The Symbolism of Pigs and Pig Masks in The Running Grave

What Are the Pigs and Pig Masks?

Pigs in The Running Grave appear in several forms: live farm animals kept at Chapman Farm, a word scrawled on a dead man’s wall, a crude insult worn as a sign, and literal pig masks worn during sexual abuse. The masked figures appear in Polaroid photographs hidden in an old biscuit tin (Chapter 42), while the word “PIGS” is circled repeatedly on Kevin Pirbright’s bedroom wall (Chapter 9). The cult’s surrogate leader, Mazu Wace, also references the I Ching hexagram about a pig acting “in the abysmal” (Chapter 28). These interlocking appearances transform a simple animal into a multi‑layered emblem of the cult’s cruelty, the victims’ degradation, and the systematic erasure of atrocities.

Where the Symbol Recurs

The pig symbol surfaces in four distinct contexts:

Each recurrence adds a layer of meaning, moving from a literal farm animal to a coded reference for abuse, shame, and the abysmal depths of the cult’s control.

How the Meaning Changes

Initially, pigs appear as ordinary farm animals. The commune runs a piggery, and residents are assigned to care for them. But the symbol quickly darkens. Kevin Pirbright – a former member and abuse survivor – writes “PIGS” on his wall shortly before his murder. The word is the only remaining clue after the killer chips away the plaster, suggesting that the pigs hold a key to the truth he was trying to expose.

In the Polaroids, pig masks dehumanise the wearers, turning people into interchangeable objects. The masks hide identity and reduce participants to grunting animals, mirroring the cult’s treatment of its members as disposable bodies. The masks also allow perpetrators to commit acts they might not do without anonymity, and they force victims into a state of animalistic submission.

The I Ching references elevate the pig to a metaphysical symbol. Abigail explains that Mazu used a hexagram about the pig “acting in the abysmal” to justify harsh punishments and to claim she could discern spirits. The hexagram suggests that even something lowly (a pig) can rage and cause harm. In Mazu’s twisted hands, it becomes a tool to control through fear and pseudo‑spiritual authority.

Finally, Emily’s public shaming with the “DIRTY PIG” sign literalises the metaphor: she is treated as filth, a pig, for some unknown transgression. This punishment echoes the earlier sexualised pig‑mask scenarios, creating a cycle of degradation that the cult enforces to maintain obedience.

Character Connections

• Robin Ellacott discovers the Polaroids, a turning point that confirms the sexual abuse she suspected. The images strengthen her resolve to expose the UHC’s true nature – see Robin Ellacott.
• Cormoran Strike pieces together the clues from Kevin’s wall, Jordan Reaney’s nightmares, and Abigail’s testimony. His investigation reveals how the pig symbol connects the I Ching to physical abuse – see Cormoran Strike.
• Kevin Pirbright wrote “PIGS” as a mnemonic for his planned exposé. His murder suggests that the symbol pointed to the cult’s darkest secrets – see Abigail Glover for her brother’s story.
• Jordan Reaney suffers nightmares about pigs, linking the farm’s animal husbandry to trauma. His tattoo of I Ching hexagram 56 (“the wanderer”) hints at his continued psychological wandering – see Will Edensor for another cult survivor.
• Mazu Wace manipulates the I Ching hexagram to justify cruelty. The pig becomes her preferred metaphor for impurity and punishment – see Mazu Wace and Jonathan Wace.
• Emily Pirbright is forced to wear the “DIRTY PIG” sign, embodying the victim’s complete degradation.

Theme Connections

The pig symbol weaves into the novel’s major themes:

• Cult manipulation and control: The cult uses pig imagery to shame and dominate members. The masks erase individuality, the I Ching hexagram provides pseudo‑spiritual cover, and public humiliation (like Emily’s) reinforces total submission.
• Consequences of overlooked signs: Kevin’s “PIGS” is an overlooked sign – the epigraph warns that small failures left unchecked lead to catastrophe. Neither the police nor the public heeded the clues until it was too late for Kevin.
• Family trauma and hidden history: The Polaroids are part of a hidden history of abuse that families like the Pirbrights and Edensors tried to suppress. The pig masks symbolise the secret sexual exploitation that runs parallel to the cult’s public image.
• Pursuit of justice and truth: Strike and Robin’s dogged decoding of the pig symbol leads them to evidence that the establishment ignored. Their work embodies the novel’s push to uncover buried crimes.
• Love and sacrifice: Robin’s willingness to stay undercover and examine the Polaroids – despite the personal risk and disgust – reflects the sacrifices made to protect the vulnerable.

Four Study Questions with Answers

1. Why does Kevin Pirbright write “PIGS” on his wall, and what does it signify?

Kevin writes “PIGS” as a memory aid for his planned book about the Universal Humanitarian Church. The word refers both to the literal pig farm he worked on and to the sexual abuse rituals in which participants wore pig masks. It is the only word left after his killer tries to erase incriminating writing, suggesting that “PIGS” is the key to understanding the motive for his murder.

2. How do the pig masks in the Polaroids function as symbols of dehumanization?

The masks transform the wearers into anonymous, animalistic figures. They hide individual identity, making the abuse seem less human and more like a ritual of interchangeable bodies. For the victims forced to wear them, the masks strip away personhood and enforce a state of submission; for the perpetrators, the masks remove personal responsibility and allow them to commit acts they might otherwise be ashamed of.

3. What role does the I Ching hexagram about the pig play in Mazu’s control?

Mazu misuses the I Ching hexagram “The pig acts in the abysmal” to claim spiritual authority. She performs readings to decide punishments, rigging the results to maintain her power. The hexagram suggests that even a lowly pig can rage and cause harm – a threat she uses to justify harsh discipline and to keep members afraid. It also adds a veneer of Eastern mysticism to what is actually brutal manipulation.

4. How does Emily’s punishment with the “DIRTY PIG” sign connect to the broader pig motif?

Emily’s public shaming mirrors the earlier pig‑mask abuse depicted in the Polaroids. The sign labels her as filthy and animalistic, just as the masks dehumanised the sexual abuse victims. It shows that the cult uses the pig symbol not only for hidden rituals but also for open degradation, reinforcing its hierarchy through shame. The punishment is a microcosm of how the UHC treats all members: as pigs to be controlled, punished, and discarded.