Iconology of the Wayfarer Triptych – Detail

Bosch’s images of human beings on the pilgrimage of life do not refer to the countless real pilgrims of his period, but to man in general, as he plods through his weary existence. It was up to the individual, with God’s help, to make his own pious way through life, equipped for that journey with a hefty stick. That Bosch does not present this as the typical, long pilgrim’s staff, is an attempt, once again, to avoid the overly specific associations. However, the dub-like stick that the traveller holds in his right hand, using it to ward off a menacing dog, clearly identifies him as a man on a journey – a pilgrim who has to stick to his path. It is as if Bosch had literally painted a passage out of the Middle Dutch version of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis [Speculum Humanae Salvationis, ca. 1466-1467]. The ‘Mirror of Human Salvation’ states that the pilgrim often has to take back roads and that he needs his stick to defend himself against dangerous dogs. The stick represents the faith that helps humanity stay on the right path and arms it against threats, which the ‘Mirror’ identifies as ‘dogs’ and ‘hellish dogs’. (p. 63)

In the hand, gestures, irresolute despondency is about to be dispelled by a rallying of new energy. Instead of being used to scare off the vicious dog, the clubbed stick in the man’s right hand trails behind him like a slack rudder. (pp. 259-260)

The stick and the pig, too, are not only Saturnian emblems in general, but occur as attributes of the Melancholic in particular [Panofsky, Giehlow & Saxl, 1923, 22, 143:note 2, fig. 16]. (p. 10:note 24)