FAQ

When medieval Swedish landowners Töre (Max von Sydow) and Märeta's (Birgitta Valberg) only daughter Karin (Birgitta Pettersson) is raped and murdered by three goat herders—played by Axel Düberg, Tor Isedal, and Ove Porath—who then make the mistake of seeking shelter that very evening at Karin's parents' house, whereupon her parents exact their own revenge when they learn that their "guests" have killed their daughter.

No. The Virgin Spring (Swedish: Jungfrukällan) was adapted by Swedish screenwriter Ulla Isaksson from a 13th-century Swedish ballad, "Töres döttrar i Wänge" ("Töre's daughters in Vänge"), a legend that explains the origin of a local 12th-century church. The film won an Academy Award in 1961 for the Best Foreign Language Film. It provided the inspiration for the 1972 Wes Craven horror film The Last House on the Left (1972).

Its literal translation is "the virgin spring", which refers to the spring that appears below Karin as Töre and Märeta lift her.

No, as evidenced when, at various times in the film, both Töre and Märeta speak of Karin as their "only" daughter. Ingeri is a pregnant pagan girl who has been taken in and given work as a servant. In some summaries of the film, however, Ingeri and Karin are referred to as sisters, stepsisters, half-sisters, or foster sisters. This idea may have arisen from the original ballad in which three sisters were murdered by three brothers.

Ingeri is jealous of Karin. They are both about the same age, but Ingeri is pregnant (whether by rape or consent is not revealed), while Karin is pampered, given fine clothes, and allowed to carry the candles to the church for the celebration of Our Lady of Virgins. Karin will be raised as a fine woman whereas Ingeri's life will be that of a servant. Ingeri cannot help but feel resentment over her lot in life.

They don't at first. It's only when one of the goatherders offers Märeta a robe Karin was wearing that Märeta recognizes the robe and immediately realizes that harm has come to her daughter. Töre then extracts an eyewitness account from Ingeri (Gunnel Lindblom), who actually witnessed the rape and murder.

When Töre learns that the three goatsmen killed Karin, he kills them in a rage, one by stabbing, another by burning, and the third (a young boy) by tossing him against a wall. Töre, Märeta, Ingeri, and the servants then go looking for Karin's body. Ingeri leads them to the spot under the trees where Karin's body lies. Märeta takes the blame upon herself for loving Karin more than God, but Töre assures her that only God knows where the blame lies. As Märeta weeps over her dead daughter's body, Töre walks over to the river and, in penance for his vengeance, vows to build a church on the spot where Karin died. In the final scene, Töre returns to Karen's side and, as he and Märeta take up Karin's body, a spring wells up in the spot where her head rested. Taking up a handful of water, Ingeri washes her face. Märeta does the same for Karin.

Original, meaning the version as it was originally written in the 13th century, is probably lost to history. However, in 1812, Swedish folk singer Greta Naterberg wrote down the ballad. It was printed in Svenska folkvisor från forntiden vol. 3. The text in English goes as such: Pehr Tyrsson's daughters in Vänge The forest was so cold They slept a sleep too long While the forest came into leaf The youngest one woke up first The forest... And so she woke up the others. While the forest... Then they sat up on their beds. So they braided each other's locks. So they put on their silken clothes. So they went to the church. But when they came to the Vänge hill They met three highwaymen "You either be highwaymen's wives, Or would you lose your young lives?" "We do not wish to be highwaymen's wives, We'd rather lose our young lives." They cut their heads off on a log of birch. There soon three wells sprung up. The bodies buried in the mud, The clothes taken to the village. When they came to Vänge farm, Lady Karin met them in the yard "And would you buy silken shifts, By nine maidens knitted and stitched?" "Untie your sacks and let me see, Perhaps I know all three." Lady Karin beat her chest in pain, And went to find Pehr Tyresson. "There are three highwaymen in our yard, Who have our daughters slain." Pehr Tyrsson grasped his sword, He slew the eldest two. The third he left alive, And then he asked him thus: "What is your father's name? What is your mother's name?" "Our father is Pehr Tyrsson in Vänge, Our mother is Lady Karin in Stränge." Pehr Tyrson then went to the smithy, And had iron crafted 'round his waist. "What shall we do for our sins?" "We shall build a church of lime and stone. That church will be named Kerna, And we will willingly build it."