Speech for the Old Man by Group Elder (at end of "Owls/Roosters")

[Guest Eddie]

I wondered where this speech came from - it sounds amazing and I wondered if it was borrowed from somewhere or if it was written just for this episode. Also, is there more to it? I wonder because of all the ellipses. I am even thinking I will purchase Wagner's recording of Parsifal as it sounds really beautiful. Anyway, here is the speech -

From the episode "Roosters" - Millenium second season -

The Group Elder: "The position, in which, life begins... is that, in which, it ends... And that, in which it will return.

There is an end/Of Wrong and Death and Hell. When the long wear of Time and Suffering... Has effaced the stain/Ingrown upon the soul, and the cleaned spirit...

Long ages floating on the wandering winds/Or rolling deeps of Space, renews itself/And doth regains it dwelling...

Time calls and Change commands both men and gods... And speeds us on... We know not whither;

But the old Earth smiles/Spring after Spring... and the seeds burst again.

And the dead lives renew themselves... And rise aloft and soar... Clothing themselves with change... Till the last change... be done."

[The Old Man]

This is a great scene and I always feel sorry for The Old Man when I watch this episode.

The full scene is in our transcript, I think it was written for the show as I couldn't find anything other than similar words via Google:

[Forest – night. A dozen or so members of the Millennium Group, including Peter Watts and Finley, are gathered in a circle, each holding a candle. In the middle of their circle, a grave has been dug and the body of the Old Man has been wrapped in bandages. The body is in a sitting position, its arms tucked into the body with the hands crossed, and the legs bent at the knees and tucked into the chest. The head is lowered in a fetal position. "Parsifal" plays.]

THE ELDER: The position in which life begins, is that in which it ends.

[The Elder is at the front of the grave. There is something at his feet, covered in a red cloth.]

THE ELDER: And that in which it will return.

[Elsewhere, the inside of a cellular phone is being worked on with precision instruments and then the casing replaced.]

[The Elder holds a palmful of seeds, which he slowly lets fall into the grave. The other members do likewise.]

[A small plane lands on a cleared jungle runway.]

[The Elder opens a small old wooden box containing a compass. He looks at it, then closes the lid.]

[Night. A car is parked in a parking lot. The windows are misted up. One of the occupants adjusts the rear view mirror to watch Gunsche walking past.]

[The graveside.]

THE ELDER: There is an end of wrong in death and hell. And long wear of time and suffering effaces the stain ingrown upon the soul.

[Forest. Someone is moving quickly but carefully through the lush undergrowth.]

THE ELDER: (VO) And a cleansed spirit, long ages floating on the wandering winds, and the rolling deeps of space –

[Forest. The person is dressed in black, carrying a small backpack. His head and face is covered with a ski mask. He stops and looks at Axmann's house on the other side of the lake.]

THE ELDER: (VO) – renews itself –

[in the house, Axmann is looking at the wood and the Nazi banner.]

THE ELDER: (VO) – and doth regain its dwelling.

[The graveside. The Elder picks up a small handful of earth and lets it fall into the grave. Then Watts and the others do likewise.]

[Elsewhere. Frank is driving his jeep, Lara by his side. There are other cars, They all draw into Aerotech's car park.]

THE ELDER: (VO) Time calls, and change commands both men and gods, and speeds us on, we know not whither.

[Gunsche walks to a car. The watchers include Finley. They drive away. Gunsche gets into his car.]

THE ELDER: (VO) The old earth smiles spring after spring, and the seeds burst again.

[in the jungle, the man still watches Axmann's house. He switches on a remote control device.]

THE ELDER: (VO) And the dead lives renew themselves and rise aloft and soar –

[Aerotech office. Ms Knight is handcuffed. She appears very calm. Frank and Lara watch her being led away.]

THE ELDER: (VO) – clothing themselves with change –

[The graveside.]

THE ELDER: – until the last change –

[in the car, Gunsche presses a button on his cell phone and puts it to his ear.]

[The graveside.]

THE ELDER: – be done.

[Gunsche's car explodes.]

[in the jungle, the masked figure presses a button on his remote control. There's an explosion in Axmann's house. The banner is in flames and the glass of the display cabinet shatters. There are flames everywhere. In the jungle, the masked figure pulls off his ski mask. It's Peter Watts.]

[The graveside. The red-cloth covered object is unwrapped. It is a small stone obelisk with the ouroboros carved on its face. The Elder reaches for the Old Man's staff which had been stuck in the ground beside the grave and pulls it out. He looks at Peter Watts, then turns and walks away through the woods.]