CANTO V THE JOURNEY TO THE HOMELAND
Scene 1: Bearslayer is victorious on the Enchanted Isle
They go ashore on the Enchanted Isle
Though Spidala revenge had gained
And borne Bearslayer's love away,
Within her heart deep hate remained;
More evil yet she sought to pay!
So with the crone she northward flew,
Set storms and tempests bursting free,
To plague Bearslayer and his crew
Upon the unknown Northern Sea.
That every man had died is sure,
Had North Wind's Daughter not shown guile.-
Now further trials they would endure,
Upon the strange Enchanted Isle.
Recovered from their early fear,
A host of captured ships they saw,
All drawn in there throughout the year,
Upon the island's lonely shore.
The ships all lay as though pinned fast,
The sea waves crashing all around;
Their crewmen frozen round the mast,
Stood still as stones and made no sound.
Of signs of life the isle was free,
Although a path led from a wood,
Across a bridge into the sea,
And at its end a palace stood.
Bearslayer and his crew of men,
Crossed on the bridge, went through the door;
But even there no sign again
Of any living creature saw.
That someone lived there, this they knew:
On tables food and drink were spread,
And in another room in view
Stood ready made for each a bed.-
Not long the sailors chose to wait,
But soon the feasting was begun.
They later did not hesitate
Into his bed then climbed each one.
Bearslayer warned, it was not good,
And they would risk their lives this way,
Unless someone as sentry stood,
To keep them safe until the day.
At this, Bearslayer they beseeched
Himself that night to stand on guard,
Their weariness the point had reached,
To watch all night would be too hard.
Bearslayer fights the many-headed demons
He armed himself and went outside,
Upon the bridge the watch to stand,
But for a time no-one he spied,
A deathly silence filled the land.
Then as time's passage midnight brought,
A rider came along the track,
But at the bridge his horse stopped short;
It baulked and tried to gallop back.
At this, the rider's anger grew.
He shouted in the horse's ear:
"What groundless fear is troubling you?
No enemy awaits us here.
Bearslayer bold, my greatest foe,
Is lost upon the Northern Sea.
He is too young the course to know,
Or come so far to challenge me."
On hearing this Bearslayer swore:
"You err, you hell-hound, doubt my power;
I have indeed come to this shore,
And stand before you at this hour!"-
A frightful demon with three heads,
The rider answered full of spite:
"If truly here a hero treads,
Then prove your strength and with me fight!"
Along the track they rode ahead,
Until thick forest blocked the way.
"Blow down some trees," the demon said,
"To make a clearing for the fray!"
"You have three mouths," Bearslayer cried,
"That is a task more fit for you!"
And, in a circle three miles wide,
The trees fell, when the demon blew.
The way now freed from blocking trees,
So hard the demon struck his foe,
Bearslayer sank near to his knees
Into the island's ground below.
But just as quickly back he fought;
His heavy sword flashed in a trice,
Its slashing blow the fiend's neck caught,
Lopped off one head clean at a slice.
Although the demon struggled hard,
Bearslayer hacked its shield to shreds,
And with his sword forced down its guard,
Then struck off both the other heads.
He took the body and the horse,
Deep in the forest both he led,
Back to the building traced his course,
His armour loosed, and went to bed.
Within the building, sleeping yet,
Safe at the bridge's end secure,
The sailors faced no further threat,
From evil forces guarded sure.
The whole next day they did the same,
In celebration drank and ate;
But asked Bearslayer when night came,
To stand once more and guard the gate.
He armed himself and went out then,
Lest on the bridge a guard should lack.
And, see, at midnight once again,
A demon rode along the track.
And half aloud the rider thought:
"Where can my missing brother be?
No chance that he Bearslayer fought;
The youth still roams the Northern Sea."
On hearing this Bearslayer swore:
"You err, you hell-hound, doubt my power;
That I am here you can be sure.
Your brother fell at midnight hour!"
This demon fiend, with six-fold head,
Then answered him in angry tones:
"If you have struck my brother dead,
Then I will hack and crush your bones.
Blow down some trees," it further cried,
"To make a clearing for our fight!"
"You have six mouths," the youth replied,
"That you should do this task is right!"
The demon blew and, six miles round,
No tree could stand, the blast defy.
It struck Bearslayer to the ground,
So hard he sank in to the thigh.
But just as quick the youth now fought:
His heavy sword flashed in a trice,
Its slashing blows the demon caught
And two heads fell, lopped at a slice.
In single combat long they strove,
Until Bearslayer could prevail.
He slew the fiend; its horse he drove
Deep in the forest's densest trail.
Exhausted by the savage fight,
Back to the building he returned.
He deeply slept throughout the night,
Into the day took rest well-earned.
The third night came: Bearslayer then
The others cautioned watch to keep.
The palace he would guard again,
But they were not allowed to sleep.
If he should need it, help they owed,
Within the night, to give him aid.-
The mirror that to them he showed,
Into his grasp then must be laid.
A bowl Bearslayer took in hand,
And filled it up with water clear;
Upon a table it would stand,
By Staburadze's mirror near.
If in the night-he told them all-
The water in the dish stayed clean,
Then they could stay within the hall;
No help was needed, this would mean.
But if they saw that in the night
The water sweet to blood had turned,
They all should rush to join the fight-
This loyalty his deeds had earned.
Bearslayer armour donned again,
And stood upon the bridge as guard:
At midnight, see, a demon then
With nine fierce heads came riding hard.
Upon the bridge its horse then propped,
It baulked and would no further go.
The rider asked why it had stopped:
"What do you fear? There is no foe!
If to Bearslayer had been shown
The way to reach this secret place,
Then both my brothers would have known,
And would have fought him, face-to-face."
Bearslayer roared: "Yes, I am here!
I killed your brother yesterday,
And at this bridge stand, free of fear,
That with your life the price you pay!"
Bearslayer's words held meaning plain,
And caused the monster long to stare.
"If you have both my brothers slain,
Your flesh alive to eat I swear!"
"Blow down some trees," the demon cried,
"To make a clearing for the fray!"
"You have nine mouths!" the youth replied,
"Why should not you blow trees away?"
The demon raised a storm all round,
That nine miles wide all trees displaced,
Then struck Bearslayer to the ground,
So hard he sank in to the waist.
But yet Bearslayer was not slow,
Three demon heads their blood let spill,
But he received a second blow,
That drove him downward, deeper still.
Again he fought, and struck back strong,
Three further heads were tumbling sent.
They fought together for so long
Both were exhausted, nearly spent.
The fiend, who now had but one head,
Had sunk Bearslayer armpit deep,
Who now supposed the crew he led,
Their word to give him aid would keep.
But of his men not even one
Could help him in the battle hot.
All slept already, watching done-
His orders they had soon forgot.
So, hard his club Bearslayer threw,
And three miles even, far away,
Straight through their window in it flew,
And in the room caused disarray.
By such a noise disturbed from sleep,
The sailors sprang up to their feet,
Thought of the watch that they should keep-
With blood the bowl was filled complete!
To help the youth all courage found,
And ran to save him from distress.-
To drive him down below the ground,
The fiend stood close before success.-
They passed him Staburadze's glass;
The demon looked and quickly froze,
And helpless lay upon the grass,
While with their help Bearslayer rose.
From out the hole he clambered free,
And cut off quick the final head,
Then let his men his anger see:
They had not kept good watch, he said.
Although he thought the island now
Was safe and under their control,
The only thing he would allow
Was on all sides to make patrol!
Perhaps the demon brothers' men
Might still be there, he could not tell.-
He rested several days and then,
Bearslayer searched the island well.