The Northman Edit

A bastard has no shame of himself nor his trade.

A beast that cares for naught.

A beast that wrings tears from the eyes of men.

A brave young man.

A father never grows too old

A jest.

A life of death.

A little blood.

A maiden king.

A mother, a father, a kingdom.

A prince destined for Valholl.

A son loves his mother and a mother loves her son.

A sword of the most secretive rare iron,

Accept my cup, kinsman.

After I defeat this wound.

After King Haraldr of Norway took his kingdom.

Ah. (INHALES DEEPLY)

Alas, I made him no new ears.

All Father of the gods.

ALL: Skoal!

Almost enough for Amleth to be marked my successor.

Along with your own mother's blessing.

AMLETH: (WHISPERS) Odinn.

AMLETH: Fear not. (HERSVEINN SHOUTS)

AMLETH: Fjolnir!

AMLETH: Leave her here.

AMLETH: Never better.

AMLETH: Odinn brought him home.

AMLETH: Olga.

AMLETH: Take my hand!

AMLETH: What say you, spell speaker?

AMLETH: Who is this Fjolnir?

Amleth!

An old fool.

Anchor up!

And are riding their minds.

And bring Fjolnir's life to chaos.

And choose two males for the fields.

And days yet to come.

And do with it what you will.

And he will not rest till you lie cold in the ground

And he with his.

And her hair long.

And her, too.

And how might they find weapons?

And I am his vengeance!

And I have found the cold iron that will strike him down.

And I will tear out their tongues!

And I, too, vow to escape this island.

And I'm the heir to this holy chiefdom.

And if you are so untamed as to kill my Gunnar...

And in death rewarded by the Valkyrjur's embrace.

And in our blood behold the tree of kings.

And kill him with your own hands.

And know you this,

And loyal.

And more.

And more.

And my father's.

And my sword will save them.

And not the heart of a rabid dog killed two nights ago?

And one for the laundry. MAN: Move.

And our own Gunnar lies slain beside you.

And see what hope we have before us.

And sheath your rageful corpse hound.

And so this day would never come,

And there you will die

And these strong ones should make it all the way

And to free you.

And to stave off the latter, the least you can do

And together

And what is that?

And whatever happens tomorrow, be ready to run.

And you are so hot for revenge,

And you came back for me.

And you saved your brother's life.

And you, little cub, what are you?

And your mother and I will eat it.

And, Bjornulfr,

And, you two... HALLGRIMR: Rakki, come.

Another will begin her journey.

Answer me! Answer me!

Are born of mud and water.

Are you hurt?

As a king or as a slave.

As a man.

As a reward for winning us the game,

As do you.

ASHILDUR: (GRUNTS) Blighted by his blood...

At the fiery Gates of Hel.

At the Gates of Hel,

Attack, Hjalti! (THORIR GRUNTING)

AURVANDIL: Approach, Amleth,

AURVANDIL: Be not afraid, Amleth.

AURVANDIL: This is the same path I walked with my father

Away with you!

Away with you!

Away! Begone!

Back to the stalls.

Be a man in front of your inferiors. (SOBBING)

Bear this offering to your mistress

Because I bore him a son.

Behave.

Besides...

Best to be prepared for both.

Between kindness for my kin and hate for my enemies.

Between kindness for your kin or hate for your enemies.

Bitch! Your taste and your mind

Bjornulfr.

Black she spirit, abate.

Bound with bone of the jotnar.

BOY: Mama!

Bring me the boy's head!

Bursting from a black mountain's peak.

But I made him ones anew.

But I saw it.

But I wish I could be free of it.

But if you're as untrustworthy as a wolf,

But it was destined for this prince.

But know that bearing a stolen ring

But know that we will never make you a free man.

But mother needs two for the kitchen

But my fate

But no one's watching us.

But this is the end you will all meet

But we cannot escape our fate.

But you love me.

But you must come with us.

But...

By emboldened slaves. HALLGRIMR: Go!

By Freyr, we will avenge them.

By Freyr, you slander your lord and mistress!

By name alone, you can tell he's as strong as a bear.

By nightfall, you'll have seen enough of them.

By the hand that killed your father.

Can you fight, slave?

CAPTAIN: Bring those two ropes.

CAPTAIN: Take your place.

Certain privileges will be granted you.

Child born of savagery.

Christian monsters!

Close off the house!

Come for your carcass, you mongrels!

Come here.

Come here. (GRUNTING)

Come morning, they will hunt for me.

Come now, come. Come here.

Come, brother.

Come.

Could it be the Christian swines?

Could it not be that your Norns of Fate

CROWD: (IN UNISON) Hail, King Aurvandil War Raven!

Dead in the sea.

Did not ready me for finding you.

Did our hen eating friend tell you of me?

Did we win?

Did you find it?

Die!

Do as I do.

Do as you're told.

Do not doubt his wisdom.

Down with the lot of you!

Down with you! (GRUNTS)

Down, Rakki!

Draugr.

Drink the vision mead of knowledge.

Eh, Bjornulfr?

Embraced beneath the trees, here I speak with the earth.

Enough!

Even if you did escape this farm,

Even if you were to strike me with your sword,

Even now, you believe the fairy tale I told you is true?

Even that Slav bitch I've seen you eyeing.

Even though your brother stole my eyes...

Ever are we bound, my lord.

Ever to crawl from under the great worm's belly.

Evil begets evil.

Father found her too...

Father!

Father.

Fear him.

Fetch her. You know the one.

Find the slaves who ally with him.

Find them!

Finish. (PIGS SNORTING)

FINNR: Fjolnir!

FINNR: Hey, slaves, I like your sticks!

FINNR: On with you!

FINNR: On your feet! On your feet!

FINNR: On your knees!

FINNR: You!

Fjolnir cut out his tongue,

Fjolnir killed his brother for nothing.

Fjolnir ordered your death,

Fjolnir rules over Hrafnsey.

Fjolnir the Brotherless.

Fjolnir thinks Amleth is long dead.

Fjolnir wants you close.

Fjolnir, my lord!

FJOLNIR: (SIGHS) Fine.

FJOLNIR: (WHISPERS) Thorir.

FJOLNIR: Bring him to me!

FJOLNIR: Gunnar! Gunnar!

FJOLNIR: Onward, brother!

FJOLNIR: Rakki!

FJOLNIR: Rakki.

FJOLNIR: Stupid, stupid boy. Wake up.

FJOLNIR: They won't last the winter.

FJOLNIR: Thorir will choose our strongest.

FJOLNIR: Tonight, you will be armed to defend the farm,

FJOLNIR: Touch them not.

FJOLNIR: Wake up, come on. (LIGHT SLAPPING)

FJOLNIR: Wake up. Gunnar. Gunnar.

FJOLNIR: What is it, Rakki?

FJOLNIR: Where is it? (GURGLES)

Fjolnir!

Fjolnir! My lord!

Fjolnir.

Fly me to your shining gates.

Follow the vixen's tail to the dwelling of the ancient one

For a good smothering! (LAUGHTER)

For Fjolnir to kill King Aurvandil.

For it can only be unsheathed in the dark of night

For now, I will haunt this farm

For shadows are not hospitable hosts.

For the mischief of last night was not the work of one man.

For this is also your home. (RAVENS CAWING)

For what?

For where your path of ashes ends,

For your fate is set and you cannot scape it.

FOREMAN: Bjornulfr, move!

FOREMAN: Bjornulfr! If we can keep his men...

FOREMAN: Come on!

FOREMAN: You can celebrate after the games, slave.

Forged by the deadliest war smiths

Free her.

Fret not.

Freyr, do you hear me?

Freyr, it seems, has chosen for himself

From your murder.

Furnish this fierce hearted slayer of men with some drink,

Get to your feet.

Get! (LIQUID SPLASHES)

Go fetch us some whey.

Go on.

Go take a piss.

Go take some night air.

Go.

Go.

GUDRUN: (WHISPERING) Gunnar. Gunnar. Gunnar.

GUDRUN: Away! Away.

GUDRUN: Come.

GUDRUN: Gunnar. Gunnar. FJOLNIR: Wake up. Wake up.

GUDRUN: Gunnar. Gunnar. Gunnar. FJOLNIR: Gunnar.

GUDRUN: Kill him! He's mine!

GUDRUN: No! (THORFINNR YELLING)

GUDRUN: Rakki!

GUDRUN: Rakki! Rakki! (CLOTHES RIPPING)

Gunnar was received freely with love.

GUNNAR: And two males for the harvest.

GUNNAR: Mother! (FOOTSTEPS RUNNING)

Gunnar! No!

Hail, Lord King!

Hail, Lord King.

Hail, Lord King.

Hail!

HALLDORA: In there.

HALLDORA: Let me down!

HALLGRIMR: Here, dog.

HALLGRIMR: Mud will be all that remains of them.

HALLGRIMR: Walk!

HALLGRIMR: Yes, my lord.

HALLGRIMR: You two, hold your traps!

Halt the game! Halt it now!

Harken to me, you two legged dogs.

Has passed.

Hasten you to the highest tree of the battle weavers, brother.

Hate is all I have ever known.

Have spun another thread for you to follow?

He calls me to him.

He fled to the backwater frontier with his wife and son

He had to kill his uncle first.

He has murdered your eldest son.

He hungers for the rest.

He is a puppy.

He is here.

He must be awoken to what awaits him.

He speaks of days past

He was a coward feigning to be a king.

He was just another proud, lust stained slaver.

He was nothing.

HE WITCH: Hear me, Odinn,

He would hunt you with all the fire of the gods.

He'll soon be with us.

He's here.

He's here.

He's killed your men.

He's the same age as my grandfather

Hear me!

Hear me.

Hear of a prince's vengeance quenched

HEIMER'S VOICE: Hear me.

HEIMER'S VOICE: Hello, puppy.

Heimir is come!

Heimir keeps a foul tongue,

HEIMIR: It is women that know the mysteries of men.

HEIMIR: Who barks?

Here, where the threads of fate have bound us together,

Here.

Here. Go. (GRUNTS)

Here's one more in need of your safekeeping than myself.

HERSVEINN: Please! We'll set you free!

HERSVEINN: We'll miss you cleaning the shithouse.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Hide your cunning.

Hide.

HIRD OFFICER: These slaves go to Uppsala.

His fine brother.

His heart.

His heart. It's taken his heart!

His son was to join us.

His stench.

His...

Hold your tongue!

How do you know it's your son's heart

How easily we all become princesses again

How I've missed you, my son.

How to reach your mother.

Hungry?

I am a fool.

I am Amleth the Bear Wolf,

I am come to avenge King Aurvandil,

I am no one's brother.

I am no Valkyrja.

I am Olga of the Birch Forest.

I am your death!

I am your son.

I am...

I asked you do you know how to fight.

I choose both.

I could not think I would open it to a Northman.

I curse your mother's evil.

I did not carry you that far.

I did not wish you to know

I fear he was led here by the raven spirit

I fear you must address me.

I have forgotten it already.

I have kinsmen in Orkney.

I have never felt close to another person.

I have the cunning to break their minds.

I have you! (GRUNTS)

I kissed it and I begged.

I knew well you would.

I know grown men who need a woman to tend their hair.

I know not if he had heart enough to love you.

I know not, nor care not,

I know of him.

I must die by the sword.

I must take to the hills.

I never began as his bride.

I never mourned him.

I offer you your son's heart in exchange for her life!

I pressed my lips

I refuse to die in sickness

I saw Fjolnir carrying you away... Screaming.

I see my dead kindred.

I see my father and mother.

I see my master in Freyja's hall.

I see you have inherited your father's simpleness.

I see you.

I see you're no longer afraid of a woman's blood.

I seek the weapon the Norns of Fate chose for my revenge.

I should kill you and all that is dear to you.

I smell a clever pupil.

I swear I'll put you down myself.

I swear.

I thought I must always shield my heart in stone.

I told you. I told you.

I want strong ones!

I was a fool.

I was laughing.

I watched his innocence tonight.

I will avenge you, Father!

I will avenge you, Father!

I will avenge you, Father!

I will become a hailstorm of iron and steel! (SHUSHING)

I will bring the boy if I must.

I will come back for your heart.

I will destroy him and all that she loved.

I will die in battle.

I will die in honor.

I will enjoy feeding Draugr till then in everlasting night.

I will find them, and I will tear out their eyes!

I will have my vengeance!

I will kill you, Fjolnir!

I will kill you, Fjolnir!

I will kill you, Fjolnir!

I will kill you, Fjolnir!

I will kill you, Fjolnir.

I will kill you, Fjolnir.

I will leave when I'm done with him.

I will meet you at the Gates of Hel.

I will prepare a sacrifice.

I will save you, Mother!

I will save you, Mother!

I will save you, Mother!

I will save you, Mother!

I will save you, Mother.

I will save you, Mother.

I will thank him for the warmth you gave me.

I will torment the man who made my life a hell.

I will, Father, I will!

I wished to flee with you from my fate.

I would not kill a woman.

I... I...

I'll finish here.

I'll go with you. No.

I'll let you choose a woman for yourself.

I'll make it slow.

I'll show the shepherd his death.

I'm not a child. My hair is my own.

I'm not done with you yet.

I'm not impressed.

I've come to be fettered by my queen's fair locks.

I've lost all my silver, then.

If he but knew of this,

If that slave aided in the death of my son...

If the Norns of Fate allow it.

If you kill Fjolnir... (GASPING)

If you lose me, will you come and look for me, too?

If you speak not what you know.

In a burning lake.

In return for this ring, my kinsmen will give you

In the end,

In the heart.

In the house today, was it there?

In the Land of Rus.

Is it the wolves of the High One?

Is show your slaves you're as strong as they are.

Is the only blood that runs in your house tonight, coward.

Is Thorir right?

Is upon us!

It cannot wait.

It feeds the freezing river of hate that runs in my veins.

It is a battle flame like none other. (VOICES SHOUT)

It is Amleth.

It is fated.

It is my cursed son Amleth.

It is not enough to be the man that never cries,

It is not my time.

It is nothing to what we have endured.

It was foretold that I would slay my father's killer

It was I who begged on my knees

It was prophesied that I must choose

It wields a hungry blade.

It will be given back when most you need it.

It will soon be sliding off your arm like a serpent.

It will take you to an island in the north

It would not bite.

It's a nightmare.

It's not possible. Think.

It's slave work.

It's their nightmare.

It's your temple,

Its bite can never be dulled,

Its blade could only be quenched in human blood.

Its name,

Keep both of you safe.

Keep her arms white...

Keep him safe.

Kind friend.

King Aurvandil is dead!

King Fjolnir has found himself a queen.

Know that I will avenge you, too.

Know you what that means, Amleth, son of Aurvandil?

Lack beard, did you do this? (GASPING)

Last night, I saw him with you.

Lay them before our lord's feet.

Leave me.

Let her alone!

Let me see this one.

Let me take you to our bed.

Let my words be the whetstone to your biting rage,

Let this misdeed haunt your living nights

Let us find our future.

Let us hope his hunger has been sated.

Let's see what you've got.

Lies!

Like a battle dog returning to its master,

Like a hungry corpse returned from the grave.

Line up, bastards!

Live in honor. Live in honor.

Long live King Fjolnir! Long live King Fjolnir!

Look how the queen's cup grows wet for more men than her king.

Look lively!

Look lively! (HORSE GRUNTING)

Look me in the eye, slave.

Look not into their eyes.

Look what has been done to my brave friends.

Look, Father.

Makes no half breed a king.

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

Mama!

MAN 1: (IN DISTANCE) Get them in line!

MAN 1: Ah, how can he get that number?

MAN 1: Do you see him? (CHATTER CONTINUES)

MAN 1: Hail, Fjolnir the Brotherless!

MAN 1: Hail, Raven King!

MAN 1: It continues then.

MAN 1: Those are for the feast...

MAN 2: Hail, King Fjolnir!

MAN 2: It is luck.

MAN 2: War Raven, hail!

MAN 3: Hail, Fjolnir! (SCREAMING CONTINUES)

MAN 3: Hail, my lord!

MAN 3: She's a she devil! (SHOUTS)

MAN 4: Hail, King Fjolnir!

MAN 4: War Raven, hail.

MAN 5: Hail, ring giver!

MAN: (QUIETLY) Fjolnir's back. (OTHERS WHISPERING)

MAN: A brave boy.

MAN: Aye, aye!

MAN: Get them in line.

MAN: Go. (WOMEN GRUNTING SOFTLY)

MAN: Hey, hey.

MAN: Hold it strong!

MAN: It's him!

MAN: Keep your shield arm up. THORIR: I am.

MAN: Move!

MAN: My lord.

MAN: Over there.

MAN: Play for blood!

MAN: Shrouds secured.

MAN: The brute has arrived.

MAN: Thorir, my Lord, we're lacking one man.

MAN: To Valholl!

MAN: Woman!

MAN: You are not!

MAN: You're... I am!

Mark well the full moon's light!

Mark well the full moon's light.

May the neck ale of this swift steed

MEN: (IN UNISON) Hail, Lord King!

Milady. (HEIMIR LAUGHS MOCKINGLY)

Monsters!

Monsters!

Move it! MAN 2: Don't be idle!

Move, swine!

My blade will not rest

My Earth magic will stoke the flames of your sword.

My family's blood.

My fate brought me to Iceland

My fate has brought me here.

My heart knows only revenge.

My king.

My mother discovered who I am. Soon everyone will.

My own blood is inside you.

My son!

My vision shows me you will have two.

Never broken nor bent. (TOOLS CLANGING)

Never enter my chambers without invitation!

Never look me in the eye, slave.

Never seek the secrets of women, but heed them always.

Never!

Ninefold its worth. No!

No god can help you with this task.

No man knows if he will celebrate next yuletide

No!

No!

No!

No! No!

No! No!

No?

No.

No.

No.

No. His affections were

None but me knows who you are.

Nor live the long life of a shameful graybeard.

Not even her.

Not only are you a man, you dine like a king.

Not since I was a child.

Not tonight.

Not weak ones!

Now begone! (GRUNTS)

Now he's a sheep farmer.

Now it is our path to walk.

Now live always without fear,

Now make your passage.

Now remember for whom you shed your last teardrop.

Now sleep well, night blade.

Now that you are here, what do we do?

Now the wolf is grown.

Now, behold,

Now... Behold how swiftly your brother swings his sword.

Odinn the All Father

Odinn, let the Valkyrja, your warrior maiden,

Of your dead brother.

Oh, I will find who did this.

OLGA: Black dreams arise.

OLGA: The thread that binds us can never break.

OLGA: You found me.

On with you now!

One much more talkative.

One should spy round.

One should turn his eye round,

Only for silver and rutting his whores.

Only if you were searching for me.

Only then will I discover whether living is to my liking.

Or else at Hel's black gates.

Or hard iron?

Or is it the barking of the village dogs?

Our plan will have to wait. Go.

Pity you never paid a bastard's eyes heed before.

Plan to climb out, huh, Bear Wolf?

Play, you idiot. Play!

Please you, brother. (BABY CRYING)

Plucked out his eyes before killing him...

Poor Heimir.

Pray my luck spirits see me to many war fields

Prince Amleth,

Prince Amleth.

Prove you are not a dog.

Rakki! Ra... (RAKKI SNARLING)

Rakki.

Rakki. (RAKKI BARKING)

Reek of your foul father!

Regain your calm.

Release me.

Remember the oath to right the wrong.

Remember the Raven King.

Remember, it contains the salty ocean

Remember.

Run! Run!

Safeguard your familial blood. Safeguard your familial blood.

Sail down!

Sank like a stone.

Screaming?

Secure the shrouds.

Sell all of them.

Send them to Constantinople.

She murdered my past.

She only feigns her love to protect their child.

She will revel in Fjolnir's anguish.

She's as evil as Fjolnir.

Should I fall by the enemy's sword,

Show it to me.

Show the shepherd you are a sheep.

Shut the door.

Silence, dog!

Silence!

Sit, Amleth, son of Aurvandil.

Slain by iron,

So be it, slave!

So called after he killed his brother,

Soaked in my blood,

Something about the chieftain's feast.

Son of King Aurvandil War Raven,

Son. (PANTING WILDLY)

Speak, witch.

Spoken like a true chieftain's son.

Stop there.

Stop this.

Stop your jest.

Strike, brother, strike.

Strike!

Strike.

Summon the shadows of ages past,

Swear it.

Sweet silver...

Take her to Orkney.

Take him away.

Take Rakki home.

Take your freedom

Tell me.

Thank the Norns that the woman's tide

Thank you, Father.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That I might drink to him.

That is for you to choose.

That is nothing.

That was different.

That wherever I go, I must take you with me.

That you have extinguished your fire for vengeance.

That...

The boy is dead.

The boy!

The boy.

The cub you once hunted ate of your nose.

The deck of this wooden saddle beast

The disgraced King Aurvandil War Raven.

The dreams of your afterlife must wait.

The enemy had a taste of my liver.

The Gates of Hel.

The Gates of Valholl await you, I know it.

The hair of a Valkyrja...

The king, milady. The king.

The mound dweller.

The mushrooms, I have them.

The night spirits have entered their skins

The Norns that spin and weave at their Well of Fate.

The prince that turned from his fate.

The progeny of Aurvandil lives still.

The rest can go.

The seagulls will eat him!

The servants of Freyr.

The spirits will ride and spill more blood.

The stench of a lowborn slave cannot escape him.

The time of wrath kindled revenge

The traitor who stole my kingdom fled here

The Undead.

The warrior maidens will carry you

Their god is a corpse nailed to a tree.

Then shall you also enjoy the moment when you must choose

Then what must we do now?

Then you know Fjolnir's touch will not linger on me

Then you must face many foes.

Then you must wake up.

There I will drown my father's killer.

There is no evil spirit here.

There is now a living thread that binds us.

There will my sword be just.

These boys never touched them.

These savages make for fine chattel,

These two for the kitchen and her for the laundry.

These wounds are not of our world.

They also met with Fjolnir's blade.

They cannot know you are part of this.

They were good boys.

They will all sup in Hel!

They're hungry!

They've moved me back into the kitchen.

Thieving demon bitch.

Think not on Fjolnir.

Think on what I said.

This distempered spirit will ride again.

This ground harbors evil.

This is not the work of my god.

This is not Valholl?

This is the last tear you will shed in weakness.

This is trollish sorcery.

This is your kingdom?

This island is a barren waste.

This was worn round a prince's neck when I found it.

This way.