What's a Boars Head Festival ?

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: peg
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 02:38 PM

MMario:

re: documentation. Well, the books of Ron Hutton (particularly Stations of the Sun) include a number of references to boar's head feasts in England, especially as part of lavish festivals at Yuletide. Huge festivals with lots of food were very much in vogue at one time (especially the peak of the aristocracy just before the beginning of its decline near the turn of the previous century), and gave rise to competition for generosity among country estates. In other words, the amount of food and merriment and generosity shown towards your servants at Yule was a status symbol of sorts. Hutton attributes the custom of opening one's purse for the less fortunate at Christmas as a remnant of this show of wealth. The most coveted dish of all was, of course, the boar's head; if your master served that "rarest dish in all the land" he was surely the finest lord of the countryside...not to mention one who had the finest huntsmen at his command...

As to whether these were Christian festivals or pagan ones; many of the folk traditions of the English rural areas were based in the times of pagan worship, and various ancient harvest and nature-based festivals were gradually usurped by Christian ones (like Christmas for solstice festivals, Easter for spring fertility rituals, May Day for Beltane, Hallowmass for Samhain, etc.).

That said, I think the ritual, post-battle or magical consumption of boar's flesh as practiced by the ancient Celts, as opposed to the much more recent (Christianized)Boar's Head feasts of the gentry, are two different animals, so to speak. There is probably little or no historical connection, except that this animal was native to Britain for a long time; and eating it was a custom that died hard (as well it should; roast pork is delightful).

peg

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 01:20 PM

Mitch Janes { I think is how he spelled his name } used to be the bass played for the Dillards - a bluegrass band. He once wrote an excellent book called "Old Fishhawk" about an old native american in Arkansas that goes out to hunt a wild boar. It takes place during the depression if I remember correctly. I haven't read it in years but I think I'll did it out and see if it's as good as I remember.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: MMario
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 12:21 PM

?? peg - just wondered where you have seen any documentation, as everything I have EVER seen on the Boars head dinner has been in relation to the christian celebration of same?

thanx!

MMario

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: catspaw49
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 12:18 PM

Eating scrapple (and virtually anything else) gives me gas like Pumba's. If you're collecting, I could maybe bottle it up and send it to you. Hmmmmm.....Never mind...can't send flammables/explosives through the mail.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: peg
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 12:09 PM

Liz; Richard the Third? well having played Lady Anne in Shakespeare's version, I would have to say, um, I am of divided mind on that! The Celts saw the boar as being very much in synch with the warrior persona: ruthless, strong, fierecly loyal, bloodthirsty when provoked, but otherwise peaceful...much like Richard I guess... The boar is also a clan totem among various names in Scotland, most notably the Campbells... When I was discovering this totem spoke to me, I also found out it is associated in the rather dubious "science" of Celtic astrology with my month of birth; also that my magical name, Albion, is a version of Albina, the Celtic goddess associated with the sow (though the archetype I most identify with is the male animal). I once, very randomly, found a gorgeous three-piece boars' head carving set in a box at a Salvation Army store. The box was practically hidden behind other stuff on a table in the back of the store. I saw the tarnished old carving set, grabbed it before it was priced and said I wanted to buy it;found out several customers who saw it at the checkout while I browsed also wanted it. For about twelve dollars I got a knife, fork and carving spike made with deer antler handles, topped with a boar's head of silver, decorated with silver oak leaves and acorns, with garnets for the eyes...once polished, it was amazing to behold. Stupidly enough, I gave this most magical gift from the gods to an old boyfriend (a current beau at the time). He said it was the best present he had ever gotten; weren't that the truth! Karmic lesson: give away what is treasured? or hang onto what comes your way via serendipity? Either way, I now seek out images and objects bearing this animal...including the warthog character from The Lion King--close enough...

peg

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Penny S.
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 07:42 AM

Apparently, there are some loose near Tenterden in Kent, which cannot be eliminated, despite damage to crops etc. This is in a typical English patchwork of fields, copses and villages, with some larger woodlands. Can't imagine how we got rid of them in the first place, if we can't do it now.

Penny

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 05:50 AM

Peg - as the boar is your totem, have you any feelings about Richard III of England, as his emblem was the white boar.....? I'm not telling which camp I'm in until you tell me....!

And boar are indeed making a comeback across Northern Europe. They are not as ugly as warthogs, but about the same size and appearance. They taste like a cross between pork and venison, very piggy, but also quite gamey in flavour. Their hair or bristles make great paintbrushes and hat ornaments. I'm not kidding about the hat ornaments.....

LTS

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Mikal
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 12:51 AM

Wild boar is hunted in Arkansas. They are cross-breeds, they tell me, of the European boar and more mundane domestic animals.

Size can approach the 600 lb range in the really big ones.

The guide told me, "Many times, you don't have to humt them. They hunt YOU!"

Frankly, I only hunt what I eat. I don't eat pig.

Mikal

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 08:13 PM

I only wish it were my friend.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 07:23 PM

Catspaw, just how much time do you spend surfing to find all these lovely sites you link us to? Is this why you haven't made a dulcimer in a year and a half?

--seed (O.M.G.)

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 06:58 PM

I don't want to know about it lamarca........

In East Ohio, they're called Krepples. Several places back home make some excellent loaves. I LOVE the stuff...I buy a loaf at a time, quarter it, and slice it before freezing. It freezes OK, but slice it first. My local butcher shop in this tiny little burg doesn't make them (although they do make some great trail bologna and some other things) but they order them for me from back home. They also got in some from Martin Meats in PA with a high BEEF content...different, but very rich. I like it just plain.....fried up right its hard to beat.(I'm a hick...sorry)

Spaw

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: lamarca
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 06:38 PM

I, for one, LOVE scrapple - it's mostly cornmeal pressed together with cooked porcine protein and fat, and is delicious when sizzled up and served with pancake syrup or jam. It's no more digusting than hot dogs, bologna or Spam (well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad - Spam is pretty offal). Our local Mennonite market has an alternative that is a little scarier - Turkey Scrapple. Thinking what parts of a turkey could get rendered down for scrapple is enough to give anyone pause - even Catspaws. The concept of a Boar's Head made of molded tofu is truly disgusting, however.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 06:13 PM

Peg - I've had wild pig when I was living back in Florida. Of course that was about 20 some years ago. I don't know if there are any left. I'm not the hunting type. I prefer to track down wild and exotic CD's at Barnes and Noble.

As far as the "Christian take on a heathen custom" I'll be the first to admit that heathens throw better parties. If you give me a choice between spending 3 hours on my knees praying in latin and eating wild boar - guess which one I'd choose ?

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: peg
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 03:42 PM

Wesley; I had a feeling when I saw the thread title that this was what you were talking about. Sounds like it was worth the price of admission. Again, what interested me about this was a weirdly "Christian" take on this most heathen of customs...

I cannot remember where I first got that link...but I was impressed with the website's coverage of the event.

Makes me wanna do it here in Boston!

As for the authenticity of the main dish: well, real wild boar along the lines of what was served in the European Boar's Head feasts are all but extinct; I believe there are still a few roaming the forests of France. I saw a program on the Discovery Channel called "In Pursuit of the Boar" that showed some charming footage of these shy but fearsome creatures... There are also wild pigs of differing varieties in South America and the American southwest, usually called peccaries or javelinas; but they are not the huge hairy beasts of old...

peg

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From:
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 02:43 PM

Scrapple is available at most any supermarket in Pennsylvania.

Mary McCaffrey

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: reggie miles
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 02:27 PM

I heard that Scrapple was a new board game, from Milton Bradley I think. There's a bunch of apple shaped pieces of wood with letters of the alphabet on one side that are turned over so the letters are not visible which are spead out on a table. The players then take turns beatin' the tar out of one another (scrapping) to win the opportunity to choose from the group of apple shaped pieces. Words are formed from the letters which all have numeric values. The winner is the one who is still standing at the end of the game or the one with the highest letter values. It seems to me I saw a World Championship Wrestling version of this game being sold at a local toy store over the holidaze.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 01:45 PM

Peg - That's exactly the festival I went to - it's about a mile from my house. Amazing that you could find that. I didn't know it existed. It was enjoyable in many ways. The music was wonderful. Altho I would have enjoyed some folk style intruments - but that's OK. The orchestra, choir and bell ringers esp, were excellent. And you could tell that it was well rehearsed. The beefeater guards were impressive and precise. And I was suprised to see that most of them had real beards. The actual boars head was something else though. I thought it was a fake but my wife disagrees. There were some large platters of plum pudding that looked fake to me also. Only the bowls of fruit being carried looked real to me. And the baby at the end of the pagent was the real thing also. And it was NOT very happy. That kid had a great pair of lungs.

The costumes were wonderful. Even though some of the teenage boys didn't look too happy about wearing orange tights. There was no food or drink shared with the folks watching. I should add that the pagent is held four times over a two day period and that each performance is standing room only. You need to get there at least an hour ahead of time to get a good seat. Over all it was very enjoyable. It might not sound like it from my comments but I did. I'd go back to see it again but like "The Nutcracker" I won't have too see it every year like many others do.

Thanks for all the info and input everyone.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: peg again
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 12:58 PM

ah, here it is; is this perchance anything like the one you wilol be attending?

http://www.universitychristian.org/boarshd.htm

BTW anything having to do with Boar's head customs is fascinating to me since this is a very powerful totem animal for me...it chose me, not the other way 'round, as is often the case...

peg

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: peg
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 12:55 PM

I had a link to a festival of this sort held in Texas, I believe, in December. It was oddly enough held by a very Christian sort of church organization and indluded lots of angels and bishops along with sprites and fairies... weird combination, since the origins of this festival are so pagan. I will look up the link for you (it may take a while since all my bookmarks disappeared when my computer died last week...)

peg

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Jan 00 - 12:16 PM

So come on, how was it?? Who came closest with the description then?? Was it a dry event?? If it were in our church it would definately not been!!! We had mulled wine after the Epiphany service, and at least three of our parishioners are famous for their rum punches.....

LTS

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Pete Peterson
Date: 09 Jan 00 - 01:21 AM

Ohmygawd I just got back from a Holy Modal Rounders concert and they did their song about scrapple. Anybody out there know it?

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 08:35 PM

The Toronto Vegetarian Association has their own 'Save The Boar's Head Festival'. But they use a mixture of textured vegetable protein and tofu pressed into a mold served on a bed of beans sprouts and lentils.

BB

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Martin _Ryan
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 07:04 PM

So why Bird's "scrapple from the apple"?

Regards

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: BK
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 01:22 AM

Damn!! I just checked the scrapple link.. Damn, 'spaw, where did you find it??? I still love good scrapple, which really has a lot of grain in it, & can be spiced like the best sausage & very good indeed if made well... unlike a lot of nasty greasy sausage I've had in the US - or worse, those god-awful "bangers" in the UK.. (guess you can tell I grew up in Pennsylvania for most of my first 17 years - the offspring of genuine "coal crackers.")

Cheers, BK

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: BK
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 01:13 AM

SCRAPPLE?? Used to be - I was told by my parents - poor folks meat substitute long ago, like in the depression.. Recently I've seen it available only in the Gourmet section of the grocery store - go figure. I grew up eating it, & love good scrapple, properly cooked (fried), it's delicious! Boar's Head is a high quality brand of tinned meats..

Cheers, BK

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 10:50 PM

The local Episcopal church here allows a college group to put on a similar medieval type feast before Christams each year and I believe there is plenty of wine etc. available.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: BDenz
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 10:49 PM

Likely a madrigal dinner kind of thing, then. Expect food and music, candlelight.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 10:44 PM

I guess I left out the fact that the event will be held in a church sanctuary. Oops ! So I doubt that any ale will be served. But I'll be happy to lift a glass of ginger ale right away. And if I'm forced to eat scrapple then I'll be glad I'm in a church. Jeez, Catspaw - where do you find that stuff ? Never mind - I don't want to know.

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: thosp
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 07:51 PM

possibly it is the sponsor of the festival --Boars' Head is a brand name for cold cuts - in the northeast US --it is considered a quality product --- where is the festival located? -- i don't think you will have to do anything strange with the cold cuts --

peace (Y) thosp

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Mikal
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 07:18 PM

Ahem. A "Boar's Head Festival", at least out here in the wilds of the Midwest, is a secular gathering of Ren-Fest types or Mediaevalists who reenact a dinner for the nobles of the Gothic or later period of time. The centerpiece of the feast was the head of a boar, baked and often decorated in some outrageous fashion to make it the most festive part of the meal.

Traditionally the main course in any great feast, it is most likely to be found in the USA as a Christmas or twelfth night dish. It was considered to be a delicacy, but trust me, it ain't all it is cracked up to be! Modern feasts use a mold of the boars head to make a pastry or a pressed meat dish of some sort. (you can buy the molds locally here. Go figure!) The last one I saw served was at an SCA event, with the "Head" made of wine laced cheese with a nut covering!

Figure you will have a big meal, a lot of European based folk music, more than likely a decent wine or a fair ale to wash it down with, and a chance to see if women in this day and age can really sit in those dresses, and if the men really can wear a sword and tights without looking like a doofus.

Mikal. (I don't have tights, but I do have this nifty Viking sword...)

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 06:59 PM

I dunno Wes....Could be somethin' like THIS.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 06:44 PM

Probably secular, will involve 12th night traditions and will definately NOT be vegetarian. You will have to sing the Boars Head carol... the B's H in hand bear I, bedecked with bays and rosemary. Probably find the words in the digitrad; and it will look like nothing on earth, having been decorated out of all recognition to anything porcine. It will probably not even be a boar....

Have a great time and raise a glass to your friends here at the 'Cat!

LTS

Subject: What's a Boars Head Festival ?
From: Wesley S
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 04:56 PM

I 've been invited to a Boar's Head Festival this weekend. Can anyone give me some insights to what goes on and the significance? Is it secular or religious? What music { hopfully } can I expect? Y'all are bound to know a lot more about it than I do. Clue me in please. And someone please tell me that I won't have to kneel the whole time. I know it dosn't sound like it but I'm looking forward to this event. And the more I know about it the more I'll enjoy it.Thanks in advance.