Thor at the Stronghold of the Giants

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play by Ruth Salles

This funny and entertaining play was created from a narrative of Germanic mythology.¹

CHARACTERS:
Thor
The two goats Grinding Teeth and Sharpening Teeth
Loki
the peasant
Your woman
Your son Tialfi
the giant vastness
the king of giants
Other giants, who speak along with the choir of the gods
choir of the gods
The giant fire-breather
The Ingenious Page
The old years out
the serpent cat

CHORUS OF THE GODS (sings):
“It was so, so long ago
– oh, how long has it been! –
Thor left with his hammer
and Loki close behind.
Two goats go on the trip
– Teeth Grinding and Teeth Sharpening –
to pull the carriage.”

CHORUS OF THE GODS (speaks, as the scenes go on):
— In a peasant's inn,
everyone was very hungry...
Thor killed the goats then,
separated the skins on the floor
and roasted the meat in the cauldron.
But be very careful
so the bones won't be broken.
With skin and bones – everyone would see! –
the two goats would revive!
Look at the peasant's son!
Broke a bone and ate the marrow! oh,
Oh oh! (bis)
In the morning, Thor got up,
his hammer he swung:
skin and bones was gathered,
the goats are waking up,
but one is limping.
The peasant kneeling,
asked the angry god for forgiveness
and borrowed the guilty son
to follow as his servant;
And the goats promise to take care
until Thor……returns.”

THOR:
– What a thick bush… Where are we going?

LOKI:
- I'm too tired. I need to rest.

TIALFI:
- A giant cocoon! It's a ready-made bed.

THOR:
- Well, sleep peacefully,
that I take care of.

CHORUS OF THE GODS:
– The night is moonless, and in the darkness,
the earth shakes, with lightning and thunder.
(noise)
Shake the cocoon and turn it over on the floor. (Loki and Tialfi roll from side to side)
It's a giant snoring, sleeping nearby.
Thor takes the hammer, and the three are already awake.

THOR:
– Who are you, big man?

GIANT:
– I am the giant Vast.
And what does the god Thor of the Aces do here?
taking shelter in my glove?
Get out of there and come with me.
I can be a good friend.
who wants to follow me
have to take a run.
But I help by carrying the bag of food.

TIALFI (after walking and running):
– Night is falling. I want to rest.

LOKI:
– Well, I'm hungry. I need dinner.

GIANT VASTITY:
- Well, I'm going to sleep under the oak tree.
Have dinner in peace, I won't disturb you.

(Thor tries to open the bag of groceries and can't undo the knot. Throws the hammer at the giant, as he has knotted the bag.)

GIANT VASTITY (wakes up, startled):
- Huh! It looks like an oak leaf
fell on my head as it let go of the branch.
(goes back to sleep)

(Thor throws the hammer harder again)

GIANT VASTITY (wakes up in amazement):
- What's that?
Things keep falling out of those branches.
shaved through my head
an oak acorn. (sleeps again)

(Thor again throws the hammer upon hearing the giant's snoring)

GIANT VAST (rising):
- There must be a nest in that tree.
I felt a bird's egg hit me.

(Thor and the others demonstrate their amazement with three “Ohs!”)

THOR (to the other two):
“This Vast felt nothing!
And I didn't miss a shot!

GIANT VASTITY:
– What are you whispering about?
Is it my size that's scaring you?
For in the castle of Utgard,
that is not far away,
you will see what giant people are.
Small as they are,
don't be proud,
otherwise these giants will be furious!
You should go home now,
but if you want to visit the king of Utgard
then head east,
because I'm leaving. (Goes in another direction)

(They walk a bit and find the King of Utgard sitting on his throne)

KING:
– Oh, you are Thor of Aces,
if I am not wrong.
But... it's much smaller
than I had thought...
Let's see if the three are brave. And then!
Here only those who win the competition enter!

LOKI (who was behind the others comes forward):
- I eat faster
than anyone.
Competing on this subject is a no-brainer.

KING:
– All right. Bring the manger soon.
And let the giant Fire-spitting come.
There's a lot of meat there. can start,
one from each end, until finished.

LOKI:
- I'm ready. This is too easy!

SPITS FIRE:
– Eat faster whoever can!

(The two eat and end up together in the middle of the manger.)

REI (as Loki walks away, despondent):
– Check it out. Loki lost in this prank,
for Spitfire even ate the wood!
(pointing to Tialfi):
- Is that you? what do you know
do faster?

TIALFI:
– I win any race.
When does it start?

KING:
— My page, the Ingenious,
is the one who will run.
I just want to see who will win!

(In the race, Ingenious wins far. Tialfi walks away, annoyed)

KING:
– Thor, and you, what do you know how to do?

THOR:
– Faster than anyone else, I know how to drink!

KING:
- Well, bring my full horn to your mouth.
If, with three sips, you empty it,
will be the winner, believe me! (after Thor takes the first sip):
For now the horn is full.
Come on, Thor, don't be afraid! (after Thor tries the second sip):
You look like you're already tired,
but the horn is little emptied. (after Thor tries the third sip):
You drank it was no joke. (on seeing Thor breathless and dizzy)
He's already dizzy from drinking.

THOR (gasping):
– I drank a lot, but the water didn't go down.
Some trick you prepared.

KING:
- I didn't do any tricks, but I make a deal:
my cat is lying there on the floor;
try to lift it on all four legs!

(After much effort, Thor only manages to get her to drop one paw from the ground.)

KING:
– Hmm…Thor of Aces, you really are
a very small creature.
I'm even a little sorry.

THOR (bully):
“Maybe I'm small, friend.
But let someone come to fight me!

KING:
– You shall not face my giants,
but I'll let you fight the old woman over there.
It's called Years out.
Come on, fight her now!

CHORUS OF THE GODS (as the scene goes on):
– Look at the wobbly old woman.
A gust of wind pushes her forward.
Thor, however, cannot push her,
can't even push it away!
So angry, Thor turned red.
And finally, lo and behold, he fell to his knees!

KING:
"Enough, Thor of Aces, don't be annoyed,
you couldn't even have won.
But, don't set foot in my castle anymore.
And now the secret I reveal to you.
I am the one who was in the woods.
You almost lead us to destruction.
Your hammer blows, don't you know,
but they opened up three deep valleys in the mountain.

CHORUS OF THE GODS (along with the King):
– Loki competed with Spitfire,
and indeed this giant
is the flaming fire,
that devours everything,
to the wood of the manger.
Tialfi bet a run
with the giant Ingenious and was defeated.
For this giant is my thought,
that runs through everything in a moment.
As for the horn you drank from,
has the tip stuck in the deep ocean
that guards the waters of the world.
But you drank so much that the tide went out.
It's just that you didn't look at the sea.
My cat is the Midgard Serpent itself,
which around the earth is coiled.
If the tail came loose, it would be a danger.
It would be the end of the world, my friend.
And I still haven't told you,
but the old Years out
it's old age itself
who conquers all when the time comes.

THOR, LOKI AND TIALFI:
— So farewell forever, O king! (the speaker is Tialfi)
– Your tricks I will no longer face. (the speaker is Loki)
– For I turn my hammer,
and at the same instant… (who speaks is Thor)
(the Three seeing that the giants magically disappeared):
- Oh oh oh…! The giants are gone!

GIANT'S CHORUS (sings):
“It was so, so long ago
– oh how long it's been! –
Thor returned with his hammer
and Loki close behind.
Your goats go on the trip
– Teeth Grinding and Teeth Sharpening –
to pull the carriage.”