What does lord of the flies mean?

Let's get the easy part out of the way first: "the Lord of the Flies" is what Simon ends up calling the severed pig's head—presumably because it's covered in flies. So, calling the book Lord of the Flies brings the boys' primitive violence front and center. Now let's break it down. read more

The head, referred to as the "Lord of the Flies" then serves as a symbol of the evil and savagery of Jack's tribe of hunters. At the end of the novel, Ralph, with disgust, knocks the boar's skull to the ground and seizes the stick to use as a spear. read more

The phrase "lord of the flies" is often associated with the mythological figure of Beelzelbub. The name Beelzelbub, from the Hebrew, literally translates to mean "lord of the flies" and this figure is depicted in mythology as a demon in the form of a fly. read more