| Hrafninn Flýgur | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Hrafn Gunnlaugsson |
| Produced by | Bo Jonsson |
| Written by | Hrafn Gunnlaugsson |
| Starring | Jakob Þór Einarsson Edda Björgvinsdóttir Helgi Skúlason Egill Ólafsson Flosi Ólafsson Gotti Sigurdarson |
| Music by | Harry Manfredini Hans-Erik Philip |
| Cinematography | Tony Forsberg |
| Editing by | Hrafn Gunnlaugsson |
| Release date(s) | 4 February 1984 |
| Running time | 109 min. |
| Country | Iceland, Sweden |
| Language | Icelandic |
When the Raven Flies (original Icelandic: Hrafninn flýgur ()) is the title of a 1984 film by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, set in Viking age Iceland.
When the Raven Flies is the first film of the Raven Trilogy (also known as the Viking Trilogy) that consists of three 'viking' films:
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In the opening scene on Ireland, a young boy loses his parents in a Viking raid, but is spared in spite of the command of Thord, the Vikings' leader, to kill him. His sister is kidnapped by the Vikings. Twenty years later, the boy has become a man and travels to Iceland to seek revenge against the perpetrators and find his sister. His name is never revealed, and he is only known as "Gestur" by the characters in the film since he is a stranger to them. "Gestur" simply means "guest" but is also not an uncommon given name.
Gestur coldly plays two of the Viking raiders' (now living in exile from Norway) gangs against each other to get his revenge. He stays out of sight, only revealing himself through his killings and to Erik, Thord's rival. He slays several of Thord's men and then frames Erik's gang for it. Thord is led to believe that Erik is plotting against him and is lying about the Gestur character. Thord's younger brother encourages this - it's later revealed that he is the one plotting to overthrow Thord and take his position. Thord is eventually driven to attack Erik and his men, killing them all.
Gestur discovers that Thord is married to the now adult sister and they have a young son. Gestur reveals himself to his long lost sister, but she is still a Christian like their father raised them and does not help Gestur's plans to assassinate Thord.
Thord is a devout Norse paganist. Gestur secretly manipulates Thord's altar, leading Thord to believe that the gods demand his son as a sacrifice. In her desperation, Gestur's sister reveals her brother was the one who manipulated the altar and leads Thor and his gang to capture Gestur. He refuses to reveal who he is, even under brutal torture. The guilt-stricken sister frees him in secret, and the badly wounded Gestur escapes to Erik's grave.
Thord still goes ahead and arranges the sacrificial ceremony of his son, but believes that it will be enough for the gods if his son shows true Viking bravery and takes his "death" like a man, with the blade stopping only inches from this throat. Thord's treacherous younger brother is tasked with wielding the blade, but in the middle of the ceremony, Gestur suddenly reveals himself. Thord's brother swings the blade to kill Thord's son, but the child is pushed away the last second. The brother's plan to kill Thord's heir and supplant him is revealed. Gestur uses his disguise to get close to Thord and his brother, revealing his true identity and killing them both.
Gestur buries his weapons and asks his sister and her son to come with him back to Ireland. He claims that he will now abandon violence and live a Christian life. His sister refuses and says that her son is "old enough to have seen too much", using the same words that Thord used twenty years ago when he ordered the killing of Gestur. In the final scene of the film, Thord's son looks after Gestur in anger and digs up Gestur's buried weapons, presumably to avenge his father and continue the cycle of violence.
Icelandic black metal band Sólstafir, used dialogue from the film in their song "Í Víking" which can be found on their album "Í Blóði og Anda".