Based on a Finnish poem, The Kingdom of Rye is a gorgeous romantic drama set in rural northern Sweden during the harvest. It features a young couple whose love affair is fraught with Hardy-esque complications and an unhappily married wife of the landowner.

Gösta Berling is a young and attractive minister. Because of his alcoholism and his daring sermons, he is eventually defrocked. He becomes tutor of countess Marta's stepdaughter and they fall in love. But the countess has a plan of her own.

Anders on Blåsekulla and Bengt at Snibben are neighbors. Both have a miserable time with their wives.

When the mine is closing down in the small community of Vestköping the town bank is also in danger. Sudden news of the return of one of the town's inhabitants who had emigrated to the USA and is said to be very wealthy improves spirits of everyone.

When his ancestors seem to appear in the clouds during a storm of biblical proportions, young Ingmar decides to give up his career as the village teacher and to reclaim the land and farm of his fathers. The same stormy night, the charismatic preacher Helgum arrives in the village to spread the word about the promises of the Holy Land, which turns parents and children, men and wives, brothers and sisters, against one another. Ingmar is torn between his love for the headmaster’s daughter Gertrud who is under the preacher’s spell, and the prospects of marrying the judge’s daughter Barbro in order to keep the farm.

Vera Nilsson is friendly with the poor neighbor boy Håkan, this is not seen kindly by Vera's father Nils.

The unemployed Loffe meets his old friend Wilhelm and gets some money. A year later it's time for Loffe to help Wilhelm.

Andersson, Pettersson and Lundström goes out for a long walk with Stockholm as a goal. On the way they buy a lottery ticket and wins a lot of money.

King Christian II rides busy street by Sweden which he now put under him, while he remembers what he did against the Swedes at the Stockholm Bloodbath. In dala heels walk a lonely man, dressed as a peasant. It's the one the Danes would prefer to get hold of - Gustaf Eriksson Vasa . He goes from Rankhyttan to Ornäs , where he is kindly received by the farmer Arendt Persson, but Arendt is a deceitful man who has thought enter Wasa to the Danish bailiff. But Arendt's wife helps Wasa to escape and he continues his long journey.

An agrarian community sometime in the 1700s. The farmer Påvel is married with his young wife Märit and very proud to have married such a young and sweet girl. Märit however, is disappointed about her marriage. Their neighbor Håkan lives alone on his farm and he falls in love with Märit. He tells her of his feelings and Märit is torn between the security of her marriage and the feelings she has for Håkan.

Katja is about to graduate, but she has nothing to wear for the graduation ball. Her father, the eccentric inventor Carl Axel Kock does not spend much of his income on Katja while her brother Curry gets everything he wants. So on the day of the ball, Katja simply dresses up in her brother’s brand new evening attire and attends the dance, smokes cigars, drinks brandy–and causes a scandal.

Henrik Karlsson is accused of having stolen 5,000 SEK, even though he is innocent. But to protect the real thief, who is sick in hospital, Karlsson takes the full responsibility.

Love triangle between the big farmer, a farmhand and his sweetheart.

The brothers Österman have come to realize that they need a housekeeper on their farm. Big brother Kalle travels to town and returns with the young Anna.

Carl Malm is a goodhearted man who runs a railway station. He lives together with his maid and her seven kids.

It's the beginning of the 1800s. A feud between the people of Ödemo and Rävgården has been going on since the dawn of time and now it's worse than ever.

Helga is a young single lady who has a baby by a much older married man. After the older man tells Helga's father that he refuses to pay child support because he isn't the child's father, her father insists that Helga take him to court. On court day, just as the older married man is about to swear on the Bible that he is not the father of Helga's child, Helga suddenly tells the court that she's dropping the case because although the man did father her child, she doesn't want him to commit perjury, which is not only a serious crime but a mortal sin as well.

Erik Andersson marries Brita Blomstedt. During the wedding party he drinks alcohol which he is not used to. Later that evening Erik is involved in a brawl that end with a policeman getting a knife in the back.

The young girl Lisbet lives on the farm Tolfmansgården together with her mother, her older brother Jerker and their grandparents.

Johansson has a small mechanical workshop, which provides for him and his family.