  Scene I: Outside a tribal temple.The gable beams are low; only the entrance end of the building, set at an angle, on the left, is visible. In the distance rises a snow-capped volcano, its slopes—in the nearer background—pied with the young leaves and blossoms of early spring; against these, jutting from behind the temple, a gallows-tree. On the right, at back, a solitary pine of great age sways solemn boughs over half the scene, the centre of which is occupied by a vast monolith, or boulder, tapering upward to a jagged end. The face of this stone, graved deeply with runes, is (on its lower half) dark carmine and smooth as ivory; from behind it blue smoke is rising; before it stands an altar of stone, on which is set a silver bowl. In front of this altar stands Ingimund, the temple priest, clad in a sleeveless leathern smock to the knees; his arms are reddened with sacrifice; from his throat—beneath his long, grey hair—hangs an image of Odin; on his right wrist a ring of plain gold; in his left hand a spear. On either side of him an altar priest holds a bunch of sprinkling twigs. From the temple four other priests are bearing a slaughtered bullock to the fire behind the rune-stone. Massed in the right foreground are Egil and his men; on the left, Arfi and his men. Egil, noble of stature, stands moodily filing the grooves of a crossbow; Arfi, bent and dwarfed, sits with his ear close to a harp, which he thrums softly. From the right background, beneath the pine, enters, singing, a procession of the folk, escorting an ark on wheels, drawn by oxen, whose flanks are wreathed with flowers, and whose horns are adorned with gold. Following the ark, which passes on into the temple, horses and sheep are led to the sacrifice. These, as they pass before him, Ingimund marks with the sign of a spear, while the altar priests sprinkle them with blood from the silver bowl. At the entrance of the temple stand Thordis and her Virgins, who take from the beasts their garlands and hang them on the doors and outer walls. The men and women of the throng, chanting to a barbaric cadence, lift up their arms and faces to the sky. THE FOLK Wanderer of earth and air, Walker on the giant flood, Odin! Asa Odin! Pilgrim of the storm! Lyer in the Sybil’s lair, Reader of the runes of blood, Thou who hearkenest all prayer— World-spirit and worm, Odin! Asa Odin! Hear us, Allfather! [Distant thunder.] FRIDA Thordis, he hears. THE VIRGINS He hears! THE FOLK He hears! YORUL [To Rolf.] Behold The dwarf, where he sits shrivelled by his harp. Ho, Arfi! hear’st thou Odin? Hast invited The trolls, thy cousins, to the bridal? WULDOR Silence! He listens to the stars behind the storm. YORUL The tree-frogs, Wuldor. He, thy master, is Their father. WULDOR So thy master is their uncle. YORUL My master shall be bridegroom, never fear! Hath Arfi slain his boar? WULDOR Hath Egil sung The slaying of his boar? YORUL Hath Arfi leashed The wild stag by the horns and led him home? WULDOR Hath Egil read the runes on Odin’s stone? YORUL Weaklings and women ye! WULDOR Thou liest, Yorul. YORUL [Strikes Wuldor.] Ho, Egil, here! WULDOR [Retaliating.] Ho, Arfi! [The followers, from either side, spring forward and fight fiercely. Ingimund strikes among them with his spear.] INGIMUND Fools of anger! This ground is Odin’s; he alone may judge Which of your masters shall betroth his priestess. Back! and await his sign.—Come, Thordis. FRIDA [Parting with Thordis by the temple.] Joy And love be thine, dear lady. [Leaving her maidens, Thordis comes quietly from the temple and stands before the rune-stone and Ingimund, who, with his spear, beckons also Egil and Arfi. As these join Thordis, the altar priests, with a heavy chain of gold, enclose the four in a circular space, while the folk chant as before.] THE FOLK Save us, Lord, from lovers’ hate, Shelter us from brothers’ feud! Odin! Asa Odin! Only thou art wise. Choose unto this maid a mate Hallowed by thy sanctitude, Send thine omen while we wait, Making sacrifice. Odin! Asa Odin! Save us, Allfather! [Thunder; storm gathers and the scene grows darker, as bigger clouds of smoke roll upward from behind the rune-stone.] INGIMUND [Removing the gold circlet from his wrist.] Here, Your right hands here—all three—on Odin’s ring. [To Egil, then Arfi.] Press deeper in the
> YORUL Yes, when we left you, Egil rode ahead, I and the others after. We had ridden A half-mile, when I heard our master shout: “Here comes our brother with his bride ahunting.” And sure, there burst into our narrow glen ROLF Not to pollute the lady with the sight Of your accursed faces, eh? YORUL Say rather To keep our scanty numbers hid. ROLF Well—well? YORUL Well, I had hardly reined back in the wood And Thordis passed me by—Man, it was awful! Under the very hoofs of the dwarf’s horse— Out of the earth, it seemed—there sprang a wolf And bit the stallion’s loin. The horse rolled over— A wolf—a giant wolf! ROLF What then? YORUL I say It stood as high as that, Rolf, yet I swear If it were not a wolf, yet what— ROLF What happened? YORUL There rang a great shout and the riders all ROLF Hel have him! Did he save the dwarf? YORUL He dragged The wolf away, and struck him with his spear Twice, as I told you. But the beast escaped. ROLF And Arfi lives? YORUL I know not. I made after The wolf, and met you as I tracked him here. ROLF But what said Egil? YORUL I was too amazed To look for him. ROLF There winds his horn in the wood, And yonder he comes riding with the others. Come; we’ll go meet them. [Exit.] [As Yorul is following Rolf, Frida steps forward.] FRIDA [Speaks low.] YORUL Her voice! Frida! Frida! FRIDA Keep me! YORUL Stand farther off. O girl, what brings you here? How found you out this solitary place? FRIDA I left my mistress’ side at dawn, and searched All day the forest. YORUL Little Frida, thou! FRIDA Come with me! YORUL Stand away! You have forgot I am accurst. This place is Egil’s lodge, And all who dwell here banned and castaway. FRIDA Where you are must I fear to be? YORUL Yes, Frida, For Ingimund has cursed me with my master. FRIDA Leave him. YORUL FRIDA Leave him, Yorul. YORUL Leave whom, child? FRIDA Egil, your master. YORUL [In amazement.] Frida! FRIDA Hush! [She goes to the hearth.] YORUL [In scorn.] Desert My lord! His liegeman, I a traitor! FRIDA Look. [She brushes back the ashes, revealing the beast’s head.] YORUL The wolf! By heaven, dead! What—you killed him? FRIDA No. YORUL And flayed, the very brute! Here are the marks Of Ingimund, his spear. Saw you the beast FRIDA Yes. YORUL Here? FRIDA I watched it limping here, Wounded, from out the forest. YORUL Ha! I said so. Here to the very door-sill? FRIDA Yes; it pushed The door ajar. YORUL But— FRIDA Egil entered. YORUL Egil! FRIDA His brow was bleeding and he limped. He buried That thing beneath the ashes, and sprang forth Out at the window. YORUL Buried this? FRIDA As dogs Bury their secrets, claw and nozzle.—Yorul! YORUL You saw? FRIDA I saw. O Yorul, ’tis a werewolf. YORUL [Drops the hide and steps back.] Ah! do not name it! FRIDA Leave him. Come away! YORUL EGIL Not those—but thou! [Thordis puts the chain upon Egil.] |
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