Chapter 1Act I, Scene 1

Act I Eric’s Palace at Yara. Scene 1 ERIC Eric of Norway, first whom these cold fiords, Deep havens of disunion, from their jagged And fissured crevices at last obey, The monarch of a thousand Vikings! Yes, But how long shall that monarchy endure Which only on the swiftness of a sword Has taken its restless seat? Strength’s iron hound Pitilessly bright behind his panting prey Can guard for life’s short splendour what it won. But when the sword is broken or when death Proves swifter? All this realm with labour built Dissolving like a transitory cloud Becomes the thing it was, cleft, parcelled out By discord. I have found the way to join, The warrior’s sword, builder of unity, But where’s the way to solder? where? O Thor And Odin, masters of the northern world, Wisdom and force I have; some strength is hidden I have not; I would find it out. Help me, Whatever power thou art who mov’st the world, To Eric unrevealed. Some sign I ask. ASLAUG (singing, outside) Love is the hoop of the gods Hearts to combine.

Eric Iron is broken, the sword Sleeps in the grave of its lord. Love is divine. Love is the hoop of the gods Hearts to combine. ERIC Is that your answer? Freya, mother of heaven, Thou wast forgotten. The heart! the seat is there. For unity is sweet substance of the heart And not a chain that binds, not iron, gold, Nor any helpless thought the reason knows. How shall I seize it? where? give me a net By which the fugitive can be snared. It is Too unsubstantial for my iron mind. ASLAUG (singing, outside) When Love desires Love, Then Love is born. Nor golden gifts compel, Nor even beauty’s spell Escapes his scorn. When Love desires Love, Then Love is born. ERIC (calling) Who sings outside? Harald! who sings outside? HARALD (entering) Two dancing-girls from Gothberg. Shall they come? ERIC Admit them. Harald goes out. From light lips and casual thoughts The gods speak best as if by chance, nor knows

Act I, Scene 1 The speaker that he is an instrument But thinks his mind the mover of his words. Harald returns with Aslaug and Hertha. HARALD King Eric, these are they who sang. ERIC Women, Who are you? or what god directed you? ASLAUG The god who rules all men, Necessity. ERIC It was thou who sangst! ASLAUG My lips at least were used. ERIC Thou sayest. Dost thou know by whom? ASLAUG By Fate. For she alone is prompter on our stage, And all things move by an established doom, Not freely. Eric’s sword and Aslaug’s song, Music and thunder are the rhythmic chords Of one majestic harp. With equal mind She breaks the tops that she has built; her thrones Are ruins. She treads her way foreseen; our steps Are hers, our wills are blinded by her gaze. ERIC I think the soul is master. Who art thou?

Eric HERTHA Expelled from Gothberg with displeasure fierce, Norwegians by the wrathful Swede constrained, To Norway we return. ERIC Why went you forth? HERTHA From a bleak country rich by spoil alone Of kinder populations, far too cold, Too rough to love the sweetness of a song, The rhythm of a dance, with need for spur, We fled to an entire and cultured race, Whose hearts come apt and liberal from the gods Are steel to steel, but flowers to a flower. ERIC And wherefore war they upon women now? ASLAUG By thy aggressions moved. ERIC A nobler choice Of vengeance I will give them, though more hard. (to Gunthar who enters) Gunthar, thou comest from the front. What news? GUNTHAR Swegn, earl of Trondhjem, lifts his outlawed head. By desperate churls and broken nobles joined He moves towards the Swede. ERIC Let Sigurd’s force Cut off from Sweden and his lair the rude

Act I, Scene 1 Revolted lord. He only now resists, Champion of discord, remnant like our seas, The partisan and pattern of the past. They waste their surge of strength in sterile foam, Hungry for movement, careless what they break, Splendid, disastrous, active for no fruit. Such men are better with the gods than here To trouble earth. Taken, let him not live. ASLAUG Taken! Our words are only an arrogant breath, Who all are here, the doomer and the doomed, As captives of a greater doom than ours, To live or die. HERTHA Be silent. ASLAUG I silence my heart Which has remembered what all men forget, That Olaf of the seas was Norway’s head And Swegn his son. ERIC Will you remain with me? Though from my act there flowed on you distress, Make me be fountain of your better days; Your loss shall turn a fall to splendid gains. HERTHA Thy royal bounty shall atone for much. ASLAUG (low, to herself) Nobler atonement’s needed.

Eric ERIC It is yours. Harald, make room for them within my house. Gunthar, we will converse some other hour. (alone) Love! If it were this girl with antelope eyes And the high head so proudly lifted up Upon a neck as white as any swan’s! But how to sway men’s hearts rugged and hard As Norway’s mountains, as her glaciers cold, The houses of their violent desires, Whose guests are interest and power and pride? Perhaps this stag-eyed woman comes for that, To teach me.