The Script of the Danish Play

Norse Mythology

The creation of the world and the death of Baldur

Cast:

Six narrators: (1,2,3,4,5,6)

Odin:

Visionary

Frigg:

Baldur:

Hod:

Loki:

Fire:

Ice:

The Brothers/sisters:

Thor:

Sigi:

Meili:

Thyr:

Itreksjoe

The Dwarfs:

Sindre:

Sandra:

Intro

FIRE AND ICE

Scene 1

(All actors are on stage creating visual images alongside the narrators)

Narrators:

1. Before there was soil, or sky, or any green thing, there was only the gaping abyss of Ginnungagap.

2. This chaos of perfect silence and darkness lay between the homeland of elemental fire, Muspelheim, and the homeland of elemental ice, Niflheim.

3. Frost from Niflheim and billowing flames from Muspelheim crept toward each other until they met in Ginnungagap.

1. Amid the hissing and sputtering, the fire melted the ice, and the drops formed themselves into Ymir, the first of the Godlike giants.

3. Ymir was a hermaphrodite and could reproduce by himself; when he sweated, more giants were born.

2. As the frost continued to melt, a cow, Audhumbla, emerged from it. She nourished Ymir with her milk, and she, in turn, was nourished by salt-licks in the ice.

1. Her licks slowly uncovered Buri, the first of the Aesir tribe of Gods.

2. Buri had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of the giant Bolthorn.

3. The half-God, half-giant children of Bor and Bestla were Odin, who became the chief of the Aesir Gods, and his two brothers, Vili and Ve.

2. Odin and his brothers slew Ymir and set about constructing the world from his corpse.

1. They fashioned the oceans from his blood, the soil from his skin and muscles, the vegetation from his hair, the clouds from his brains, and the sky from his skull.

3. Four dwarves, corresponding to the four cardinal points, held Ymir's skull aloft above the earth.

2. The Gods eventually formed the first man and woman, Ask and Embla, from two tree trunks, and built a fence around their dwelling-place, Midgard, to protect them from the giants.

1. The giants were in Jotunheim, the land of the giants, and the Gods lived in Asgard.

Interlude

FIRE AND ICE

(the scenery moves to another place)

Scene 2

Cacophony: Baldur, Meili, Vidar, Nepr, Váli, Áli, Thor, Hildur, Hermod, Sigi, Skjoeldr, Yngvi-Freyr, Itreksjoe, Heimdal, Sæmingr, Hod and Bragi

(The wolf starts howling while they are talking in the cacophony.....)

Frigg: Odin, we have to do something about that wolf.

Odin: We have already made several chains, but nothing until know - will keep us safe.

Hod: (who is blind) I can hear the wolf, and I can imagine the creature in my mind, a danger that we can´t overcome.

Frigg: Don't be scared, your father and me we will take care of everything.

Baldur: Hod, my blind brother, your eyes might be blinded but you are the least blind person. (actions that show that he is very much aware of everything)

Thyr: Come on, the Phenris wolf is just lonely, it won´t harm anybody.

Thor: I have thrown my hammer as hard as I can against the Phenris wolf, and he still barks at me - I feel threatened.

Sigi: You feel threatened?

Ítreksjóð: You might be the master of thunder, but you are not the master of lies!

Thor: I AM threatened - that wolf is very powerful, and my hammer isn´t powerful enough compared to the wolf.

Thyr: You should just treat him well.

Odin: we have to find a chain that whatever happens will hold, and have asked some very skilled smiths to help us!

(The dwarves' Sindra and Sandra entré)

Sindre: Odin, you asked us to help you, - this chain is just like a thin silk thread.

Baldur: Yes .. it looks thin and it's soft as silk. - it is strong.

Thyr: This thin thread is good for what?

Sindre: It will keep the Phenris wolf in place!

Thor: What is it made of?

Sandra: It is made of the paws of cats

Sindre: The rocks of the mountains.

Sandra: Spit from birds.

Sindre: Fish-breath.

Sandra: Female-beards

Sindre: And then we have added some magic.

(Everybody is trying the strengh of the thread)

Thor: Once you have used the sound of cat paws in the chain. Does that mean, that we won´t be able to hear the sound of cats` paws?

Sandra: Yes .. and the mountains will no longer have roots.

Sindre: Birds will no longer be able to spit. And fish do not breathe.

Sandra: And the women will no longer be able to grow a beard.

3. They tried to tear the thin thread over, but they could not. They tore and cut it. Nor could they cut it. Now the Gods felt they could be safe with Phenris in that chain.

Everybody: It must be strong enough!

Odin: Let's try it on Phenris.

Thyr: Phenris, Phenris, Phenris (The wolf enters the stage) Would you like to help us again? Do you want to try if you can tear this chain over?

2. Phenris looked at the thread.

Phenris: No, I do not want to.

Thyr: Please - try it.

Phenris: No .. I think you will fool me.

Thor: If you can´t get out, just ask us to help you out. We'll help you out.

1. Phenris thought about it for a long time.

Phenris: Ok I will try it, but one of you has to put your hand into my mouth. I want to make sure that you do not cheat.

3. The Gods became very silent. None of them wanted to put their hand into Phenris' maw. Finally, Thyr volunteered.

1. Thyr put his right hand into Phenris' maw.

Phenris couldn´t break the chain. All the Gods laughed relieved, just not Thyr. - Thyr lost his hand.

Phenris was caught forever. It couldn´t harm anyone. And there, in chains, it was to stand until Ragnarok.

2. All the Gods were happy, except Thyr. He was the only one who thought it was a pity for Phenris.

3. But there was one more, Phenris' father. He became very angry when he saw what had happened to his son - and swore revenge - you will soon meet him.

Scene 3

(the scenery moves to another place)

Narrators:

5. Odin and Frigg´s son Baldur was a generous, joyful, and courageous character who gladdened the hearts of all who spent time with him. When, therefore, he began to have ominous dreams of some grave misfortune befalling him, the fearful Gods appointed Odin to discover the meaning of the dreams.

6. Baldur's father wasted no time in mounting his steed, Sleipnir, and riding to the underworld in disguise

The underworld

(the scenery changes)

4. When Odin arrived in the cold and misty underworld, the dead were getting ready for a feast, the visionary was asleep, but he walked right towards her: "Wake up, visionary, tell me why there soon will be a feast in the underworld?"

The visionary: Good morning Odin, ohh we are having a feast, because soon a guest of honor will arrive.

Odin: Interesting! - Who is the guest of honor?

Visionary: A very special one, a very beloved on, none other than Baldur!

Odin: Baldur?

Visionary: Yes!He will soon be our guest of honor, and there is nothing you can do about that!

Scene 4

(the scenery changes)

4. Odin returned in sorrow to Asgard, the Gods, and told Frigg and his sons what the visionary had told him.

5. While Odin had been in the underworld, Frigg, Baldur's mother, had asked everything and everybody to promise not to harm Baldur.

(when Odin comes home)

Frigg: Odin, now nothing or nobody will kill our son.

Odin: I wish you were right!

Frigg: I went to everything in the cosmos and obtained promises not to harm Baldur.

Baldur: So..... nothing will harm me?

Scene 5

Cacophony: Baldur, Meili, Vidar, Nepr, Váli, Áli, Thor, Hildur, Hermod, Sigi, Skjoeldr, Yngvi-Freyr, Itreksjoe, Heimdal, Sæmingr, Hod and Bragi

Improvisation: The brothers are throwing sticks, rocks, and whatever comes to their hands at Baldur (dialogue - improvisation).

6. After these promises were given, the Gods made a sport out of the situation, but not everybody was having fun. Hod, Baldur's blind brother was not able to attend the fun and Loki was just envious and jealous at everybody because they had fun.

Loki: ....they have fun, your brothers, - I am neither God nor giant - I am a half-God because I have mixed blood with Odin as a child. My three children, born by a giant woman , I have betrusted to the Gods here in Asgard, but they have treated them in the worst possible ways, the Phenriswolf is laid in chains, the Midgardworm is at the bottom of the sea and my daughter Hell, you saw her in the underworld, is living among the death.

Hod: (not listening to Loki, but to his brothers foolish activities). It sounds fun, I'm sorry that I can´t join.

Scene 6

Loki in disguise: (has now become very annoyed not to be part of the fun). There must be some that haven´t given their promise not to harm Baldur! (Speaking to Frigg) You are a wonderful mother who can get everything and everyone in this world to promise that they will not harm Balder. Are you sure that you haven't forgotting anyone or anything?

Frigg: Oh yes, there's a simple little plant, it seemed so worrying, small and insignificant that I thought there was no reason to make it promise not to kill Balder, and also, how could it actually be able to kill Baldur?

Loki: No, that sounds unlikely (Loki disappears)

4: Loki disappears - where to, do you think he is disappearing ... yes of course, to get a mistletoe and make a tip arrow - an arrow that ....

Scene 7

Loki: (interrupts the narrator) Höder, You must feel quite left out, having to sit back here away from the merriment, not being given a chance to show Baldur the honor of proving his invincibility.

Hod: Yes, I feel very left out.

Loki: I can help you to join in. Here, (handing him the shaft of mistletoe) I will point your hand in the direction where Baldur stands, and you will shoot this arrow at him.

Hod: Yes, thank you Loki.

Loki: Take this arrow, yes, and shoot! (Balder dies)

5. So Hod shoot the mistletoe. It pierced the God straight through, right in the middle of Baldur's heart, and he fell down dead on the spot.

Cacophony: Baldur, Meili, Vidar, Nepr, Váli, Áli, Thor, Hildur, Hermod, Sigi, Skjoeldr, Yngvi-Freyr, Itreksjoe, Heimdal, Sæmingr, Hod and Bragi

Outro

FIRE AND ICE