Play piggy games, win piggy prizes: Swine entertainment in medieval Europe At medieval carnivals and country fairs, various games involving pigs took place. This blog post discusses four instances of this remarkable swine entertainment in medieval Europe. Thijs Porck • September 04, 2020
Proverbial Pigs in the Middle Ages: Ten Medieval Proverbs Featuring Swine Swine make a frequent appearance in the proverbs of the Middle Ages; this blog post provides a fair sample of medieval piggish wisdom! Thijs Porck • March 06, 2020
Homicidal Hogs: Murderous Pigs on Trial in Medieval France A sow eating a baby from a cradle: a horrifying image in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales may have roots in actual medieval history. Thijs Porck • October 18, 2019
Medieval piggyback rides: Riding boars in the Middle Ages With their ferocious characters, daunting tusks and relatively bulky statures, boars make unlikely steeds. Nevertheless, the Middle Ages feature various examples of boar riding. Thijs Porck • May 17, 2019
This pig is on fire: A late medieval pig in Leiden’s Pieterskerk A late medieval painting on a pillar in Leiden’s Pieterskerk shows a pig, surrounded by flames. What is going on here? Thijs Porck • November 02, 2018
The boar who would be king: Royal boar prophecies in medieval England Various medieval English kings sought to identify themselves with the boar, including Henry II, Edward III and Richard III of York. This blog calls attention to the role of the boar in medieval English royal prophecies. Thijs Porck • July 05, 2018
Pigs and Bagpipes: Geoffrey Chaucer's Miller in Context Geoffrey Chaucer drew on various medieval traditions surrounding pigs to characterise one of his most memorable characters in the Canterbury Tales: Robin the Miller Thijs Porck • February 02, 2018
Lucky pigs and protective boars: The medieval origins of the Glücksschwein Why are pigs associated with good luck? Traces of 'lucky pigs' are found in late medieval board and card games, while the use of boar effigies as talismans is attested as far back as the early Middle Ages. Thijs Porck • October 13, 2017
