Update 27 Nov. 2020: Rather than a deity, Frya may (to many) have been the (mythical) personification of the 'Frya race' (as defined not only by blood only, but – perhaps more importantly – also mentality/ morals).
— — — —
In this second part about the 'religion' of the Oera Linda-book, focus will be on Frya, the mythological mother of the White Race. According to the texts, she would have given the people who named themselves Frya(s) — free and slaveless people or Frya's children/ folk — their Tex or counsel from which all laws were derived. Also, she would have been their protecting spirit, watching over them from her 'star' (probably Venus), sometimes sending her seven (watch) Maidens, after whom the weekdays were named.
Like the Dutch island
Texel ('Tessel'), the Macedonian capital
Thessaloniki, and
Taxila in the Punjab (Pakistan) — considered to be amongst the earliest universities in the world — may all have been named after Frya's Tex. Indeed, the OLB suggests that a migration of Fryas to Macedonia took place ca. 2000 BCE (text 8b3), followed by one to the Punjab ca. 1550 BCE (text 9c).
The fragments listed below may help us understand how the pre-Christian Fryas thought and spoke about their Mother.
Recurring themes [note: part of the chapter nrs. still need to be updated!]:
- Frya's Tex: 2e, 2f, 3a, 4c, 4d, 6, 11a
- Frya’s counsel/ teachings/ advice (refers to the Tex, see 2f): 1b, 3c, 3d, 4f, 8a, 11a, 15c, 19d
- Frya's (watch) maidens: 2f, 5c, 9a, 14a, 14f, 18, 19c
- Frya and the number seven: 2a, 2c3, 9a1, 13b3, 19c
- Frya morals*: 2d, 3c3, 9b, 10a
- Frya's Day: 2a, 2e2, 13e2
- Frya's watch-star: 2a, 2c3
- Frya's spirit: 10b, 14f
* Note: The Fryan word is SÉD(-UM/-A/-E); Dutch/ German: zeden/ Sitten. As translation I have chosen 'morals', as it is obvious that this word is related to 'mother'. It was the main responsibility of the Frya (folk) Mothers to uphold the morals (Latin: mores). Danish/ Swedish/ Norse word for 'mother' is 'mor', in Dutch slang/ dialects it is 'moer'.
1. Key fragments about Frya and Her Tex
2a Vesta, Take up your Stylus [
006/01]
THÁ HROP FRYA FON HIRA WÁK.STÀRE
It
was Frya's Day, seven times seven years since Vesta had been ordained
as folk mother by Frya's desire. The burg Medeasblik was ready and a
maiden was chosen.
Then it was time for Vesta to light the new
lamp, and when that was done in the presence of the folk, Frya called
from her watch-star so that all could hear it: ‘Vesta, take up your
stylus and write the words that I could not say earlier.’
Vesta did as she was told, and that is how we, Frya's children, received our primal history.
2b Our Primal History [
006/15]
FRYA WÀRTH UT WARME STOF
(for longer fragment, see
part 1)
Earth
bore all grasses, herbs and trees; all cherished and all despised
creatures. All that is good and cherished, she brought forth by day, and
all that is evil and despised, she brought forth by night. After the
twelfth Yulefeast, she bore three girls: Lyda from glowing hot, Finda
from hot, and Frya from warm substance.
As
they lay naked, Wralda fed them with his breath so that mankind would
be bound to him. As they matured, they became fruitful and dreamed of
pleasure. They received Wralda's ‘od’ [seed?] into them, and so they each bore
twelve sons and twelve daughters; twins each Yuletide. All of mankind
has come from these.
2c3. Frya was White [
009/18]
FRYA WAS WIT LIK SNÉI BY.T MÔRNE.RÁD
Frya was white, like snow in the red of dawn, and the blue of her eyes was more beautiful than the rainbow.
Beautiful Frya! Like rays of the sun at noon shone her hair, fine as spiders' webs.
Able-voiced Frya! When her lips parted, birds fell silent and leaves became still.
Formidable Frya! The force of her glance made the lion lie down at her feet and the snake withhold its poison.
Pure Frya! Her food was honey and her drink was the dew, gathered from the cups of flowers.
Lucid Frya! The first thing she taught her children was self-control, the second was love of virtue. And when they grew up, she made them understand the value of freedom, for she said: ‘Without freedom, all other virtues will only help make you into slaves, bringing eternal shame upon your ancestry.’
Mild Frya! She never had metal dug from the earth for her own benefit, but when it was done, it was for common use.
Most fortunate Frya! Like the stars swarm around the earth, her children encircled her.
Wise Frya! When she had raised her children to the seventh generation, she summoned them all to Fleeland, and gave them her Tex, saying: ‘Let these be your guide, so it will never go ill with you.’
Exquisite Frya! When she had spoken, the earth trembled like Wralda’s sea. Fleeland's surface sank beneath her feet, the sky turned black and rained ceaselessly, and when her children went searching for their mother, she was already at her watch-star. Then, finally, thunder spoke from the clouds and lightning wrote upon the firmament: ‘Watch!’
Foreseeing Frya! The land whence she had ascended was now a stream, and except for her Tex, all that had come from her hands was overwhelmed.
Attentive children! When they came to themselves again, they made this high mound and built the burg. On its walls they wrote the Tex. And in order that everyone should be able to find it, they called the surrounding land ‘Texland’. Therefore, it shall remain as long as earth is earth.
2d. Frya's Tex [
011/13]
TO THA LESTA SKILUN HJA MY HWITHER.SJA
Prosperity awaits the free. At the end they shall see me again. But only those can I consider as free whom is neither the slave of another, nor of his passions. Here is my counsel:
1. When great is the need, and good counsel and good deed have proven futile, then call upon the spirit of Wralda.1 But you must not call upon him before everything has been tried, for I tell you with good reason, and time will confirm it: the dispirited will always collapse under their own sorrow.
2. To Wralda's spirit alone should the knee be bent in gratitude, yes, thrice-fold: for what you have consumed from him, for what you avail yourself of, and for the hope of provision in troubled times to come.
3. You have seen how rapidly I offered help. Do the same for your kinsmen, but do not wait until you have been asked. The suffering would curse you, my maidens would erase your name from the book and I would have to reject you like a stranger.
4. Never accept obeisance from your kinsmen, for it is due to Wralda's spirit. Envy would follow you, wisdom would ridicule you and my maidens would accuse you of father-theft.
5. Four things were given you to use, namely air, water, land and fire, but Wralda owns them all. Therefore, I advise you to choose righteous men who fairly divide labor and its fruits, so that no man is free from work or defense.
6. If anyone is found among you who sells his own freedom, he is not of your folk. He is a product of adultery and has bastard blood. I advise you to expel him and his mother. Teach your children this at morning, midday and evening, so they will dream of it at night.
7. Anyone who robs another of his freedom, even if the other were in debt to him, must be paraded with collar and leash like a slave girl. And, I advise you to burn his corpse and that of his mother at a barren site. Thereafter, bury their ashes fifty feet deep, so not a single blade of grass would grow into them, for such grass would kill your most precious cattle.
8. Do not attack either the folk of Lyda or of Finda. Wralda would help them, so that your violence would return upon your own heads.
9. If it were to happen that they sought your counsel, or anything else, you ought to help them, but if they come to steal, fall upon them like the fire of lightning.
10. If one of them desires to marry one of your daughters and she wants that too, you shall explain her stupidity to her. But if she insists on following her suitor, they then may go in peace.
11. If your sons want any of their daughters, you must do the same as with your daughters. But neither the one, nor the other may ever return, for they would bring back foreign morals and habits, and if you accept these as your own, I can no longer watch over you.
12. Upon my maiden Vesta, I have fastened my hope. Therefore, you must make her your honored mother. If you follow my advice, then she will remain my maiden, as well as all sincere maidens that will succeed her. Then the fire that I have lit for you will never fade. Its light will forever illuminate your mind and you shall remain as free from domination as your sweet rivers are free from the salt of the endless sea.
 |
| Texel lighthouse |
2. Other relevant fragments concerning Frya
1b. Adela’s Advice [
002/03]
MACHT FRYA NAVT LONGER WÁKA OVIR HJAM
Frya taught us not to tolerate unfree people among us, but what have they done? They followed our enemy, for instead of killing their prisoners or setting them free, they ignored Frya's advice and used them as slaves. By doing so, they lost Frya's protection. They took the freedom of another and lost their own as a result.
2e1. Vesta: Laws [
014/17]
THÀT IS FRYA.S WILLA
If necessity or duress come to give us regulations that are in conflict with our laws and habits, then people must do as they require, but when the troubles have vanished, then one must always return to the old ways. That is Frya's will and so it must be of all her children.
2e2. Vesta: Frya’s Day [
014/23]
THA DÉI THÉR WY FRYA HELDGAD HÀWA
Vesta said: ‘All things that are initiated, whatever they may be, on the day that we have dedicated to Frya, they will always fail miserably.’
Since time has proven that she was right, it has become a law that except for necessity or duress, on Frya's Day one can do nothing else but celebrate blissful feasts.
3a. Burg Laws [
016/07]
FRYA.S TEX ÀND THA ÉWA
Each burg may have three hundred young defenders. In order to carry out this service, they must learn Frya's Tex and the laws.
3c1. Laws for the Army and War [
022/13]
NÉI FRYA.S RÉD
Except for the king, all other officials may be re-elected if they have acted righteously and according to Frya’s counsel.
3c2. Folk mother and Kings at War [
023/29]
WITH.A ÉWA JEFTHA WITH FRYA.S RÉDJEVINGA
When the army is in the field, the king only needs to consult his headmen, but there must always be three burg lords of the mother present, sitting in front in silence. These burg lords must send messengers to the mother daily, so that she will know if anything is done that is in conflict with the laws or Frya’s counsels.
3c3. Security and War Aftermath [
026/13]
MÀN LÉRTH HJA VSA FRYA SÉDE
If we capture enemies ourselves, they are brought far away into the lands, and they are educated about our ‘Frya’ morals. If they are afterwards set free, it must be done with kindness by the maidens, in order that we win allies and friends instead of opponents and enemies.
4c1. Minos: Useful Precedents [
029/20 +
030/01]
THAT IS NÉI FRYA HIS TEX
If our neighbors have a piece of land or water that appears to be useful for us, it is appropriate for us to ask them to sell it. If they refuse, we must let them keep it. That is according to Frya’s Tex and it would be unjust to take it from them.
[...] If any neighbor comes and says: ‘I am at war, you must help me’; or another comes and says: ‘My son is under-age and incompetent, and I am old, so I wish you to be his guardian and to take charge of my property until he comes of age’, one ought to refuse that, in order that we may not come into disputes over causes that are in conflict with our Fryree morals.
4c2. Minos: Laws [
031/04]
ÀFTER HÀV.IK FRYA OFTEN TANKED VR HIRA TEX
In my youth, I sometimes complained about the restraints of the laws. Later, I often thanked Frya for her Tex, and our ancestors for the laws that were established upon it.
4d. Minos: Minerva [
034/14 +
035/32]
BIN IK IN FRYA.S THJANEST
Once they came and asked: ‘So if you are not a sorceress, then what is the purpose of the eggs you always have with you?’
Minerva answered: ‘These eggs are the symbol of Frya's counsels, in which our future, and that of all humankind, lies concealed. Time must hatch them and we must protect them from being damaged.’
The priests replied: ‘Well said, but what is that hound at your right hand side for?’
Helena answered: ‘Does not the shepherd have a sheepdog to keep his herd together? Just like the dog serves the shepherd, I am in Frya's service. I must watch over her flock.’
[...] ‘Frya has put us on the path, and the Carrier that is time must do the rest.
5c. Three Thieves [
044/17]
FRYA.S FÁMNA HÉDON BY HIM OMME WÁRATH
The third owner, however, went to his thief's house and when he saw how famine had set up its throne there, he went back and returned with a wagon full of supplies with which he drove famine from their hearth. Frya's maidens had been around him and wrote his deed in the Eternal Book while erasing all his flaws.
6. Yule, Script, Numbers [
045/10]
THANA HETH FRYA THAT STAND SKRIFT MAKAD THAT HJA BRUKTE TO HJRA TEX
[...] the Yule, which is the primal symbol of Wralda and of the potential or the beginning from which time came; the Carrier that must forever go around with the Yule. Frya based the Standscript on it, that she used to write her Tex.
8a. Magyars and Finns, ca. 2090 BCE [
050/27 +
052/22]
FRYA WÀRTH ANHROPEN
Mountains, bow your crowns; weep, O clouds and streams. Yes, Skeanland blushes: slave folk step upon your clothing, oh, Frya!
[...] Eighty years later — the Yulefeast had just begun — they unexpectedly and like a blizzard covered our lands. Those who could not flee were killed. Frya was called upon, but the Skeanlanders had neglected her advice.
8b1. Wodin and the Magus [
054/02/20 +
056/03]
FRYA WAS HJARA WÉPEN HROP
When the brothers of the north had joined him, Wodin divided his powerful army into three. ‘Frya!’ was their war cry, and he thus drove back the Finns and Magyars as if they were children.
[...] The magus possesses great riches, but he has seen that Frya is more powerful than all our spirits combined. He will lay down his head in her lap.
[...] Wodin became so audacious, that he dared to disavow and ridicule Frya and Wralda's spirit, while he bent his free neck before images of false gods.
[...] Besides this dispute, there was yet another one among his own people, the Magyars and Finns, who would honor neither Frya nor Wodin.
9a1. The War of Kelta and Minerva, ca. 1630 BCE [
062/01]
FRYA.S SIVGUN WÁK.FÁMKES THERE WÉK
Near the southern mouth of the Rhine and the Scheldt there are seven islands, named after Frya's seven watch maidens of the week. In the middle of one island is the burg Walhallagara.
9b. Jon and Minerva Resettle [
071/19]
JEFTHA FRYA.S SÉDA TO ÁTHENJA ÀND THA ÔRA KRÉKALANDA BLOJA SKOLDE
When this had been agreed to, the people asked if Frya's morals would flourish in Athena and the other Greeklands. The mother answered: ‘If the far Greeklands belong to Frya's heritage, they will flourish there;
10a. Ulysses’ Quest for a Lamp, ca. 1190 BCE [
076/13]
THÀT FRYA.S SÉDA TO ÁTHENJA NÉN STAND HOLDE NE KVSTE
From this king a writer of pure Frya's blood remained here, born at the new haven of Athena. He has written the following for us about Athena, from which we can determine the extent to which the mother Hellight spoke truth when she said that Frya's morals could not prevail in Athena.
10b. Athena: Miscegenation and Decadence [
078/05]
.N STRÉL FON FRYA.S GÁST
As long as there was still a touch of Frya's spirit prevailing, all building materials were used for common projects, and no one could build a house larger and more luxurious than that of his neighbors.
11a. Denmarks Lost, ca. 590 BCE [
081/13]
THAT HJA FRYAS TEX NAVT NE LÉSDE
This and the lack of good weapons caused them to lose their attempt to fight off this raid as well as their own freedom, since the magus became their master. This was the consequence of not reading Frya's Tex and ignoring her advice.
11b. Death of Frana [
085/08]
WILLATH WY FRYA AFTERNÉI HROPA. WÁK. WÁK. WÁK.
We do not ask for revenge, as time will provide that, but we cannot repeat Frya's cry enough: ‘Watch! Watch! Watch!’
13b3. Ode to Adela [
096/13]
FRYA THÉR SJUGUN SKÉNHÉDE HÉDE
Frya could not have been more beautiful. Yes, comrade. Frya, who had seven beauties, of which her daughters inherited one each, or at most three.
13d. The Unsociable Man [
104/05]
THÁ FRYA BERN WAS
(for longer fragment, see
part 1)
When Frya was a child, our mother stood naked and bare, unprotected from the rays of the sun. She could ask help of no one, and nor was there anyone who could have given her any help. Then Wralda wrought in her conscience intuition and love, anxiety and fright. She looked round her, her intuition chose the best and she sought a hiding place under the sheltering linden tree, but rain came and with it the discomfort of becoming wet.
However, she had seen how the water ran down the pendent leaves, so she made a roof with sloping sides. She made it with sticks. Then a windstorm came and blew the rain under it. She had seen that the stem provided lee. She subsequently made a wall of sods and turf, first on one side and then all round. The windstorm returned, raging even more than before and blew away the roof, but she did not complain or ask Wralda why. She made a roof of reeds and put stones upon it.
Having experienced how hard it is to toil alone, she explained to her children how and why she had done all this. They wrought and thought together. This is the way we developed houses with porches, a street and linden trees that protect us from the rays of the sun. Eventually they built a burg and after that, all others.
13e2. Apollonia’s Journey [
110/25]
ET FRYA.S.DÉI
In the lake lay a great fleet, with flags of various colours. On Fryas Day, the shields were hung on board. Some shone like the sun. The shields of the ‘witking’ — or sea king — and his ‘deputy-by-night’ had a golden edge.
14a. Fryasland Swamped, ca. 305 BCE [
114/04 +
115/10]
FRYA HÉD.VS LÉTEN
In my youth, all I heard was grievance: Bad times would come or had come, Frya had left us, she had withheld her watch maidens, because idolatrous images had been found within our landmarks. I was burning with curiosity to see these images.
[...] The magus was proud of his slyness, but Earth would show him that she could not allow any magus or idols on the holy site where she bore Frya.
14d1. Alexander the King [
121/08]
WY SEND FRY BERN FRYA.S BERN
We are free-born, born of Frya. We can never be slaves.
14d2. Demetrius and Friso [
127/06/10]
THAHWILA FRYA HJRA HAVED FON JOW OFWENDA MOT
But Friso, who was proud and cold-blooded, sent a messenger with a letter to his children [...] But the messenger also had poison, and another letter ordering them to take it.
‘Because’, he said, ‘against your will, your body was defiled. That, you are not to blame for. But if you defile your soul, you will never reach Walhalla. Your soul will then wander over the earth without being able to see the light. Like bats and owls you will hide in your hole by day, and come out at night, crying and howling upon our graves, while Frya must turn her head away from you.’
The children did as they were told. Demetrius had their corpses thrown into the sea and the people were told that they had fled.
14f. Defects of the Brokmen [
132/21]
SÁ KVMATH THA SIBBA ET SÉMNE ÀND BIDDATH AN FRYA
When someone [of the Ionians] makes an image of a dead person and it shows a good likeness, they believe that the spirit of the departed resides in it. They therefore hide all images of Frya, Vesta, Medea, Diana, Helena and many others. When a child is born, the family gathers and prays to Frya that she may send her maidens to bless the child. When they have prayed, no one can move or make a sound. If the child cries and it persists a while, it is a bad omen and the mother is suspected of adultery. I have seen bad consequences from that. If the child sleeps, it means that the maiden spirits have come. If it also smiles, the maidens have promised it good luck. They persistently believe in evil spirits, witches, sorcerers, little forest men and elves as if they stemmed from the Finns.
15b2. Yesus or Buda of Kashmir [
140/13 +
141/13]
THAN SKIL FRYA JUWGJA
This religion, which requires the priests to possess no other skills than eloquence, hypocrisy and foul play, expands from east to west, and will also reach our lands. When the priests will imagine, however, that they have entirely extinguished the light of Frya and of Yesus' teachings, people will rise in all regions, who have silently treasured truth among each other, hiding it from the priests.
[...] There will be no other masters, princes or bosses than those who were elected by common will. Then Frya will rejoice and earth will only grant her gifts to the working people.
15c. Frana’s Will [
141/27]
FRYA ÀND THÉRE FRYHÉD
In the name of Wralda, Frya and of freedom, I greet you
16c. Gosa: Purity of Language [
161/25 +
163/01]
THA ASVNDERGANA TWÍGA FON FRÍA.S STAM
We have endured much, but among all burgs that were damaged and destroyed in the bad time, earth has preserved Fryasburg intact, and I can add that Frya's or God's language was preserved as intact here. Here at Texland, therefore, schools must be established.
[...] All these actions were taken to bind the various twigs of Frya's stem together again.
18. Rika: Stealing of Titles [
190/01 +
191/21 +
192/23]
TO SMERT FON FRYA
I know from whence this folly comes, though. Pay attention! It comes from our enemies, and when they become your example, that will make you into slaves, to the sorrow of Frya and to the punishment of your haughtiness.
[...] Similar to some of your men wanting to be associated with Wralda, there are some of your women who want the same with Frya. Because they have borne children, they have themselves called ‘mother’, but they forget that Frya bore children without being with a man.
It is indeed not only Frya and the honorable mother whose glorious names they want to steal (they could not even approximate them!), but they do the same with the honorary titles of women who are more near to them: there are women who have themselves called ‘frowa’ or lady, although they know that this title only belongs to the wives of princes. They also have their daughters called ‘faemna’ or maidens, despite of knowing that no girl can be called so, unless she belongs to a burg.
[...] Then you will be damned. Aghast, your spirits will rise from the graves. They will call upon Wralda, and upon Frya and her maidens, but no one will be able to help in any way before the Yule enters a new cycle.
19c. Reintia's Dream [
202/27]
WÉRON FRIA.S SJVGUN WÁK.FÁMKES HJA ANDA DRÁME FORSKINNEN
Wralda, she said, had signaled to her by thunder that all Frya's folk must become friends, united as sisters and brothers, or else Finda's folk would come and wipe them all off the face of the earth. After the thunder, Frya's seven watch maidens had appeared in her dreams, seven nights in succession. They said:
‘Disaster hovers over Frya's lands carrying yoke and chains, so all tribes that have sprung from Frya's blood must cast aside their nicknames and only call themselves Frya's children or folk. You must all rise and expel Finda's folk from Frya's domain. If you do not, you shall find slave chains placed around your necks. The foreign masters will abuse your children and have them lashed until their blood seeps into your graves. The spirits of your ancestors will come to wake you up and blame you for your cowardice and carelessness.’
The naive folk, who, under Magyar influence, had become accustomed to such folly, believed all that she said, causing the mothers to clasp their children tightly to their bosoms in horror.
19d. Askar Lost to Idolatry [
207/06]
ÀJEN FRIA.S RÉD
They brought home various foreign treasures, but the result was that the young folk lost their ambition to learn a craft or work in the fields, so in the end they had to use slaves. This was all very much against Wralda's will and against Frya's advice. Thus, punishment was inevitable.
