Chapter 3
BALDER. What death? See fate accomplished! Behold this spear which late the Leir-King brandish'd! My knee grew weak: I stagger'd when it struck me; Yet still I live, and it to earth fell blunted.
THOR (Whilst he surveys the spear). Do not deceive thyself, this spear was harden'd In flames celestial, not in Nastroud's blazes. But death has greeted Odin's son, and Rota, She who invites the hero-kings to Valhall, Is here, where never din of arms resounded. With terror view'd I battle's haughty daughter: Dark stood she on a rock, enveiled in vapour; And on her shoulder, on her steel-cas'd shoulder, The bird of death, the mournful owl, sat croaking. Whom seeks she, far from every bloody Champain? And Surtur's branch, how soon is that discover'd, If fate but wish! And think'st thou Loke slumbers? Ah, Balder fly! forget a foolish passion! Fly, ere thy fate, which hasteneth, is accomplish'd. Follow me straight!
BALDER. What--fly! and give up Nanna! The hope in which I live is far too noble For me to fly from it.
THOR. O Balder, hear me! Hear why I come, and if thou wish'st for rescue, Then heed a friend's, a father's last, last warning! Wondering at thy infatuation, troubled By threatening, now no longer dark forebodings, By panic seiz'd, press'd by unwonted sadness, I left these hills, and thunder-peals announced me In Asgaard, every eye my trouble notic'd; Straightway around me stream'd the eldest Aser, Each first would know, what grief, or rather terror, Press'd down my eye. But straight Allfather made me A sign: he blushes, Balder, at thy weakness! He bade me keep it, whilst we could, a secret, And question first once more the ancient Mimer. I question'd him, and murky fate's explorer Thus answer'd: "If the sun (ah, hear and tremble, And save thee, whilst thou canst!) if it to-morrow, When by its glories yonder hills are brighten'd, Which oft have echoed back the half-god's wailings, Behold him yet in love and yet rejected, Then likewise it beholds the spear which slays him, And Odin's tears and all the Aser's sorrow!"
BALDER. Time presses, then. Excuse me, Thor; I hasten With tears to soften Nanna's noble bosom, To move her with my prayer, and, lowly kneeling, My doom demand, be't life or death; for quickly Shall Balder's fate disclose itself. [He goes.
THOR (whilst he looks after him with compassion). Ah, madman! Headlong thou hurriest to meet destruction!
ACT THE THIRD.
It is dark night. The storm howls among the rocks. Sometimes it lightens and thunders, and the bears bellow here and there in the forest.
HOTHER (sitting upon a rock unarmed and in a dejected attitude).
The rocks are reeling, When storms are roaring, And thunders pealing, I feel no fright! What I'm enduring Is wilder, stranger Than thunder's anger Or tempests might.
Welcome, thou night! O darkness thick! how friendly, Compassionately hid'st thou me from Hother! From him, the weak, the overcome, the fallen! Come, then, embrace me, Hoe;theim's murky princess! With all thy horrors dark, thou foe of gladness! Ah, come! conceal the feeble, shiver'd weapon! Cover the gloomy rock where I-- Ha! thunder Annihilate thee, accursed thought, that darest Disturb the Skoldung where to rest he's flung him! But I may breathe it to the night, and Hoe;theim I may entrust with Hother's ignominy. Ha! hear it, night! and in thy depths conceal it! There is a rock--a gloomy one--a horrid, For ugly demons swarm upon its summit, And dragons nestle in its murky caverns: There did I fall, and with me fell my honour. There knelt I powerless, and my life accepted! Now am I calm, for I no more behold it; Nor yet behold the proud, the noble foeman, Nor yet my Nanna's cheek, o'erspread with blushes; Nor yet the burning, hated tears which rescued, Which purchased Hother from triumphant Balder! Ha! storm, thou sinkest! Howl and whoop around me! Peal, thunders, peal! and drown the cruel echo Of dastard prayer, of Nanna's intercession!
Life of my Nanna, Thy breath doth kill, Its sweet lamenting, One stroke preventing, With many, with many This breast doth fill.
Thou lovest me! Ha! weak, enamour'd Nanna! Thou lovest Hother's life, but not thy Hother. How cold, how cruel to his name, his honour! But I--I too was cruel! I accus'd thee-- Beloved Nanna, at thy feet full quickly Hother's best blood shall wash away that insult!
[He springs up and walks about the scene.
Why do I slumber? Why delay a moment To keep my oath? Ha, cruel, cruel destiny! E'en death itself thou dost refuse to Hother, For every sword and precipice thou hidest; Ha, feeble spear! whereon I, fool-like, trusted, Where art thou now? and thou my fragile Mimring Ne'er frail in fight before; and thou my dagger--
[He stumbles over the horn which he cast away in the first act.
What, what is this? By Hal, the horn which Vanfred Gave me wherewith in time of need to call him. Ha! by the gods, was ever need so horrid, To crave to die, yet want the power of dying; Friendship so warm as his will never surely Refuse a dagger to this breast.
[He winds the horn, which echoes frightfully among the rocks.
Ha, Vanfred! I call thee now; where art thou, Vanfred? Vanfred!
[A whirlwind is heard, and LOKE immediately appears.
LOKE, HOTHER.
LOKE. Hail, hail to thee, most fortunate of heroes!
HOTHER. Ha! darest thou mock Hother?
LOKE. What disturbeth A fortune which thy foe himself, which Skulda, Which heavenly and subterranean powers Establish with united strength?
HOTHER. Old dreamer! Lend me a spear, and better right hand shall Establish it than all the powers thou namest!
LOKE. I know thy state of mind and wretched project. By Nastroud, that worst of fools, if Balder Had not thine eyes with Asa magic blinded, And hid each dagger, each abyss thou soughtest, Ere now in mist thou'dst unreveng'd been lying!
HOTHER. What, has he hindered me, the noble, proud one!
LOKE. Yes, proud; for he despises thee.
HOTHER. Despises!
LOKE. And think'st thou he for sake of pleasing Nanna Would e'er have deign'd to guard thee from destruction, If he had much regarded Hother's anger, And if thy love one grain of sand he heeded?
HOTHER. Bad art thou, Vanfred; all thy words are poison'd.
LOKE (incensed). Ha! Hother, thou reward'st in evil fashion The friendship and the happiness I bring thee.
HOTHER. What happiness?
LOKE. But come, thy misery sours thee; Know, I can straight assuage it!
HOTHER. And delayest.
LOKE. Know then at once, thou lucky son of Hothbrod, The spear which sendeth Balder's soul to Haelheim.
HOTHER. A spear, a spear! 'tis all I--
LOKE. Is discover'd! I knew, for I had read it in the planets, Valhalla's battle-loving maids must seek for The ne'er seen weapon, and prepare for slaughter Its deadly point, and I--yes, I--seduc'd them, The haughty three, to seek the spear.
HOTHER. Seduc'd them?
LOKE. And dost thou think they wish the death of Balder?
HOTHER. Ha, Vanfred! more.
LOKE. At first thou hadst not the right one; Thy combat, friend, prov'd that. Near then had Balder crush'd thee and my design. Aghast I saw him Brandish the Jotun's bane--I'm well acquainted With Balder's strength; but ha! the fool prov'd tender; He saw thy bride, and spar'd thee. Then up mounted My courage and thine own.
HOTHER (to himself). I blush: my courage! (To LOKE). What, courage! I was raging--blind with fury!
LOKE. Courage of fury--I, by Hael, care little, My youthful hero, which thine eyeball gleams with, If thou seek vengence, and thine enemy falleth.
HOTHER. Who art thou--who? But speak; proceed; explain thee!
LOKE. Strong was thine arm, and strong 'gainst Jotun's armour Was Rota's lance, but all too weak 'gainst Balder; And yet he kneel'd; I saw the proud one palen. But ha! he rear'd himself; my heart then fail'd me, For I could best appreciate thy full danger; Raised was his arm; bright appear'd the massive falchion; He called on Odin's name, and then none living Could save thee but himself--the fool! his lofty Courage shall prove his overthrow.
HOTHER. Ha, Vanfred!
LOKE. Well?
HOTHER. I do admire more and more thy wisdom. But whilst we fought, where were the maids of battle?
LOKE. They were my dread; I quak'd at every shadow And every leaf that mov'd, lest I should see them. When I saw that no one of the sisters Heard the high call, and din of shield and falchion, My courage rose--I knew thou wast in safety: They hear no fight where no one's doomed to perish.
HOTHER. And now the spear thou spak'st about?
LOKE. She has it, Valfather's favour'd maid--his trusty servant, At length discover'd by unwearied searching The spear by which his much-lov'd son shall perish. Shortly ere thou didst call, as in my cavern I sat, its vaulted roof begun to tremble. Three times my stilly dwelling shook, and o'er me A sound assailed my ear; 'twas like the tempest's When it uptears the mountain oak; then heard I The voice of Rota; black huge drops did trickle Of Jotun blood, of them whom Odin slaughtered, Through the rock's rifts. I knew by all these signals That she had found the right, the fatal weapon.
HOTHER (impatiently). Where is it--where?
LOKE. She hardens it in Nastroud.
HOTHER. Peace, dreamer! Go!
LOKE. I see this heat with pleasure, And to extinguish all thy doubts, I'll show thee-- If thou dare see her--the terrific Rota.
HOTHER. What, Vanfred! if I dare?
LOKE. Enough! Look westward!
[He touches HOTHER'S eyelids. Immediately is seen the entrance of a vast cavern, which is only illumined by the flames which, with a continual roaring, now sinking, now rising, appear in its deepest part. At the entrance, on each side, is a little round altar. On the one a flame is burning in which lies the fatal spear. On the other stands a caldron. The VALKYRIER move in a circle round the first.
THE THREE VALKRIER.
THE FIRST. Flames of Nastroud Blaze away! The deepmost deeps feel Valhall's May.
THE SECOND. Flames whose roaring With dismay E'en Asa hears, Fate's voice obey.
ROTA. Poisonous blazes Harden a spear For Valhall's May!
ALL THREE. Poisonous blazes Harden a spear For Valhall's May.
ROTA. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
THE FIRST. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
THE SECOND. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
ALL THREE. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
ROTA (takes the spear from the fire and goes towards the other altar). Enough, enough! Now will we in the caldron Cool its red point--now backward turns the circle, And as we turn, the life of him turns backward Whom the spear smites; as quench'd are Nastroud's sparkles Vanish shall the life of him it woundeth.
[She retains the spear in her hand, and all three march round the caldron.
ALL THREE. In juice of rue, And trefoil too; In marrow of bear And blood of Trold, Be cool'd the spear, Three times cool'd, When not from blazes Which Nastroud raises For Valhall's May.
ROTA (she dips it in, and then immediately gives it to the first VALKYRIE, who does the same, and then hands it to the second, likewise dips it in the caldron; meanwhile they sing:)
THE FIRST. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
THE SECOND. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
ALL THREE. Whom it woundeth It shall slay.
[ROTA takes the spear. The VALKYRIER and the cavern disappear. The scene appears the same as in the first of this act. The tempest still continues to rage.
HOTHER. Evanished! sunken! sorcery surroundeth My every step, and ties the arm of Hother. Fool that I am! the moon will soon break over Gevar's high rocks; and I, by Hothbrod's ashes, Like one who fearfully will prolong existence, I'm paying heed to phantoms. Vanfred! Vanfred! Fiend, who didst vow me friendship I detested! Say, where is now the spear which kills for certain?
LOKE. Thou saw'st it.
HOTHER. Ha! I saw! I saw! Where is it?
LOKE. Do I not know that Odin's maids prepar'd it Only for thee, that fate will only suffer Thine arm in Balder's heart to thrust it?
HOTHER. Lately Thou saidst, think'st thou they wish the death of Balder? But now against him they the weapon harden; Now Valhall's maidens hate the noble half-god. Hence with thy contradictions, false deceiver!
LOKE. I have already said that I seduced them; My subtlety, not they, the spear has harden'd.
HOTHER. Good now! thy subtlety! how nobly Hother Passes the night! Proceed with thy narration.
LOKE. Then hear. Thou dost remember Rota's present. The spear which set the haughty half-god kneeling, That shiver'd I, and brought it unto Rota. I borrowed Tyr's, the Asa's dress and figure. "Behold," I cried, "thy spear, thou crafty Rota! Late at a Jotun's foot I found it lying, Sent from the Leir-King's hand; it still was buzzing, For strong is Hother's arm; I knew the weapon, And I, who trusted in thy art, I shouted. Now ill it stands with yonder mountain Jotun; But loud he laugh'd, and straight the lance upsnatching, He shiver'd it, and here, O crafty Rota! Here bring I back to thee the precious fragments!" With joy I saw her eyes with fury flashing, She swore by Odin's arm, by all the powers, And by the highest Godhead--by Allfather, Restless to search till she a spear discover'd With power to slay the strongest son of Ymer, And all who could be slain. She swore and vanished. Then seem'd it--then, by Haela's mists, then seem'd it As if fate only for that oath had waited. Three times above me thunder'd the high Norna; She spake; but terrible is Skulda's thunder; I cannot bear its sound; I swift departed; But soon was conscious of our spear's discovery. Then thou didst call-- But hear the heavy pinions! 'Tis she! 'tis Rota! I aside must hasten; For Valhall's maids detest me. [LOKE goes aside.
HOTHER, and presently the Valkyrie ROTA.
HOTHER (he pursues LOKE with a contemptuous look). Outcast! Ha! dastard slave! and thou didst swear me friendship! No, ne'er hast thou been Hother's friend, thou traitor, But the sworn enemy of the gods and virtue!
ROTA (handing him the fatal spear with a half-averted countenance). Here, son of Hothbrod! here, my much-lov'd warrior! Receive this spear, and use it as--
HOTHER. Thou weepest!
ROTA. Thou saw'st my tear--dear and noble the blood is Which it forebodes; but do thou use this weapon! Yet 'tis no gift of mine--'tis that of Skulda.
HOTHER. I know thou fearest for the generous Balder; But, noble maid, if thou my heart see'st into, Thou know'st that he is safe as Thor in Valhall.
ROTA. Think'st thou to thwart the Norna's will, young hero? She pointed out the hidden tree; she bade me Break off the bough of death; she bade me harden Its point in Nastroud's flames; she-- But what will I? My tears are wasted, like thy noble project. Well, then: use thou this spear! Death is its surname, And whom it smites eternal sleep shall fetter In Haelheim's silent night, if he is mortal; The immortal demon, whose eye by hate and wickedness Is clouded, 'twill plunge to torments of a thousand winters. Mark that, and use it well! Thy breast is noble; But him, the wretch! who breathest poison in it, (Full well I know he's near) him shalt thou punish.
[ROTA disappears.
HOTHER, and presently LOKE.
HOTHER. Now, now! is all a dream? Yet, I've the weapon! How welcome death! my noble foe no longer Shall hide thee from me, nor of thee deprive me; Now can I keep what I have sworn! O Nanna! I bring a noble offering to thy virtue!
[He is going, but LOKE meets him at the entrance.
LOKE. Whither? thou Fortune's fav'rite!
HOTHER (sharply). Ha! to Haelheim.
LOKE. Hother, I scoff thy wise determination.
HOTHER (incensed). Thou scoffest?
LOKE. Yes, thou holdest thy foeman's life, And thou wilt die.
HOTHER. What foeman's?
LOKE. Whose, if not Balder's?
HOTHER. Ah, my life he gave me! And though I hold the gift in little value, I took it still. And shall his lofty spirit His downfall prove? Shall I, shall Hother punish The pity I craved not?
LOKE. By Hael! he's coming! Waste not the moments in these foolish visions.
HOTHER. What wouldst thou?
LOKE. Stand behind that pine, and kill him!
HOTHER. Ha! dastard slave!
[He strikes LOKE on the head with the spear, and he instantly sinks howling into the earth. He is no sooner out of sight than everything becomes quiet. The sun rises in its full majesty. After HOTHER has for some time looked on all this with astonishment, he says:
Like thee fall every traitor Who breatheth wickedness in the Skiolding's bosom! Ha, Balder! [He goes somewhat aside.
HOTHER. BALDER.
BALDER (without perceiving HOTHER). Gloomy was this night and horrid! Around about me angry gods consulted. What seek they? To affright the soul of Balder? Now all is still.
HOTHER. Now unconcern'd and haughty Walks the high demigod! Ah, little thinks he Each breath he draweth is the gift of Hother.
BALDER. Who utter'd Hother's name? I heard it utter'd, But all is hushed as death. I know not wherefore That name affects me more than any other, And why within mine ear 'tis ever buzzing. Ah! can I more than pity him, poor mortal! Who now his life and feebleness bewaileth, And trembles weaponless at his own shadow.
HOTHER. Ha, now! for that is worthy of the Skoldung; I'll be as proud as thou, and fly thy presence! [He goes.
BALDER. Who's speaking here? Who dares disturb my musings? But, know I not that Finnish fiends are swarming Upon the rocks! The sun approach'd the ocean, And yet I found not Nanna: all deserted Was Gevar's house, and hollow rang each echo Of Balder's sighs. Where was she, then? where was she? Ah! Hother charm'd thee. In the arms of Hother Thou didst not hear my sighs, my timid knocking, And my enamour'd call, thou cruel maiden! And what if I had found thee? Then thine answer Most probably had prov'd the death of Balder. I know myself no more; my heart it flutters, And here about it creeps unwonted chillness. Yes, Nanna! yes; 'twas thou taught'st me to tremble. Ah! belov'd maiden! I, a half-god, tremble When thou but breathest, when thy lip thou movest, As if to utter No, thy lip is open'd. Oh, hush! and let me sink with hope to Haelheim! But did I not behold thine eye beam friendship On Balder? felt I not thy warm tear trickle Upon this hand? and saw I not thy blushes? Ha! I'll think through, I will enjoy entirely My hope: why then, my heart, beat'st thou so wildly? And why in Balder's eyes are tears uprising, And hope to me a stranger? Oh, my treasure, Thou teachest me a dastard's fear! I tremble Now I've a glimpse of hope to be depriv'd of. Ah! if 'tis torn from me again, if Nanna-- Oh doubt! oh fear with which my heart is tortur'd! Yes, Thor, my friend, thy words were truth and wisdom; That pity that she showed was thanks for sparing Hother: She trembled but for Hother--for the lov'd one: Each tear but begged his life. What cruel delusion Has led my soul astray? Ah, wretched meteor Of empty hope! thou, thou for me couldst glitter, As if I had been ignorant of her hatred. Ha! she has ever fled my path, my shadow; And when, to my own torment, once I wrested From the proud maid some sort of heed and answer, 'Twas mockery mere: she called herself unworthy To be great Balder's bride and Odin's daughter, And held my love-sick sighs for jest and flatt'ry. Yet never have I heard the word which killeth, Without the aid of Surtur's deadly sapling-- The No, the frightful No, by Nanna utter'd. Ha! I will hear it! Yes, by Haelheim's darkness! My tears shall now extract that No from Nanna.
NANNA, BALDER.
NANNA (she rushes distractedly in upon the stage). Ah! No one answers me! Do thou give hearing To Nanna's hard rock, which no god heedeth! My anguish ease! Reply! Ah, where's my lov'd one?
BALDER (aside). My fate will have it so. Ha, Nanna.
NANNA. Show me, Ye silent forests, shades once lov'd, now awful, Oh, show me him--disclose me my dearest!
BALDER (aside). Ha! shall I? Dare I?
NANNA. Ah, where art thou, Hother? Perhaps in an abyss, all crushed and bloody And silent! Woe is me! for ever silent!
BALDER (springing to her). Dear Nanna! Oh what terror--
NANNA. Ha! I've seen him! The direst dream has shown to me my Hother! Close by a yawning chasm was he standing, And round about him bellow'd hideous monsters.
BALDER. Thine--as thou callest him--thine Hother liveth.
NANNA (whilst she recognizes BALDER). Ha Balder! thou hast slain him! Ah, forgive me! My dream confuses me--thou see'st I tremble. I heard the fall of gods--the gods lamenting; And bloody by the Hall there stood a spectre: Big was the ruddy wound whereto it pointed. Like one deep musing it conceal'd its visage; But big the tears were through its fingers streaming: Ah, the pale son of night was tall as Hother!
BALDER. Ha! Hother can't be dead.
NANNA. I do believe thee; But ah! I cannot rest--I cannot, Balder, Till I have seen his face, have spoken to him, Embrac'd his arm, and press'd it to this bosom.
BALDER (distractedly). Ha, Nanna! this is more--'tis more, by Odin, Than I can bear!
NANNA (terrified). Ye mighty gods of heaven! Thou fright'nest me, forlorn one!
[She endeavours to escape, but BALDER detains her by force, and flings himself at her feet.
BALDER. Oh my Nanna! Stay! by these burning tears I do adjure thee, By all my sufferings! Stay, oh stay!
NANNA (with disquiet). What wilt thou?
BALDER. I scarcely know! Ah! I have hop'd, dear Nanna!
NANNA. Unhand me! Let me fly! What hast thou hop'd for? Thou know'st who has my love. Unhand me, Balder!
BALDER. No, by the gods! here at thy feet I'll hear thee Pronounce my doom. Is there no hope remaining? Can all my tenderness--these tears--can nothing Soften thy cruelty? Oh, answer, Nanna! Say so at once! Plunge in my heart the dagger!
NANNA. Ah, wherefore, Balder, dost thou love a mortal?
BALDER. Perhaps thou doubtest my love, perhaps thou wishest Its whole extent. Ha, towards Heaven I'll lift my better hand, and vow eternal, Eternal tenderness to thee, my Nanna! If greater proofs thou wish'st for, do but name them, That I may show to thee how dear I love thee!
NANNA. Ah, Balder, spare me! spare thyself! What wilt thou? How often have I said my heart can never Merit the like of thee!
BALDER. Accurst evasion! Why dost thou seek to spare me? Crush me! kill me! Say that thou never wilt!
NANNA. Ah, I love Hother! How can I?
BALDER. Perhaps thou only think'st thou lov'st him. Can he deserve thee, Nanna? he, a mortal?
NANNA (incensed). He loveth virtue, Balder; he is valiant, And great is he 'mongst kings; he ruleth over The Danes!
BALDER. I'm more than any king, oh Nanna!
NANNA. Wert thou a god, I'd still have none but Hother!
BALDER (stretches his right hand despairingly towards heaven). Although rejected--hear it all ye heavens-- Although rejected, I will love thee, Nanna!
[He has scarcely finished speaking when the Valkyrie ROTA appears. The Bird of Death sits upon her shoulder. She averts her countenance, touches his skull with her spear, and says:
To battle, friend! to wounds, and fall, and darkness!
[She immediately disappears, and as BALDER and NANNA have their backs turned to her, and have both been too attentive to themselves to observe any one else, she is neither seen nor heard but by the spectators.
BALDER (he springs up like a maniac, and holds his hand for some time before his head). Ha! how I'm dreaming! how I waste my moments In dastard sighs, bewailing like a woman! And have I not a shield and sword? To battle! To battle, Balder! Let thy broad sword glitter! Lift high the sword, cleave down the haughty warrior, And dip thy spear in blood, thou son of Odin! Ha! din of shield 'gainst shield, and battle's bellow, They, they shall gladden me--and deafen Nanna! And I will cool this heart in blood of Kempions!
[He draws his sword, and runs away in madness.
NANNA (alone). Ye heavens! what did he mean? Alas, he rages! Wretch that I am! he goes to slay my Hother!