A presentation from a cultural and historical point of view in 7 chapters of moving pictures.
SORGINA Zinema-emanaldi historiko-kultural bat, zazpi zatitan.
BENJAMIN CHRISTENSEN wrote the script and produced this film between the years of 1919 and 1921.
Benjamin Christensek idatzi eta egin zuen film hau 1919-1921ean.
For the photography I am grateful to Mr. Johan Ankerstjerne and to Mr. Richard Louw for the art direction.
Eskerrak ematen dizkiot Johan Ankerstjerne-ri argazkiagatik eta Richard Louw jaunari eszenaratzeagatik.
My main sources are mentioned in the theatre's playbill.
Nire informazio-iturri nagusiak antzokiko egitarauan aipatzen dira.
Let us look into the history of mysticism and try to explain the mysterious chapter known as the Witch.
Bila dezagun mistizismoaren historian eta saia gaitezen Sorgina deitzen den kapitulu misteriotsua agertzen.
The belief in sorcery and witchcraft is probably as old as mankind.
Sorginkerian sinestea giza arraza bezain zaharra izango da.
When primitive man is confronted with something incomprehensible, the explanation is always sorcery and evil spirits.
Antzinako gizakiak ulertzen ez zuen zerbaiti aurre egin behar zionean hau zen beti haren azalpena: sorginkeria eta espiritu gaiztoak.
In Persia, the imaginary creatures depicted in the following picture were thus believed to be the cause of diseases.
Hurrengo irudietako fantasiek gaixotasunak eragiten zituztela uste zuten Pertsian.
The English scientist Rawlinson and French scientist Maspero show us pictures of evil spirits, believed to have resided amongst the first civilizations.
Rawlinson ingelesak eta Maspero frantsesak erakutsi zizkiguten antzinako zibilizaziorik zaharreneko espiritu gaiztoak.
The belief in evil spirits, sorcery and witchcraft is the result of naive notions about the mystery of the universe.
Espiritu gaiztoetan eta sorginkerian sinesteak munduaren mistizismoari buruzko ume-sinesteekin zerikusia du.
Here we see how the Egyptians perceived the shape of the world (according to Maspero).
Hemen ikusten da nola ikusten zuten egiptoarrek lurraren forma.
The ancient Egyptians believed that high mountains surrounded land and water on all sides.
Egiptoarrek ezagutzen zituzten lurralde eta itsaso guztiak mendi handiz inguratuta zeuden, nonbait.
The sky was made of steel and supported by strong pillars that stood on the high mountains.
Zerua altzairuz egina zegoen eta mendi handitan sartutako zutabe handiek eusten zioten.
The stars, like lamps, hung from the sky on ropes.
Izarrak lanparak ziren, ilara sendoetan zerutik zintzilikatuak.
According to the beliefs of other ancient civilizations, the sky was vaulted and the earth shaped into terraces.
Antzinako beste sineste batzuen arabera zerua ganga bat zen, eta lurra terrazatan zegoen.
The evil spirits of ancient times changed in the medieval folklore to devils, sneaking around and tempting children.
Historiaurreko garaiko espiritu gaiztoak umeak tentatzen zituzten deabru bihurtu ziren Erdi Aroan.
The devils lived in the earth's core.
Deabruak Lurraren barruan bizi ziren.
In the latter part of the Middle Ages the earth was considered to be a stationary sphere in the middle of the universe.
Eta Lurra, haientzat, esfera geldi bat zen unibertsoaren erdian.
Above the earth and its waters - - the medieval man first imagined a layer of air - - then a layer of fire -
Lurretik eta hango uretatik kanpo Erdi Aroko gizakiak aire-geruza bat irudikatzen zuen, aurrenik eta, gero, su-geruza bat.
- and outside the fire were the planets, moving celestial bodies.
Eta, sutik harago, planetak imajinatzen zituen, geldirik.
Each planet was attached to its transparent, movable sphere.
Planeta bakoitza bere esfera garden, mugikorrari atxikia zegoen.
And outside the planetary spheres were the fixed stars arranged in a sky of their own.
Eta planeta-zeruetatik harago izar finkoak zeuden, beren zeruan.
Above it all, in the tenth crystal sphere, sits the Almighty surrounded by nine choirs of angels and He is the One keeping the spheres revolving.
Guztiaren gainetik, hamargarren kristalezko zeruan Ahalguztiduna eserita dago, 9 aingeru-abesbatzaz inguratua eta Hark ibilarazten du munduaren makineria.
Deep down in the earth's core lies Hell, where those tempted by the Devil shall suffer forever.
Lurraren sakonenean infernua dago, eta han oinazetzen dira betierean deabruak tentatutako haiek.
In the upper part of the following picture (from the French historian Lacroix) The devils are stuffing the damned into large pots.
Hurrengo irudiaren goialdean deabruak ikusten dira kondenatuak pertz handitan ipintzen.
A sinner is thrown straight into the fire burning under one of the cauldrons.
Bekatari bat sutara bota dute pertzetako baten azpira.
A devil pours the nasty sulfur oozing from a horn down a man's throat.
Deabru batek adar baten barruko sufre ikaragarria isurtzen dio eztarritik gizon bati.
Two monsters torment some of the damned with their sharp teeth.
Bi munstrok bi kondenatu torturatzen dituzte beren hortz zorrotzekin.
I have found a strange old mechanical presentation of Hell, which offers a good understanding of the beliefs in the Middle Ages.
Infernuaren deskribapen bitxi, zahar eta mekaniko bat aurkitu dut Erdi Aroko sinesteak ondo erakusten dizkiguna.
Observe the eagerness with which the devils tend to the fire under the cauldrons!
Begira zer-nolako grinaz zaintzen duten deabruek pertz azpiko sua!
During the Middle Ages, devils and Hell were considered real and constantly feared.
Deabru hauek eta infernu hau kezka larria ziren Erdi Arokoentzat.
Witches were thought to have signed an unlawful pact with the Devil, and therefore they were burned at the stake.
Sorginek itun kriminal bat sinatu omen zuten deabruarekin eta horregatik erretzen zituzten.
The floating figure is a devil coming to get the witch by lifting her up into the air.
Irudiaren goialdean airean dagoen izakia deabru bat da sorgina hartu, eta airean eramango du.
This picture of a pyre as well as the following one are from "German Life in the Past in Pictures."
Irudi hau, eta hurrengo batzuk, "Deutsches Leben der Vergangenheit in Bildern" liburuan aurkitu ditut.
In this image a witch is milking an ax handle.
Irudi honetan, sorgin bat aizkora baten kirtena jezten ari da.
In the following image a witch has bewitched a man's shoe.
Hurrengo irudian, sorgin batek gizon baten zapata sorgindu du.
Witches usually meet in councils.
Sorginek elkarrekin biltzeko ohitura zuten.
And after the gathering they might, for instance, sneak into a barn and bewitch a cow.
Bileraren ondoren, batzuetan ukuilu batean ezkutuan sartu eta behi bat sorgintzen zuten.
The small angular symbol, noticeable under the drawing, was usually carved into the barn door as protection against witches.
Marrazki azpian ageri den markatxoa atean grabatzen zuten sorginen aurkako babes gisa.
In this old naive drawing, a sorcerer and a witch are casting spells, setting a village on fire.
Marrazki zahar eta baldar honetan, azti bat eta sorgin bat arao egiten ari dira herri bati su emateko.
Witches were believed to curse people with diseases with the help of sorcerer's powder and magic potions.
Sorgin-hautsen eta edabe magikoen bidez sorginek gaixotasunak eragiten omen zituzten.
Notice how the sick person is laying naked in bed.
Erreparatu gaixoa biluzik datzala ohean. Hori zen ohitura garai zaharretan.
It was a general belief that the witch was naked when, at night, during the so-called Witch Sabbath, she danced with the devils.
Sorgina biluzik omen zegoen deabruekin dantzatzen zenean "Sorginen Sabbath" deitzen zitzaion hartan.
Women who wanted to participate in the "Sabbath" sneaked away to the sorcerer where they could have their backs smeared with "witch ointment".
"Sabbath"era joan nahi zuten emakumeak ezkutuan joaten ziren sorginarengana "sorginaren ukendua" lepoan igurztera.
The witchcraft of the ointment would allow them to fly through the air.
Ukenduaren indar magikoaz airean hegan egin zezaketen.
The French doctors Bourneville and Teinturier gave me the following pictures of the Witch Sabbath a secret satanic rite to which thousands of women asserted their participation.
Bourneville eta Teinturier frantses medikuen laneko irudi hauek "Sorginen Sabbath" agertzen dute, deabruzko festa misteriotsua milaka emakumek joan nahi izaten duena.
At the Sabbath witches and sorcerers first desecrate the Church's holy cross.
Sabbathen, aztiek eta sorginek barre egiten diote gurutze santuari.
Satan gives all the participants devils' names.
Deabru-izenez bataiatzen du deabruak parte-hartzaile bakoitza.
And a ceremonial banquet is held.
Gero, otordu zeremoniatsu bat egiten dute.
The Sabbath food was often prepared from corpses from the gallows.
Sabbatheko otordua urkatuen gorpuekin prestatzen zen maiz.