THE HOLY LAND, 1177
It's him.
The devil with the red cross...
Al Ghouti.
Why does he help us?
Al Ghouti.
Arn!
Arn! Come on out now!
Arn, where are you?!
Why do I always have to be a Sverker?
The Folkungs are coming!
Arn, where are you?
Arn!
This isn't any fun!
The Folkungs won again!
Why do I always have to be a Sverker?
Arn?
Arn! Eskil!
Have you seen the boys?
No, Mistress Sigrid.
What are you doing out here on your own?
This is no place for little children.
I'm not little!
Oh, really?
THE KNIGHT TEMPLAR Based on the story by Jan Guillou
Episode One
WEST GOTHIA, 1157 AD
Go fetch Squire Magnus. His brother is here.
- I found these two near the creek. - What?
On Sverker land.
Have you lost your minds?
What were you thinking?
You are not to go into the woods alone, ever!
Now go inside.
What brings you here, Birger Brosa?
You generally have a purpose.
Birger!
Magnus!
It's been far too long since you graced Arnäs with your presence.
What brings you here, my brother?
The King is on his way.
Our loyalties are beyond question.
Our clans have always sided with one another.
So let us raise our glasses...
and drink to Erik Edvardsson, our king.
Cheers!
Why does Knut get to sit there?
Because his father is the King.
Your cause is our cause, King Erik.
But the church to be blessed...
It stands where it stands.
Exactly where I had it built.
On Sverkersson's land.
Birger...
Who is your spokesman? You or your brother?
- My brother. - Well, then.
But I merely express what we both feel.
Birger...
You talk big...
but you are as anxious as old ladies.
That is as it may be,
but so far we have lived in peace with Sverkersson.
Kings come and go,
but our neighbors belong to the Sverker clan.
I'm talking about cementing our ties on holy ground.
And here you are, squirming like slaves that need to take a crap.
Will you Folkungs ride with me or not?
The church is already built. It cannot be undone.
It is a house of God.
And if that angers the Sverkers, we must stick together.
The rest is in God's hands.
Knut, take that creature out of here at once!
Knut!
Hello, Arn.
Where did you get that bird?
I caught him near the castle.
My father doesn't like him.
Will you be king when you grow up?
My father says so.
He says it's the will of God.
And he says that my son will be king,
and my grandson, and my great-grandson...
And your great-great-great- great-great grandson...
May I hold him?
Sorry.
That's all right. He always comes back.
How dare you? This is a house of God!
No!
Father!
Listen to me, Folkungs!
As of this moment, there is only one rightful king of West Gothia,
and that is me, Karl Sverkersson.
Who is that boy?
His son?
No, he's with me.
Will there be war?
We have a new king, that's all.
That's all.
Where's Knut?
He's in Norway.
With his kin.
With God's help, he will reclaim the throne.
So we must be patient.
No. No!
- Ingmar, those go to the smithy. - Arn, come on!
Look!
It's Knut's bird.
No, you're not allowed up there!
Arn!
You're not allowed!
Come down now!
Aah!
Arn! Come down!
Come down!
Arn? Arn?
Can you hear me? Arn?
Arn...can you hear me?
Where is he? What happened?
I told him not to go up there.
Arn? Arn!
Dear Lord...
Please let Arn come back to life.
If You let him live, we promise to repay You.
You have our word, dear Lord.
He will be Your servant here on Earth.
We will yield him up to Your Holy service.
Dear Lord, we give You our word.
We give You our word.
Amen.
Praise the Lord!
Come, Eskil!
No!
It's the right thing to do.
No, Sigrid, I will not send my boy to a monastery.
We gave our word.
We made a promise to God, that if He let Arn live,
we would send our boy to serve Him.
He's only a child.
Why do you think He let Arn live?
For our sakes?!
God has a purpose in mind for Arn.
I will not send my son to a monastery.
Do you actually believe that I want to send him away?
- No, Sigrid. - I have postponed it.
Hesitated.
God is punishing us, Magnus.
We have gone back on our word.
This is how He reminds us of our obligations.
We must keep our promise.
Why do you want to send me away?
We don't want to send you away.
It is the will of God.
Why does God want to send me away?
He let you live.
He has chosen you.
Why couldn't he choose Eskil instead?
- Father Henri. - My child.
Father, I need your help.
What is it, my child?
Come in.
Father Henri.
Brother Guilbert.
Please...
Brother Lucien examined the mother.
The sores on her face are quite consistent with swine fever;
that we can cure.
But the arm...
it's blood-poisoning.
Arn...
Arn, wake up.
Come with me.
My dear little boy.
Father Henri has promised me that you can stay here.
Be obedient.
Do as you are told.
Promise me you will.
Are you going to stay here, too?
It's the will of God, Arn.
Do you understand?
Tu veux essayer?
Viens.
Like to have a go?
Ça va?
Tiens.
Hold it tight, and now aim.
Very good!
That place my mother went to, is it like it is here?
On vit tous dans la maison de Dieu.
With God we're all at home.
I want to go home, too.
You are home, my son. Varnhem is your home now.
Vo cas.
Vo cant.
Vo camos.
Scribo.
Scribis.
Vo commes.
Vo cant.
Vo catis.
Vo camos.
Vo co.
Vo cas.
Vo camos.
Vo cant.
Good. Again.
Very good.
Hey, look!
I told you, always in my eyes.
Go.
Arn!
Yes.
Your turn.
"...omnis scientiae fundamentum."
Mm-hmm.
To read is the foundation of all knowledge.
In which hand does it feel most comfortable, hmm?
Both.
Very good. Good boy.
You seem to be training him to be a warrior.
Is that entirely wise?
I am merely strengthening the skills that God has already given him.
Until God tells us what he has in store for Arn,
he should be trained for the spirit as much as for combat.
"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride."
"You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace."
The Song of Solomon, the most beautiful words of love ever written.
One day, you will understand.
How can you steal someone's heart?
It's a figure of speech.
I'd like to show you something.
You have a new friend. Look!
What kind of horse is that?
It belongs to the noblest,
the fastest, the most resilient breed there is.
They're war horses.
And the one you get to know will become your most faithful friend.
Come here.
You are a very fine horse.
Strong and intelligent.
I think he likes you.
What's his name?
Chamsiin.
Cham...
...siin. - ...siin.
It means "desert wind."
He's as fast, as relentless.
Do you want to ride him?
Good!
Can you feel the strength of the horse?
Good!
Help me!
There she is!
Look, Gunnar.
Please help me!
There! Come on, Gunnar!
I don't want him! Help!
The sinful wench!
No! Let me go!
- Justice will be made. - No! Let me go!
Trying to steal my bride, eh?
He's innocent! Let him be!
As innocent as you, then?
Running away from your wedding?
Do your duty, brother.
Come to your senses.
He's but a young monk.
Pick it up, boy!
Pick it up!
Go on!
Show him, Gunnar!
Watch out!
I've committed the gravest of sins.
I've killed two men.
That is the end of your confession, my son?
All my sins, I thee forgive.
Te absolvo.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
I do not understand.
Sit.
You killed those men in self-defense.
They were sinners,
trying to force that poor girl to marry against her will.
It may not have been a miracle, as that simpleminded priest said.
But who, if not God, was it that put them in your way?
Arn...it was your mother's will -- and God's --
that you be raised here in this monastery.
Well, now you're grown up, you must do the Lord's calling.
Brother Guilbert and I have discussed this,
and we have reached a decision.
The time has come for you to go home, Arn.
You must go back to your family.
"In Hoc Signo Vincus."
"In this sign thou shalt conquer."
Before I came here to this... peaceful monastery,
I served another order:
God's Holy army, the Knights Templar.
For 12 years I fought with this sword in The Holy Land.
With this sword, no one has ever defeated me.
You may never draw it in anger or use it for your own gain.
It has to serve God's good cause.
No, no, no!
Your livestock is grazing the King's land.
That is not the King's land.
Have you no honor? Are you a bald-faced liar?
Liar? You are the one to stretch the truth!
The land at Forsvik has always belonged to our clan.
And many a man can swear to that fact.
We'll see what the tribunal has to say about that.
Liar!
And who may you be?!
Eskil.
Father.
Arn?
What the devil?
I didn't recognize you.
I thought we had lost you to those monks.
It's good to have you back.
Magnus.
Brosa.
Eskil.
And Arn.
Good to see you back at Arnäs.
You haven't changed, Uncle Brosa.
Those monks had you for years.
Were you taught to read?
I see, so you can read.
Is Knut here, too?
No, he's better off in Norway.
His time has not yet come.
With regard to the dispute with Ulvbane,
we'll have to buy time with silver.
I know.
I will propose a settlement.
But the ties between Ulvbane and Sverkersson have me concerned.
A tense king is an unpredictable king.
We are gathered here at Axevalla to hold a tribunal.
We come in peace...
and we shall leave in peace.
Whoever breaks this peace will be seen as an evildoer.
The tribunal is now in session.
Now to the land dispute
between Magnus Folkesson and Emund Ulvbane.
I understand that Magnus Folkesson is willing to settle.
That is the case.
And I am willing to pay Emund Ulvbane
the sum of 30 pieces of silver.
That is more than one could ask.
For peace between neighbors is worth far more than silver.
The settlement has been accepted.
As the tribunal has ruled, I must comply.
But 'tis a shame that silver outweighs honor and truth.
'Tis also a shame to be obliged to deal with a man without honor.
You, Magnus Folkesson...
You are not a man.
And your sons are no better.
They are but puny girls, a nun and a beer keg.
Mark my words, that Sverker on the throne planned this.
He whispered those insults in Ulvbane's ear.
Ulvbane knew every word to the letter!
Why?
The Sverker clan wants to weaken us.
He fears we will support Knut in his bid for the throne.
I wish there were a way out.
But a public insult must by law be redressed through single combat.
There has to be some way to defeat him.
Ulvbane is the best warrior in the Sverker clan.
None of us can compare.
No one in our clan has ever chosen the dishonorable route.
No one will follow a dishonored man.
I have made up my mind.
I will do battle with him tomorrow.
May the Lord protect me.