Synopsis
Widower Boryna, the richest farmer in Lipka, is being pushed by his children to give up his land to them. Instead he decides to re-marry, to the prettiest girl in the village, Yagna. He agrees this with her mother, not realising that his son Antek, married to Hanka with kids, is having an affair with Yagna. Boryna forgoes a dowry, and even agrees to guarantee part of his lands to Yagna.
Antek is furious both at his father giving away his inheritance and for marrying his mistress. They come to blows: Antek and his family are banished. Yagna avoids Antek at first, but soon after the marriage they resume their affair. Antek takes a labouring job, but spends all his money in the Inn so Hanka and their kids are surviving on the margins. Boryna finds out about the affair and catches Antek and Yagna red-handed, disgracing them in front of the whole village.
When Boryna leads the village into battle against the Squire, Antek plans to shoot Boryna, but instead when he sees his father badly injured he charges in and wins the battle for Lipka. All the men of Lipka are arrested, only the women, some church men, the village leader, and Boryna are left, but Boryna is in a coma from his injuries. Hanka moves back into Boryna’s, starting a war with Yagna over control for the farm.
The village leader uses Boryna’s coma and Antek’s absence as his opportunity to seduce Yagna, which turns the whole village against her. She dumps the village leader, but becomes interested in the sensitive and educated trainee priest. Even though their relationship is platonic the village is outraged, and when the men return the whole village gathers and decides to banish Yagna. They deposit her in a pile of dung at the village boundary.