Illustrations for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill" 1956

This illustration by Hryhorii Havrylenko, made for Mikhail Stelmakh's book, features a stork atop a large pumpkin, surrounded by its young. The stork, a symbol of fertility and new beginnings, is a recurring motif in many cultures. Consider how storks appear in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, representing the soul, or their role in European folklore, where they are seen as bringers of babies. This image captures the stork's protective nature, creating a powerful symbol of family. The pumpkin, acting as a nest, connects to ancient harvest festivals, linking the stork to themes of abundance and nurturing. Like images found in ancient fertility rituals, the stork on a pumpkin speaks to our collective memory of nature's cycles. This emotional connection transcends time. We observe how these symbols reappear, transformed, across cultures. This illustration’s symbols offer a bridge connecting the ancient with the contemporary, underscoring the cyclical dance of symbols through time.