The Legend

1.

This sad story begins
in Kautokeino in 1852.

Mons Somby and Aslak Hetta
are leading a revolt -

against the Norwegian oppressors.

As a result,
two Norwegians are killed.

33 Sami people
are charged with the crime.

Two of them are sentenced to death,
11 to life imprisonment.


 

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2.

This story is passed down
from generation to generation.

The parson pressures
Mons Somby to plead guilty.

He answers that God Himself
has set him the task -

to right the wrong
done by the Norwegians.

The parson says the Lord's Prayer.

The Norwegians rejoice,
the Sami are frightened.

God in Heaven is appalled
at what is happening.

The soldiers drag Aslak
towards the executioners.

He fights back.
The Sami are scared.

The Norwegians laugh,
toast each other and drink wine.

The parson and the
police chief are smiling.

God in Heaven is crying -

as he sees Aslak's soul
fly to Heaven as a willow grouse.

It's raining,
although it's wintertime.

A Norwegian grabs the heads
and starts running.

The headless corpses are buried
outside the churchyard -

because the parson says
they are criminals.

The men's skulls are taken to Oslo
and locked up in a glass cabinet -

in the basement of the
Institute of Anatomy.

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