Stara Basn ("When the Sun Was a God")

[TimCallahan]

While I was looking at some videos of the Russian pagan metal band, Arkona, I came across Stara Basn (roughly translated as "When the Sun Was a God"), an epic Polish film set in the ninth century, among the pagan tribes in what eventually became Poland. The story is about an evil king who, rather than give up the kingship inherited from his brother, to his heroic nephews, contrives to murder one and blame the death on the surviving brother. He does this at the urging of his wife, a freed slave, who wants her son to rule. There is, thus, a bit of the plot of MacBeth involved. Early on in the film, the evil king is haunted by a prophecy that he will be eaten by mice. As the film progresses, the king has to do in more and more people, provoking a popular revolt. His answer is to invite the Vikings in to crush it.

The film features great interior and exterior shots of a pagan temple, great battle scenes, a celebration of Kupala, the Slavic midsummer festival, replete with hot young women running about in the buff, scary Viking berserkers and a formidable Polish witch.

I eventually viewed the entire movie in 11 installments. This is the first one.

 

[Craig B]

Early on in the film, the evil king is haunted by a prophecy that he will be eaten by mice.

If I was the subject of such a prophecy I'd probably go bananas too. See wiki on Prince Popiel.

Prince Popiel ІІ (or Duke Popiel) was a legendary 9th century ruler of the West Slavic ("proto-Polish") tribe of Goplans and Polans, the last member of the pre-Piast dynasty, the Popielids. According to the chroniclers Gallus Anonymus, Jan Długosz and Marcin Kromer, as a consequence of bad rule he was deposed, besieged by his subjects, and eaten alive by mice in a tower in Kruszwica.

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[TimCallahan]

It's interesting that I didn't initially see the rather obvious connection between Popiel's fat and that of Bishop Hatto in the legend of the mouse tower. I wonder which story came first.

 

[SpuriusMaximus]

Far as I can google, "Stara Basn" actually means "Old Tale". The "when the Sun was a God" is the subtitle.

 

[TimCallahan]

Far as I can google, "Stara Basn" actually means "Old Tale". The "when the Sun was a God" is the subtitle.

Yeah, come to think of it, that makes much more sense, since there are only two words in the title.

Have you had a chance to see any of the film?

 

[Tiktaalik]

Far as I can google, "Stara Basn" actually means "Old Tale". The "when the Sun was a God" is the subtitle.

"Stare" also means "old" in Czech.

 

[SpuriusMaximus]

Yeah, come to think of it, that makes much more sense, since there are only two words in the title.

Have you had a chance to see any of the film?

Well, I figure about half of it. Seems a bit mediocre acted and full of cliches, innit? But yeah, the trying for a historical pagan setting instead of Crystal Dragon Jesus is a nicer touch.

 

[TimCallahan]

Well, I figure about half of it. Seems a bit mediocre acted and full of cliches, innit? But yeah, the trying for a historical pagan setting instead of Crystal Dragon Jesus is a nicer touch.

Crystal Dragon?

 

[Moss]

Crystal Dragon?

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrystalDragonJesus

 

[Craig B]

"Stare" also means "old" in Czech.

And in Russian, Lenin was referred to as "starik" - the Old Man - by his Party colleagues. More a term of respect than a reference to his age. He was 54 when he died.