westfrisian family of common 'sinners' like the Over de Lindens? Cornelis's father "did not practice religion", Cornelis himself had highly blasphemous (in that time) ideas, his aunt had married after she had two children already etcetera. Why would he not have chosen a respected Frisian family? Was there a Halbertsma-Over de Linden connection at all?

At least in one aspect is Jensma's theory superior to Knul's: Haverschmidt was a modernist reverend in Den Helder, and Verwijs was also a modernist who would have had no problems with 'blasphemy'. IF they would have known Cornelis Over de Linden, they would have liked him and his ideas. Halbertsma, at the other hand, would not have wanted to be associated with him.

Also, Halbertsma'a style of writing is completely different from that of OLB. Very academic and utterly boring. I don't think he had any sense of humor at all.

### Posted 17 April 2011 - 06:12 AM
Otharus, on 16 April 2011 - 10:33 AM, said:
This is a provisional genealogy of the Over de Linden family.
It is also published on http://fryskednis.bl...-genealogy.html, where it will be updated later.

I discovered some huge errors in the information of Menno Knul, that I used as one of my sources for the Over de Linden genealogy.

So anyone who is interested in this, please don't use the info I posted about it, but the quoted link above. I have already updated many corrections, and will add more in the next few days.

### Posted 18 April 2011 - 09:30 AM


### Posted 19 April 2011 - 08:02 AM
Some first attempts towards a new OLB theory

Earlier we have read about Cornelis Over de Linden's version of the story of how he got the OLB manuscript from his aunt Aafje in Enkhuizen.

Otharus, on 11 April 2011 - 06:33 PM, said:
==>>>see there

Let's first have a look at three other versions by other people.

(Translated from DGG p.243)

version 1
Over de Linden's stepson-in-law Jacob Munnik told in 1876 that in 1845 he went with Cornelis and the book-binder Ernst Stadermann from Den Helder, to Over de Linden's mother in Enkhuizen, where he [Cornelis], appearantly without succes, tried to convince her to give him an old family-book." [Source: Beckering Vinkers, "Wie heeft het Oera Linda-Boek geschreven?", p.31]

version 2
Related to this, Beckering Vinkers states - without mentioning a source - that Over de Linden in 1848 finally went to get this book in Enkhuizen, together with his son Cornelis II [aged 15 by then]. [Source: Beckering V., "Wie heeft ...?", p.15]

version 3
A third witness report is from a certain Hajo Last in Enkhuizen, whose mother lived next to the mother of Over the Linden. Last said that Over de Linden regularly visited his mother and...: "Once when he was visiting in Enkhuizen, he came to his cousin, and that was a widow Kofman [if this was in the 1840-s her husband was still alive], in the Rietdijk, now called the Vijzelstraat [...]. She said to him: 'Kees, I have some old manuscripts here, from your grandfather, and he always said: "Those are meant to be passed on to my heir ['stamhouder']".' That's how his cousin gave them to him; I still remember him saying it, sitting at our table."
[Footnote Jensma:] This was from a sent-in letter in the 'Enkhuizer Courant' of 9-1-1934. With this 'widow Kofman' Cornelia or Kee Reuvers is meant (born 1818), the daughter of 'aunt Aafje' and Hendrik Reuvers. Appearantly she lived in the old Over de Linden family-house at the Rietdijk after her husband Rijkent Kofman had died; in 1840 they lived at the Nieuwe Zeedijk 391.

Version three is complex and needs to be analysed:

It is told by Hajo Last (1) in 1934, who has heard Cornelis Over de Linden (2) tell his story (see underlining; before 1874), about what his cousin the 'widow' Kee Kofman-Reuvers (3) said to him (when she 'handed over' the OLB) about what his grandfather Andries Over de Linden (4) used to say (before 1820).

Over de Linden had told his story to Hajo Last, visiting Last's mother, who was the neighbour of OL's mother Antje Goedmaat, who died in 1874.

If versions 1 and 2 are correct, Cornelis tried to retreive the OLB in 1845, in which he succeeded in 1848. His own 'official' versions (from 1867 on) also say that he 'received' the OLB in 1848.

His cousin Cornelia or Kee Reuvers, married to Rijkent Kofman, became a widow in 1861.

This either means that Cornelis (sitting at the table) suggested that he received the OLB after 1861, OR that it was an older story about what happened in the 1840-s and that he was referring to his cousin as widow, because he told this story after 1861 (between 1861 and 1867).

According to Menno Knul, a Hendrik (Hein) Kofman (1853-1933) son of Cornelia Kofman-Reuvers, accused Cornelis Over de Linden of having stolen the OLB (from his parents or from his grandmother Aafje Reuvers-Over de Linden?). This source needs to be checked, because it can be of major importance. Hein Kofman was also a frontrunner of the socialist movement (1929).

Another son of Cornelia Kofman-Reuvers, Jacob Kofman (1843-1911), became a driven apostle who believed that the second coming of Christ was near (see below).

That is two brothers Kofman who have a strong idealistic drive, just like the cousin of their mother, Cornelis Over de Linden had, in a different way.

(The oldest daughter, Trijntje Zwaan-Kofman (1839-1912) had a significantly large family; 8 sons and 3 daughters. Most of her children also had many children. I suspect that further research to the religious paradigm of this family might prove interesting.)

Because Jensma beliefs that Cornelis was involved in the creation of the OLB, his theory about the above is that:
1) There must have been some old family document but this was lost as it can not have been OLB.
2) Cornelis' version of the story is a total lie.

I believe that some parts Cornelis' version of the story may be lies, but not all.

One important element of his version is that his uncle, Hendrik Reuvers (1796-1845) did not want Cornelis to have the book. This would explain why Cornelis in 1845, after his uncle's death, tried to retrieve the book.

Lie #1 of Cornelis: He DID know of the OLB and has done efforts to get it. (In Wirth's publication, it says that before the OLB was translated, Cornelis believed that it contained information about a family treasure.)

It also means that Hendrik Reuvers knew that the book was important, he may have known what exactly it was about, as he was 24 when his father-in-law, Andries Over de Linden, died in 1820. Since aunt Aafje was ilitterate, it is more likely that Andries discussed the book with Hendrik and maybe taught him to read it. (It is even possible that Andries was Hendrik's unlawful father... More about this later.) Hendrik's daughter Cornelia/Kee married to Rijkent Kofman in 1838, so Reuvers had enough time to pass on knowledge to his son-in-law.

Noteworthy is that when Aafje Over de Linden married Hendrik Reuvers, they asked her cousin Jan Over de Linden (1776-1858) to be a witness, and not her older brother Jan (1785-1836).

Since his aunt was ilitterate and since Hein Kofman later said that Cornelis had stolen the book (while his brother Jacob Kofman became an 'apostle'), and since Hajo Last knew a version where Cornelis got the book from his cousin Kee, I suspect a second lie:

Lie #2 of Cornelis: He did not recieve the OLB from his aunt Aafje Reuvers-Over de Linden, but from her daughter Cornelia Kofman-Reuvers, probably using force or maybe he even took it without her consent. This would explain his story "sitting at the table", more that 13 years later (between 1861 and 1867). He felt he needed to stress the fact that she had given it to him and that this had been the will of his grandfather.

With everything I know so far (I'm sure I'm leaving out other relevant facts here), I find it most likely, that:

1. The OLB had been passed on in 1820 from Andries Over de Linden to (his unlawful son? and) son-in-law Hendrik Reuvers, who already had two unlawful children with his daughter Aafje, whom he would officially marry in 1821.
2. After Hendrik's death in 1845, the book was passed on to his son-in-law Rijkent Kofman, the husband of Cornelia Reuvers.
3. Between 1845 and 1848, Cornelis Over de Linden tried to get the book, in which he succeeded in 1848. (This may have been a copy of the original!)
4. Between 1848 and 1867 Cornelis tried to decipher and translate the book himself, and when he came to the conclusion that the book did not contain information about a family-treasure, he gradually sent it to specialists, possibly hoping that at least it would increase the status and social position of his family.

Therefore, if the paper of the OLB can be dated from before 1848, it was Hendrik Reuvers (1796-1845) and/or Rijkent Kofman (1820-1861) who made the copy.
===================================================
KOFMAN, JACOB. [1843-1911], son of timberman (carpenter) Rijkent Kofman and Cornelia Reuvers. He was timberman in Enkhuizen till 1898. Construction manager for city of Enkhuizen 1879, head of construction 1895, and apostle for the district Netherlands in the "Hersteld Apostolische Zendinggemeente in de Eenheid der Apostelen" (Recovered Apostolic Mission-community in the Unity of Apostles) 1898-1910. [...]

After the death of apostle F.W. Schwartz in 1895, the German apostle F. Krebs lead the HAZ, while the responsibility for daily matters moved to Kofman. On 12 June 1898, Kofman received the status of apostle. He kept serving the Enkhuizen community and was called "father Kofman". He was a gentle but efficient man, under whose guidance the number of seven communities increased tenfold, and the number of members grew from ca. 1000 to ca. 7500. In 1910 Kofman withdrew because of health problems and J.H. van Oosbree replaced him as apostle.

Kofman expected Jesus to come again soon. Therefore the church had to be recovered into the glory it had in the time of the first apostolic time. The apostles are missionaries who have the task to prepare the believers for this second coming.

Kofman was president of the local Union to improve loyal school attendance in a time that school was not obligatory by law yet. In the Hersteld Apostolisch Weekblad (weekly magazine of the HAZ) he regularly gave advise concerning hygene and a healthy way of living.

Some sources about HAZ:
Apostles or preachers. Evaluation of their "reading" done by the Ministry of preachers of the Dutch Reformed Community in Amsterdam on 1 Feb. 1906 about the so-called Apostolic Church, or Preachers found to be in conflict with the Truth. Enkhuizen (1905): - The Recovered Apostolic Community; 'a degraded Sect'? Enkhuizen (1909) - Sign of the antichrist and the false prophet. [...]

translated from Biographic lexicon for the history of Dutch protestantism (Institute for Dutch History)