Vikings Page #8

42.

And they step inside.

INT. PAGAN TEMPLE - UPPSALLA - DAY

The golden glow from the roof generates a strange, almost

unearthly light. There’s a water-source somewhere...for the

sound of water running and splashing fills the great domed

space.

The space is dominated by three huge wooden statues, several

metres high, made of highly polished wood. But the priest

first takes them over to the stone altar on which there is a

sacred Viking ring, a wooden bowl filled with blood and a

twig.

Ragnar kneels by the altar and Bjorn follows his example. The

priest dips the twig into the blood of a sacrificed animal

and shakes it over them, sprinkling them with blood.

PRIEST:

(sing-song)

Hail to the Aesir! Hail to the

goddesses! Hail to the mighty,

fecund earth. Wit and wisdom may

you give us, and healing hands

while we live!

They move towards the statues, Ragnar once more sinking to

his knees and making his obeisance.

Bjorn looks confused and over-awed. But the priest, with a

smile, gently guides him closer.

PRIEST (CONT’D)

My son, you have travelled a long

way, but now at last you are face

to face with our gods.

He draws Bjorn gently towards the first statue: of a massive,

muscle-bound, bearded, earthy-looking figure holding aloft

his mighty hammer.

PRIEST (CONT’D)

This is Thor. You know him, of

course. You hear him in the

thunder, when he races across the

clouds with his goats. He protects

all of us. And when he goes forth

with his hammer, Mjollni, in his

hand, he is irresistible.

43.

CLOSE ON:
Thor’s sculpted face, his exaggerated features,

peasant-like, wide-mouth, bulbous nose - rather comic-book.

The priest draws Bjorn towards the second statue: a figure

with a disproportionately huge and erect phallus.

PRIEST (CONT’D)

You know who this is?

BJORN:

(tentative)

Frey?

PRIEST:

Of course it’s Frey. Who else could

it be? The god of sunshine and

rain, of fertility, of children and

crops. Of harvests. Of everything

that grows new...but is cut down

again each year. Then grows once

more.

(beat)

Come.

He draws Bjorn to the last figure. We have seen this figure

before:
a tall, thin figure holding a spear, wearing a cloak

and a wide-brimmed hat, under which his single eye peeps out.

Even carved in wood, there is something magnetic but also

something sinister, even terrifying about the image.

PRIEST (CONT’D)

And this...

BJORN:

...is Odin.

PRIEST:

Odin. god of war, of warriors slain

in battle. He lives in his great

hall at Valhalla, with all the

reborn warriors, feasting and

drinking...

Ragnar suddenly cuts in.

RAGNAR:

Odin is not only the god of those

slain in battle. He is many other

things. He is our universal father.

He is the god of Skalds; he governs

the mystic ecstacy, the great

pathos, the passion of the soul.

44.

(MORE)

He is the god of thought..of

curiosity. He wanted to look into

the well of knowledge, guarded by

the wise, decapitated Mimi. They

told him he would have to lose an

eye to gain knowledge...and gladly

he did it. You see there, Bjorn? He

has but one eye. But with that

single-eye he sees everything.

A beat. He takes out two small coins, gives them to the

priest.

RAGNAR (CONT’D)

Thank you for your time, priest.

The priest is clearly offended, and would like to say

something stinging - but manages to restrain himself. He

bows, walks out.

A long beat. Bjorn is still staring up at the statue of Odin,

as if mesmerized.

RAGNAR (CONT’D)

(softly)

Bjorn...there’s something you

should know. Our family are direct

descendants of Odin. Odin was once

a man. He fought and made a great

name for himself, and when he died

he became a god. But he was once a

man, with a family and a home. And

it is written in the runes that we

are directly descended from his

family.

BJORN:

We are descended from gods? No

father. How can it be?

RAGNAR:

It is so. Which is why I believe I

have inherited the god’s curiosity.

He loved knowledge. He wanted to

find out about things. And so do I.

I want to find out what lies to the

west of us...what cities and gods

are over there. I’m not satisfied

with staying here, in this small

country, where everyone has to

scratch out a living, unless you’re

an earl. Odin gave his eye to

acquire knowledge, but I would give

far more.

45.

RAGNAR (CONT'D)

Bjorn stares up again at the giant statue of the one-eyed

god.

RAGNAR (CONT’D)

Go outside and wait for me.

Bjorn nods, and leaves Ragnar alone with his god.

RAGNAR (CONT’D)

(quietly)

Lord, O High One, I have sworn my

life to you, and I have come to ask

your advice. Is it not true that,

in the beginning of everything, you

led the revolt of the Aesir against

the Vanir? Was it not you, Lord,

who burned the body of the witch

Gullveig three times? And did you

not sit in your high seat in

Valhalla sharpening your spear and

polishing your shield? And when the

gods moved against each other, was

it not you who cast the first spear

into the host of the Vanir?

(beat)

So I have come to ask, have I your

permission to rise in revolt

against my earthly lord? Would you

give me your blessing, if I cast

the first spear? Lord, O High One,

if you would forgive or encourage

me, I ask only that you give me a

sign.

Odin stares back at him with his single eye.

CUT TO:

INT. RAGNAR HOUSE - DAY

Ragnar and Lagertha sit on the bed.

LAGERTHA:

How was it?

RAGNAR:

Good. Earl Haraldson gave Bjorn his

arm-ring. Then I took him up to the

temple.

46.

LAGERTHA:

So many things at once. My poor

son.

RAGNAR:

He didn’t complain. Then I took him

to see the new boat.

LAGERTHA:

How is it?

RAGNAR:

We won’t know until we sail in her,

but she looks good.

He reaches out, touches her cheek.

RAGNAR (CONT’D)

I missed you. Did anything happen

while we were away?

LAGERTHA:

No.

RAGNAR:

Did you miss me?

LAGERTHA:

I was too busy on the farm to miss

you.

RAGNAR:

Is that true?

She smiles.

LAGERTHA:

No. I ached with love longing. My

belly was empty of laughter.

RAGNAR:

How can I make you laugh now?

LAGERTHA:

I don’t want to laugh now.

She pushes him back on the bed, and gets astride him.

LAGERTHA (CONT’D)

I want to ride you, like a bull.

Like a wild bull.

47.

She rocks back and forth, her eyes gleaming. Unclasps her

hair and leans down to kiss him, her hair falling all around

him.

LAGERTHA (CONT’D)

Now bull, now.

He starts to make love to her.

In the other room, by the smouldering fire, Bjorn can hear

them. His parents make love loudly, shouting, and the bed

shakes.

Untroubled, he saunters outside.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

We are struck, again, by the immense, almost overwhelming

beauty of this place. A beauty that seems almost unreal.

A small boat is approaching, cutting through the calm waters,

dwarfed by the distant mountains.

It reaches the naroow shingle beach and Rollo climbs out, and

fastens it to a post.

BJORN:

Hello Rollo.

Rollo ruffles the boy’s hair.

ROLLO:

Hello, young Bjorn.

ROLLO (CONT’D)

Where are your parents?

Bjorn is matter of fact.

BJORN:

They’re f***ing.

Rollo laughs.

INT. HOUSE - EVENING

Ragnar, Lagertha, Bjorn, Gyda and Rollo eat and drink. Rollo

drinks copiously. Looks at Gyda.

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