Full screen recommended.
"13th Warrior, Prayers Before Final Battle"
"In the movie "The 13th Warrior" Antonio Banderas' character, an Arab Muslim, delivered a prayer just before an epic battle that has stuck with me ever since. Some of the words in that prayer are words that have inspired me to say and do and think some of the things that I have since I walked out of the theater on the night that I saw that movie. This prayer, although delivered by a Muslim rather than Christian character, has become part of me. The words are beautiful and simple and eloquent:
"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."
Of course if you think about it this prayer also spawns thoughts to the inverse of the lines used; i.e. Father forgive me for the things that I/we have thought that I ought not have thought, for the things I have said, that I ought not have said, for things I have done that I ought not have done.
Then brave Buliwyf begins to pray, also, to his many pagan gods and to his ancestors, and is joined by all the members of his band:
Buliwyf: "Lo, there do I see my father."
Herger: "Lo, there do I see My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see The line of my people..."
Edgtho: "Back to the beginning."
Weath: "Lo, they do call to me."
Fahdlan: "They bid me take my place among them."
Buliwyf: "In the halls of Valhalla..."
Fahdlan: "Where the brave..."
Herger: "May live..."
Ahmed: "...forever."
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