Scene 4: In the Devil's Pit
The Devil digs the pit
At time's beginning, so is often told,
To birds and beasts gave Perkons stern commands,
To dig the Daugava, come from nature's fold,
To gnaw, to scratch, to peck in toiling bands.
Alone the peacock sat and did not work.-
The Devil, passing by, then asked the bird:
"Where is the place the other creatures lurk?"
"They dig for Perkons," answer then he heard.
"But why," he asked, "do you not labour too?"
"To save my yellow feet," the peacock said!
Then to the river bird and Devil flew,
And dug a chasm in the torrent's bed,
Which down into this pit poured straight away.-
From fear all creatures lost the power of speech;
They all commenced to run and jump and bray,
And each one found a voice with which to screech.
The bears roared fierce, the wolves and dogs all howled,
The pigs made grunts, the oxen lowed unmuted,
The horses neighed, the strident cats all yowled,
The blackbirds shrieked, the owls all harshly hooted.
The cuckoos called, the hornets made a hum,
The little birds sang loudly all around!-
The noise rose up, a riot of such sum,
That, high in Heaven, Perkons heard the sound.
He soon grew angry with the Devil's wit,
Cast lightning down and blocked the water's track;
A hill with high steep slopes enclosed the pit-
Since then the peacock's golden feet are black!
Today the people all avoid this place.
Should travellers in the night risk passing still,
Their eyes behold foul spirits in the space,
That now is called the "Devil's Dark Pit Hill."
They enter the pit
Straight Spidala swooped down to this dread place,
Across the starlit sky flown swiftly thence.
Bearslayer crouched within the log's dark space,
And struggled for his breath with swooning sense.
Fierce fork-tailed dragons coiled around them there,
With gold and treasure flying through the night,
And breathed their fiery sparks into the air,
While other witches joined them in the height.
If but a movement caught the witches' view,
To save his life no mercy would be found.-
Down to the Devil's Pit the witches flew,
And planted each her staff into the ground.
A dozen staffs stood upright by the hill,
Twelve witches entered in the Devil's Pit.
Soon bold Bearslayer had regained his will,
And entered too the cavern through a slit.
Within the pit a thick deep darkness reigned,
And round his head bats fluttered in the gloom;
Until at length a glimpse of light he gained,
And, going further, saw a lofty room.
All kinds of things inside were found in store,
Too many far the name for each to learn:
With skulls and bones, and teeth and pelt and claw,
With mounted heads and antlers all in turn.
Round ladles, cauldrons, wooden bowls and pots,
And dippers, wicker baskets, mortars, urns,
Great hammers, pitchforks, rakes, in heaping lots,
Cartwheels, old whetstones, broomsticks scorched
with burns,
Black books and parchments that all good defiled.
A corner dim held plants and dried-up grass;
On shelves stood boxes next to baskets piled,
With herbs and potions stored in jars of glass.
Upon the hearth a sullen fire dull burned,
And in its light the walls unpleasant glowed;
Hung from a crooked hook a cauldron churned.
The fire's pale gleams foul toads and black cats showed,
While in the corners snakes writhed round the room,
And through the smoke flew bats and jet-black owls.-
Bearslayer started, hidden in the gloom,
When all at once the creatures all made howls!
They hissed, and croaked, they whistled, such a roar!
And soon a crone, a witch all old and bowed,
Into the chamber entered through a door,
Who, since the room seemed empty, called aloud:
"What foul ill wind has brought base spirits here?
When clear is known that all who tread this place
A broken neck and dreadful fate must fear!"
These words the creatures silenced in a trace.
The witch then took a ladle in her hand,
And going to the cauldron thrust it in:
"The time has come to supper to command.
The meat is cooked. The meal can now begin."
And thrice upon the cauldron's side she beat.
The twelve came in, a place for each reserved,
Their portion was a sausage and some meat.-
Bearslayer thought that suckling pig was served.
A door into a second chamber led;
This room held but a chopping block alone.
The walls and ceilings like the floor were red,
And on the block a blood-red axe was thrown.
The room was starkly empty but for this.
And further yet there led another door.-
Into this open chamber, without miss,
The witches went with bowls of meat, he saw.
Horrors are revealed
Bearslayer followed silently behind,
And through the door he saw a chamber bright,
With pallid chairs and tables it was lined,
And all the walls were of a colour light.
Two stoves of like pale colour at one side,
One glowed with coals, and one held beans of white.
The witches at their meal he here espied;
Who ate in deathly silence every bite.
Again, a door a lofty room clear showed,
Where vaulted ceilings stood on pillars tall,
And all the room with golden colour glowed;
Inside the room he saw twelve beds in all.-
The sated witches each removed her dish,
Cleared up the table, swept the bones from view.
"Into the kitchen," was the old one's wish,
"And sharpened sight my spells will give to you."
"Your suitors soon will come hence to this place,
And all the brides should thus themselves prepare."
On hearing this, the youth went back apace,
Hid in the kitchen, in the corner there.-
The old one took a pot of powder then,
And brushed it in their eyes with touches light.
Then afterwards they all went out again;
Their eyes, enchanted, now were glowing bright.
Bearslayer sought for Spidala at last,
But still her form he could not recognize.
The pot of powder he had noted fast,
And with its contents smeared himself his eyes.-
It was as though a veil fell from his sight,
And now he saw unblinded, without whims:
Still in the cauldron, from the meal that night,
There lay the scraps of little children's limbs!
And where he thought a sausage to have seen,
Were foul black snakes, boiled squirming in their gore.
In that red chamber, where he first had been,
Of copper pure were ceiling, walls and floor.
And on the block the axe was copper too,
Although its use he did not understand.-
Of silver pure the second room on view,
Both chairs and tables, lanterns, all at hand.
What seemed like stoves were silver chests, he saw,
In one gold jewels, the other precious pearls.
Still further, gazing through the final door,
He saw the ceiling glittered gold in swirls,
Of gold the beds between the pillars tall.-
Back in the silver room the robes they bore,
As in a bath-house, down each witch let fall;
Just golden slippers on their feet they wore.
From cupboards now the old one gave the girls
Bejewelled broaches, bracelets for their arms,
And dressed their hair with softly shining pearls.
A wonder to the youth, for with her charms
Now Spidala among the witches too,
Revealed herself in all her beauty there.
Fair were the witches: To his wondering view,
They all possessed a devilish beauty rare.
Thus fine adorned they took their robes in hand
And to the copper chamber hastened fast,
Where round the log they gathered in a band,
While Spidala her robe upon it cast.
Then, taking up the axe she struck it there,
And spoke these words aloud in hissing tone:
"Today as first I strike the block full square-
Tomorrow to this deed I will not own."
Forth from the log a demon's form was led,
Clad as a lord, whom Spidala took hence,
They sought the golden room, and chose a bed.
The others did the same, and soon from thence
With lovers to the other room were gone.
Each lordling wore a coat of velvet black,
Three-cornered hat and boots that brightly shone,
But from their ears small horns grew in the back.
Kangars promises to serve the Devil
The old one struck the log, now left alone,
And boldly said: "Today I strike as last-
Tomorrow to this deed I will not own."
At this, with howling, Lucifer came fast.
The greatest chief of witch and devil too,
A cap of human fingernails he wore.
"Is all prepared?" he sought the old one's view.
"All ready, Lord," the crone then answered sure.
Then Lucifer struck hard with action bold,
And in a trice the chamber filled with flame
That turned the log into a carriage gold,
The axe a dragon harnessed to the same.
The two then rode together through the door,
And sought the golden chamber, in which spot
The dragon lay and rested on the floor,
And from its mouth both smoke and flame forth shot.
The younger witches, summoned by the sound,
All greeted Lucifer in prancing pack;
They entered then the kitchen at a bound,
Seized pitchforks in their hands, and hastened back,
The pitchforks heated in the dragon's throat,
And then all made a ring around the coach.
The old witch stood and with her staff firm smote
And cried "Come forth!" in tones of sour reproach.
At this, at once a wall burst open wide,
And hairy demons forth a man now brought,
Who, deathly pale, was led in at their side;
The witches formed a ring to seek their sport.-
On seeing him, Bearslayer too knew fear;
It was the famous holy man and good,
As Kangars known, a hermit who lived near,
Up on the hills, within a mighty wood.
With monstrous voice foul Lucifer then swore:
"Oh sinner, know your course is run this day;
Your wage receive now in the dragon's maw-
The pitchforks of the witches show the way."
But Kangars, prone, made pleadings to implore:
"Prolong, oh Lord, my life a tiny span,
And I will truly serve your will once more."-
A moment's thought and Lucifer began:
"In vain your begging, but my urgent plight
Could save your life and further time ensure:
The faith of Perkons yields a harvest light,
A daunting task, their souls to us to lure."
"A gift of fortune that to Baltic lands
A foreign force is coming from the west,
That seeks to seize the Baltic in its hands.
To plant an alien faith-this is their quest.
I too desire to see that faith sown free,
Because its growth will yield a harvest sure,
For many priests already cleave to me,
The bearers of the faith, whom all think pure."
"This task I give you: Help that faith to come,
And spread it wide upon the Baltic shore.
Of years I give you three times nine in sum!
So swear, oh traitor, on this dragon's maw,
The faith of Perkons wholly to eschew,
And be a traitor, with the folk at odds.
You must destroy the heroes tried and true,
And bring in priests who serve strange foreign gods."
"Go urge the people Strangers to obey,
And burn and slaughter all who would oppose.
Your final goal: That slavery hold sway.
Do thus, and live until the day I chose."
False Kangars echoed all with solemn vow:
To Lucifer he gave his yielding praise,
And made an oath unbreakable, and now
All looked at Kangars with a kindly gaze.
Here Lucifer announced the night at end.
Together with the witches he strode sure,
Into the copper room his way to wend.
The ancient witch the black-clad lovers bore
Out to the field, then sank into the ground.
Down to the earth the bowing witches bent;
In surging sulphur flames forth at a bound,
Vile Lucifer with thunderous roaring went.
Bearslayer is discovered
Bearslayer left his hiding place to go,
And, passing through the rooms, he took with him
A document he saw, as proof to show
His presence there to witness evil grim.
Although his fear grew less in starlit light,
Regret and bitter feelings seized his heart.-
Within the log once more he hid from sight,
While Spidala to journey home made start.
And as they flew, the crone her news revealed:
"Bearslayer saw our feast this night," she said,
"And watched your lovers, in the room concealed."-
Straight Spidala grew pale and then turned red.
In her impassioned heart love's traces died,
And wicked hatred in her breast hard smote.
"Why did you not say sooner? Then his pride
Had ended in the dragon's fiery throat!"
"Our master chose not thus to interfere,
Because Bearslayer's life will soon be done.
He hopes your log will bring him home from here-
Instead your course to Staburags will run,
With Sereniete thence flying fast.
Through magic's spell then on her log escape,
Your own into the whirlpool downward cast,
From whence comes forth no-one of human shape."