EN053.12 Wodin
Ott 2025
K. Era of Tunis
2. All Burgs 2: Wodin
53.12 From this expedition was born the history of Wodin, as written at the burgs and recorded here:
At the Aldergamouth, a former sea king had taken his retirement. Sterik was his name, and the renown of his deeds was great. This old sea dog had three young kinsmen: Wodin, the eldest, lived at Lumkamakia near the Ems Mouth in East Fleeland with his parents. He had once been an army leader; Tunis and Inka were sea warriors and, at the time, they were staying at the home of their uncle by the Aldergamouth.
When the young warriors had assembled, they chose Wodin as their army leader, or king. The sea warriors chose Tunis as their sea king and Inka as their watch-by-night. The fleet then sailed to the Denmarks, where they took on board Wodin and his brave army. The wind was fair [054] and so they shortly arrived in Skeanland. When the northern brothers had joined him, Wodin divided his powerful army into three. “Frya!” was their war cry, and thus he drove back the Finns and Magyars as if they were children.
When the Magy heard how his men were all being slain, he sent messengers with scepter and crown. They said to Wodin: “O you, greatest of all kings! We are guilty, but all that we have done was done from necessity. You believe that we took on your brothers willingly. But we were whipped forth by our enemies, who are still at our heels. We have often asked aid of your burgmaid, but she ignored us. The Magy says that if we persist in fighting and killing one another, the wild herdsmen will come and kill us all. The Magy possesses great riches, but he has seen that Frya is more powerful than all our spirits combined. He wishes to lay his head down in her lap. You are the most heroic king on Earth, your folk are of iron. Become our king, and we shall willingly be your slaves. What honor you would earn if you could drive back the savages! Our trumpets would resound with the tidings and our praises would precede you everywhere.”
Wodin was strong, fierce, and adventuresome, but he was not [055] clear-sighted. He was thus ensnared and crowned by the Magy. Quite a few navigators and warriors, who disapproved of this turn, left quietly, taking Kate with them. But Kate, who dreaded facing either the mother or the general assembly, jumped overboard. A storm then arose and dashed the ships upon the Denmark shores, not sparing a single man. Later, this strait was named Kate’s Gate (Kattegat).
After Wodin was crowned, he sallied forth to meet the savages, who were all horsemen and charged down on Wodin’s troops like a hailstorm; but like a whirlwind, they turned back and did not dare show themselves again. When Wodin returned, the Magy gave him his daughter to wife. He was then incensed with herbs. But among them were magical herbs, and Wodin gradually became so audacious that he dared to disavow and ridicule Frya and Wralda’s spirit as he bent his free neck before images of false gods.
His reign lasted seven years, and then he disappeared. The Magy said that he had been taken up amongst their gods, and that he ruled over them from there. But our folk laughed at his words.
When Wodin had been gone for a time, disputes arose. We wished to choose another king, but the Magy would not allow it. [056] He claimed that it was his right, given him by his gods. Beyond this dispute, there was yet another quarrel among his own Magyars and Finns, who would honor neither Frya nor Wodin. But the Magy did as he pleased because his daughter had born a son by Wodin, and the Magy now declared this son to be of high birth. While all were nagging and quarreling, he crowned the boy king and installed himself as his guardian, representative, and counselor. Those who prized a full belly above justice let him have his way. But the good men left. Many Magyars fled with their people back towards their homelands, and the navigators took ship, accompanied by an army of daring Finns as oarsmen.
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EN050.19 Magyars ᐊ previous/next ᐅ EN056.21 Tunis
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Chapter K: Sandbach 1876