Michael York credited as playing...
Guthrum
- Guthrum: I am Guthrum, son of Odin! This is Ivar, my warrior chief. He's called Ivar the boneless because his mother made him with gristle, instead of bone. Show them.
- [Ivar performs impressive acrobatics with a sword]
- Guthrum: He fights as well.
- Alfred: I am Alfred, king of Wessex. This is my cousin, Athelstan of Lamborn. I fear he only jumps on Danish graves.
- Guthrum: Your Christ cannot be like our love god Frey. When maids see him they blush.
- Alfred: My god is life, eternal! Your gods are dead.
- Guthrum: Not dead. They speak in thunder, and in battle! In birth cry, and from the loins from lovers! Here are my gods, they were your gods of old. Men say all Saxon kings are sons of Odin.
- Alfred: They lie.
- Guthrum: He's a cruel god, lusting for power and knowledge. He was hanged upon a tree to prove himself and to find wisdom.
- Alfred: He found nothing. Your gods teach nothing. They have no wisdom.
- Guthrum: They have wisdom. The wisdom of the blood.
- Alfred: Of blood? There is no wisdom there, only pain! And hunger and lust. Christ conquers passions so that life and wisdom can begin.
- Guthrum: Without passion?
- Alfred: Yes. Else we are animals.
- Guthrum: And would you be master of all passion?
- Alfred: [Silent]
- Guthrum: [Chuckles] Now I see it. You are Odin's son.
- Guthrum: We shall let the Saxons sleep. They sleep in *fear*, because they have deserted the gods we know. They say they have a new god - a god of peace and charity. Will such a god defend them? They're afraid of life - afraid of *death*. But, most of all, they're afraid the gods they turn from will now destroy them. Let us feed their fears.
- Guthrum: We are the sons of Odin! And we shall take this land. It's slaves. iI's riches. *All* will be ours.