ÁDAM(A)
ÁDAMA is used twice for breath and once (spelled ÁDAM) for scent. In the context of Wrlada’s breath it can be understood as life force.
Fragments
1. MS p. 6 — Our Primal History (discussed below)
THÁ HJA BLÁT KÉMON SPISDE WRALDA HJAM MITH SINA ÁDAMA
Upon their birth, Wralda fed each of them with his breath
(More literally: When they came bare/naked, Wralda fed them with his breath)
ÉR HJU MITH HIRA TOCHTIGE ÁDAMA THÀT LJUCHT BIWLATH
before she pollutes the light with her unchaste breath
3. MS p. 94 — Death of Adela
[THA] GÜRBÁM (...) OVER-FULDE LUFT MITH SINA LIAFLIKA ÁDAM
blossoming branches that filled the air with their sweet fragrance
(More literally: [the] scented tree (...) filled air with its lovely breath)
Same word in other languages
- adem – Dutch
- Atem – German
- ātmá – Sanskrit
Discussion of fragment 1. (Wralda’s breath)
Sandbach's erroneous interpretation of fragment 1 (as translated by Ottema) has led to a persistent misunderstanding among some readers. This misunderstanding will be cleared once and for all below.
If Sandbach’s change of the text (he replaced these/they by the last, referring to Frya alone) was correct, this would imply that only Frya’s descendants (tha mænneska/ men) were considered human. Also, the original would have been specific: SPISDE WR-ALDA FRYA MITH SINA ÁDAMA (Wralda fed Frya with his breath). Wralda’s breath or spirit is used for what we call life force. It would not make sense if Frya’s sisters had not recieved it.
Original Fryas text
There is no significant difference between the transcriptions (underlinings added):
| Transcription Ottema, used by Sandbach | Raw transcription Ott |
|---|---|
| Thâ hja blât kêmon | THÁ HJA BLÁT KÉMON |
| spisde Wr.alda hjam mith sina âdama; | SPISDE WR-ALDA HJAM MITH SINA ÁDAMA. |
| til thju tha mænneska an him skolde bvnden wêsa. | TILTHIU THA MÀNNESKA AN HIM SKOLDE BVNDEN WÉSA. |
Translations
Dutch
| Ottema 1872/1876* | Jensma 2004 | Ott (concept) |
|---|---|---|
| Toen deze te voorschijn kwamen, | Toen zij bloot kwamen, | Toen ze tevoorschijn kwamen |
| spijsde Wralda haar met zijnen adem, | spijsde Wralda hen met zijn adem, | voedde Wralda hen met zijn adem, |
| opdat de menschen aan hem zouden gebonden wezen. | opdat de mensen aan hem gebonden zouden zijn. | om de mensheid aan hem te binden. |
(*Translations Overwijn 1941 and 1951 did not significantly differ from Ottema’s. He also used archaic haar for plural feminine.)
Notes:
- Kwamen is plural (they) came.
- In modern Dutch, the feminine pronoun haar is used for singular (2nd to 4th person), but in archaic use, it can also be plural (Wiktionary). In late 19th century Dutch, this use will have been common, but Sandbach may not have been aware.
English
| Sandbach 1876* | Pierce 1973 | Ott 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| When the last came into existence, | When they came naked, | Upon their birth, |
| Wr-alda breathed his spirit upon her | Wralda fed them with his breath, | Wralda fed each of them with his breath |
| in order that men might be bound to him. | to the (end) that mankind should be bound to him. | so that mankind should be bound to him. |
(*According to its title page, this was an “English version of Dr Ottema’s Dutch translation”. Raubenheimer’s 2010 adaptation of the Sandbach version did not significantly differ from it.)
Note: Sandbach changed Ottema’s deze ... kwamen (plural these ... came) into the last ... came (apparant singular).
German
| Wirth 1933 | Menkens 2013 |
|---|---|
| Da sie bloß kamen, | Da sie nackt/bloß kamen, |
| speiste Wralda sie mit seinem Odem. | speiste Vvralda sie mit seinem Atem, |
| (part omitted) | auf daß die Menschen an ihn gebunden sein würden. |
Note: Both used unmistakable plurals.
HJAM/hjam is plural them
This sample of sentences with HJAM in the first 20 manuscript pages (except discussed fragment) demonstrates that it is consistently used for plurals:
HJAM: our relatives on the other side of the Weser
[001/002] THÀT.ER MÁGÍ HJAM NÉN ÉNE GÁ OFWNNEN HETH (...) MACHT FRYA NAVT LÔNGER WÁKA OVIR HJAM
HJAM: children
[004] MÀN MOT TELLA HJAM FON THA WIGARDA
HJAM: Frya's children
[010] THÁ LÉRDE HJU HJAM THJU WÉRTHE FON THA FRYDOM KÀNNA (...) THÉR JEF HJU HJAM HJRA TEX
HJAM: Lyda's and/or Finda's folk
[013] WRALDA SKOLDE HELPA HJAM (...) ALSA AGATH J TO HELPANE HJAM (...) SAHWERSA ANNEN FON HJAM
HJAM: those who believe the suspects are innocent
[019] NIMMAN ACH HJAM THÉROVIR MIN TO ACHTJANE
HJAM: a newly married couple
[019] SA JÉFT MÀN HJAM HUS ÀND WÀRF
(translations to be added)