The Virgin Spring

In Sweden during the Middle Ages, married couple Tore and Mareta are prosperous and devout farmers. They dote on their only surviving offspring, their daughter, the innocent Karin. Their attentiveness to her is despite her faults, such as her vanity and penchant for sleep when she should be doing farm work. It's early spring, and she is tasked with bringing candles to church for matins. She convinces her mother to let her wear her Sunday best if only in her want to look pretty. The church is in the nearest village which is still a good distance away, even by horseback. As such, she convinces her parents to allow Ingeri, pregnant servant stepsister, to accompany her. Ingeri is secretly envious of Karin if only because of her own lost innocence. Ingeri prays to the Norse God Odin, her latest thoughts to Odin which are against Karin. Out of circumstance, Karin and Ingeri part company half way through their trek. Ingeri encounters a one eyed man, who she ultimately steers away from despite he being what she wanted. Karin encounters a group of goatherds, three brothers consisting of two adults and an adolescent. The two adult brothers eventually rape and murder Karin, while their younger brother watches. What they are unaware of is that Ingeri, horrified, witnessed both the rape and murder, she who contemplated attacking the brothers during the rape but which she ultimately did not do. On their travels, the three brothers decide to take refuge at a farm, Tore and Mareta's farm, the couple who welcome the three into their manor house out of Christian charity. The questions become whether either side will discover their connection, and what Ingeri will do based on her prayers and what she witnessed. Through Karin's absence, Tore and Mareta critically review their family dynamic.