Illustration til "Metalsvinet" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 1 1870 - 1873

This illustration by H.P. Hansen visualizes H.C. Andersen's tale with a boy riding a metal pig. The pig, often associated with prosperity and fertility, also carries complex layers of meaning. Notice the boy’s posture: it's not one of dominance but of tentative control. This echoes the ancient motif of the animal master, where the power dynamic is ambiguous. We can see how similar themes arise through the ages, from the myth of Europa and the bull to more modern depictions of animal riders. The pig, as a symbol, carries the weight of cultural memory. In some traditions, it represents good fortune; in others, gluttony and base instincts. This duality touches upon the subconscious, revealing our conflicted relationship with the natural world. This cyclical motif of boy and beast is not linear but a spiral, forever re-emerging, transformed, yet carrying the echoes of its past.