The Medieval Pig - (Nature and Environment in the Middle Ages) by Dolly Jørgensen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Examines the role of the pig in medieval society in material and textual sources.

The pig was a common sight in the Middle Ages. They might be eating under an oak tree, or out in a field. They might be in the street, with the swineherd close behind at their heels. They might be dismembered, for sale by a butcher. They might be represented on misericords, in a church or cathedral, dancing, playing the bagpipes, or suckling people. Pigs were in all these places. But what was the pig's place?

This book considers pigs in medieval Europe from a number of angles: whether part of the countryside, the cityscape, on the plate or in the mind. Drawing on a rich wealth of sources, both textual and material, it examines in particular the paradoxes that the pig presented: both good and bad, fecund/fornicator, noble/filthy. It uncovers the pig's numerous roles in medieval society, how pigs shaped human life, and how humans shaped theirs.

Review Quotes

The book is full of interesting information drawn from Europe's rich documentary record. It has a good number of black and white images of illustrated manuscripts showing how people perceived the pig in various situations.-- "AGRICULTURAL HISTORY REVIEW"

The Medieval Pig is a dense volume, containing a wealth of information in a relatively small space. Dolly Jørgensen provides an easy-to-read, comprehensively researched snapshot into the world of the medieval pig between the years 500 and 1500 AD in western Europe.-- "H-ENVIRONMENT, H-NET REVIEWS"