Þrimskviða Mummer’s Play

This play is free to PERFORM by anyone provided it is performed free of charge, and my name is mentioned as the author. If the performance is video taped I’d appreciate a copy – Brian Smith

The Cast:

Þúnor the Ós
Loca the Sly
Fréo the Beautiful
Hama the White
Þrym the Eoten
Left the Eoten
Right the Eoten

The play will also benefit from having a rouser off stage. It is the job of the rouser to insight the folks to perform any of the cheers or jeers found in the green text. There can be any number of stand-ins during the counsel scene.

Like all Mummer’s plays men play all the parts (especially the female ones!) and should do their best to not look too feminine. The only props that would be necessary are a blanket of some kind (to imitate Fréo’s falcon cloak), a large Þúnor’s hammer, and costumes for each of the characters. You will also need a bridal veil that will cover Þúnor’s beard.

All actions are displayed by italics; all spoken parts are in bold script. Any confusing terms are clarified in the footnotes.

The play is in a meter I like to call “Ættfold” because it usually (but not always) contains eight syllables per line, and usually alliterates to Old English standards. So far it is the best meter I have found for public performance, as it requires less concentration to the stresses.  Most of the time I try to keep to the following pattern, but not always.

S x S x
x S x S

  ACT I – THE THEFT

The play begins with Þúnor asleep on the ground with his mighty hammer under his pillow.

Enters Þrym the Eoten 

Þrym speaks:
All alone walks the Ése bane
In Þúnor’s bed finds Þrym his prize
Lifting the head of the lummox is hard
The heft of the hammer is ease

booing and hissing

Þrym exits the scene, and shortly after Þúnor rouses from his slumber

Þúnor speaks:
Wide awake and wild I behest[1]
The hammer to my hand I call!

Þúnor waits for the hammer to come to his hand, and then develops a perplexed look on his face.

laughing

He clears his throat with a mighty cough, and says again

Þúnor speaks:
Wide awake and wild I behest
The hammer to my hand I call!

laughing

He waits again and the look has gone from perplexing to worried. Þúnor realizes that something is wrong, and frantically looks under his pillow for the hammer.

Þúnor speaks:
Here in Þúnor’s hall a thief
Has’t taken the hallower away
Hear me Loca and hinder not
To WigiÞúnor[2] wend thy way

In struts Loca like a proud cock. He looks Þúnor over and noticed something is wrong. He then realizes that the hammer is missing and gets a bemused look upon his face.

Loca speaks:
How on earth are you to hallow
WigiÞúnor, your might has waned!
Eotens' match you are no longer
Woden’s son has withered up

Loca is mocking Þúnor’s loss, as though he has lost his manhood… pinching his fingers together as to show a shriveling penis, while mock laughing.

laughing

Þúnor speaks:
Forget thee fiend my might is fierce?
Hymir forgot, his head still rings![3]
My might and main, good mood I hold
My hands would meet thy neck as well

Þúnor lunges for Loca’s neck, but misses as he ducks under and bids him to stop

sounds of astonishment

Loca speaks:
Too swift am I to suffer thee
A chance to chain poor Loca down
Too swift of mind as well am I
For deephuged[4] Þúnor to do without!

Þúnor stops his pursuit of Loca and hears him out