FROM GODDESS TO KING

A History of Ancient Europe from the

OERA LINDA BOOK

By Anthony Radford

CHAPTER 8

THE ORIGINS OF IONIA

It has been the intention of the author to first present the historically
believed information and then show how this new source changes those beliefs but
in this case it is impossible because who else has written about Jon, our most
common name? They say it means “Given” and so it was given to an adventurous sea-king
from the Rhine 3640 years ago.

The sea-king Jon had fitted out a fleet of 127 ships when Kaltas followers
destroyed the citadel at Walhallagara. He was to have taken on paper there but
instead took his men to avenge their anger by attacking Kalta at her own citadel
of Flyburgt. They set fire to it but saved the maidens and the sacred lamp while
Kalta, herself escaping, openly declared war on the whole community.

The Earth Mother Rosamond had responded and defeated the rebels, exiling them
to Britain but that did not stop Kalta who eventually rallied the exiles with
the help of the Druids into virtually another independent nation or the new Celtic
Motherdom. In the meantime, Rosamond sought justice for Jon and his seamen who
had taken the law into their own hands but they were not to hang around and be
exiled to the tin mines. They chose their own exile together with women and children,
most of the maidens from two citadels, two sacred lamps and the priestess Minerva.
This mighty fleet, like the fleet of Teunis sailed south to the Mediterranean
for another historical drama.

Kalta must have been quite a force for in one year she became mistress of all
the Thyriers or Phoenician-Frisian settlers. Many names of existing places have
some connection to the Thyriers and to Kalta or her new citadel Kaltasburgh. There
is a mountainous region north of Paris called Thierache and at a guess Kaltasburgh
or Kerenak may now be known as Dunkerque, a part of the lands of the Britons or
possible Carnac in Brittany. At this coastal site there are 2934 menhirs or giant
stones arranged in roes. They have been carbon-dated to the same age as Stonehenge,
or 4500 years old, long before Kalta. Amber ornaments have been found there which
connects the site with that ancient trading commodity mentioned in the Book. Later
writings place Kerenak, an alternative name for the same citadel, in Scotland
but it does not survive there under a similar name. We are however told that Kalta
ruled as a queen, not a true earth mother, an exploit that eventually led to the
priests and princes taking over those lands.

We Now Come to the History of Jon:

Jon, John, Jhon, Jan, are all the same name, though the pronunciation varies,
as the seamen like to shorten everything to be able to make it easier to call.
Jon – that is, “Given” – was a sea-king, born at Alberga, who sailed from the
Flymeer with a fleet of 127 ships fitted out for a long voyage, and laden with
amber, tin, copper, cloth, linen, felt, otter-skins, beaver and rabbit skins.

He would also have taken paper from here, but when he saw how Kalta had
destroyed the citadel he became so angry that he went off with his people to Flyburgt,
and out of revenge set fire to it. His admiral and some of his people saved the
lamp and the maidens, but they could not catch Sijred (or Kalta). She climbed
up on the furthest battlement, and they thought she must be killed in the flames;
but what happened? While all her people stood transfixed with horror, she appeared
on her steed more beautiful than ever, calling to them, “To Kalta!” Then the other
Schelda people poured out towards her. When the seamen saw that, they shouted,
“We are for Minerva!” from which arose a war in which thousands were killed.

At this time Rosamond the Mother, who had done all in her power by gentle
means to preserve peace, when she saw how bad it was, made short work of it. Immediately
she sent messengers throughout all the districts to call a general levy, which
brought together all the defenders of the country. The landsmen who were fighting
were all caught, but Jon with his seamen took refuge on board his fleet, taking
with him the two lamps, as well as Minerva and the maidens of both the citadels.
Helprik, the chief summoned him to appear; but while all the soldiers were on
the other side of the Scheldt, Jon sailed back to the Flymeer, and then straight
to our islands. His fighting men and many of our people took women and children
on board, and when Jon saw that he and his people would be punished for their
misdeeds, he secretly took his departure. He did well, for all our islanders and
the other Scheldt people who had been fighting were transported to Britain. This
step was a mistake, for now came the beginning of the end. Kalta, who people said,
could go as easily on the water as on the land, went to the mainland and on to
Missellia. Then came the Gauls out of the Mediterranean Sea with their ships to
Cadiz, and along all our coasts, and fell upon Britain; but they could not make
any good footing there, because the government was powerful and the exiles were
still Frisians.

But now came Kalta and said: “You were born free, and for small offenses
have been sent away, not for your own improvement, but to get tin by your labor.
If you wish to be free again, and take my advice, and live under my care, come
away. I will provide you with arms, and will watch over you.”

The news flew through the land like lightning, and before the Carriers
wheel had made one revolution she was mistress of all the Thyriers, in all our
southern states as far as the Seine. She built herself a citadel on the high land
to the north, and called it Kaltasburgh. It still exists under the name of Kerenak.
From this castle she ruled as a true mother, against their will, not for her followers,
but over them, who were thenceforth called Kelts. The Gauls gradually obtained
dominion over the whole of Britain, partly because they no longer had any citadel;
secondly, because they had there no burgtmaid; and thirdly, because they had no
real lamps. From all these causes the people could not learn anything. They were
stupid and foolish, and having allowed the Gauls to rob them of their arms, they
were led about like a bull with a ring in his nose.

About 1620 BC another mighty fleet of Frisians went permanently to the Mediterranean
led by the then outlawed sea-king Jon. He found the Mothers influence in western
Italy too strong for his own formidable military force or perhaps he was still
too much of a true Frisian to impose his own way on that faithful community. They
must have had a good communication system, possibly by means of overland couriers
as they were already informed that his forces were wanted renegades. That area
of Italy was the pre-Roman countryside probably even pre-Etruscan. Those settlers
are now considered to have come from Troy and our story has not yet shown that
region to be a maritime power although Troy is very old. The Germanic languages
may have been greatly influenced by Latin in the last two thousand years but for
the preceding pastoral age, Latin was the child of the Germanic or Old Frisian
root tongue. This is not in keeping with conventional theory but it fits in well
with the story of the migrations that the Book relates. It must have been a time
of low population where a city may not have been much more than a manor house
with its domestic support. There were still plenty of open lands and safe harbors
about.

Minerva was the Mother of Walhallagara at Flymeer the citadel that was burnt
by the incensed followers of Kalta who had been jealous of her relationship with
the Mother Rosamond. Jon and his seamen rescued her, her maidens and their lamp,
but when he heard how it fared with the land forces that had taken revenge on
Kaltas actions, he escaped with the fleet and also Kaltas maidens with her lamp.
He eventually took Minerva and all these maidens to the Mediterranean but when
there they separated with Jon taking Kaltas lamp and virgins to his own islands,
leaving Minerva at Crete.

The story continues with Jon and Minerva splitting up, each keeping a maiden
system and a sacred lamp in traditional Frisian style. Minerva settled in Crete,
a poor land while Jon settled in the islands of the Aegean Sea where his exploits
gave them the name of the “Islands of Pirates” or what is now known as the Ionian
Islands. No encyclopedia explains the origin of the word “Ionian” but here we
are told it meant “Jons Islands” from where he made pirate raids with his young
adventurers against the Phoenicians. Robert Graves in The White Goddess states
that the name comes from the Cow goddess, IO, on the mainland (Asia Minor) from
which the islanders would have come. Incidentally, the name “Aegean” which came
from Aegeus, king of Athens and father of the legendary Theseus is from the goat-tribe
of Attica. The Aegis or breastplate of Zeus was a goatskin.

The narrator of the next extract either confuses Italy with Greece and Anatolia
or the word “Italians” had a different meaning then, reflecting a future migration
to Italy of Trojans. The Joniers or Ionians figure again in the story twelve hundred
years later at the time of Alexander the Great. Here is the beginning of a nation
that has given us many stories.

Now We Shall Write How it Fared with Jon. It is Inscribed
at Texland:

Ten years after Jon went away, there arrived three ships in the Flymeer;
the people cried “Huzza!” (what a blessing!)
and from their accounts the Mother had this written.

When Jon reached the Mediterranean Sea, the reports of the Gauls had preceded
him, so that on the nearest Italian coast he was nowhere safe. Therefore he went
with his fleet straight over to Libya. There the black men wanted to catch them
and eat them. At last they came to Tyre, but Minerva said, “Keep clear, for here
the air has long been poisoned by the priests.”

The king was a descendant of Teunis, as we were afterwards informed; but
as the priests wished to have a king, who, according to their ideas, was of long
descent, they deified Teunis, to the vexation of his followers. After they had
passed Tyre, the Thyriers seized one of the rearmost ships, and as the ship was
too far behind us, we could not take it back again; but Jon swore to be revenged
for it. When night came, Jon bent his course towards distant Crete. At last they
arrived at a country that looked very barren, but they found a harbor there. Here,
said Minerva, we need not perhaps have any fear of princes or priests, as they
always look out for rich fat lands. When they entered the harbor, there was not
room for all the ships, and yet most of the people were too cowardly to go any
further. Then Jon, who wished to get away, went with his spear and banner, calling
to the young people, to know who would volunteer to share his adventures. Minerva
did the same thing, but she wished to remain there. The greater part stopped with
Minerva, but the young sailors went with Jon. Jon took the lamp of Kalta and her
maidens with him. Minerva retained her lamp and her own maidens.

Between the near and the distant coasts of Italy, Jon found some islands,
which he thought desirable. Upon the largest he built a city in the wood between
the mountains. From the smaller islands he made expeditions for vengeance on the
Thyriers, and plundered their ships and their lands. Therefore these islands were
called Insulae Piratarum, as well as Johannis Insulae.