MEMENTO MORI - SUS (SCROFA) DOMESTICUS

In the ancient times of prehistoric Europe, when nature was respected and worshiped, archaic pigs played an important role. The pig, like other animals, was an independent acting being in the religious ideas of prehistoric people. In addition, it was also of great importance on a practical level: it provided a source of meat, fat, and hides, which were necessary for survival in a harsh environment. Boar bones, tusks, and teeth were used to make tools, weapons, and ornaments. The close relationship between humans and pigs is evidenced by cave paintings in Altamira and ancient mythology. Only in the Old Testament is the pig considered an unclean animal, and Muslims and Jews are forbidden to eat pork. This prohibition probably has a rational basis, namely the protection of consumers from parasites living in raw meat.

With the advent of agriculture, humans began to domesticate animals, including pigs, for sustenance and work. Wild boars gradually lost their autonomous life and became dependent upon human care. Constant warfare required many supplies, and smoked pork lasted up to two years. The transition between ancient Europe and the Middle Ages also changed the relationship between humans and pigs. The result of the feudal division of the landscape into forests and fields owned by the church, the monarch, and the nobility was, among other things, a decline in the importance of the pig in European society. Pigs were overshadowed by cattle, which began to appear in their place in the regulations and laws of the time. The prestige of pig herders was declining.

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Trapped in a dark sty in his own excrement, the pig faced a grim fate. It became a symbol of filth and a swear word. In medieval depictions, a pig is usually shown at the slaughter, illustrating the winter stockpiling. He is shown as an object rather than a partner, and his face often expresses fear.