The Feast at Solhoug | Page 5

with the
word-melody of the ballad than with the characterisation of the Saga.
Thus it happened that the fermenting, formless design for the tragedy,
The Vikings at Helgeland, transformed itself temporarily into the lyric
drama, The Feast at Solhoug.
The two female characters, the foster sisters Hiordis and Dagny, of the
projected tragedy, became the sisters Margit and Signe of the
completed lyric drama. The derivation of the latter pair from the two
women of the Saga at once becomes apparent when attention is drawn
to it. The relationship is unmistakable. The tragic hero, so far only
vaguely outlined, Sigurd, the far-travelled Viking, the welcome guest at
the courts of kings, became the knight and minstrel, Gudmund Alfson,
who has likewise been long absent in foreign lands, and has lived in the
king's household. His attitude towards the two sisters was changed, to
bring it into accordance with the change in time and circumstances; but
the position of both sisters to him remained practically the same as that
in the projected and afterwards completed tragedy. The fateful banquet,
the presentation of which had seemed to me of the first importance in

my original plan, became in the drama the scene upon which its
personages made their appearance; it became the background against
which the action stood out, and communicated to the picture as a whole
the general tone at which I aimed. The ending of the play was,
undoubtedly, softened and subdued into harmony with its character as
drama, not tragedy; but orthodox aestheticians may still, perhaps, find
it indisputable whether, in this ending, a touch of pure tragedy has not
been left behind, to testify to the origin of the drama.
Upon this subject, however, I shall not enter at present. My object has
simply been to maintain and prove that the play under consideration,
like all my other dramatic works, is an inevitable outcome of the tenor
of my life at a certain period. It had its origin within, and was not the
result of any outward impression or influence.
This, and no other, is the true account of the genesis of _The Feast at
Solhoug_.
Henrik Ibsen. Rome, April, 1883.
*Heinrich von Kleist, Henrik Hertz, Henrik Ibsen.

THE FEAST AT SOLHOUG

CHARACTERS
BENGT GAUTESON, Master of Solhoug. MARGIT, his wife. SIGNE,
her sister. GUDMUND ALFSON, their kinsman. KNUT GESLING,
the King's sheriff. ERIK OF HEGGE, his friend. A HOUSE-CARL.
ANOTHER HOUSE-CARL. THE KING'S ENVOY. AN OLD MAN.
A MAIDEN. GUESTS, both MEN and LADIES. MEN of KNUT
GESLING'S TRAIN. SERVING-MEN and MAIDENS at SOLHOUG.
The action passes at Solhoug in the Fourteenth Century.

PRONUNCIATION OF NAMES: Gudmund=Goodmund. The g in
"Margit" and in "Gesling" is hard, as in "go," or in "Gesling," it may be
pronounced as y--"Yesling." The first o in Solhoug ought to have the
sound of a very long "oo."
Transcriber's notes:
--Signe and Hegge have umlauts above the e's, the ultimate e only in
Hegge. --Passages that are in lyric form are not indented and have the
directorial comments to the right of the character's name.

THE FEAST AT SOLHOUG
PLAY IN THREE ACTS

ACT FIRST
A stately room, with doors in the back and to both sides. In front on the
right, a bay window with small round panes, set in lead, and near the
window a table, on which is a quantity of feminine ornaments. Along
the left wall, a longer table with silver goblets and drinking-horns. The
door in the back leads out to a passage-way,* through which can be
seen a spacious fiord-landscape.
BENGT GAUTESON, MARGIT, KNUT GESLING and ERIK OF
HEGGE are seated around the table on the left. In the background are
KNUT's followers, some seated, some standing; one or two flagons of
ale are handed round among them. Far off are heard church bells,
ringing to Mass.
*This no doubt means a sort of arcaded veranda running along the outer
wall of the house.

ERIK.

[Rising at the table.] In one word, now, what answer have you to make
to my wooing on Knut Gesling's behalf?
BENGT.
[Glancing uneasily towards his wife.] Well, I--to me it seems-- [As she
remains silent.] H'm, Margit, let us first hear your thought in the matter.
MARGIT.
[Rising.] Sir Knut Gesling, I have long known all that Erik of Hegge
has told of you. I know full well that you come of a lordly house; you
are rich in gold and gear, and you stand in high favour with our royal
master.
BENGT.
[To KNUT.] In high favour--so say I too.
MARGIT.
And doubtless my sister could choose her no doughtier mate--
BENGT.
None doughtier; that is what I say too.
MARGIT.
--If so be that you can win her to think kindly of you.
BENGT.
[Anxiously, and