Armin (390 AD)
I am named Armin, son of Arnolf, spearman in the following of Tagolf.
My lord Tagolf owns a big court in Hlauppa (1) at the Neckar ford with a wife, a secondary wife and a home brigade of 25 men and their families. My lord is widely famous and many warriors come a long way to join his following. I’ve drank to fraternity with Brandis, a tall fighter from the far north, and as a token we have exchanged our belts.
I`m a henchman of Tagolf, just as my father was in his service and in service of his father. My grandfather Arnuld had been in Roman service with the grandfather of Tagolf right until the aftermath of the great battle at Argentorate (2) and I was well rewarded for three generations of loyalty by my master. When I had 15 summers, he gave me a mail shirt as a sign of the bond between our families.
Ever since the days of my grandfather we live on a plot in the woodlands with some servant girls and five workers of whom one is also a charcoaler. My wife tends our stead with a stern hand. My youngest son is merely two winters old and it is a blessing from Frigg (3) that my wife could carry a healthy child in her considerable age. My two elder sons live on other farms now, both of our girls died in the famine of the harsh winter four years ago. It was a miracle that we didn’t loose the cow; the four of us had to carry her out to the pasture when the first green showed up on the ground.
Our life is hard and simple, but –praised be Ziu- peaceful. It was different then, when I was young. Though we were not in danger by some foreign enemy, the clans were at odds with each other and raids on the neighbouring settlements promised a good booty. In the resulting feuds, young warriors –like me- could prove themselves worthy. In a fight with some hunters of the Wacho clan, settling near the Enz, Tagolf’s brother was slain. We marched to Wachoinga (4) to claim retribution and found the village guarded by merely a few servants. With much loot and captives we turned homewards.
Alas, our women were in fear of the impending war and talked all of the settlements into negotiations. In a gathering of all armed men marriages were arranged between the different clans to secure a lasting peace. So I had to marry a girl of the Wachoingi clan, too. As a dowry, my wife Ortmunde was given back her own fibulae, which I had taken in the raid.
Ortmunde has the blessing of Frigg and so she saw my death in combat in her dreams. Therefore I have retreated and spend my time on wood carving. But if one day Tagolf calls, I will not let myself be hindered by dreams or afflictions but will let my spear do the talking.
The young men of the clans are strong and striving for action, but all their strength they invest in brawls and deadly bets. I warn you, soon bloody feuds will destroy what we have built in three generations.
1 Ohg. „rapids“, nowadays Lauffen am Neckar.
2 357 AD near Strasbourg.
3 Germanic goddess, protector of family and home, sometimes equal to Freya.
4 Possible proto-Germanic name, nowadays the place is called Vaihingen near the Enz.
