The 13th Warrior
The 13th Warrior is a 1999 film starring Antonio Banderas about a medieval Arab courtier who joins forces with a host of Vikings who set out to defeat the evil that plagues their lands.
- Directed by John McTiernan. Written by Michael Crichton, based on his novel Eaters of the Dead.
An Ordinary Man...An Extraordinary Journey!
Ahmed Ibn Fadhlan
[edit]- Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well. For all we ought to have thought, and have not thought; all we ought to have said, and have not said; all we ought to have done, and have not done; I pray thee God for forgiveness.
- I do not enjoy heights!
- [after learning he will be the 13th warrior] What the hell are you saying?
- Across seas of monsters and forests of demons we traveled. Praise be to Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate. May His blessing be upon pagan men who loved other Gods, who shared their food, and shed their blood. That His servant, Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan, might become a man, and a useful servant of God.
Mechisidek
[edit]- (watching the Viking funeral, as Herger translates into Greek) Lo there do I see my father; Lo there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers; Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call to me, they bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.
Herger the Joyous
[edit]- The All-Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing.
- [gives the Prince money after killing his henchman, Angus] See to your friend. He was a brave man.
- [Ahmed has killed a 'beast'] It's all right, little brother... there are more!
Dialogue
[edit]- Skeld the Superstitious: Blowhards, the both of you. She probably was some smoke-colored camp girl. [points to Ahmed] Looked like that one's mother. [laughter]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [calmly] My mother ... was a pure woman, from a noble family. And I, at least, know who my father is, you... pig-eating son of a whore.
- [Skeld charges at Ahmed, but Herger stops him and confronts the Arab.]
- Herger the Joyous: How? How did you learn our language?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: I listened!
- Buliwyf: You can draw sounds?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: "Draw sounds"? [realizing] Yes, I can draw sounds... and I can speak them back.
- Buliwyf: Show me.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [writing in the dirt] "There is only one God, and Mohammad is his prophet".
- [later, as Buliwyf and Ahmed land on a beach]
- Buliwyf: Arab! Speak what I draw! [writes in the sand]
- [Ahmed looks at what Buliwyf has written and comprehends what he is after]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: "There is only one God, and Mohammad [corrects Buliwyf's writing] is his prophet.
- [Buliwyf nods and walks off.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [Ahmed is given a Viking sword] I cannot lift this.
- Herger the Joyous: Grow stronger!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [Olga is cleaning his wound] Ow!
- Olga: You complain much.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: (more quietly) Ow.
- [She applies a swab of ammonia.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: What is that?
- Olga: Cow urine.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Cow urine?
- Olga: Boiled down.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: No, no. Don't put that filth on me. Water, clean water.
- Olga: As you wish. Tomorrow the pus will run, and you'll have a fever. [Ahmed relents and lets her put it on]
- [Ahmed Ibn Fadlan reforges his Norse longsword into the more familiar scimitar.]
- Weath the Musician: Give an Arab a sword, he makes a knife!
- Ahmed Ibn Fadlan: [chops a stake with a single stroke] It works.
- [Ahmed Ibn Fadlan displays a skillful handling of the blade, throwing it in the air, catching it and pointing it at Weath's throat.]
- Weath the Musician: [Not even blinking] When you die, can I give that to me daughter?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [Olga inspects his wound] Ow!
- Olga: That's a woman's sound.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Do that again and you'll make it.
- Olga: You'll live.
- [Herger kills one of the Prince's henchmen in a sham duel.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: You! You could have killed him at will!
- Herger the Joyous: Yes?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Well, why the deception?
- Herger the Joyous: Deception is the point! Any fool can calculate strength. That one has been doing it since we arrived. Now he has to calculate what he can't see.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: And fear... what he doesn't know. [Herger makes a head-smacking gesture]
- Buliwyf: As you say, foolish. And expensive. We will miss Angus tonight; we will miss his sword.
- [The Wendol horsemen charge toward Ahmed Ibn Fahdaln, and the Vikings. Buliwyf throws Ahmed a wooden stake.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: What do I do with this?!
- Buliwyf: Put your foot on it...and stand!
- [Herger proffers a drinking horn containing mead.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: I cannot...taste neither the fermentation of grape nor of wheat. [Herger laughs] What? Why do you laugh?
- Herger the Joyous: [still laughing] Honey... It's made from honey!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Have we anything resembling a plan?
- Herger the Joyous: Mm-hm. Ride till we find them... and kill them all.
- [The Viking band is seemingly trapped in the Wendol caves.]
- Buliwyf: [observing more Wendol warriors arriving] A hard fight to get clear of here...
- [With the Wendol pursuing, the Vikings attempt to swim under the Thunder Cliffs.]
- Herger the Joyous: The way we'll know is: if they don't follow us it's too far to swim!
- Buliwyf: [weakened by poison] You're wearing that long face for me?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: [small smile] I cannot help it.
- Buliwyf: I have only these hands. I will die a pauper.
- King Hrothgar: You will be buried as a king.
- Buliwyf: A man might be thought wealthy if someone were to... draw the story of his deeds. That they may be remembered.
- [Olga looks meaningfully at Ahmed, who already understands what Buliwyf is asking.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Such a man might be thought wealthy indeed.
- Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see--
- Herger the Joyous: --my mother, and my sisters...
- Buliwyf: and my brothers.
- Herger the Joyous: 'Lo, there do I see the line--
- Edgtho the Silent: --of my people, back to the beginning.
- Weath the Musician: 'Lo, they do call to me.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: They bid me take my place among them.
- Buliwyf: In the halls of Valhalla...
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Where the brave...
- Herger the Joyous: May live...
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: ...forever.
- Wigliff - Kings Son: [Speaking of Buliwyf] This gentleman has the look of a great warrior; no doubt he's very brave. But to face the Wendo, he'll need some amazing luck.
- Buliwyf: Luck often enough, will save a man, if his courage hold.
- Wigliff (King's son): That maybe, but wait for the Wendo one night's time, and then talk to us of courage.
- Buliwyf: I thank the lord for his advice, though I don't recall hearing any exploits of his apart from killing his brothers.
- Herger the Joyous: We shall make prayers for your safe passage!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Prayers to who?
- Herger the Joyous: In your land, one God is perhaps enough, but we have need of many! I will pray to all of them for you! Do not be offended!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: I will be in your debt!
- Herger the Joyous: Good bye, Arab!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Good bye, Northman.
Cast
[edit]- Antonio Banderas - Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan
- Diane Venora - Queen Weilew
- Vladimir Kulich - Buliwyf
- Dennis Storhoi - Herger the Joyous
- Richard Bremmer - Skeld the Superstitious
- Omar Sharif - Melchisidek
- Maria Bonnevie - Olga
- Tony Curran - Weath the Musician
External links
[edit]
- The 13th Warrior quotes at the Internet Movie Database