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.
An Ordinary Man...An Extraordinary Journey!
- Written by Michael Crichton. Directed by John McTiernan.
Battle Preparation
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.Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan
- 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] The hell you say?
Herger the Joyous
- 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 man nothing.
- [Ahmed has killed a 'beast'] It's all right, little brother... there are more!
Dialogue
- Skeld the Superstitious: Blow-hards the both of you. She probably was some smoke-colored camp girl. Looked like that one's mother. (laughter)
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: 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!
- Herger the Joyous: Where did you learn our language?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: I listened!
- Buliwyf: You can draw sounds?
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Draw sounds? Yes, I can draw sounds... and I can speak them back.
- Buliwyf: Show me.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: (drawing in the dirt) There is only one God, and Mohammad is his prophet.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: (Olga is cleaning his wound) Ow!
- Olga: You complain much.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: 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 Fahdlan: (Ahmed is given a Viking sword) I cannot lift this.
- Herger the Joyous: Grow stronger.
- [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 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: Have we anything resembling a plan?
- Herger the Joyous: Mm-hm. Ride till we find them... and kill them all.
- [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.
- 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 to I do with this?!
- Buliwyf: Put your foot on it...and stand!
- [Herger proffers a drinking horn containing mead.]
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: I can taste neither the fermentation of grape nor of wheat. (Herger laughs) What? Why do you laugh?
- Herger the Joyous: Honey...It's made from honey!
- [The Viking band is seemingly trapped in the Wendol caves]
- Buliwyf: [observing more Wendol warriors arriving] A hard fight to get clear of here...
- Herger the Joyous: The way we'll know is: if they don't follow us it's too far to swim!
- 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.
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Such a man might be thought wealthy indeed.
- Buliwyf: 'Lo, there do I see my father.
- Herger the Joyous: 'Lo, there do I see My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.
- Herger the Joyous: 'Lo, there do I see The line of my people...
- Edgtho the Silent: 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.
- Herger the Joyous: In your land one God may be enough, but here we have need of many Gods. I will pray to all of them for you. Do not be offended! Good Bye Arab!
- Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan: Good bye, North man.
Cast
- Antonio Banderas - Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan
- Diane Venora - Queen Weilew
- Vladimir Kulich - Buliwyf
- Dennis Stohoi - Herger the Joyous
- Richard Bremmer - Skeld the Superstitious
- Omar Sharif - Melchisidek
- Maria Bonnevie - Olga