Original subtitles

This movie was digitally restored by the Swedish Film Institute in 2017.

Downloaded from YTS.MX

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

For the restoration, the following five elements were used:

A black/white nitrate copy with Swedish text, a nitrate color copy

with Dutch text, a black/white dupe neg with English text,

a black/white IP and a black/white dupe neg with Swedish texts.

The film's original color has been re-created with

the Dutch nitrate copy as a reference.

As some original title cards were missing,

they were re-created with the help of the Swedish nitrate copy.

During the reign of King Johan III

a bitterly cold winter swept over Sweden

the like of which had never been seen in living memory.

The King discovered a conspiracy among his Scottish mercenary troops.

The soldiers of fortune were ordered to leave

and they were kept under guard until they crossed the border.

Their leaders were bold and fearless men.

They were arrested and sent to the tower.

...and the youngest, Sir Archie.

As long as they remained within the bounds of Swedish rule

they dare not reveal their identities.

They donned rough hides and claimed to be journeymen tanners

roaming the country in search of work.

And by the time they reached the border

they were completely famished.

In those days, an impoverished fish hawker lived in Marstrand

a man by the name of Torarin.

Most of the time he was on the road selling salted and dried fish.

"I have had great news today, Grim.

The sea has frozen over.

Not only the bays and sounds,

but quite far out to sea."

"Since we will pass by the vicarage at Solberga, Grim

we could stop there and ask

if the ice will bear our weight all the way to Marstrand."

Generally, the dog was still and merely blinked at his master's words.

But should he heard something displeasing

he climbed on top of the load they carried

pointed his nose skywards, and howled.

"Dear dog, what do you have against Solberga?

Have we not many times

swung past the vicarage to pay Sir Arne a visit?"

At the vicarage, the estate known as Solberga

the vicar, Sir Arne, ate his supper

in the company of the members of his household.

The vicar was an old man who retained his dignity and vigor.

Sir Arne...

While the years had not been kind to his wife.

The Vicar's Wife...

Seated on the other side of Sir Arne was the curate.

Curate...

At the far end of the table were Sir Arne's niece, Berghild

and her foster sister Elsalill,

an orphan taken in by the vicar's household.

Elsalill... Berghild...

Torarin was the only person present not belonging to the household...

...and his gaze kept returning

to the ironclad chest at the foot of the fourposter bed.

This was where Sir Arne stored a fortune in silver coins

and it was said they filled the chest to the very brim.

Though Torarin was a man of little means

he had no desire to possess this fortune

for he had heard that Sir Arne had taken the money

from the large monasteries that once flourished in this country

and that the old monks had prophesied

that the money would bring him ill fortune.

"Why are they sharpening knives over at Branehög?"

"Tell me, why are they sharpening such long knives

over at Branehög on this very night?"

"Do you not hear the scraping and filing?

Do you not hear the hissing and squealing?"

"How can you hear them sharpening knives over at Branehög?

That estate is miles away.

Pray let us finish our supper."

ACT II

That very evening a banquet was held at the inn at Branehög.

And all the townspeople were invited.

"The old saying holds true:

The closest neighbor is the last to arrive."

"I still see them in my mind's eye

sharpening their knives.

God only knows what they plan."

"It was fortunate that the vision lady vicar saw

was no more ominous

than a few journeymen tanners

preparing the tools of their trade."

Long after midnight, a few men left the inn at Branehög

in order to saddle their horses and return home.

"Come out! Come out!

The vicarage is on fire!"

"Last night Sir Arne and his entire household

were murdered by three men

entering the house by way of the smokehole in the roof.

Men dressed in rough hides..."

"Sir Arne's horse is gone and so is the sleigh!"

ACT III

The impoverished young maid,

the sole survivor of the bloodbath,

was taken by Torarin

to come live with his mother and himself in their cottage.

Torarin's cottage was situated at the highest point of the island.

And all the Scottish mercenaries, mariners and fishermen

locked in by the ice at Marstrand

used to pass by his cottage

on their way to see

if the sea had begun to cast off its blanket of ice."

Many were the times Elsalill regarded those who passed by.

She would ponder on how blessed they were

to have something to look forward to.

She yearned for nothing on earth.

"I am not wealthy enough, Elsalill

to feed and clothe you

only for you to be idle and nurture your grief."

"Oh, Mother Katri!

The last to be slain was my foster sister.

She pleaded to be spared

but one of the men stabbed her to the heart.

"Had I not hidden behind a wall

I would be with my dear foster sister now!"

"I hope they are alive, so I may rip the hearts from their chests!

I hope they are alive,

so I may see them drawn and quartered!"

"We did not come to frighten you, good maiden,

but to implore you to share your tale with us."

"We came to Marstrand to book passage to Scotland,

but all the fjords and sounds are frozen.

Now we while away the hours

and would be much obliged if you were to share your tale with us."

"Show the gentleman

you do not lack the breeding to respond properly, Elsalill.

You were born to a higher station

and are not a lowly fish wench."

After that day, Sir Archie often ventured to Torarin's cottage

to speak to Elsalill...

"God himself has sent you to me, Elsalill!"

"Elsalill, will you accompany me to Scotland as my wife?"

"There I will build you a castle

of which you will be the distinguished mistress."

"Do you see the hair entwining my hand, Elsalill?

Do you see the lock of fair hair?"

"In this very same manner the hair of my foster sister

was twisted around the hand of her killer."

"We frighten ourselves unnecessarily, Elsalill.

Look, it was but a few sunbeams

shining in from the window."

"Sir Archie, Sir Archie!

Why must you call the dead to mind?"

"Leave me, leave me, Sir Archie.

For now my mind dwells solely on the dead."

"Grim, my dear dog,

you can no longer doubt that we travel across the sea.

Look, a large ship is locked in the ice."

"What do you say?

Shall we call to the skipper and hear if he wants to buy our fish?"

If the ice never broke up

it would be impossible to set sail for Scotland.

Sir Archie wished to discuss this matter with the skipper.

"A man like yourself

who travels everywhere and hears everything,

do you know why God keeps the gates of the sea barred for so long?

Holding us all captive?"

"Once I spent a whole month in Bergen

when headwinds were so strong

not a single ship could put out..."

The Skipper...

"You see, one of the ships stuck in the harbor

was carrying a man who had stolen from the church.

And he would have escaped,

had it not been for the raging storm..."

"As soon as he was brought ashore

the weather turned beautiful and the wind became benign..."

"Do you now know why I asked

why God keeps the gates of the sea barred?"

"He requested passage to Scotland

for himself and his men

but I do not like

to have such ruffians aboard my ship..."

ACT IV

Not long afterwards

Elsalill had a peculiar dream.

She thought she saw her dead foster sister standing before her...

Elsalill saw that they were in a room

where the proprietress of the tavern

had her maid stationed to wash dishes and tankards.

Her sister seemed to beckon her

to help wash up.

The next day the dream lingered and would not fade...

And she was irresistibly drawn

to the places her foster sister had taken her in the dream.

"Rather than simply standing there

you might come in and give me a hand with the dishes."

"Drink, my brother! Sir Arne's fortune is not yet gone."

She could not betray him.

He was dear to her heart.

She could not send him to be drawn and quartered.

She could not bear to see

his hands and feet seared off.

"God bless you

for coming to see me tonight, Elsalill."

"Elsalill, I have not been to see you for many days

since grave thoughts plagued me.

But when I happened upon you just now

my heart told me what I must do

to be released from my torment forever.

"I weep, Sir Archie

for the love I bear in my heart for you is too strong."

"Soon the sea will open

and ships will be able to set sail to the country from which I come.

Elsalill, will you go with me?"

"You must go with me, Elsalill

or I will be doomed."

"Tonight I will come for you, Elsalill.

I must have your decision tonight."

"Why are you out here weeping?

Why did you not stay in the cellar?"

"I left because I did not wish to hear

the words of the evildoers on your premises."

"I happened, however, to hear

three men talking and one said: Drink, my brother.

Sir Arne's fortune is not yet gone."

"If you can witness such words, you do best not to run away.

For you must go with me

to the rightful authorities

so they may seize the murderers

and duly punish them."

ACT V

The skipper sent word to Sir Archie and his men

that they may board ship this evening.

The sea had begun to open up to the west.

They might even gain free passage

to Scotland before first light.

"Go to the inn and settle things.

I must speak to Elsalill before we leave."

"Sir Reginald and Philip have gone to the inn

while Sir Archie has gone to Torarin's cottage."

"Make haste and fly, the town guards are after you!"

"They are looking for the men who murdered Sir Arne."

"Did you recognize me, Elsalill, and set them on me?"

"They are coming for you. Go!"

"Have you considered that I no longer will have a hope

of ever redeeming myself?

"Why did you do it, Sir Archie?"

"We had been driven mad by hunger and by the cold.

We were senseless with drink.

I did not know what I was doing."

"Why do you play me false just when I trusted you most?"

"Do not fear me, Elsalill.

I am again the man I was.

I have command of my senses..."

"And no harm will befall you on this night either,

I assure you that."

And using Elsalill as a shield

Sir Archie ran for the door.

A wild wolf of the woods she had loved.

An evil murderer she shielded with her own body.

And as Sir Arne took another step

the pike plunged into Elsalill's heart.

All night long

the skipper paced the deck of his ketch...

Who could know what possessed the skipper

to be out on a night such as this.

His crew was safely aboard ship

and so were the passengers destined for Scotland.

It was not until dawn's early light

that the skipper saw the sight he was longing for.

Fjords and sounds were now open far out to sea.

But the inlet where his ship was locked in

showed no channels,

it was frozen solid.

"I implore you

to help me find the maid

the Scotsmen brought to your ship last night..."

"Last night she was abducted

by the killers of Sir Arne

and they brought her to your ship..."

"The town guard will not venture out this far.

Not to a ship carrying a hundred soldiers of fortune.

They are unwilling to engage them in battle..."

"Now I know why we have been held back

while all other ships may put to sea.

It is because we have evildoers on board."

"Stay calm and obey that man.

This is the will of God."

As soon as the criminals were brought to shore

the storm began to rage again.

And from his lofty vantage point on deck

the skipper saw a lengthy procession approach his ship.

It was the womenfolk of Marstrand, both young and old

They were clad in mourning

and young men carried a litter.

They had come to collect the young maiden

who had loved an evildoer

and had given her life to destroy him.

...and in their wake

the tempest tore up the ice over which they had but lately passed.

And by the time they reached Marstrand with Elsalill

the gates of the sea stood open.