Stormjätten jordskakaren 

John Bauer created this watercolor illustration of a storm giant, a figure deeply rooted in Scandinavian folklore. The giant, whose looming presence dominates the scene, embodies the untamed forces of nature. Consider his jewelry; a symbol of a more ancient past. The metal ring he wears has roots in ancient civilizations, often representing eternity. In the Middle Ages, such rings appeared with different meanings, sometimes associated with power, at other times with submission. The artist brings our attention to the power of adornment, which here appears simultaneously crude and primal. Note the juxtaposition of the small humans against the giant. This arrangement isn’t merely about size, it taps into a primal fear of being overwhelmed, a theme that echoes through countless myths and fairy tales, manifesting across cultures and eras in various forms, from the cyclops of Homer to modern-day anxieties about technological or environmental forces. The Giant is not just a figure in a story, but an embodiment of psychological tensions, a continuous cycle of cultural memory, perpetually reshaping itself through time.