Gans trekken 1614 - 1648

Andries Stock crafted this engraving, "Gans trekken," a scene teeming with symbolic resonance. The central motif, “goose pulling,” was a popular game in the Low Countries, where a goose was hung, and riders would attempt to pluck its head off while riding by. This act of dominance over nature, and the pursuit of mastery, echoes ancient pagan rituals, reminding me of similar scenes in old fertility rites. The goose, often a symbol of vigilance and fidelity, here becomes an object of violence and sport, a spectacle of control. Think back to similar acts of animal sacrifice in ancient Greece, or the bullfights of Spain; these displays evoke primal instincts of power and submission, embedded deep within our cultural memory. The act of severing the goose's head could be interpreted as a symbolic castration, a Freudian drama played out in public, revealing anxieties about potency and control. The crowd’s fascination points to the power of shared, often subconscious, experiences. This motif endures, reappearing in various forms throughout history, each time reflecting the evolving anxieties and desires of the culture that embraces it.