ERIK THE CONQUEROR
In the year 786 of the Christian era,
on the rocky shores of England, in the county of Dorset,
there appeared for the first time three great long vessels.
Blond giants, thirsty for blood,
eager for conquest, overwhelmed the island.
Destroying every fortification, and spreading terror and death.
The Vikings were invading Britain.
Many others followed that first landing,
and the sight of their huge bowed, square sailed vessels
came to mean disaster.
The long iron lance was their fearful weapon.
And from their icy land,
those fierce, invincible, pitiless pagans
established themselves solidly on those shores.
And so were born small kingdoms
whose strength came out of blood and slavery.
The only Viking king
desirous of peace and justice was Harald of the Order.
Thus King Lotar of Scotland had charged Sir Rutford
to negotiate with him for peace.
Lower your heads, my sons. Get down!
Here he is. It's King Harald. Down with him.
Ragnar, take Erik and Eron to safety.
My sons will avenge me one day.
It's a massacre.
Your plan was successful, Rutford.
- Now, sir? - Yes.
Erik!
Eron!
The filthy plight of the Vikings is at last extirpated.
Never more to foul our glorious Britain.
Harald the King has been killed.
Never more will he come with his accursed Viking flag.
Enough, Rutford.
We give you credit for your triumph.
But we don't approve of your cruel ways.
You are guilty of a great massacre
that is not worthy of a British knight.
It is necessary in a war with barbarians.
Nothing justifies the betrayal
through which you conquered the country.
I gave you specific orders to negotiate with the king of the Vikings.
To negotiate without arms.
You were to persuade him to leave our soil
in exchange for sole sovereignty of the North Sea.
No pact with those barbarians, only war.
You will answer to God and man for disobeying your Sovereign.
Rutford, give me your sword.
From this moment on,
you are relieved of the command of the northern land and sea forces.
You will prepare to appear before the Tribunal
to answer for your conduct.
I hope your repentance is as sincere and deep as my regret.
Murderers!
It was him. He shot the arrow.
He pretended to be dead, this vile man. Burn him!
The King has passed away.
- Long live the Queen! - Long live the Queen!
Look. A child.
Don't cry, my little boy.
It's trembling with cold.
Look, Your Highness.
The mark of a Viking king.
What does it matter? He's just a boy.
God is very kind.
He sent this child to me
because he took away my beloved King.
This is the son I longed for.
No one will ever know who he is.
- Do you swear? - I swear, Your Majesty.
Don't look at him. They'll get suspicious.
Hear me, Odin. Our God and master.
This woman who sinned, breaking the vows of chastity
that made her your bride must die.
And the man who dared possess her and defy you must also die.
Oh, mighty Odin. We are heavy with their guilt.
Their bodies are offered to you to placate your anger.
Sire, this judgment... this judgment is monstrous.
Love is not a guilt.
Harald, my father,
would have understood and forgiven them.
Eron is wrong. Betrayal cannot be pardoned.
A vestal virgin has a vow to remain pure.
She is married only to Odin. When he is betrayed,
is not his terrible wrath unleashed on all of us?
I don't understand why you defend them so strongly.
Eron, your plea shows great generosity.
It moves my heart.
I would rather be buried than see my daughter suffer.
But die she shall.
I have asked no mercy. She has broken her vow.
She succumbed to earthly passion.
She wanted to love.
Garian is right.
She and her lover must die together.
All right. To the vultures.
Eron.
I thought I'd never see you again.
Nothing could keep me from you. Nothing.
But I'm so afraid for you. My love.
I won't let you risk your life for me.
Daya, when you were born, you were consecrated to the gods.
Now for our love, Odin will be... jealous.
- But we're stronger than him. - No, don't defy him, Eron.
I don't want to lose you.
What's that?
I'm scared of everything.
Don't be...
Only a king... by making you his wife
could release you from your vows.
- And I will be king. - You'll have to fight!
Yes, Daya.
I must be king.
And I Will.
Death.
Crush Queen Alice and all her kingdom.
Let us join forces with Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
Let us amass our power and crush these British
under the stones of their own fortresses.
The Vikings will dominate the North Sea.
We are with you, Olaf. You can count on our allegiance.
Iceland will follow you.
They owe me one eye. I will gladly join with you.
Now hear me, Olaf.
Each of us who has answered your appeal
is contributing all of his armies and men and vessels.
We can count on the blind obedience
of our faithful and brave soldiers.
And all of us have had the chance to show our courage in war.
But none of us has your wisdom or your knowledge.
Many years ago, one of your kings planted his banner on British soil
and was defeated only by treacherous betrayal.
We embark now on a path that will be long and dangerous.
There is one thing we need, Olaf.
- We want you for our leader. - Olaf!
I thank you, Garian.
I thank you all.
You have proven your faith in me
and that is the greatest prize a warrior can win.
But I'm too old, too tired.
In war, youth and courage count more than wisdom.
Therefore, I shall appoint a leader for you.
The son of my brother Harald.
Eron has his father's bravery and valor.
Oh no, Olaf. He is young and lacks experience.
If you refuse to command, I will lead the armies myself.
No, Garian. I have a far more important reason.
To avenge the death of my father and my brother.
- And to make yourself King? - It belongs to me.
Do you see this sign?
It was in the Viking flags that were planted in Britain.
This was the symbol of Harald. He covered it with glory and his blood.
That's enough!
The soldiers will decide this by putting it to a vote.
Each tribal chief will choose between them.
Garian!
Eron!
Garian!
Eron!
- One. - One.
- Two. - Two.
- Three. - Three.
Four.
Daya! What's wrong?
I'm frightened, Rama. Help me.
I would gladly help you if I could.
We were born from the same womb, at the same time.
Who understands you better than me?
Eron should never have set eyes on you.
Sacrilege.
And you. Why have you broken the vows that bind us to the gods?
Because I love him. I love him madly.
And you're afraid for him because he goes to war.
Don't you see, Daya? If he dies, you're absolved.
No, Rama. Don't say that.
Eron will be King.
With the power to free me from all of this.
Then this loves means so much that you risk your life
hoping that somehow he can keep such a promise.
Forty-eight.
Forty-nine.
50 for Garian!
50 for Eron!
So this then is the will of all men
as helpless as a boy with a rud of his boat.
I must then call upon the supreme God's help.
You must fight a duel with arms you will forge yourselves.
Odin will give the victory to whom he has appointed.
Rama, they're all shouting.
- I must go see. - No!
You'll betray yourself. They'll kill you along with him.
Daya! Rama!
Eron and Garian are going to fight a duel.
Be calm. Warriors' duels do not concern us.
It is the will of the gods, Eron. Kill him. It is the law.
No!
I won't kill him. This brave man will fight with us.
His life is yours, Eron.
My life is yours, Eron.
Are we permitted to talk to you
since your master has grown so very important?
Be quiet. I've never talked to you and never will.
...in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
By virtue of the power given through God,
and you, my people, you shall be Erik, Duke of Helford,
Commander of the sea force of Britain.
May my beloved husband Lotar's sword confer upon you
the courage and wisdom of our late King.
By virtue of the power given to me through God
and you, my people.
You shall be Erik, Duke of Helford, Commander of the sea force of Britain.
The fool fell for it!
- He took command of the sea force. - And you, Baron?
I will direct the defense of the castle.
Poor Erik, thinks he can destroy the Viking fleet.
What a pity his ship will be sunk before the battle.
Your agent, can he be trusted?
As myself, Baron.
Go and give him his money.
There's no time to lose.
I'm not going to say goodbye.
A queen's people shouldn't see her cry.
Even if her son goes to war.
Here. Wear my cross.
To protect you.
You will see, Mother. I will make you proud.
I've always been proud of you.
You gave meaning to my life.
Should one day somebody explain the sign upon your body,
I want you to be...
Don't you worry, Mother. You adopted me.
You raised me as though I were your son.
You gave me all that anyone could ask in this life.
Mother, to deserve your affection is all that I could want.
How many oxen did you kill to get these bladders?
Oh, no. They belong to the family.
Don't you see, its pig's skin?
Laugh all you want.
But vessels are like floating coffins.
And with these I'll be sure not to sink.
- Yeah, yeah. Like a... - Spare me the word.
The important thing is that I save my life.
By God, you vicious fools.
I had thirteen and one popped, and...
Tilt to starboard. Enemy ship approaching!
Enemy vessel to port.
Ready!
Sails!
Row faster.
You bring the arrows. Set the pace faster.
We're heading against the wind. We've got to get around them.
Helford, hard left.
Faster! Double.
Archers, keep those arrows flying.
If we burn down the commanding vessel the rest will be an easy target.
Hoist the sail!
Row, row, row.
Row, row.
They're turning into the wind.
Put the oars down. Get ready to attack.
We can't board. The Wind's blowing them away.
Garian.
You animals.
Where are you, Duke of Helford?
Here I am.
Abandon ship!
The ship is sinking. All on board.
Come on.
To Lotar's castle.
Help!
Oh, dear. Help!
Leave at once.
Majesty, through these years of peace,
I have been your most faithful subject.
Again I tell you,
if you and I were to get married, it would reinforce our country's unity.
Sir Rutford, do you think I harbor any feeling for you?
Ah. But no such thing.
You've always chosen to ignore any feelings of mine.
But, I offer you marriage anyway, for the sake of your kingdom.
Unfortunately, your ambition devours you. It drives you insane.
Your reasoning is clouded.
We have no need of you.
Now please get out.
I always will remain your humble subject.
- No! Ah, no. - Kneel down.
So revenge is yours, finally.
Yes... My biggest dream has come true.
And without a drop of Viking blood.
Thanks to Rutford, we've been given the castle,
and you, dear Queen.
I now appoint him Regent of this kingdom, to rule in my absence.
You will all obey him.
You will all obey his orders without question.
If you try to rebel, the beautiful head of your Queen
will be shipped to you on a Viking boat.
I take her with me as hostage.
And my sword will not falter if I must use it.
Coward .
If you could stay here, you might learn how to be a man.
Even servants,
could teach you how to be a human being.
Who knows?
Someday... perhaps I might...
...teach you what it means to be a real man.
Perhaps you don't know what that is.
Barbarian.
Barbarian?
Yes, a barbarian!
You, Rutford.
You shall be Regent of my kingdom.
You... an example of British civilization .
But beware.
Don't you think you can betray a barbarian.
It is dangerous.
Don't forget. Don't forget.
What place is this?
The land of the Vikings.
Where do you come from?
From another land. Many days have passed since I embarked.
But where is your boat?
It's gone... to the bottom of the sea. With all the crew.
Who are you?
Are you real or an angel?
At first I thought I was dead.
Then when I heard you speak with a beautiful voice of an angel,
I didn't mind a bit.
What are the angels?
Oh. That's beautiful. What is it?
My talisman. It protects me.
You see, it has brought you here to my side.
It will be light soon. I must go.
But at least tell me your name.
- I can't. - Will you meet me here again?
There... behind the dunes is a village.
- They'll help you. - No, don't go. I beg you.
There's a man here.
Don't be scared. He must have been shipwrecked.
Who are you? Are you another shipwrecked fisherman?
Yes, we were on the same boat. It sank.
We hit an ice floe, right?
Well, what are you all staring for? Go on.
Get on with your work and hurry. Move on.
If you can fish as well as he does, you can stay on with us.
He's the greatest. He's known as the 'Whaling Baron'.
We're going back on out.
You stay here and take care of your friend.
Your Highness.
Forgive me, won't you? But they're all Vikings.
If they knew who you were...
I knew I'd find you alive all along.
But how did you get here? Tell me, how did you... get away?
I just floated.
On those bladders that all the men laughed at.
Those swordfish. It was a brutal battle.
At the beginning, I had seven of them and they got three... no, four.
How do you like that? Four!
I brought you food and water.
You're good to me, Rama.
But there's only one thing I want.
What?
The announcement of my death sentence.
It isn't the man who makes the decision for you
but our Gods alone.
You must just wait until they reveal their will.
Just how long can I live like this?
See.
I'm crying and I'm ashamed.
I only wish I could help you in some way.
You are their Priestess.
You could ask your gods to bring death soon.
And throw this useless body into the sea
so I can join my dear son.
It's always my prayer to our God too.
But even He won't do it.
He has forsaken me.
My cross is all that's left.
I was told it was a talisman.
That's blasphemy.
This is no talisman.
It is the symbol of Christianity.
I knew I would see you again.
My eyes and heart are filled with your beauty.
I haven't stopped thinking about you.
I've known, all men carry with them
an image of the perfect woman in their dreams.
And now that dream has come true.
You are that woman.
And I don't want to lose you.
No, don't speak that way to me. I can't.
Let me go.
You're Christian, aren't you?
Yes. How do you know?
And this is your God's cross, not a talisman.
- Who said that? - The Queen who is in prison told me.
- What queen is that? - The Queen Alice of Britain.
This can't be.
Yes. The other priestesses and I are watching over her.
It's fate.
All our moves are predestined.
Spared from death in battle,
I was guided by fate to this strange land.
So that I could find love and set my mother free.
- Your mother? - Yes.
No wonder she was weeping.
She thinks you're at the bottom of the sea and prays to join you there.
Instead, she'll see you alive.
Yes, we must get her away. I think I know how.
Tomorrow, there's a wedding feast. That will be perfect.
- Ah, you're here. - Your Highness.
- Hello, my friend. - Sorry.
Tomorrow there's going to be a wedding feast and everyone will be there.
I know. I've been working all day to prepare the gifts.
- Are we going to go and have fun? - No. You will stay behind.
When they've all departed, you'll take a boat to the dock.
The fastest one.
- You're scaring me, Your Highness. - Careful.
- He's gone. - Tomorrow will be a great day.
Perfect.
Just why are you making a fool of me?
Why are you making me witness your wedding?
- I don't understand. - My mother's tears weren't enough.
If you enticed me here as a gift to your bridegroom,
here I am.
Duke of Helford!
Eron!
Kill him!
No, imprison him.
No blood will be shed on this day.
You'll be killed tomorrow morning at dawn.
You monster.
I bet you were scared. Just two inches from the left ear.
I could do better flat on my back.
And watch this with my feet.
Very close to his left cheek and through the wood.
Perfect!
Where are you going?
I've brought some wine for the prisoner. All right?
- Give it here. - Wine for the prisoner!
To me!
Don't say you're not treated fairly.
Give it here.
Leave some for me.
A little bit here.
- I've put them to sleep. - What are you doing?
Is my pain sweeter than your husband's embrace?
Look at me, Erik.
Don't my eyes tell you how much I'm in love with you?
How can you doubt me?
You mistook me for Daya, my sister. My twin.
Come, my darling. We must go now.
I've already taken your mother into the village.
That's why I wasn't here, Erik. Hurry.
Your Majesty. The boat is ready.
What happened here?
Come on, wake up. Where's the prisoner?
The alarm.
And they're answering it from the coast.
Then we're surrounded. No, wait. Follow me.
This way.
No, please, Eron. I'm sure it wasn't Rama.
I'll find him. If she's with him, I'll kill them both.
They deserve no mercy.
Here we are. In here.
We'll be safe here.
Daya and I used to hide here when we were little girls.
No one ever found us here.
- They didn't come this way, King Eron. - Maybe in this forest.
Eron, he'll fall. Save him.
Wait, the rope.
- The rope. - Throw the rope.
Hurry.
Here they come.
They set the boats on fire.
Let's go to the harbor. Let's follow them.
It's useless.
They have a good start. And the night is with them.
I'll find them.
In their own land.
Your Majesty.
The swords of all our Scottish noblemen
are ready to fight for your throne.
Thank you, Baron.
Your loyalty touches me.
I had begun to fear the worst.
But my hope was renewed just as soon as I received your message.
I'm grateful for those words, Baron.
But to regain King Lotar's castle we're going to need men and arms.
All my knights have much courage, though they are few in number.
My fastest couriers are riding now.
I know the princes will answer our appeal
and will quickly join us with all of their forces.
Down with Rutford. And long live the Queen!
Hurray! Hurray!
Hurray!
Damned Vikings. They've already landed.
They have no cavalry. Let us attack.
Stop, Baron! They outnumber us.
I have an idea.
See?
They obviously didn't expect to find us here.
- Well, this time I'll kill them all. - Eron...
Watch over her, Rutford.
A direct challenge.
Helford, you saved my life once.
And now we're even.
No! It can't be. You're Erik. My brother.
Here, Erik. Look, the same sign.
- My brother. - Eron.
My brother.
My brave soldiers. You good knights of Britain.
No more hate between us.
This is a joyous day. Look, I have found my brother.
No!
Watch out! Eron!
No!
The King. They've hit our king.
This is betrayal. To the castle!
Duke of Helford.
If the Vikings don't get out of this place,
and if the princes do not disband their troops immediately,
Daya will be put to death.
Your bride is in my hands, Eron.
You entrusted her to me yourself.
Well, now her life depends on you and your brother.
Make your decision.
I'll wait only as long as this flame burns. No longer.
Erik. I want Erik.
Erik.
So strange to find you.
And you're a British man.
But if the gods... wanted this...
...their wrath is now placated.
Erik, no sadness, no tears.
Harald, our father.
He is calling me. I can hear his voice.
Don't cry.
You, Erik... you... my brother.
The Duke of Helford.
You will finish what I started.
This is the gods' will.
Erik succeeds me as King of the Vikings.
The barbarian...
...is about to die.
Eron.
I'll have to depart without seeing Daya again.
They wait like a wolf pack.
Daya, I'm afraid there's only one way to save your life and mine.
You'll have to order them to leave.
- Murder me. I won't do it. I won't! - Listen to me, Daya.
Do you realize how terrible and slow your death will be?
You'll pray for the end, like all the others who were killed here.
I want to see Daya.
You. Aren't you one of the men who was standing watch
- on that night that I was captured? - Yes.
Call the others and follow me.
Where are you, my sweet bride?
I'll never see you again.
Here.
Daya?
Yes.
Yes, that's right. It's me. I'm back.
- How? - Rutford set me free.
It was a dream.
A beautiful dream.
It couldn't come true.
The gods were jealous.
Eron.
- So I was punished. - Our dream will come true.
We'll be happy together.
Yes. You and I together.
Always.
I will always... carry you with me.
Your memory.
- Your plan is madness, Erik. - We've got to try.
It's our one chance. My brother is dying and his bride is a prisoner.
The wooden tower. It's our only way up there.
- But Erik, you can't. - All of you listen to me.
Keep all the drums rolling.
As long as the torch is burning,
I don't want to hear another sound.
If I have not returned by the time that flame has died out,
you must go forth and attack.
Yes, attack. And with a vengeance.
Come on.
Don't cry.
You must be strong.
You and I...
...will meet again.
And we'll be happy.
Happy as children...
...in the green valley of Odin.
Where the sky is always clear,
every night and every day.
And the clouds don't cover the moon.
As ours is covered.
I can no longer
see your face.
Did you hear that?
This is the moment.
Do you still refuse to give the order?
You see, when all this sand has poured into this little container,
its weight will gradually cause the cover to rise.
Then our graceful spider can come out of its... cage,
a creation of mine that I have often used with success.
Isn't it wonderful?
Now when he bites, you'll be killed in a horrible agony.
You'll be begging for your death.
All right.
One word and you'll be set free.
Go away.
In death...
...I have but one companion.
My... my sword.
Farewell.
Kill them.
THE END