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By William Van Zyl
Published on June 20, 2026
The wind howled across the frozen wilderness like a living thing.
Snow swirled through the dark pine forest, stinging exposed skin and reducing the world to shades of white, grey, and black. A desperate man clung to a galloping horse as warriors thundered behind him. Every breath burned his lungs. Every heartbeat echoed the urgency of survival.
Suddenly, horse and rider launched from the edge of a snow-covered cliff.
For a brief moment, they hung suspended in the icy air before plunging into the abyss below.
The horse struck first.
The impact killed the animal instantly.
The man survived.
A towering pine tree, laden with snow, cushioned his fall and spared his life.
Many readers will recognise this dramatic scene from The Revenant. The character, Glass, finds himself stranded in a frozen wilderness with little hope of survival. The horse that carried him to safety is now dead. Yet that dead horse becomes the very thing that preserves his life.
With night approaching and temperatures dropping dangerously low, Glass cuts open the horse’s carcass while it is still warm. Removing his frozen clothing, he crawls inside the animal and spends the night sheltered within it.
It is a shocking image.
A place of death becomes a temporary refuge.
A bitter situation produces unexpected survival.
The horse becomes both a symbol of salvation and a reminder that life often hides profound lessons beneath disturbing circumstances.
Reflections on Survival, Deception, and the Things We Invite Into Our Lives
Recently, while reflecting on this scene, I completed a new artwork that explores another famous horse—one whose appearance concealed a deadly secret.
My New Artwork: “Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass”
I would like to share my newest artwork with you.
IMAGE: Details: Created using chalk pastels on a 1-metre by 1-metre canvas, the work was carefully preserved throughout the creative process using multiple layers of clear fixative, followed by a final application of high-quality clear protective spray. Credit: The Author.
At first glance, the artwork appears cheerful and innocent.
The horse is bright, colourful, and playful.
Vibrant primary colours dance across its surface. The form resembles a giant children’s toy mounted on wheels, designed to be pushed and pulled wherever it is needed. The image evokes memories of childhood, imagination, and carefree play.
Yet beneath the colourful exterior lies a deeper message.
Small rectangular windows are positioned along the horse’s belly.
These are not ordinary windows.
They symbolise hidden doors.
Trojan doors.
Doors that may unexpectedly open during the darkness of the night.
Doors that reveal something entirely different from what was first presented.
The artwork explores a simple but powerful warning:
Be careful what you allow into your life.
Not everything that appears attractive, colourful, entertaining, or harmless is good for us.
Sometimes danger arrives dressed as a gift.
Sometimes destruction enters through a door we willingly opened ourselves.
The Original Trojan Horse
The inspiration comes from the ancient story of the Trojan Horse.
After years of war, the Greeks appeared to abandon their campaign against Troy. They left behind an enormous wooden horse as what seemed to be a peace offering.
The people of Troy celebrated.
Their enemy was gone.
Victory appeared certain.
The horse was beautiful.
Impressive.
A symbol of triumph.
The Trojans opened their gates and welcomed it into their city.
But hidden inside the horse were enemy soldiers.
Under cover of darkness, they emerged, opened the city gates, and allowed the invading army to enter.
The city burned.
The people were caught completely by surprise.
What looked like a blessing became the instrument of destruction.
The danger was never on the outside.
The danger had already been invited within.
IMAGE: The Trojan Horse that brought down a city.
IMAGE: Replica of the famous Horse.
A Biblical Parallel: The Enemy Within the Camp
Scripture contains a strikingly similar warning.
In Joshua chapter 7, the Israelites had just experienced a miraculous victory at Jericho. Confidence was high. Celebration filled the camp.
Yet hidden among God’s people was something that did not belong.
A man named Achan had secretly taken forbidden treasures from Jericho and concealed them beneath his tent.
No one saw it.
No alarms sounded.
No enemy army crossed the borders.
Yet because of this hidden compromise, Israel suffered a devastating defeat at Ai.
The danger was already inside the camp.
What was concealed eventually brought destruction.
This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Scripture.
The enemy often succeeds not by attacking from outside but by gaining entry through an open door.
Jesus warned His followers:
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41, KJV)
The Apostle Peter wrote:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV)
The enemy’s strategy has not changed.
He rarely announces himself openly.
Instead, deception often arrives disguised as opportunity, pleasure, entertainment, success, influence, or even friendship.
The horse looks harmless.
The colours are attractive.
The wheels make it easy to move into our lives.
Only later do the hidden doors begin to open.
Bitter Honey
The title of this artwork, Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass, deliberately draws together contrasting ideas.
Honey speaks of sweetness.
The horse carcass speaks of death.
Together they create a tension that reflects many experiences in life.
In Judges 14, Samson discovered bees producing honey within the carcass of a lion. From that unusual discovery came his famous riddle:
“Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” (Judges 14:14, KJV)
Sometimes valuable lessons emerge from painful experiences.
Sometimes wisdom comes from situations we would never choose.
Charles Glass survived because he found refuge inside a dead horse.
IMAGE: Glass removing the entrails from the dead horse. Credit: YouTube – “The Revenant”. A dream inside a dead horse.
IMAGE: Scene from YouTube. Charles Glass inside the carcass of the horse, keeping warm. Credit: YouTube – “The Revenant”. A dream inside a dead horse.
The Trojans were destroyed because they welcomed a horse into their city.
One horse preserved life.
Another brought destruction.
The difference was not the horse itself.
The difference was discernment.
Knowing what to embrace and what to reject.
Modern Trojan Horses
Today, Trojan Horses rarely arrive as wooden sculptures.
They appear in many forms:
- Harmful relationships disguised as companionship.
- Addictions disguised as recreation.
- Deceptive philosophies disguised as enlightenment.
- Greed disguised as opportunity.
- Temptation disguised as freedom.
- Digital influences disguised as harmless entertainment.
Many of these things enter our lives quietly.
They arrive attractively packaged.
Colourful.
Exciting.
Entertaining.
Seemingly innocent.
But hidden within may be influences capable of damaging our faith, character, relationships, and purpose.
Not every gift should be accepted.
Not every invitation should be embraced.
Not every door should be opened.
Looking Carefully at the Horse
My artwork intentionally creates a visual contradiction.
The horse is playful.
The colours are joyful.
The design feels safe.
Yet the windows hint at something concealed.
Something waiting.
Something unseen.
This tension reflects the reality of life itself.
The greatest dangers are often not those that frighten us immediately.
They are the ones that charm us first.
The things we trust without examination.
The things we welcome without discernment.
The things we pull through the gates of our hearts because they seem harmless.
As Christians, we are called to exercise wisdom.
To test what enters our lives.
To remain watchful.
To recognise that appearances can deceive.
The Trojan Horse reminds us that danger sometimes arrives disguised as a gift.
The horse in The Revenant reminds us that even difficult experiences can become places where God teaches us profound truths.
And perhaps that is the lesson hidden within Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass.
Not every horse should be welcomed.
Not every door should be opened.
And not every bright, colourful thing deserves a place within the city walls of our hearts.
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Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass
Chalk Pastels on Canvas, 1000mm × 1000mm
John Williams
At first glance, this colourful horse appears playful and innocent, resembling a child’s toy mounted on wheels. Yet hidden within its bright exterior are small doors inspired by the ancient Trojan Horse—a symbol of deception concealed beneath beauty.
The artwork explores the tension between attraction and danger, asking viewers to consider what they allow into their lives. Not everything that appears harmless is beneficial; some influences arrive disguised as gifts while concealing destructive intent.
Drawing on historical, biblical, and contemporary themes, Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass invites reflection on discernment, hidden dangers, and the wisdom gained through life’s unexpected experiences.
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Copyright © 2026 by William Van Zyl
Bitter Honey From The Horse’s Carcass.
All rights reserved. This eBook/article or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
without the publisher’s permission, except for using brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, June 2026
More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/
More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/
