VeHaaretz Hayta Tohu vaVohu: Toldot Eretz Yisrael (2016–2017): Season 1, Episode 7 - The Last Kingdom - full transcript
'I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred. I was
born an Ealdorman of England.
Our ancestors took this land and
you will die for it, if needed.
'I saw my father killed in battle
and my uncle steal his lands.
'I was taken by the invaders -
'first as a slave and then
as a son to Earl Ragnar.
'That was my family, my life -
'young Ragnar, my brother,
and Brida, my friend.
'Until my family were
murdered by Kjartan the Cruel
'and his one-eyed son, Sven,
'and my sister taken hostage
on the eve of her wedding.
'I fled to Alfred, the
Saxon king of Wessex.
'I fell in love with a pagan queen,
who saw my sister in a vision.'
Uhtred, she lives, and is
being held in the North.
'In the year 878 at Ethandune,
'I fought alongside King Alfred
'to defeat the Danes, and
drove them from Wessex,
'but at a great price.'
Uhtred Ragnarson, I have a gift for you.
Your queen!
'Peace was secured with
hostages, Brida and Ragnar,
'and by the Danish earl's baptism and
acceptance of the Christian God.
'As for Uhtred, the godless?
'My path led North, to blood feuds,
to revenge and to Bebbanburg.
'Destiny is all.'
No mercy!
No mercy!
Lord?
Lord, are the ideas suitable?
I have tried to show both
courage and sacrifice.
Faced with a fearsome enemy.
But I do not see God.
He was there, within us all.
Praise Him.
Word of the victory is being
spread throughout the land.
People will hear that it was God-given.
He was amongst us.
Aethelflaed, with me,
before you hurt him.
Yes, Mother.
The Witan is full to brimming.
Every Ealdorman and his
brother is here to bask.
Not all of them deserving.
Wessex is safe.
But, Ealdormen, to keep Wessex
safe, we must now look beyond
its borders, to Mercia, East
Anglia, to Cornwalum, Wales
and to the North, to Northumbria
and to the once great and holy city
of Eoferwic, where now,
Christian men and women suffer
under the dark rule of the Danes.
There are two Northmen,
Sigefrid and Erik,
two Godless brothers
with a voracious appetite for
land, silver, slaves and war.
I want it known...
and I want them to know...
that God, Alfred and the
Ealdormen of Wessex are watching.
The day of reckoning will come!
Make way, make way.
Is this the palace of King Alfred?
Halt! Stand back from the king's guard.
I have a letter that
he will wish to read.
You must let me pass!
In all too soon a time,
Aethelflaed will be old enough
for betrothal, then marriage.
- You require a list of suitors, Lord?
- I do.
They must be a match for
my daughter, her mother,
for Wessex and my idea of a united land.
In which order, Lord?
Oh, do not ask me, my friend. I
pray I never need to choose.
I have business with the king.
Lord, forgive my interruption,
may I introduce Brother Trew.
Lord, I am honoured.
Brother Trew has travelled
from the North.
Cumbraland, in the west of Northumbria.
He has a letter that tells
of a vision and a prophecy.
From the heavens, Lord, I swear.
The Abbot Eadred of Cumbraland
did dream of the likeness
and this likeness did speak to him.
The likeness was of Saint Cuthbert.
Cuthbert?
Speaking directly from heaven.
The Abbot tells of Cuthbert's
instruction within the letter.
Lord, for the Saxons and Britons
in the North, there is an urgency.
We are lost, we are, in
general, ruled by Danes,
we are in need of a Christian saviour.
This saviour is Guthred.
A man who is a lowly slave and
who himself must first be saved.
At the behest of the blessed Cuthbert.
The doors are open to the elements,
Brother Trew, nothing more.
It can be done, Lord,
it can be arranged...
with your help and guidance.
And you shall have it,
Brother Trew, I'm sure.
Father Beocca, I will send for
you when I have read the letter,
- which I shall do immediately,
do not wander. - No, Lord.
Influence beyond Wessex, Odda.
Heaven sent.
LICHFIELD
KINGDOM OF MERCIA
- Good day.
- It is, Sister.
Your sword.
It is not your sword.
You may keep the silver you will
have taken, but not the sword.
You will turn and run, girl.
I have killed...
and I will kill again, I'm sure.
But hopefully not today...
girl.
Morning, Lord. She did the
very same thing to me.
We're leaving.
Could you not have shook me awake?
It's time for you to stop drinking
and whoring and to do what we
- set out to do.
- I'm wet!
Your sword has been stolen,
Lord, along with your silver.
Hild!
I have recovered Serpent-Breath
and when you are able to stand,
I shall return her. We will be leaving.
I will decide when we're leaving!
I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred.
I will not be schooled by a nun!
She's not wrong, Lord. You have been
drinking whole fields of barley.
Nor will I be lectured by an arseling!
If you're drinking to forget
Iseult, you do her no favours.
Her memory should be cherished, not
lost in a fog of ale and bosoms.
My sword.
Are we to ride to Northumbria,
or to the next inn
and the next jug of ale?
What am I to do in Northumbria
with an army of two,
a nun and a rag-arse?
A loyal rag-arse.
Prepare yourself.
To do what? Kill Kjartan and
the men who surround him?
You can begin to carry
yourself as a Lord!
- Or we can return to Winchester? - No,
we cannot return to Winchester.
Did she not say that your path led North?
Thank you.
YORK
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Forgive me, Lord.
Please, Lord.
May the gods protect you on your quest.
What do you know of my gods?
Nothing, Lord. I meant no insult.
Sigefrid, leave him, he's just a priest.
Come on, brother, we have Scots to kill.
Erik!
The city, we leave in your hands.
It's ours, it must remain ours.
I will ensure it.
You have enough men, keep them sober
and do not kill for the fun of it.
No, Lord.
You do me a great honour, Lord,
though I wish I was going with you.
Remember, what we need
more than silver is women!
Red-haired women!
To the shield wall that awaits us!
To the joy of battle!
And to the blood of the Scots!
Father Hrothweard, we've
been waiting for you.
I will serve.
We must rise up.
Every day we hear stories of
what has happened in Wessex.
The brothers have, this very moment,
taken their army North.
They will be gone for months, perhaps.
There is no better time than now.
We must take Alfred's lead
and kill every bastard Dane
and Northman in Eoferwic...
in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I'm not saying grace!
It is a battle cry!
Smoke.
Come on.
Danes.
Danes would not slaughter
Danes like this.
If there is slaughter, Lord, and
there appears to be slaughter,
why do we ride towards it?
We are curious.
Fight the Dane!
Test your sword-craft!
Do battle with a turd,
directly from the devil's arse!
You can cut him, but you cannot kill him!
And if he kills you, then so be it!
More fool you!
Hit him! Hit him!
Hit him!
Go on, hit him!
Lord?
Lord, we are Saxons, it's
none of our business.
If it is a fight you
want, it can be with me.
This is Lord Uhtred of
Bebbanburg and of Wessex!
It's sport, Lord, a pastime.
Your sport is over.
Pick up your sword.
Pick it up.
Lord, this man belongs to me.
He's my prisoner.
He was left in command.
Is it Valhalla you want?
In time, Lord.
Freedom would be my first choice.
Who do you serve?
The brothers, Sigefrid and Erik.
They've gone to fight the Scots.
I beg you, Lord, he will be my income.
Halig, give this piece
of weasel shit a coin.
A coin, Lord? He would
be my income for a year!
No more word, I'm warning you!
- Leave now.
- What?
Go.
You!
State your name and your business!
You keep the company of a nun, yet
look every piece of you a Dane.
My business is my own and
not that of a priest.
He's Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Father.
Uhtred?
You are "The" Uhtred?
Who served with Alfred at Ethandun?
I am.
Praise Him.
Praise God! It is a sign!
You know of Ethandun?
Not only do we know of this battle,
Lord, we have risen because of it.
And just days ago, Alfred has
sent his very own priest.
You killed all the Danes
that ruled Eoferwic?
We have.
All those that did not flee.
The holy city of Eoferwic welcomes you.
We will give you food and shelter
and thanks, Lord Uhtred.
God bless you.
We take care of the horses...
and then I find Alfred's priest.
We carry it all, we must.
But what guarantee do we have that
he will not steal Alfred's silver?
None.
But that's the risk we have to take.
Have you been stealing from
Alfred, Father Beocca?
Uhtred!
Oh, my goodness, Uhtred!
Wow!
What a joy it is to see you!
And for me to see your hairless head!
I have been praying that
our paths would cross.
This is a sign, God's will.
Brother Trew, this is the man
I've been speaking about.
And here he is! In our
time of need, he is here!
We are travelling North with
Alfred's blessing and silver.
It is a ransom to be
paid to free a slave...
but he is no ordinary slave.
This man is marked to become
a king of Cumbraland.
His name is Guthred.
A Dane?
But a good man, a man of God.
The spirit of Saint Cuthbert has
decreed that Guthred shall be King.
A prophecy.
Oh, my good lord.
He appeared in a dream to the
Abbot Eadred of Cumbraland.
He named Guthred as king
of both Saxons and Danes.
How many men is that?
Hundreds, thousands, perhaps.
- Warriors?
- Some, yes. Of course.
Alfred would not be content
with this man being solely
King of Cumbraland.
Well, yes, Alfred would wish for
Guthred's influence to spread
across the whole of Northumbria.
Including here, in Eoferwic.
Come with us.
Help us to free Guthred, protect
the ransom until it is delivered,
and I'm sure that we'll be rewarded.
Your bargain is with whom?
A slave master.
The village in which we are meeting
sits on land that belongs to
someone from your past.
Kjartan.
Kjartan's land will be
full of men, warriors.
Father, who's protected you so far?
Do you have no guard?
We have gathered a group of sickly
men, who suffer with the White Riff.
Leprosy is a terrible curse.
Put these poor creatures in a
cart and no man dare approach.
No-one can imagine the treasure
sitting beside the disease.
Your king, Guthred...
Kjartan would be his enemy?
He would. It was Kjartan's
men killed his father.
Guthred himself was captured
and sold as a slave.
Then he would be prepared to
raise an army against Kjartan?
He would be an ally, I'm sure.
As I'm sure Uhtred is, but
one man, against many...
No, no, Uhtred is more than just one man,
and he is here for a reason.
I have come to wish you goodnight, Lord.
Rest well.
Stay.
Stay.
I have been thinking of Northumbria.
Eoferwic is the great city of the North.
To make it Saxon once
again would bring hope.
It would be a beacon.
Yes.
A fortress, from which all Danes of
the North could be challenged...
and England grows.
Should you not be sleeping, Lord?
Yes, I should be sleeping.
I've always intended to ask about the
amber on the hilt of your sword.
Is it decoration, or something more?
It was given to me at my
birth by my father...
to remind me of who I am.
Who you are, Lord...
is defined by what you
do, and what you have done
has given you reputation.
Reputation is not a shield.
I think Father Beocca asks too much.
No.
No, it's fate that I am here.
It was fate you drenched me
in water, set us on our way.
Kjartan will have men at
this village, no doubt.
But he and his one-eyed son,
Sven, they murdered my family,
and they must be faced.
And I have my sister to find.
Are you certain she still lives?
Iseult was certain.
Then you should sleep.
Hild.
I would sleep easier
lying next to a woman.
Shall I fetch another bucket, Lord?
We move!
Can you smell the northern sea, boy?
The Northumbrian air?
I smell it and I feel it, Father.
- It feels like home.
- That it does.
I'd prefer you not to look at me, Lord.
Is it wrong that I look? You have beauty.
And you have an appetite I
do not wish to satisfy.
I'm with you, Lord, because
I'm safe with you.
I would like you to
teach me how to fight.
Swordcraft.
Skill. The Danes call it swordskill.
Then, I would like you
to teach me swordskill.
To help you kill men who stare?
No, Lord.
To protect myself and those I care for.
Yourself included.
I give to you my heart, my soul and...
We are being followed.
- You are aware of this, I'm sure.
- I am.
We are?
By whom?
Men belonging to Kjartan.
They are the shepherds, we are the sheep.
Then it is a trap?
It is. You will enter
the slave market alone.
- And then what happens, death?
- I will follow.
I will be with the lepers.
You will not be at our side?
No.
Your purpose here is to protect us.
- Do they ride? - You wish to
know if the lepers can ride?
I have no idea!
Beocca, what is this nonsense?
If we are to save Guthred and
live to see him crowned King,
then the slaver and whoever
sits with him must fear me.
They will not bargain.
And I am but one man.
So they must fear me
and I will choose how.
Beocca, I will need you
to play your part.
Move on!
Move it!
You like this one, huh?
He's fast and very hard-working.
Bring another one!
This one. One of my best.
You like him? He's very strong.
Very young.
Something for you, huh?
Horsemen approaching!
Hello!
It is my friend, the silver monk.
And with guests.
And a woman.
How pleasing.
I have forgotten your name,
silver monk, but not our price.
Do you have it?
Do you have our man. Guthred?
I have your man. Of
course I have your man.
Then I will see him.
No.
You will give me the silver, now.
She looks strong.
- I like that.
- The woman is not part of the price.
Good strong legs...
to hold on to my arse.
I wish to see Guthred. Guthred!
Make yourself known!
Guthred of Cumbraland!
Can you hear me?
I will decide when you see your man.
You will give us the ransom
and you will give it now.
You will do everything I say.
You will come down from your horse, girl.
Too old to keep.
- Take off your skirts.
- I will not.
Lord, there are horsemen missing.
- What are you saying?
- Men are missing.
I counted five more horses than are here.
They must be hiding, Lord.
Priest...
is my man correct? There
are further horsemen?
He is correct, Lord.
But these horsemen,
they came from nowhere
and asking us to where we were travelling
and we prayed that they
would leave us, vanish.
You wanted rid of them?
Believe me when I say this, they
were not of this world, Lord.
They were not men, like
you and I are men.
What do you mean, they are not men?
Well, why are you doing that?
This...
Signing your god.
We were asking his protection,
Lord, from the horsemen.
If they're not men, what are they?
Please, to speak of them may summon them.
From where?
- You tell me nothing.
- Can we not simply give you the silver
and be on our way, Lord, please?
There is nothing to fear
but the lies of a priest.
I know it.
Lord...
Oh, dear God in heaven, it is him.
It is who?
We come for your souls!
Who are you?
I am Odin's messenger to command.
I come from Corpse Hall.
You are Sven Kjartanson?
You will answer me!
What do you want with Sven Kjartanson?
I've been sent to take the souls
of both Kjartan and his son.
Attack...
Attack!
No man shall move, or
Sven Kjartanson will die!
You will all hear me!
All of you must leave this place.
Go!
Or with one touch of my
horsemen, you will be cursed!
Go!
You are going nowhere, but
to the devil himself.
I should kill you now.
I should take you piece by piece.
No, please, spare me.
Odin would forgive me, I'm sure of it.
I will be a changed man. I...
- You will never change!
You cannot change! - Lord!
Lord, I beg you.
That he fears you is enough.
Let him take that fear to Kjartan.
May we free the prisoners, Lord,
search the pens for a friend, the King?
You may.
I have no business with you.
Thank you, Lord.
We shall leave this place, just
as soon as we have found him.
It will be for the best.
Guthred!
Guthred!
We are looking for Guthred of Cumbraland,
- son of Harthacnut.
- I am Guthred.
- How can I help you?
- Lord...
Is it you?
We have found you.
You have, it seems.
Who are you?
Find your way home in darkness.
Hear me!
Hear me now!
A silver coin to any
man who will untie me!
Two coins.
And my father's thanks!
Who is there?
Name yourself.
If you are on this land,
you will know who I am.
You will know not to harm me.
The priest tells me it is you
I must thank for my freedom.
I did not raise the ransom.
A ransom was not paid, it
goes back to the church.
Some coins should go to them, the lepers.
Without them, we'd all be dead.
As I am apparently now a king,
I shall see they are rewarded.
This is for you.
The King brings me food.
- Did Alfred not feed you?
- You know of Alfred?
Aye, every Dane in the
land knows of Alfred.
And while a slave,
some of the men recently captured,
they spoke of Ethandun.
They spoke of Uhtred...
how he broke a shield wall.
You should pay a skald to write a song.
I did that in Mercia.
I was drunk and the song was tuneless.
I am indebted.
My words have no tune,
but they're sincere.
You have brought me back to life.
- Then you owe me.
- I do.
I do.
Serve me.
- Serve you?
- Join me.
A king needs a commander.
Well, think on it...
Uhtred of Wessex.
I'm of Bebbanburg.
Yes, you are. You are.
Is it your intention to build an army?
Oh, last night I was still a slave.
Build an army and I will command it,
but only if it's your intention
to go against all the
lords of the north Kjartan.
But also the brothers and
the man who stole my land.
My own uncle!
That, I owe you...
Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Now I must get used to who I am.
Enjoy.
DURHAM
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Why would a dead horseman
ride with sickly lepers?
- Were they dead, too?
- I did not ask.
He need ride with no man.
He's dead.
Invincible.
Father, it was as I say.
I know what I witnessed.
How are we to kill a dead man?
Cut him into pieces. Tiny...
It's a trick! He's a lie!
Go shut her up! Your bitch!
It did not appear to be a trick.
Everything I've said is true.
You, Fiske...
do you believe this horseman
is back from the dead?
Yes, Lord, it seemed that way.
Then you believe he was sent
by Odin to take my soul?
Well, he arrived with a
priest and a ransom?
Yes, Lord.
- But no silver was paid?
- No, Lord.
Still, they took their man.
We find the slave.
We find the lepers.
And we find the priest.
Together, they will tell us all we
need to know about this horseman.
Dead... or otherwise.
You are not welcome here.
You are never welcome here.
My father asks for you to
keep the hounds quiet.
Thyra...
if you do not comply,
he will have them killed... again.
And again, you shall bring me pups.
He will have men hump you.
I tell you every time...
you do not need to live like this.
You don't need to eat
and sleep with hounds.
It is my wish.
I dream of you...
as you were.
I dream of nothing but the fire.
My wedding necklace...
do you like it?
If any love for me remains
inside your shrivelled heart,
then take out your knife and kill me.
So you know of the Northmen
Sigefrid and Erik?
They have gone to Alba
to fight the Scots.
A mistake.
Yes, they will lose numbers.
The men they left at
Eoferwic have been slain.
It's open and unguarded.
Only my second day as King of Cumbraland,
already you wish me to
become King of Eoferwic?
Why wait?
The brothers will return,
weakened or not.
I'd rather they remain outside
the walls of Eoferwic.
Lord!
Lord, the Roman wall!
We follow the wall all
the way to Cumbraland.
Home.
And then, Uhtred, we
prepare to take Eoferwic.
CUMBERLAND
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Your King!
Your King, he is coming!
Prepare!
Your King!
He will be here soon.
Be sure to greet him.
Make him feel welcome.
The Abbot... Where is the Abbot?
Brother Trew.
- Lady Gisela.
- You appear to have news.
Lady, I do. Great news!
- What?
- He's here.
- Who?
- Your brother, the King.
He lives?
Oh, he is well and he is near, very near.
I must inform Abbot Eadred.
Lord Abbot...
he is here.
They believe you to be the King, Lord.
Then let him be the King.
King for the day.
Thank you.
Thank you and may God bless you all.
Uhtred, that is almost blasphemy.
Thank you all for taking the
time to greet the King.
You will stop this nonsense.
Beocca, they love me!
Because they have no idea
what a fool you are!
Be careful, priest, or
he will have your head.
Not before he feels my boot!
And may I present to you Queen
Hild of the water bucket,
scourge of slavers and once
thrown out of the nunnery!
I was not!
The Lord tells lies and all too easily.
I will be the first to
greet him formally.
- You will all wait upon my word.
- Yes, Lord.
Lord King!
- Lord King, I am the Abbot Eadred.
- Abbot, no...
It is I to whom the
blessed Saint Cuthbert
appeared in a dream, a glorious dream.
- Abbot, please...
- He showed me your face...
and he called you King.
Thank you.
Are you sure...
that it was not this
face here that you saw?
What?
Guthred...
It is you!
I didn't dare to believe it.
I didn't dare.
It is the truth.
This is Guthred.
Yes, of course. Of course!
Now I see the true likeness.
Forgive me, Lord.
I have the eyes of an old man.
Lord King, I am the Abbot Eadred.
And it is I to whom the
blessed Saint Cuthbert...
Abbot Eadred...
I have been told of your dream.
You... must be a most holy man.
You have truly been blessed.
I have, my Lord, it is true.
But let us waste no more time. We
have waited long enough already.
Lord, you shall be crowned
King this very day,
this very moment!
The King, whom I promised,
son of the great warrior Harthacnut,
has arrived!
The King, who shall lead us
all, both Dane and Saxon,
against the evil that
resides in Northumbria...
is here.
With this sword, the sword of Cumbraland,
and with the grace of God,
may you find the strength to
lead and inspire all men.
Amen.
Amen.
And now, Lord, we shall enter
the church for the royal oath,
which shall be sworn upon the corpse
of the blessed Saint Cuthbert himself.
Cuthbert...
He is here?
In his entirety.
God in heaven...
I never thought I would see the day.
- Is it him, Father?
- It is.
200 years after his
death, he remains whole.
A sign of the depth of his holiness.
Oh, most holy Cuthbert...
guide us and lead us and
bring us to your glory,
in the name of him who died for us.
Amen.
Amen.
See how the flesh is uncorrupted.
A miracle.
You will take his hand, Lord...
and swear your oath.
Uhtred...
You are the commander
of my household troops.
You will be beside me.
Uhtred, you will kneel.
Take his hand, Lord.
God and the blessed Saint Cuthbert
have given us this day a King.
A King who shall raise an army
and that army shall march in his
name and all evil shall be expunged!
This...
you swear.
I swear.
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Guthred...
Or do I now call you Lord?
You can call me whatever pleases you.
Very well, Lord Goose Shit,
I am about to retire.
- Hild will stay with me.
- Yes.
It is so good to see your
crooked little face again.
It is so good to see that
you are still a fool.
- Sleep well.
- Goodnight. - Sleep well.
Sleep well, Lady.
Do not get overly drunk, Lord,
for tomorrow you teach me swordskills.
And maybe one day I shall save your life.
Your sister is pretty.
Uhtred, I believe you would find
a goat in a skirt to be pretty.
Goodnight.
The cocksure long-haired fool over there.
Is he a danger?
- To whom, Abbot?
- To each one of us and to our purpose.
Although he lacks humility, Uhtred
is the reason we are alive.
He gave you protection out of
the goodness of his heart, did he?
What does he want with
Cumbraland and with our King?
He wants Bebbanburg, his ancestral home.
And it's in the King's gift to help him.
He will need to be watched.
He's a pretender, I'm sure.
Please...
You have men in Northumbria still?
Some.
Most have settled, but
they are mine to call upon
and I have men in East
Anglia, with Earl Guthrum.
His name is now Aethelstan.
That may be his Christian name, Lord.
But to us, he's Guthrum... the weak.
To seek peace is not a weakness.
The battle of Ethandun was ours to win.
Only with peace can you build.
- Only with peace can a people grow.
- Grow fat?
Grow as one, Brida.
It is true that, in parts of the North,
Saxon, Dane and Briton now live
side by side, do they not?
Oh, they do, but it is
the Danes that rule.
Though warlords must now
look elsewhere for war,
to Ireland and Alba.
War is how a man makes his wealth.
I disagree. War is how a man
takes his wealth, Earl Ragnar,
it is the land and trade that makes it.
And for the land and trade to
flourish, there must be peace.
To be Viking is a way of life.
To be Viking is a way to die.
And there are many Danes, I believe,
who want more from life than death.
Lord...
you are never more alive
than when you sail a ship
onto a new shore.
On that we are agreed.
Father!
Father, I have news of
the slave, Guthred.
He's been made a King, of Cumbraland.
Fiske?
It is true, Lord, we
heard it from traders.
Where are these traders?
We heard the same story
three times, five times...
We heard it three times.
This Guthred is now a King.
- What of the dead horseman?
- Lord...
King Guthred is building up an army...
made up of both Danes and Saxons.
And the commander of this
army is just that...
both Dane and Saxon.
His name is Uhtred.
- Are you certain of this?
- Yes.
Tekil...
Lord?
If the King of Cumbraland is
building an army, you will join him.
If you get the chance,
you can kill the King.
But you will bring his
commander back here, to me.
- Take his eye.
- Yes.
You can take his eye...
but I want him here and I want him alive.
I will take him piece by piece.
I will make him suffer.
born an Ealdorman of England.
Our ancestors took this land and
you will die for it, if needed.
'I saw my father killed in battle
and my uncle steal his lands.
'I was taken by the invaders -
'first as a slave and then
as a son to Earl Ragnar.
'That was my family, my life -
'young Ragnar, my brother,
and Brida, my friend.
'Until my family were
murdered by Kjartan the Cruel
'and his one-eyed son, Sven,
'and my sister taken hostage
on the eve of her wedding.
'I fled to Alfred, the
Saxon king of Wessex.
'I fell in love with a pagan queen,
who saw my sister in a vision.'
Uhtred, she lives, and is
being held in the North.
'In the year 878 at Ethandune,
'I fought alongside King Alfred
'to defeat the Danes, and
drove them from Wessex,
'but at a great price.'
Uhtred Ragnarson, I have a gift for you.
Your queen!
'Peace was secured with
hostages, Brida and Ragnar,
'and by the Danish earl's baptism and
acceptance of the Christian God.
'As for Uhtred, the godless?
'My path led North, to blood feuds,
to revenge and to Bebbanburg.
'Destiny is all.'
No mercy!
No mercy!
Lord?
Lord, are the ideas suitable?
I have tried to show both
courage and sacrifice.
Faced with a fearsome enemy.
But I do not see God.
He was there, within us all.
Praise Him.
Word of the victory is being
spread throughout the land.
People will hear that it was God-given.
He was amongst us.
Aethelflaed, with me,
before you hurt him.
Yes, Mother.
The Witan is full to brimming.
Every Ealdorman and his
brother is here to bask.
Not all of them deserving.
Wessex is safe.
But, Ealdormen, to keep Wessex
safe, we must now look beyond
its borders, to Mercia, East
Anglia, to Cornwalum, Wales
and to the North, to Northumbria
and to the once great and holy city
of Eoferwic, where now,
Christian men and women suffer
under the dark rule of the Danes.
There are two Northmen,
Sigefrid and Erik,
two Godless brothers
with a voracious appetite for
land, silver, slaves and war.
I want it known...
and I want them to know...
that God, Alfred and the
Ealdormen of Wessex are watching.
The day of reckoning will come!
Make way, make way.
Is this the palace of King Alfred?
Halt! Stand back from the king's guard.
I have a letter that
he will wish to read.
You must let me pass!
In all too soon a time,
Aethelflaed will be old enough
for betrothal, then marriage.
- You require a list of suitors, Lord?
- I do.
They must be a match for
my daughter, her mother,
for Wessex and my idea of a united land.
In which order, Lord?
Oh, do not ask me, my friend. I
pray I never need to choose.
I have business with the king.
Lord, forgive my interruption,
may I introduce Brother Trew.
Lord, I am honoured.
Brother Trew has travelled
from the North.
Cumbraland, in the west of Northumbria.
He has a letter that tells
of a vision and a prophecy.
From the heavens, Lord, I swear.
The Abbot Eadred of Cumbraland
did dream of the likeness
and this likeness did speak to him.
The likeness was of Saint Cuthbert.
Cuthbert?
Speaking directly from heaven.
The Abbot tells of Cuthbert's
instruction within the letter.
Lord, for the Saxons and Britons
in the North, there is an urgency.
We are lost, we are, in
general, ruled by Danes,
we are in need of a Christian saviour.
This saviour is Guthred.
A man who is a lowly slave and
who himself must first be saved.
At the behest of the blessed Cuthbert.
The doors are open to the elements,
Brother Trew, nothing more.
It can be done, Lord,
it can be arranged...
with your help and guidance.
And you shall have it,
Brother Trew, I'm sure.
Father Beocca, I will send for
you when I have read the letter,
- which I shall do immediately,
do not wander. - No, Lord.
Influence beyond Wessex, Odda.
Heaven sent.
LICHFIELD
KINGDOM OF MERCIA
- Good day.
- It is, Sister.
Your sword.
It is not your sword.
You may keep the silver you will
have taken, but not the sword.
You will turn and run, girl.
I have killed...
and I will kill again, I'm sure.
But hopefully not today...
girl.
Morning, Lord. She did the
very same thing to me.
We're leaving.
Could you not have shook me awake?
It's time for you to stop drinking
and whoring and to do what we
- set out to do.
- I'm wet!
Your sword has been stolen,
Lord, along with your silver.
Hild!
I have recovered Serpent-Breath
and when you are able to stand,
I shall return her. We will be leaving.
I will decide when we're leaving!
I am Uhtred, son of Uhtred.
I will not be schooled by a nun!
She's not wrong, Lord. You have been
drinking whole fields of barley.
Nor will I be lectured by an arseling!
If you're drinking to forget
Iseult, you do her no favours.
Her memory should be cherished, not
lost in a fog of ale and bosoms.
My sword.
Are we to ride to Northumbria,
or to the next inn
and the next jug of ale?
What am I to do in Northumbria
with an army of two,
a nun and a rag-arse?
A loyal rag-arse.
Prepare yourself.
To do what? Kill Kjartan and
the men who surround him?
You can begin to carry
yourself as a Lord!
- Or we can return to Winchester? - No,
we cannot return to Winchester.
Did she not say that your path led North?
Thank you.
YORK
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Forgive me, Lord.
Please, Lord.
May the gods protect you on your quest.
What do you know of my gods?
Nothing, Lord. I meant no insult.
Sigefrid, leave him, he's just a priest.
Come on, brother, we have Scots to kill.
Erik!
The city, we leave in your hands.
It's ours, it must remain ours.
I will ensure it.
You have enough men, keep them sober
and do not kill for the fun of it.
No, Lord.
You do me a great honour, Lord,
though I wish I was going with you.
Remember, what we need
more than silver is women!
Red-haired women!
To the shield wall that awaits us!
To the joy of battle!
And to the blood of the Scots!
Father Hrothweard, we've
been waiting for you.
I will serve.
We must rise up.
Every day we hear stories of
what has happened in Wessex.
The brothers have, this very moment,
taken their army North.
They will be gone for months, perhaps.
There is no better time than now.
We must take Alfred's lead
and kill every bastard Dane
and Northman in Eoferwic...
in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I'm not saying grace!
It is a battle cry!
Smoke.
Come on.
Danes.
Danes would not slaughter
Danes like this.
If there is slaughter, Lord, and
there appears to be slaughter,
why do we ride towards it?
We are curious.
Fight the Dane!
Test your sword-craft!
Do battle with a turd,
directly from the devil's arse!
You can cut him, but you cannot kill him!
And if he kills you, then so be it!
More fool you!
Hit him! Hit him!
Hit him!
Go on, hit him!
Lord?
Lord, we are Saxons, it's
none of our business.
If it is a fight you
want, it can be with me.
This is Lord Uhtred of
Bebbanburg and of Wessex!
It's sport, Lord, a pastime.
Your sport is over.
Pick up your sword.
Pick it up.
Lord, this man belongs to me.
He's my prisoner.
He was left in command.
Is it Valhalla you want?
In time, Lord.
Freedom would be my first choice.
Who do you serve?
The brothers, Sigefrid and Erik.
They've gone to fight the Scots.
I beg you, Lord, he will be my income.
Halig, give this piece
of weasel shit a coin.
A coin, Lord? He would
be my income for a year!
No more word, I'm warning you!
- Leave now.
- What?
Go.
You!
State your name and your business!
You keep the company of a nun, yet
look every piece of you a Dane.
My business is my own and
not that of a priest.
He's Uhtred of Bebbanburg, Father.
Uhtred?
You are "The" Uhtred?
Who served with Alfred at Ethandun?
I am.
Praise Him.
Praise God! It is a sign!
You know of Ethandun?
Not only do we know of this battle,
Lord, we have risen because of it.
And just days ago, Alfred has
sent his very own priest.
You killed all the Danes
that ruled Eoferwic?
We have.
All those that did not flee.
The holy city of Eoferwic welcomes you.
We will give you food and shelter
and thanks, Lord Uhtred.
God bless you.
We take care of the horses...
and then I find Alfred's priest.
We carry it all, we must.
But what guarantee do we have that
he will not steal Alfred's silver?
None.
But that's the risk we have to take.
Have you been stealing from
Alfred, Father Beocca?
Uhtred!
Oh, my goodness, Uhtred!
Wow!
What a joy it is to see you!
And for me to see your hairless head!
I have been praying that
our paths would cross.
This is a sign, God's will.
Brother Trew, this is the man
I've been speaking about.
And here he is! In our
time of need, he is here!
We are travelling North with
Alfred's blessing and silver.
It is a ransom to be
paid to free a slave...
but he is no ordinary slave.
This man is marked to become
a king of Cumbraland.
His name is Guthred.
A Dane?
But a good man, a man of God.
The spirit of Saint Cuthbert has
decreed that Guthred shall be King.
A prophecy.
Oh, my good lord.
He appeared in a dream to the
Abbot Eadred of Cumbraland.
He named Guthred as king
of both Saxons and Danes.
How many men is that?
Hundreds, thousands, perhaps.
- Warriors?
- Some, yes. Of course.
Alfred would not be content
with this man being solely
King of Cumbraland.
Well, yes, Alfred would wish for
Guthred's influence to spread
across the whole of Northumbria.
Including here, in Eoferwic.
Come with us.
Help us to free Guthred, protect
the ransom until it is delivered,
and I'm sure that we'll be rewarded.
Your bargain is with whom?
A slave master.
The village in which we are meeting
sits on land that belongs to
someone from your past.
Kjartan.
Kjartan's land will be
full of men, warriors.
Father, who's protected you so far?
Do you have no guard?
We have gathered a group of sickly
men, who suffer with the White Riff.
Leprosy is a terrible curse.
Put these poor creatures in a
cart and no man dare approach.
No-one can imagine the treasure
sitting beside the disease.
Your king, Guthred...
Kjartan would be his enemy?
He would. It was Kjartan's
men killed his father.
Guthred himself was captured
and sold as a slave.
Then he would be prepared to
raise an army against Kjartan?
He would be an ally, I'm sure.
As I'm sure Uhtred is, but
one man, against many...
No, no, Uhtred is more than just one man,
and he is here for a reason.
I have come to wish you goodnight, Lord.
Rest well.
Stay.
Stay.
I have been thinking of Northumbria.
Eoferwic is the great city of the North.
To make it Saxon once
again would bring hope.
It would be a beacon.
Yes.
A fortress, from which all Danes of
the North could be challenged...
and England grows.
Should you not be sleeping, Lord?
Yes, I should be sleeping.
I've always intended to ask about the
amber on the hilt of your sword.
Is it decoration, or something more?
It was given to me at my
birth by my father...
to remind me of who I am.
Who you are, Lord...
is defined by what you
do, and what you have done
has given you reputation.
Reputation is not a shield.
I think Father Beocca asks too much.
No.
No, it's fate that I am here.
It was fate you drenched me
in water, set us on our way.
Kjartan will have men at
this village, no doubt.
But he and his one-eyed son,
Sven, they murdered my family,
and they must be faced.
And I have my sister to find.
Are you certain she still lives?
Iseult was certain.
Then you should sleep.
Hild.
I would sleep easier
lying next to a woman.
Shall I fetch another bucket, Lord?
We move!
Can you smell the northern sea, boy?
The Northumbrian air?
I smell it and I feel it, Father.
- It feels like home.
- That it does.
I'd prefer you not to look at me, Lord.
Is it wrong that I look? You have beauty.
And you have an appetite I
do not wish to satisfy.
I'm with you, Lord, because
I'm safe with you.
I would like you to
teach me how to fight.
Swordcraft.
Skill. The Danes call it swordskill.
Then, I would like you
to teach me swordskill.
To help you kill men who stare?
No, Lord.
To protect myself and those I care for.
Yourself included.
I give to you my heart, my soul and...
We are being followed.
- You are aware of this, I'm sure.
- I am.
We are?
By whom?
Men belonging to Kjartan.
They are the shepherds, we are the sheep.
Then it is a trap?
It is. You will enter
the slave market alone.
- And then what happens, death?
- I will follow.
I will be with the lepers.
You will not be at our side?
No.
Your purpose here is to protect us.
- Do they ride? - You wish to
know if the lepers can ride?
I have no idea!
Beocca, what is this nonsense?
If we are to save Guthred and
live to see him crowned King,
then the slaver and whoever
sits with him must fear me.
They will not bargain.
And I am but one man.
So they must fear me
and I will choose how.
Beocca, I will need you
to play your part.
Move on!
Move it!
You like this one, huh?
He's fast and very hard-working.
Bring another one!
This one. One of my best.
You like him? He's very strong.
Very young.
Something for you, huh?
Horsemen approaching!
Hello!
It is my friend, the silver monk.
And with guests.
And a woman.
How pleasing.
I have forgotten your name,
silver monk, but not our price.
Do you have it?
Do you have our man. Guthred?
I have your man. Of
course I have your man.
Then I will see him.
No.
You will give me the silver, now.
She looks strong.
- I like that.
- The woman is not part of the price.
Good strong legs...
to hold on to my arse.
I wish to see Guthred. Guthred!
Make yourself known!
Guthred of Cumbraland!
Can you hear me?
I will decide when you see your man.
You will give us the ransom
and you will give it now.
You will do everything I say.
You will come down from your horse, girl.
Too old to keep.
- Take off your skirts.
- I will not.
Lord, there are horsemen missing.
- What are you saying?
- Men are missing.
I counted five more horses than are here.
They must be hiding, Lord.
Priest...
is my man correct? There
are further horsemen?
He is correct, Lord.
But these horsemen,
they came from nowhere
and asking us to where we were travelling
and we prayed that they
would leave us, vanish.
You wanted rid of them?
Believe me when I say this, they
were not of this world, Lord.
They were not men, like
you and I are men.
What do you mean, they are not men?
Well, why are you doing that?
This...
Signing your god.
We were asking his protection,
Lord, from the horsemen.
If they're not men, what are they?
Please, to speak of them may summon them.
From where?
- You tell me nothing.
- Can we not simply give you the silver
and be on our way, Lord, please?
There is nothing to fear
but the lies of a priest.
I know it.
Lord...
Oh, dear God in heaven, it is him.
It is who?
We come for your souls!
Who are you?
I am Odin's messenger to command.
I come from Corpse Hall.
You are Sven Kjartanson?
You will answer me!
What do you want with Sven Kjartanson?
I've been sent to take the souls
of both Kjartan and his son.
Attack...
Attack!
No man shall move, or
Sven Kjartanson will die!
You will all hear me!
All of you must leave this place.
Go!
Or with one touch of my
horsemen, you will be cursed!
Go!
You are going nowhere, but
to the devil himself.
I should kill you now.
I should take you piece by piece.
No, please, spare me.
Odin would forgive me, I'm sure of it.
I will be a changed man. I...
- You will never change!
You cannot change! - Lord!
Lord, I beg you.
That he fears you is enough.
Let him take that fear to Kjartan.
May we free the prisoners, Lord,
search the pens for a friend, the King?
You may.
I have no business with you.
Thank you, Lord.
We shall leave this place, just
as soon as we have found him.
It will be for the best.
Guthred!
Guthred!
We are looking for Guthred of Cumbraland,
- son of Harthacnut.
- I am Guthred.
- How can I help you?
- Lord...
Is it you?
We have found you.
You have, it seems.
Who are you?
Find your way home in darkness.
Hear me!
Hear me now!
A silver coin to any
man who will untie me!
Two coins.
And my father's thanks!
Who is there?
Name yourself.
If you are on this land,
you will know who I am.
You will know not to harm me.
The priest tells me it is you
I must thank for my freedom.
I did not raise the ransom.
A ransom was not paid, it
goes back to the church.
Some coins should go to them, the lepers.
Without them, we'd all be dead.
As I am apparently now a king,
I shall see they are rewarded.
This is for you.
The King brings me food.
- Did Alfred not feed you?
- You know of Alfred?
Aye, every Dane in the
land knows of Alfred.
And while a slave,
some of the men recently captured,
they spoke of Ethandun.
They spoke of Uhtred...
how he broke a shield wall.
You should pay a skald to write a song.
I did that in Mercia.
I was drunk and the song was tuneless.
I am indebted.
My words have no tune,
but they're sincere.
You have brought me back to life.
- Then you owe me.
- I do.
I do.
Serve me.
- Serve you?
- Join me.
A king needs a commander.
Well, think on it...
Uhtred of Wessex.
I'm of Bebbanburg.
Yes, you are. You are.
Is it your intention to build an army?
Oh, last night I was still a slave.
Build an army and I will command it,
but only if it's your intention
to go against all the
lords of the north Kjartan.
But also the brothers and
the man who stole my land.
My own uncle!
That, I owe you...
Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Now I must get used to who I am.
Enjoy.
DURHAM
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Why would a dead horseman
ride with sickly lepers?
- Were they dead, too?
- I did not ask.
He need ride with no man.
He's dead.
Invincible.
Father, it was as I say.
I know what I witnessed.
How are we to kill a dead man?
Cut him into pieces. Tiny...
It's a trick! He's a lie!
Go shut her up! Your bitch!
It did not appear to be a trick.
Everything I've said is true.
You, Fiske...
do you believe this horseman
is back from the dead?
Yes, Lord, it seemed that way.
Then you believe he was sent
by Odin to take my soul?
Well, he arrived with a
priest and a ransom?
Yes, Lord.
- But no silver was paid?
- No, Lord.
Still, they took their man.
We find the slave.
We find the lepers.
And we find the priest.
Together, they will tell us all we
need to know about this horseman.
Dead... or otherwise.
You are not welcome here.
You are never welcome here.
My father asks for you to
keep the hounds quiet.
Thyra...
if you do not comply,
he will have them killed... again.
And again, you shall bring me pups.
He will have men hump you.
I tell you every time...
you do not need to live like this.
You don't need to eat
and sleep with hounds.
It is my wish.
I dream of you...
as you were.
I dream of nothing but the fire.
My wedding necklace...
do you like it?
If any love for me remains
inside your shrivelled heart,
then take out your knife and kill me.
So you know of the Northmen
Sigefrid and Erik?
They have gone to Alba
to fight the Scots.
A mistake.
Yes, they will lose numbers.
The men they left at
Eoferwic have been slain.
It's open and unguarded.
Only my second day as King of Cumbraland,
already you wish me to
become King of Eoferwic?
Why wait?
The brothers will return,
weakened or not.
I'd rather they remain outside
the walls of Eoferwic.
Lord!
Lord, the Roman wall!
We follow the wall all
the way to Cumbraland.
Home.
And then, Uhtred, we
prepare to take Eoferwic.
CUMBERLAND
KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Your King!
Your King, he is coming!
Prepare!
Your King!
He will be here soon.
Be sure to greet him.
Make him feel welcome.
The Abbot... Where is the Abbot?
Brother Trew.
- Lady Gisela.
- You appear to have news.
Lady, I do. Great news!
- What?
- He's here.
- Who?
- Your brother, the King.
He lives?
Oh, he is well and he is near, very near.
I must inform Abbot Eadred.
Lord Abbot...
he is here.
They believe you to be the King, Lord.
Then let him be the King.
King for the day.
Thank you.
Thank you and may God bless you all.
Uhtred, that is almost blasphemy.
Thank you all for taking the
time to greet the King.
You will stop this nonsense.
Beocca, they love me!
Because they have no idea
what a fool you are!
Be careful, priest, or
he will have your head.
Not before he feels my boot!
And may I present to you Queen
Hild of the water bucket,
scourge of slavers and once
thrown out of the nunnery!
I was not!
The Lord tells lies and all too easily.
I will be the first to
greet him formally.
- You will all wait upon my word.
- Yes, Lord.
Lord King!
- Lord King, I am the Abbot Eadred.
- Abbot, no...
It is I to whom the
blessed Saint Cuthbert
appeared in a dream, a glorious dream.
- Abbot, please...
- He showed me your face...
and he called you King.
Thank you.
Are you sure...
that it was not this
face here that you saw?
What?
Guthred...
It is you!
I didn't dare to believe it.
I didn't dare.
It is the truth.
This is Guthred.
Yes, of course. Of course!
Now I see the true likeness.
Forgive me, Lord.
I have the eyes of an old man.
Lord King, I am the Abbot Eadred.
And it is I to whom the
blessed Saint Cuthbert...
Abbot Eadred...
I have been told of your dream.
You... must be a most holy man.
You have truly been blessed.
I have, my Lord, it is true.
But let us waste no more time. We
have waited long enough already.
Lord, you shall be crowned
King this very day,
this very moment!
The King, whom I promised,
son of the great warrior Harthacnut,
has arrived!
The King, who shall lead us
all, both Dane and Saxon,
against the evil that
resides in Northumbria...
is here.
With this sword, the sword of Cumbraland,
and with the grace of God,
may you find the strength to
lead and inspire all men.
Amen.
Amen.
And now, Lord, we shall enter
the church for the royal oath,
which shall be sworn upon the corpse
of the blessed Saint Cuthbert himself.
Cuthbert...
He is here?
In his entirety.
God in heaven...
I never thought I would see the day.
- Is it him, Father?
- It is.
200 years after his
death, he remains whole.
A sign of the depth of his holiness.
Oh, most holy Cuthbert...
guide us and lead us and
bring us to your glory,
in the name of him who died for us.
Amen.
Amen.
See how the flesh is uncorrupted.
A miracle.
You will take his hand, Lord...
and swear your oath.
Uhtred...
You are the commander
of my household troops.
You will be beside me.
Uhtred, you will kneel.
Take his hand, Lord.
God and the blessed Saint Cuthbert
have given us this day a King.
A King who shall raise an army
and that army shall march in his
name and all evil shall be expunged!
This...
you swear.
I swear.
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Vivat Rex Guthred!
Guthred...
Or do I now call you Lord?
You can call me whatever pleases you.
Very well, Lord Goose Shit,
I am about to retire.
- Hild will stay with me.
- Yes.
It is so good to see your
crooked little face again.
It is so good to see that
you are still a fool.
- Sleep well.
- Goodnight. - Sleep well.
Sleep well, Lady.
Do not get overly drunk, Lord,
for tomorrow you teach me swordskills.
And maybe one day I shall save your life.
Your sister is pretty.
Uhtred, I believe you would find
a goat in a skirt to be pretty.
Goodnight.
The cocksure long-haired fool over there.
Is he a danger?
- To whom, Abbot?
- To each one of us and to our purpose.
Although he lacks humility, Uhtred
is the reason we are alive.
He gave you protection out of
the goodness of his heart, did he?
What does he want with
Cumbraland and with our King?
He wants Bebbanburg, his ancestral home.
And it's in the King's gift to help him.
He will need to be watched.
He's a pretender, I'm sure.
Please...
You have men in Northumbria still?
Some.
Most have settled, but
they are mine to call upon
and I have men in East
Anglia, with Earl Guthrum.
His name is now Aethelstan.
That may be his Christian name, Lord.
But to us, he's Guthrum... the weak.
To seek peace is not a weakness.
The battle of Ethandun was ours to win.
Only with peace can you build.
- Only with peace can a people grow.
- Grow fat?
Grow as one, Brida.
It is true that, in parts of the North,
Saxon, Dane and Briton now live
side by side, do they not?
Oh, they do, but it is
the Danes that rule.
Though warlords must now
look elsewhere for war,
to Ireland and Alba.
War is how a man makes his wealth.
I disagree. War is how a man
takes his wealth, Earl Ragnar,
it is the land and trade that makes it.
And for the land and trade to
flourish, there must be peace.
To be Viking is a way of life.
To be Viking is a way to die.
And there are many Danes, I believe,
who want more from life than death.
Lord...
you are never more alive
than when you sail a ship
onto a new shore.
On that we are agreed.
Father!
Father, I have news of
the slave, Guthred.
He's been made a King, of Cumbraland.
Fiske?
It is true, Lord, we
heard it from traders.
Where are these traders?
We heard the same story
three times, five times...
We heard it three times.
This Guthred is now a King.
- What of the dead horseman?
- Lord...
King Guthred is building up an army...
made up of both Danes and Saxons.
And the commander of this
army is just that...
both Dane and Saxon.
His name is Uhtred.
- Are you certain of this?
- Yes.
Tekil...
Lord?
If the King of Cumbraland is
building an army, you will join him.
If you get the chance,
you can kill the King.
But you will bring his
commander back here, to me.
- Take his eye.
- Yes.
You can take his eye...
but I want him here and I want him alive.
I will take him piece by piece.
I will make him suffer.