THOR You're exaggerating. AEGIR All the same. My condition is this:I want you to provide me with a vat so big I can brew all the beer we're going to need at one go! THOR Hmm?? LOKI (an understanding laugh) He's tricked us! No such vat exists! THOR What! AEGIR If you can manage that then I'll give you a feast not only this winter, but every winter to come! (Lights dim. Aegir exits, as do Loki and Frey. TYR takes THOR with him to another part of the stage) TYR (to the audience)He tricked us - that troll! Then suddenly I had an idea…(to Thor) Listen - I think I know someone who owns a vat like that. THOR (Confused) Yes of course. Precisely. TYR I'm thinking of something I heard when I was little… THOR Right! Okay! TYR I was told about a giant named Hymir who owns a vat that's over six miles deep! THOR Six miles?? Precisely. TYR (laughs) So it'll probably take two of us to fetch it! THOR (mulls this over) Hymir…I've heard that name before - several times before…. TYR (leaves Thor to his own thoughts and addresses the audience again) We travelled north and east. The last part of the journey on skis over the mountains. Past frozen waterfalls and blue glaciers. THOR (to the audience) He never so much as mentioned that he'd grown up in the area. Not until we dug a snow-shelter for ourselves and were getting ready to sleep for the night. TYR Tomorrow we'll be there. And I'll see my father and mother again for the first time since I grew up. THOR I had always thought that we were brothers, you and I? TYR Everyone knows that I'm not Frigg's flesh and blood. THOR No and I'm not either. But we have the same father don't we? TYR I wish we did. But the Giant who is my mother never had a child by him. I could walk and run on the day Odin and my mother met for the first time. THOR Yes but… TYR I remember well how she begged and pleaded with Odin to take me with him to Asgard and bring me up as he would his own son. She said it would be best for all concerned…. THOR (Nods) I don't know what to say. TYR Not all giants are evil. We have a choice, just as others do. And have I not done enough to earn the right to be called an Aesir? (he holds up the stump of his wrist, the hand bitten off by Fenrir the wolf) THOR You sacrificed your right hand so that the wolf could be bound. No-one is braver or more courageous than you, Tyr. TYR And none of you have ever beenaskekd to prove which side you stood on. THOR But Tyr - TYR (interrupts) Because though many among the Aesir have a mother living somewhere up in Giantland, in my case both my parents are trolls… THOR (puts his hand on Tyr's shoulders) There's no need for us to mention this to anyone else. TYR (looks Thor straight in the eye) I am the son of Hymir. My grandmother had 900 heads! THOR I don't care if she had nine thousand heads! You've always been my brother and you always will be my brother! (turns and takes a few steps to one side. Light down on Tyr. Thor addresses the audience) But neither one of us slept that night. TYR (In the dark behind Thor) I lay awake, thinking back, remembering all I could from my childhood. THOR As for me…I thought how strange all this business of Aesir and Giants really is. Two ancient races…older than humans and animals, older than mountains and seas. When did they choose to go different ways? Only Odin knows the answer to that. And why is it that the Aesir like to create, to build, to fashion things, while the Giants prefer to break and destroy and tear things down? The giants are cold-blooded. They belong in the frost and the dark. Some of them are so far gone they can't even stand the daylight any more. The moment the sun shines on them they turn to stone. But then…. I thought of Tyr. And I know that Tyr is right:not all giants are wicked and malicious…and it's still possible for Aesir and trolls to be friends. I know Odin doesn't like it. The god-king has warned us. He says the days when Aesir and Jotner can trust each other are numbered. But still Aesir sneak away to go courting in Giantland as they did in the old days. For who can say that trolls are all ugly and hideous? Jarnsaka - a giant's daughter I met just last year - her belly was like a warm rock, and her thighs were as strong as two gateposts - and a prouder and more passionate lover than her I never had! (Lights on TYR'S MOTHER who enters, fair and beautiful) The next day we met Tyr's mother. (Tyr runs towards her and they embrace) And Hymir, his father. (HYMIR makes a grotesque and swaggering entry) HYMIR (looks with contempt at Tyr) And you call this a troll? (spits in disgust) THOR (raises Miolnir, but lowers it again) But we controlled ourselves. For the sake of his mother… TYR'S MOTHER Well now I'm sure you must be starving after your long journey! THOR And because we were so hungry. (places Miolnir in his belt) (Lights out on them. Lights up on ANGERBODA & LOKI. At the same time the stage is transformed into a sea. Dancers in blue hold long, light blue ribbons at both ends and move them like waves. Sounds of gulls and waves breaking) LOKI Why doesn't Hymir kill his two guest? Why doesn't he just squash them while they're asleep? ANGERBODA (laughs) And you can talk like that, you, Odin's half-brother? LOKI I know where I belong. I know which side to fight on. ANGERBODA Hymir knows that too. LOKI Then why doesn't he kill the god of Thunder? Why doesn't he roll a huge rock over the two Aesir? ANGERBODA Because he's vain. LOKI Hymir? ANGERBODA He wants to match himself against the Thunder god. LOKI Phah! No one can beat Thor in a fair fight. ANGERBODA Yes well I told you he was vain. After Trym died, that darling troll - (snuffles in irritated fashion at Loki, who makes a gesture of excuse), he wants to prove to all the world that he's the one who makes the rules in Giantland. LOKI (in disbelief) But is it really Hymir who - ANGERBODA (Interrupts angrily) No it's me, you dolt. I'm the one who decides what to do and takes all the decisions! LOKI (points) Here they come. Thor and Hymir. (THOR & HYMIR 'row' out to 'sea' in 'boat') ANGERBODA They're competing to see which one of them is the best fisherman. LOKI One day, Angerboda…one day I'll show you who's the best fisherman of them all - bar none! ANGERBODA Sssh! LOKI You'll be proud of me, Angerboda. Mark my words! ANGERBODA Shush, I said! (Light dims on them) THOR (to the audience) He lent me a line and a hook. (indicates Hymir with a nod) But you'll have to fix your own bait, he said. So I went into his stables…and I twisted the head off his biggest ox …(displays a bleeding ox-head) Then we rowed out. HYMIR How far are you going to row? We're out of sight of land already! THOR Just a little bit further! HYMIR We're going to have a devil of a swim back if we capsize. THOR Are you getting worried? HYMIR Me?? Ha! ! (narrating, to the audience) But of course, I did feel a little uneasy… THOR To catch really big fish you have to dare to go a long way out. (to the audience) And he certainly could fish. Two whales came alongside us (two jets of water shoot up into the air) Hymir cast his line and hooked the pair of them! HYMIR (laughs proudly) Now let's see you have a go! THOR Right then… (he sits in the back of the boat and fastens the ox-head on his hook) HYMIR (to the audience) He takes a seat aft, and baits his hook with the ox's head and casts his line as far as he can. Straightaway it's as if the whole ocean has begun to boil! (The waves get higher. The music foams) The waves rise around us like mountains! And then, from beneath the waves -( he has to raise his voice to be heard ) from beneath the waves a terrible head emerged - Thor had the World Serpent itself on his hook! (The Midgard Serpent lunges and flexes and roars) The serpent rages. Poisonous fumes and flames flare from his mouth. But Thor keeps on tugging and pulling. THOR Heeeave! Hooooo! HYMIR Now the great dragon's head is by the gunwale - oh mercy me, help - now it's - what's happening now ? - now Thor is lifting his great hammer - he lifts that cursed hammer of his and for once it's a pleasure to see it - and now he strikes - I daren't look - now he cracks the World Serpent right between the eyes. (the serpent rages) The monster shrieks so loud that the whole of Giant Land echoes to his cries. Now he comes snapping at us once more with his huge jaws. But Thor…Thor swings again with Miolnir. I can't bring myself to look. But I can't sit by idly and watch either. It's bound to end badly. I must do something! (Hymir slashes out with his knife) THOR What do you think you're doing? HYMIR Cutting your line! THOR Are you mad? HYMIR We've no choice! THE SERPENT (twists free and out of reach of the hammer) One day, Thor. I'm getting stronger. One day it will be me and not you. THOR (shakes his hammer) Worm drivel! THE SERPENT It is prophesied. It is written! (sinks into the sea with a sigh and a groan) HYMIR Let's row home now. THOR (wild-eyed)Home? Now? HYMIR (Has already begun to 'row') I haven't enjoyed this fishing trip all that much. (Lights out on them. All out. The sea disappears. Lights up on ODIN and FRIGG who are borne in on thrones. LOKI stands beside them) ODIN (to the audience) All this Odin can see. All this I see …when I sit on Lidskjalv. From my throne I can look out over the whole world. I see Thor and Hymir out fishing. And I see their other trials of strength. LOKI (ingratiatingly) Other trials of strength, half-brother? ODIN But the troll is not born who is a match for the thunder god, and Hymir has to concede defeat. Thor is the strongest of them all. LOKI But the vat, half-brother? Did he get the vat? That was the purpose of the trip, after all… ODIN He wins the vat. And a great many giants get their heads broken open. (looks searchingly at Loki) I doubt very much …whether we'll be hearing from Hymir again after this… LOKI Hymir's dead? You saw him? ODIN I saw him getting his head knocked in. LOKI (Nervously) Then you also saw - ODIN (interrupts) I saw everything. I saw the giants who fought. And I saw too those who merely stood by and watched the fighting… LOKI (still more nervous) Could you see whether…(swallows) I mean:of course, I haven't seen her for a number of years now, but did you see whether my old friend, I mean - ODIN (Interrupts) I saw Angerboda - but not who it was she was talking to so animatedly. LOKI (in great difficulties now) Who do you think it might have been? ODIN He kept his face turned away from us at all times. LOKI So you don't know who it was…yet? (HUGIN & MUNIN come in and position themselves one on each side of Odin) ODIN No. But my ravens will find out for me. LOKI But is that really necessary? I mean… (shrugs his shoulders) ODIN I need to know. FRIGG (finally she too speaks) Why are you so especially interested in this, Loki? LOKI Especially interested? Me? ODIN (looks hard at Loki) And I will know. Rely on it, half-brother - all, all will be revealed one day. LOKI (bows courteously) You are our king and our chieftain. ODIN (stands up)I am The One-Eyed! LOKI (tries to change the subject) But if Thor really did manage to get hold of that enormous vat - the Fates only know how big it is! - then we should shortly be receiving our invitations to the feast from Aegir? ODIN You have a tendency to take things that happen a little too lightly, half- brother. LOKI (will not retreat any further) And you, half-brother…have a tendency towards the heavy-handed now and then. ODIN (barks) The days are over when Aesir and Giants could still mix with one another! Don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise. Never forget that I am the one who sits on Lidskjalv - I am the one who sees! LOKI But we are talking about Aegir! ODIN (sits down with a heavy sigh) It's true enough - not all those who live up there in the north and the east are our enemies. You mention Aegir. Grid is another. Skadi a third. And there are many others. But one thing is for sure:we know who our friends are. And we know too that those who are not with us are against us. That's the way it is now. The choices have all been made, a long long time ago. It's too late now to change sides! LOKI Why are you telling me all this, half-brother? FRIGG Because he thinks you need to hear it! (looks fixedly at Loki, who in the end must look away) (LOKI exits, swiftly followed by HUGIN & MUNIN ) HUGIN Caaw! Caaaw! (flaps his arms. Loki pushes him irritably) (ODIN has stood up and walked a few paces away from his throne. Thinking, cogitating. FRIGG remains seated. NANNA comes in. Throws herself weeping into Frigg's lap) FRIGG (calmly) Is it Balder? NANNA Yes. FRIGG Is it the dreams again? NANNA He can't stop having them ! And they just get worse and worse! (weeps silently. Frigg strokes her hair) (At the same time:HUGIN & MUGIN wheel in the stone column with MIMIR'S HEAD. At the same time: On the other side of the stage, in dream-like light and drifting smoke, we see BALDER writhing under a heap of half-naked women. These are Night Mares, riding him. ) MIMIR'S HEAD These are dark times. ODIN Worse than dark. MIMIR'S HEAD You know what they're saying ? ODIN I know that more and more are putting their trust in Balder. MIMIR'S HEAD They say:as long as we have Balder among us, pure and innocent , then evil and violence can never triumph in this world. Because of the light that shines and glows within him. They say:even the telltales and the gossips hold their tongues and look down at the ground… ODIN I know what they say. MIMIR'S HEAD And what do you say ? ODIN I say:wherever we look we see hopelessness swelling like some monstrous grey dough. MIMIR'S HEAD And yet you too are riding to Breidablikk? ODIN I want to listen. I want to understand. I want above all to get to know my youngest son. MIMIR'S HEAD And does it makes Frigg happy, to see that the two of you have finally found each other? ODIN (His thoughts elsewhere) It makes her happy. BALDER No! (Balder shoves the half-naked women away. They run out. Three hiss and scratch the air like cats, two laugh and giggle. Balder gets up, tired and dizzy. LOKI enters suddenly, and acts as though he wants to comfort Balder) LOKI There there…it wasn't so bad was it? BALDER I can't take it anymore. I can't go on. LOKI It was only a dream… BALDER (staggers away from him) I'm breaking up into pieces. I'm going to pieces inside. LOKI (shouts after him) You - who have so much to give to the rest of us. BALDER Soon there will be nothing left, either for me or for anyone else! (leaves the stage, shouts) All I want is to be left in peace! LOKI (laughs) Angerboda - didn't I tell you you would be proud of me? (Lights out on him. Loki leaves. Our attention is now drawn to FRIGG & NANNA) NANNA He is a light! He is a torch and a lamp! If he is extinguished then the world will know what darkness really is! FRIGG But Balder isn't ill is he? (Many Aesir, including several we recognise - Freya, Thor, Siv, Tyr, Heimdall - trot on and form a group round Frigg and Nanna) AESIR (Their lines come in disorder, so that they almost speak over one another) - What are we going to do about Balder? - He's getting weaker and weaker all the time. - Soon he'll refuse to see any of us. - Refuse to answer when we speak to him. - But what is actually the matter with him? - Why isn't he like he always is? - But if Balder stops being Balder…what's going to happen to us? (FRIGG shakes her head) NANNA (to everyone and anyone) If it's a warning, how are we to interpret it? (to Odin) How are we to make sense of it? (all look at Odin) ODIN (shakes his head) I don't know. (to the audience) Not even Mimir could give us the answer. (Lights down on all. Spot on MIMIR'S HEAD which sways from side to side) MIMIR'S HEAD (to the audience) I told Odin he must ride to Niflheim. ODIN I saddled Sleipner at once and rode east and then north. (Music, wind, sounds of a horse. ODIN walks away from the others. Lights out on all but him)I rode through tears and gritted teeth, notstopping stop until I came to the gates of Hel. And there, east of the gate, I found the grave Mimir had told me to look for. The grave of the Sibyl - the sorceress who once upon a time had known so many secrets. Now I had need of her. I chanted strong spells, mighty incantations. (he hums eerie, mystical words and sentences) (Music. A pile of rags stands up, a dead woman waking to artificial life and stretching herself. Creaks and squeaks of her bones and sinews. THE MOON - the man who carries the moon - crosses the stage. WOLVES follow him, howling at the shiny sliver of moon. Mist blows across the scene) THE SIBYL Who is this…who torments my rest? ODIN My name is Vegtam, son of Valtam. THE SIBYL Snow covered me, rain whipped me and dew wetted me. I have been dead for a long, long time. (looks round, points to somewhere far away off-stage) Is there feasting? Is Hel giving a feast? ODIN Tell me now, in honour of whom does Hel now decorate her hall? THE SIBYL (as though listening in the distnace) Mead is brewed for the arrival of Balder. The Aesir are in great trouble. ODIN Who will kill him? Who is to be the bane of Balder? THE SIBYL Hod shall be Balder's bane. ODIN Hod? The Blind? THE SIBYL The Blind. ODIN And who is fated to avenge this killing? THE SIBYL Rind shall give birth to a son in the west. The boy shall not wash his hands nor comb his hair until the body of the killer of Balder lies on the fire. This deed he shall accomplish on the first night of his life! ODIN Tell me what else you know. I want to hear everything! THE SIBYL (her voice changes - she recognises him) You are not who you say you are. You are not Vegtam, you are Odin! ODIN And you are neither sibyl nor wise woman. You are but the shadow of a shadow! (Lifts his staff and points at her) THE SIBYL (Sinks down again, forced down by the staff) Ride home, Odin. Ride home…and don't come again until the wolf Fenrir is released and all the powers of darkness have awakened! (she becomes once again a motionless pile of rags. Lights out on them. Lights up on FRIGG) FRIGG (as she wanders through the world she demands with eloquent gestures that all things must give her their promise. She sings this song) Fire and water, iron and ore, earth and stone beast and bird all that crawls and grows and walks, Give me now your solemn word, Balder's blood shall not be spilt! (speaking) He said:what sort of prophesy is that? Brother against brother? And I answered, Yes, for even though Hod is not of my flesh and blood he is still your son! And he flung his arms around me and said:if brother is to kill brother, what might we not expect? And he wept. Odin wept. But I dried his tears and said:Rest. Balder is my son too;let me try my powers against this ruling of fate! So I journeyed the length and breadth of Asgard. I have crossed Bifrost and I have travelled in the world of