EN131.26 Brokmen
Ott 2025
S. Frethorik
5. Faults of the Brokmen
131.26 When the Bearer has wheeled forth the Yule for some time, then posterity might come to believe that the faults brought here by the Brokmen were those of their own ancestors.[1] To prevent this, I will describe all that I have observed of their manners:
[132] About the Geartmen I have not much to say. I have not dealt much with them, but as far as I have seen, they have retained our language and customs the most. I cannot say the same of the others.
The language of those from the Greeklands is vulgar, and their customs are lamentable. Many have brown eyes and hair. They are envious and brazen, and fearful from superstition. When they speak, they put the words first that ought to come last. For ald (old) they say ‘ád’, for salt ‘sád’, ‘má’ for man,[2] ‘sel’ for ‘skil’ (shall), ‘sode’ for ‘skolde’ (should).[3] Too many to mention. They also use foreign and abbreviated names that have no clear meaning. The Ionians speak better, but they drop the ‘H’ where one should be and include one where it should not.
Whenever anyone makes an image of someone who has died and it is a good likeness, they believe that the spirit of the departed enters into it. Therefore they hide all images: of Frya, Festa, Medea, Thiania,[4] Hellenia, 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, [133] no one may move or make a sound. If the child cries and persists for a while, it is a bad omen and the mother is suspected of adultery. I have seen terrible 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 invariably believe in evil spirits, witches, sorcerers, little forest men, and elves — as if they stemmed from the Finns.[5]
Herewith I will end, and I think I have written more than any of my ancestors.
Frethorik.
Notes
- ↑ ‘Brokmen’ (BROK.MANNA) — unclear; elsewhere, ‘brok’ means ‘marshy’ (land); perhaps many of the remigrants settled in the lower, marshy lands.
- ↑ ‘ald’ — Frisian: âld; Dutch: oud; German: alt; ‘salt’ — Frisian: sâlt; Dutch: zout; German: Salz; ‘ma’ for man is common in Frisian family names, for example: Jensma, Ottema.
- ↑ ‘skil’ — Frisian: sil; Dutch: zal; German: soll; ‘skolde’ — Frisian: soe; Dutch: zou; German: sollte.
- ↑ ‘Thiania’ (THJANJA) — or: Diana (meaning: ‘to serve’; Dutch and German: ‘dienen’).
- ↑ ‘little forest men’ (ULDERMANKES) — related to ‘hulder’ from Scandinavian folklore.
Continue Reading
EN130.21 Northland ᐊ previous/next ᐅ EN133.17 Wilyo
In other languages
- DE131.26 Heimkehrer
- ES131.26 Repatriados
- FS131.26 BROKMANNA
- NL131.26 Repatrianten
- NO131.26 Hjemvendte
Other English translations
Chapters S4, S5 and T: Sandbach 1876