EN049.11 Aldland
Ott 2023
7b. How Aldland Sank, ca. 2190 BCE
[049/11] How the bad times came:
During the whole summer, Sun had hidden behind clouds, as if she wished not to see Earth. Wind rested in his bags,[1] causing smoke and steam to stand like pillars over houses and pools. Air thus became dreary and dull, and neither joy nor pleasure were in the hearts of the people. In the midst of this stillness, Earth began to tremble as if she were dying. There were mountains that split open to spew out fire and flames, while others sank into her bowels; and there where before had been plains, she thrust up mountains. Aldland — that the steersmen call ‘Atland’ — sank down, and the roiling sea trod over mountain and valley, so that everything was submerged. Many people were buried by landslides, and many who had escaped the fire later perished in the water.
Not only in the lands of Finda [050] did mountains spew fire, but also in the Twiskland. Woods were burned one after the other and, when Wind came from there, our lands were covered with ash. Rivers changed their course and, at their mouths, new islands were formed of sand and drowned animals. Earth suffered like this for three years; when she recovered, one could see her wounds. Many lands were submerged,[2] others had risen out of the sea, and half of the Twiskland had been deforested. Bands of Finda’s folk came roaming across the empty plains, and our dispersed people were either destroyed or joined their ranks. This forced us to be twice as vigilant, and time taught us that unity is our strongest defense.[3]
Sandbach 1876
[p.71 cont.] How the Bad Time came.
During the whole summer the sun had been hid behind the clouds, as if unwilling to look upon the earth. There was perpetual calm, and the damp mist hung like a wet sail over the houses and the marshes. The air was heavy and oppressive, and in men's hearts was neither joy nor cheerfulness. In the midst of this stillness the earth began to tremble as if she was dying. The mountains opened to vomit forth fire and flames. Some sank into the bosom of the earth, and in other places mountains rose out of the plain. Aldland, called by the seafaring people, Atland, disappeared, and the wild waves rose so high over hill and dale that everything was buried in the sea. Many people were swallowed up by the earth, and others who had escaped the fire perished in the water.
It was not only in Finda's land that the earth vomited fire, but also in Twiskland (Germany). Whole forests were burned one after the other, and when the wind blew from that quarter our land was covered with ashes. Rivers changed their course, and at their mouths new islands were formed of sand and drift.
During three years this continued, but at length it ceased, and forests became visible. Many countries were submerged, and in other places land rose above the sea, and the wood was destroyed through the half of Twiskland (Germany). Troops of Finda's people came and settled in the empty places. Our dispersed people were exterminated or made slaves. Then watchfulness was doubly impressed upon us, and time taught us that union is force.
Notes
- ↑ ‘Wind rested in his bags’ (WIND RESTON IN SINA BÛDAR) — the idea of ‘windbags’ is known from Homer’s Odyssey, where the hero is given a bag with winds from Aeolus (beginning of book 10; the word used is ἀσκος – hide, skin, leather bag).
- ↑ Some people speculate about ‘Frisland’, a so-called ‘phantom island’ that appeared on maps of the North Atlantic from 16th and 17th century, having submerged in the described cataclysm. A theory about this was proposed by Alewyn Raubenheimer in “Chronicles from pre-Celtic Europe” (2014).
- ↑ ‘defence’ (BURCH) — lit.: ‘burg’, ‘stronghold’.
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