Lamb: The True Meaning of the Biblical Folk Tale

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Gospel of John

Since A24‘s Lamb was released, there has been endless speculation about the true meaning behind this startling film.

Set in Iceland, the screenplay was co-written by Valdimar Jóhannsson and SJON, who is known for creating folk tales embedded with deeper meaning. While its Scandinavian provenance might point to origins in pagan folklore, Lamb’s subtext is much more closely aligned with a well known story from Christianity, the Nativity of Jesus.

At its most superficial level, this is the story of a grief stricken couple (Maria and Ingvar) who perplexingly adopt a lamb/human hybrid child called Ada (seemingly the name of their lost child). While this provides some temporary relief to their suffering, the consequences of such a decision soon catch up with them. (Stop reading here if you want to avoid spoilers!)

Were you born in a barn?

Yes, Ada is a lamb, born in a barn around Christmas, but the biblical allegory doesn’t stop there. It isn’t immediately obvious, but as the story unfolds, the paternity of the original Ada comes into question. I would say this is the key to understanding the whole movie.

As Maria and Ada (the lamb child) visit the original Ada’s grave, the camera gazes pointedly at the name on the cross. Ada Ingvarsdottir – Ingvar’s Daughter – or is she?

When Ingvar’s brother Petur visits, we realise that there is a sort of romantic connection between him and Maria. Could Petur be Ada’s real father? He is sceptical of the lamb child and tries to push her away initially. We begin to see that the names of the characters have a biblical link. Petur’s name may link to Saint Peter, and his denial of Jesus in the New Testament. Maria is a more obvious one. Her progeny has more than one father, and isn’t just human..

What happened to ‘the real’ Ada?

To continue with the biblical allegory, Ada was sacrificed on the altar of her mother’s sin. The entire story of the film could be seen as a sort of purgatory for Maria – she is reliving the story of Ada’s life, from birth to death. While we don’t know exactly what happened to Ada, the evidence points to her wandering off and going missing in the foggy Icelandic mountains. There is a touching moment where Ingvar explains to the lamb child how to get home if she ever finds herself lost, and a flashback to him frantically searching a muddy bog while shouting her name.

In all the drama of her parents’ lives/sins, it seems they have taken their parental eye off the ball and allowed her to wander away alone at some point. It’s not clear where, how, or if she was ever found. As for Ingvar, perhaps from the grief and guilt of losing her, and the pain of Maria’s adultery – he dies by gunshot on a lonely hillside. It’s notable that this happens while Maria is away ushering Petur on a bus home. Unfortunately, she forgets to leave a note, and Ingvar may have mistaken their absence for an elopement. (And that’s why you always leave a note..!)

What was the point of ‘Ram Daddy’ then?

To complicate matters, there is a third father in the picture! Christened ‘Ram Daddy’ by the Internet, this hulking ram/man hybrid comes to claim his offspring and dispatch Ingvar. While this development has been laughed at by some viewers, it actually makes a lot of sense. (Really..)

We begin to see there are two narratives, or parallel worlds, running side by side here. The true story of Maria’s infidelity with Petur, their loss of Ada and the suicide of Ingvar. Then there is Maria’s purgatory, or dream narrative – having worked on a sheep farm, her sub conscious has concocted a story where her poor child is an innocent lamb sacrificed for the sins of her mother. Ram Daddy here represents Petur, the malevolent influence/devil man who she blames for taking away her hopes and dreams – Ingvar and Ada.

Once you understand the two narratives, the story becomes even more heart wrenching as you imagine the real Ada lost and confused amidst the complexities of this adult world. Imagining her walking away, even in the care of a semi-beast, might be more of a consolation to Maria than the reality of her wandering forever alone.