the legend of the dragon

 

 

play by Ruth Salles

This piece was created from a homonymous tale, based on Germanic mythology. This tale is part of Wilhelm Ruland's book “Die Schönsten Sagen des Rhein” (“The Most Beautiful Legends of the Rhine”). I took the liberty of including a melody composed many years ago by my mother, Julieta Mello and Souza Miranda, for a song from her old school. The lyrics, of course, are the ones I made according to the story of the play. Ruth Salles

CHARACTERS:

Choir (people from both sides)
Boatman
Hosrik, chief of warriors
Hosrik's Warriors
Rinbold, chief of warriors
Rinbold's Warriors
High priest
a young christian
angels
Dragon

SCENE 1
(Before the battle.)

CHORUS (sings):
“The boatman of a distant river
rowing, sailing and singing.
Tale so beautiful and touching
that the people of the margins soon come to listen.
He speaks of a high rock,
that harbored a terrible dragon,
and the young girl so pure and fearless
with the lights of Christ in your heart.”

WARRIOR 1:
– Chief Hosrik!
We need to do an outing
and plunder the people on the other side.

WARRIOR 2:
- Our people don't have food anymore.
The dragon left the field all burned.

WARRIOR 3:
— That terrible dragon, with the serpent's tail,
open your mouth and show your sharp teeth!

HOSRIK:
– Our criminals were their food,
and now he wants more, demands his livelihood!
Let's go to war, my brave warriors!
And we will give the dragon all the prisoners.

RINBOLD:
– Prisoners without guilt at heart
must not be dragon food.

RINBOLD'S WARRIOR 1:
– My boss Rinbold, there is nothing else to do!
From hunger, we don't want to die.

RINBOLD'S WARRIOR 2:
– Prisoner of war, whether female or male,
serves for the monster to satisfy its hunger.

RINBOLD'S WARRIOR 3:
– The next harvest would then be safe…
Let's go to war, let's go! The loot is our target!

HOSRIK:
– The high priest is coming.
Does he know what is consuming us?

HIGH PRIEST:
– My children, what downcast faces…
They look like defeated warriors...

HOSRIK:
“It's the dragon, sir. The plantation is burned,
and all our people terrified.

RINBOLD:
- Sir! What harm have we done to Odin?
Does this misfortune have no end?

HIGH PRIEST:
– I know that a prophecy is about to be fulfilled.
What she announces are new times.
A clear light comes from the East.
She will change everything… slowly…
(the high priest leaves)

HOSRIK:
“Anyway we have to go to war,
otherwise the dragon ravages the whole earth!

RINBOLD:
- Let's go then! And may Odin protect us!
Who knows the solution is in this battle?
Onward, warriors!

HOSRIK:
- Forward! (They leave)

SCENE 2
(After the battle. Warchiefs come back tired and talk)

RINBOLD:
— The patricians of the left bank, whom we attacked,
are well changed, that's what we noticed.
They believe in a single god. This was not foreseen.
What does this mean?

HOSRIK:
– They defended themselves, but none killed.
They only spoke of the love that their god taught.
Our men are coming: all quiet, thinking,
and I only think of the hunger that is waiting for us.

WARRIORS 1 and 2 (arriving in a hurry):
– Chief, our men have been bringing prey:
– It is a young woman, sir. Looks like a princess.

(The other warriors enter holding and pulling the girl)

RINBOLD:
– How delicate! How beautiful!
If it was my men who brought her,
I have the right to keep her!

RINBOLD WARRIORS 1 and 2:
– There was a confusion at that time.
– The young woman fell, and we ran without delay…

WARRIOR 3:
– We were there too and helped with the capture.

HOSRIK:
– No arguing! The creature is mine.
I am the strongest boss and I deserve this prey.
It's a tug of war.

RINBOLD:
To that look of purity
you do not value. Therefore, she is mine!
(They fight.)

HIGH PRIEST (entering):
- Stop this useless and petty fight.
The young woman is Christian, she has another religion.
Do not mix your blood with Christian blood!
In honor of Odin, may she be sacrificed
and delivered to the dragon and devoured by him.
Tomorrow, when the sun brings us the dawn,
it will be time!

(Everyone has their heads down, except the young woman, her head held high)

RINBOLD:
– Who knows, seeing the young woman, Odin blesses us
and forgive us,
and this hunger ends, which is our agony,
and begins to enforce the new prophecy…

scene 3
(The young woman faces the dragon. While everyone else is talking, the scene goes on.)

WARRIORS:
- The sun is rising
it's already dawn,
and the young woman is being
in the tied trunk.

HOSRIK:
– In the ancient and sacred
odin tree,
which is on the edge
of the endless abyss.

RINBOLD:
– The High Priest
holds you on the forehead
the most beautiful flowers
of the entire forest.

HIGH PRIEST:
– Let the people move away!
The dragon is already heard!

(Sound of the dragon's roar. The people move away.)

WARRIORS:
– Distance is not enough.
The affliction is great!

YOUNG (praying):
– If this is how it should be done
the will of Heaven,
that, by the angels, my soul be taken
to God's side!
(Angels pass by her.)
I feel no fear in my heart,
for with this holy cross,
made of light,
I face the dragon!

(The dragon advances.)

WARRIORS:
– Oooh!!! (The dragon recoils and falls.)

CHOIR:
— The dragon, seeing the cross,
recoiled in terror,
because he saw that the light is stronger
where love shines.
He curled up and collapsed
dying in the depths.
With loud voices, the people saluted
the end of hunger and uncertainty.
The young woman, with her eyes closed,
didn't see who let her go again.
who helped her, with their arms,
to walk to the people.
It was Rinbold.
He put his knee on the floor
and kissed her hand.

HIGH PRIEST (approaching the young woman):
– Young man, now what matters most
it's knowing how you escaped being killed.

YOUNG:
– It was this light that saved me.
She has brought us great good.

HIGH PRIEST:
– May this light, with the strength it has,
lighten up one day our people.
Rinbold will take you to the other shore,
but come back one day here again.

(Rinbold leads her, and then the two of them return, during the singing, along with the people on the opposite bank):

CHORUS (sings):
“Much sooner than everyone thought,
our young woman decides to return.
All the people waited for her,
with the brave warrior she is going to marry.
Your people, hands outstretched,
come in search of peace and unity.
With respect and love living together,
now the two peoples are united.”

 

END