EN068.17 Mediterranean

Ott 2025

L. Era of Minerva

2. At Fryasburg 1

Minerva and Jon Resettle

68.17 Now we will write what became of Jon. This is inscribed at Texland:

Ten years after Jon had left, three ships sailed into the Flee Lake. The people aboard cheered “huzzah!” From their accounts, the mother commanded this to be written:

When Jon reached the Middle Sea, the reports of the Gola had preceded him everywhere, so that he was not safe anywhere on the coast of the near Greeklands. Thus, he crossed over with his fleet to Lydia, that is Lyda’s Land. There, the black people wanted to capture and eat them. At last they arrived at Tyre, but Minerva said: “Hold off, for the air here is utterly polluted by the priests.”

[069] The king was a descendant of Tunis, as we later heard. But, because they wished to hold eternal sway over the kingship, the priests had elevated Tunis to the status of a god, to the vexation of his followers.

Now when they left Tyre, the Tyrians came and seized a ship of the rear guard. As the stolen ship had sailed too far away, we could not get it back again. But Jon swore to take revenge and, by nightfall, he set course for the distant Greeklands.

Finally they arrived at a land that appeared very barren, but they found the mouth of a harbor there. “Here,” said Minerva, “it seems we shall have nothing to fear from princes or priests, for they love only rich fat lands.” But when they entered the haven, they found it was too small for all the ships. And yet almost all aboard the fleet were too exhausted to set sail again. Then Jon, who wanted to sail onward, went out with his spear and banner, calling the young folk who would willingly join him. Minerva, who wished to remain there, did likewise. The majority joined Minerva, but the youngest navigators went with Jon. Jon took Kelta’s Lamp and maidens with him, and Minerva kept her own Lamp and maidens.

Between the distant and the near Greeklands, Jon found some islands that seemed hospitable. On the largest, he [070] built a burg in the woods between the mountains. From the small islands, out of revenge, he went plundering Tyrian ships and lands. Therefore, the islands are called both Pirates’ Islands and Jon’s (Ionian) Islands.

When Minerva explored the land, which is called by the inhabitants Attica, she noticed that all the folk were goat herders, who lived on meat, herbs, wild roots, and honey. They were clothed in skins and had their shelters on the slopes of the high hills. Therefore, they were called Hellinger (Hellenes) by our folk.

At first, they ran away. But when the people saw that we were not after their cherished goods, they came back and demonstrated great willingness to be our allies. Minerva asked if we could settle there in peace. This was permitted on condition that we should help them fight their neighbors, who regularly came to kidnap their children and steal their possessions.

We built a burg one and a half poles distant from the harbor. On Minerva’s advice, it was called Athenia: “Because,” she said, “those who come after us must know that we did not acquire the land by cunning or violence, but were received as allies (atha).”

While we were building the burg, the princes came along and, when they saw that we had no slaves, they were displeased and expressed this [071] to Minerva, as they thought she was a princess. But Minerva asked: “How did you get your slaves then?” They answered: “Some we bought, others we won in conflict.”

Minerva said: “If no one would buy people, no one would steal your children, and you would have no wars about it. Thus, if you wish to remain our allies, you must set your slaves free.” The princes refused and wanted to drive us away. But the cleverest of their people came to help us build our burg, which we now decided to make of stone.

This was the history of Jon and Minerva.

When they had narrated all this, the mariners respectfully asked for iron weapons for burg defence: “Because,” they said, “our enemies are powerful. But if we have proper weapons, we can withstand them.” When the mother had agreed to this, they asked her whether Frya’s morals would flourish in Athenia and the other Greeklands. She answered: “If the far Greeklands are a part of Frya’s legacy, then her morals shall flourish there; but if they are not, there shall have to be lengthy struggle over the lands — because the Bearer shall transport the Yule in its circuit for five thousand years before Finda’s folk are ripe for freedom.”

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EN067.09 Kelta ᐊ previous/next ᐅ EN072.05 Geartmen

In alternative order:

EN067.09 Kelta ᐊ previous/next ᐅ EN033.22 Minerva

In other languages

DE068.17 Mittelmeer

ES068.17 Mar del Medio

FS068.17 MIDDELSÉ

NL068.17 Middenzee

NO068.17 Middelhavet

Other English translations

Chapter L: Sandbach 1876