Baldur's Death

 

 

piece by Pelham Moffat

translation and adaptation by Ruth Salles

This play was translated and adapted from the eponymous play by the Scottish pedagogue Pelham Moffat, found in his book “21 Plays for Children”. It is a story that comes from Scandinavian legends. Baldur's death represents the death of the ancient natural religions, of dream consciousness - the twilight of the gods. It is the time when the human capacity for intellectual thought, the clarity of thinking, begins to develop. Baldur, the god of light, is lost, but in ancient legend there is a hint that this will not be forever. The play has two musical themes.

CHARACTERS:
Odin – the first of the Aces, lord of the sky and creator of the universe.
Friga – wife of Odin.
Baldur – son of Odin and Friga; personification of light, good and beauty.
Thor (with his hammer) - Baldur's brother, presides over the air, seasons and storms.
Hoder (blind) – Baldur's brother.
Loki - Evil Genius
Hermod (with helmet) – son of Odin, messenger of the gods.
Girl – guardian of the river of death.
Hela – daughter of Loki and goddess of death.
Freya – goddess of love; the sweetest, wisest and most beautiful of the goddesses.
Choir of gods and souls.

In the center is the land of Asgard, where the Aces reside. To the right, the kingdom of Hela, with the girl guarding the bridge. On the left, the choir of the gods.

CHORUS OF THE GODS (sings):
“Beautiful Baldur, O god without peer,
the sun itself comes to dress you,
a pure lily is your gaze.
O shining golden light,
come our souls to rejoice!”

ODIN (watching Baldur pacing):
– Why is my son so serious?
as if sad walked?
– Ah, Baldur, the day grows dark
when there are clouds in your face...

BALDUR:
- My father Odin,
I think the time has come...
My life goes away.
And I will stay in the dark land
of the goddess Hela.

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
– Will Baldur die,
and in Asgard your light so beautiful
will it never shine again?

BALDUR:
- I dreamed that a cloud grew
and hid Asgard,
and that the plants, half fallen,
were starting to wither.
And someone, in the kingdom of Hela,
said they were partying
the death of Baldur the beautiful…

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
– Oh, how sad the light is lost
if Baldur dies!

FRIG:
- This can not happen.
It is necessary to give protection
to my heart son.

THOR (threatening with hammer):
– Who will harm Baldur the Handsome?
– Who will face my hammer?

HODER:
- Wisdom is worth more
than the strength, Thor. Did you not know?

ODIN:
– Hoder, you are blind. It's your lot.
But an inner light illuminates you.

FRIG:
- We must go quickly
ask every created being
that Baldur is not attacked.

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
– O bird, O beast, O stone, O tree,
promise no harm to do!
O earth and water, fire and air,
iron, bronze, precious metals,
venomous tooth snakes
and any disease or torment,
quickly take the oath
to never cause any harm
to Baldur, the god without equal!

(Loki enters, stalks the others malevolently, and leaves. Friga sits, spinning, with Hoder and Thor standing by his side. The other gods surround Baldur and gesture as if they are hurling spears at him, but unable to harm him. All of them. laugh.)

THOR (to Friga, pointing to Baldur):
- Baldur is laughing, with the gods.
For all of them, well armed,
throw darts at him,
but not even slightly is he hurt.

FRIG:
“The enchantment saved my son.
Hoder, don't you hear his laughter?

HODER (while Loki enters disguised as an old woman and looks at him):
– I only hear, but I do not see.
And I wanted, anyway,
take part in the joke.

LOKI (talks to Friga):
- Good morning lady. I would like
to know the cause of this joy...

FRIG:
– Aces attack Baldur
with darts and swords,
and nothing happens to him.
he can't be hurt
for nothing they throw at you,
for I have made all things swear.

LOKI:
– Have all things sworn?

FRIG:
- I just didn't ask for the oath
to the mistletoe, that fragile shoot
that doesn't even have a root
and that grows on a tree
west of the country.

LOKI (laughs surreptitiously):
– Mistletoe really is so tiny…
What harm would that little bud do? (He leaves)

HODER:
– How is my brother doing?
I feel here in my heart
the fear of some misfortune.

FRIG:
– He faces any threat.
His face shines, radiant.
He is Baldur the Glorious!

HODER:
- Oh, if only I had eyes to see
what is about to happen...

LOKI (enters without disguise, hiding the mistletoe behind his back):
- Come on, Hoder! Won't you try?

HODER:
- But what spear can I throw
if I can't see?

LOKI (giving him the mistletoe):
– Take this plant from the forest.
I will help you. The position is this.
My hand guides yours. Now, turn.
There is Baldur. Quickly! Shoot!
(Loki sneaks out)

HODER:
- I don't hear laughter of joy...
It was always laughter I heard.
What a silence...

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
– Ooohhh!

HODER:
- A distressed cry!
Why are you making that scream?

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
- Baldur is dead! Why would it be?

ODIN (approaching with Hoder):
- Baldur died. sure hand
threw a dart at his heart.

HODER:
“Oh heavens, was it me who killed him?

FRIGA (seeing the dart):
- It was the mistletoe that hit him!

HODER:
— Baldur, creature so dear,
I would give you my life!

FRIG:
- Oh, there's nothing you can do...
But someone must come down
to the kingdom where Hela lives
and try to rescue now
the soul of Baldur.

HERMOD:
- I offer myself.
To the depths of Hela's realm
I go down.
But how and where should I go?

FRIG:
– Hermod, rides Sleipnir
Odin's horse.
for nine nights,
in deep valleys and foothills,
you will reach the river of death
where there is a guarded bridge
by a young woman. Be on guard!
Give her your name and message,
and then open passage
and go fast
as the arrow comes out of the bow!
Hold the rein and stick the spur
and jump the gates just in time! (Hermod withdraws.)

CHORUS OF THE GODS (sings, carrying Baldur's body):
“To the restless ocean
the sacred land we take.
Dark days will come:
the years of famine and affliction.
On top of the sacred pyre,
the gold-plated dead.
Rich is the kindled flame,
of the earth's secret treasure.
Into the deep night,
we cast the flames into the sea.
Waves light up red.
The star, how pale it is…
And the dark depths
pack the red pyre,
make you sleep sweetly
the last red spark.”

(If possible, galloping sounds. Hermod appears on the left and the girl stops him.)

GIRL:
– Traveller, you must stop!
Here you will only be received
if you declare your name.

HERMOD:
– I am Hermod the fearless,
and I'm in a hurry to arrive
next to Hela! Let me pass!

GIRL:
“But you don't have the traits of the dead.
What did you come here for?

HERMOD:
– I seek Baldur, the unique,
who crossed the mortal path.

GIRL:
– The ninth day has passed.
Let the one who arrived go ahead!

(Hela is nearby, surrounded by the souls of the dead, her face veiled.)

HELA (on seeing Hermod arrive):
– Who dares to walk through my door?

HERMOD:
- It's me, Hermod. and I came to talk
with the mother of all the dead.

(Baldur, veiled, raises his arm in salute to Hermod.)

HELA:
– Well then, speak up!

HERMOD:
– Terrible Mother of the Deep
I bring the message of sadness.
You took away our light,
our source of truth,
for our good, Baldur the fair,
is captive in your castle.
Return the imprisoned soul
of Baldur, the well-beloved god!
Men to mourn,
the land, the sea, the sky and the air,
everything that exists is crying.
Hear, therefore, my voice.
May your soul, rescued,
return to us!

HELA:
– Let a judgment be made then.
That every being, living or not,
prove what you told me then.
But if something or being
say that you are not suffering,
I can't do anything
and Baldur remains ours.

HERMOD:
- Goodbye! who takes the hope
what you want will one day achieve.

(Hermod walks away. Baldur steps forward with raised hand. Hermod appears on the other side, next to Thor.)

THOR:
– So you came to find me!
Hermod, what do you have to tell?

HERMOD:
– I spoke to the bones of the earth:
stones and rocks that it contains.
Everyone said they poured
the tears that hid
under the winter, hardened,
in spring melted.

THOR:
– In the forest I made my way
and I saw the wolf, the tiger, the bear.
All the beasts showed
that for the god Baldur they wept.

FREYA (approaching):
– Fish and birds have proved me
who for Baldur also wept.

FRIG:
– The clouds all drizzled,
all the plants dew.

ODIN:
- In pain, the men sobbed.

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
- With so much crying in our voices,
Baldur will return to us.

LOKI (with a shrill laugh, enters disguised as Thokk):
– Did Baldur die? To come back,
everyone beg please
some tears of pain?
I, for him, will not cry.
and I don't care
let him be with the dead. (walks away laughing.)

THOR (raising hammer):
- It's Loki! It's Loki that bad guy.

ODIN (holds his arm):
– We can't do anything anymore.
– O Baldur, beloved son…
(All the gods bow their heads sadly.)

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
- The blue of the sky darkened.
It is the twilight of the gods.
Dark is the sun. And, very red,
The horrible night is a spark.

BALDUR (veiled):
– I see a gold-lined hall,
brighter than the golden sun,
and the earth, beautiful, reborn,
and a new day dawning.
And I see the gods there reigning
and peace to all serene.
Ah, when love is your king,
I'll be back.. I'll be back!

ALL (singing, lifting their heads, joyfully, the song at the beginning):
“Beautiful Baldur, O god without peer,
the sun itself comes to clothe you.
A pure lily is your gaze.
O shining golden light,
come our souls to rejoice!”

 

 

END