Ortmunde (390 AD)
I am Ortmunde, daughter of Ortwind from the Wachoingi clan, wife of Armin of the Tagolfingi.
For as long as I can think, both our clans had been antagonized. The aggressive fighters of the Tagolfingi were to blame for this. Their steady assaults and raids made our lives quite uneasy. In one of their raids even my costly fibulae were stolen from me, which I had been given by my father as a young girl. Our own warriors called to counter-attack, but all their looting did not return to me my beloved brooches.
When a war seemed inevitable, we women had to interfere: We proposed to conjoin the antagonized clans by means of marriage. All feuds should thus be ended in favour of a lasting peace. In a Thing of our clans the proposal was accepted and we had to choose our bridegrooms. I chose Armin as my husband and demanded my fibulae as dowry (1).
My choice was sound. Armin received a woodland plot from his lord. Yet sadly he is all about combat and crafts, so I attend to the farm, to the menials and maids. He would be much to soft-hearted with the servants anyway.
Frigg has granted me two healthy sons, yet a cold winter took both my daughters. Thus, in spite of my age, I still wanted to have one more child. My hair has not yet lost its bright red colour and my braids are still thick. For a whole year I gave sacrifices to Frigg and bid her to grant me another daughter. Every month I went the hollow tree by the pond dedicated to her and stuck my best fabrics and attires in the stem. Frigg answered my prayers and gave me a third son.
Ever since it is widely known that I have the blessing of the goddess. Women from all villages between Enz and Neckar visit me and ask for my counsel. My word is valued and I’m in high esteem. But the proximity of the gods is sometimes not easy to bear. At night Frigg sends me visions of Armin dying in battle. I warned him, but he does not heed my advice.
Recently, clan feuds have risen anew between the Tagolfingi and Wachoingi and Armin already polishes his spear. But I swear by my red braids (2), I will not let it happen that he ignores the will of Frigg. The old fool shall stay at home and leave the brawling to the young hotheads.
1 The dowry or ‘morning gift’ (ohg. ‘Morgingaba’) is a lawfully testified property of a wife, which cannot be taken from her even after the death of her husband.
2 The ‚swearing by the braids’ (ohg. ‘Nasteid’, ‘Nesteleid’) is a wife’s oath, e.g. that her rights in a given case are justified.
