The Boar's Head

This article on the boar's head just came in.


The Boar's Head Carol

From N.S. Gill <http://ancienthistory.about.com/mbiopage.htm>,
Your Guide to Ancient / Classical History
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/>.


The Boar's Head is Part of a Yuletide Tradition About Boars

There are many versions of the Boar's Head Carol, including one with a
Latin line about serving the boar with mustard. In antiquity the fierce
boar was feared and respected. With its ferocious nature the boar was
associated with death, just as the winter solstice was associated with
the death of light. In northern climates, where the land was frozen in
winter, hunters needed to kill to feed their families. Even if
dangerous, a boar was a large enough animal to provide a feast for quite
a few. Its head, suitably dressed up, was fit for a king or queen or god.

*Famous Boars*

*Adonis*
Adonis, who died in Aphrodite's loving arms, was killed by a boar that
might have been sent by a jealous Ares.

*Calydonian Boar Hunt*
Atalanta
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/p/atalanta.htm> was
accorded honor for being the first to hit the Calydonian Boar
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/grecoromanmyth1/g/Calydonianboar.htm>.

*Hercules*
The 4th Labor of Hercules was the capture of the Erymanthian Boar.

*Norse Mythology*
The Norse fertility brother and sister god and goddess Freyr
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/norsemyth/g/Freyr.htm> and Freya
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_freyja.htm> each rode a
boar. Freya's was Hildisvin and Freyr's boar Gullenbursti was made by
the dwarves.

A boar was sacrificed to Freyr at the Winter Solstice. Amid trumpets
blaring and minstrels singing, the boar's head with an apple in its
mouth, was carried in on a gold or silver platter.
Here is a familiar version (from a publication by Thomas Wright in 1841)
of the Boar's Head Carol that was first published in 1521, with
translation of the Latin.

The boar's head in hand bear I
Bedecked with bay and rosemary
I pray you, my masters, be merry
Quot estis in convivio.
(However many are at the feast)

Chorus:
||: Caput apri defero,
Reddens laudes domino. :||
(I bring the boar's head,
giving praises to the Lord)

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land,
Which thus bedecked with a gay garland
Let us servire cantico
(serve with song).

[A tastier version of this line:
Servitur cum sinapio.
(It is served with mustard)]

Chorus

Our steward hath provided this
In honor of the King of bliss
Which, on this day to be served is
In Reginensi atrio
(in the Queen's hall).

Chorus

First stanza repeats.


Source: "The 'Boar's Head Carol' and Folk Tradition" James E. Spears /
Folklore, Vol. 85, No. 3. /(Autumn, 1974), pp. 194-198.


Boar Hunts

Atalanta
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/p/atalanta.htm>Calydonian
Boar Hunt
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/grecoromanmyth1/g/Calydonianboar.htm>Artemis
and the Calydonian Boar
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa041701a.htm>


Suggested Reading

Adonis and Aphrodite
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/a/adonisaphrodite.htm>4th
Labor of Hercules - Erymanthian Boar
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/hercules/a/HerculesLabor4.htm>


Norse Mythology

Freyr and Gerd
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/freyrmyth/a/FreyrGerd.htm>9 Worlds
of Norse Mythology
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/nineworlds/index.htm>The Gods of
Norse Mythology
<http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa081799.htm>

--- In , Bill Barber
<bbarber@...> wrote:
>
>
> This article on the boar's head just came in.
>
>
> The Boar's Head Carol
>
> From N.S. Gill <http://ancienthistory.about.com/mbiopage.htm>,
> Your Guide to Ancient / Classical History
> <http://ancienthistory.about.com/>.
>
>
> The Boar's Head is Part of a Yuletide Tradition About Boars
>
> There are many versions of the Boar's Head Carol, including one
with a
> Latin line about serving the boar with mustard.


This reminds me of a story that Dr Samuel Johnson, contemplating
William Shakespeare's family coat of arms sporting a falcon and the
motto "Non Sans Droict" (Not Without Right), said he wanted one with
a boar's head and the motto "Not Without Mustard."




In antiquity the fierce
> boar was feared and respected. With its ferocious nature the boar
was
> associated with death, just as the winter solstice was associated
with
> the death of light. In northern climates, where the land was
frozen in
> winter, hunters needed to kill to feed their families. Even if
> dangerous, a boar was a large enough animal to provide a feast for
quite
> a few.


It's also hump-backed, but let's not go there.



Katy

--- In , oregonkaty
<no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> --- In , Bill Barber
> <bbarber@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > This article on the boar's head just came in.
> >
> >
> > The Boar's Head Carol
> >
> > From N.S. Gill <http://ancienthistory.about.com/mbiopage.htm>,
> > Your Guide to Ancient / Classical History
> > <http://ancienthistory.about.com/>.
> >
> >
> > The Boar's Head is Part of a Yuletide Tradition About Boars
> >
> > There are many versions of the Boar's Head Carol, including one
> with a
> > Latin line about serving the boar with mustard.
>
>
> This reminds me of a story that Dr Samuel Johnson, contemplating
> William Shakespeare's family coat of arms sporting a falcon and the
> motto "Non Sans Droict" (Not Without Right), said he wanted one
with
> a boar's head and the motto "Not Without Mustard."
>
>
>
>
> In antiquity the fierce
> > boar was feared and respected. With its ferocious nature the boar
> was
> > associated with death, just as the winter solstice was associated
> with
> > the death of light. In northern climates, where the land was
> frozen in
> > winter, hunters needed to kill to feed their families. Even if
> > dangerous, a boar was a large enough animal to provide a feast
for
> quite
> > a few.
>
>
> It's also hump-backed, but let's not go there.
>
>
>
> Katy
>
...... which reminds me, apologies if I am going too far off-topic,
that Joan Rivers once called Dolly Parton "hump-fronted", as it says
in today's "Spectator".

Joan Rivers is _so_ deep!

Stephen Lark wrote:
>
> --- In
> <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com>, oregonkaty
> <no_reply@...> wrote:
> >
> > --- In
> <mailto:%40yahoogroups.com>, Bill Barber
> > <bbarber@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > This article on the boar's head just came in.
> > >
> > >
> > > The Boar's Head Carol
> > >
> > > From N.S. Gill <http://ancienthistory.about.com/mbiopage.htm
> <http://ancienthistory.about.com/mbiopage.htm>>,
> > > Your Guide to Ancient / Classical History
> > > <http://ancienthistory.about.com/ <http://ancienthistory.about.com/>>.
> > >
> > >
> > > The Boar's Head is Part of a Yuletide Tradition About Boars
> > >
> > > There are many versions of the Boar's Head Carol, including one
> > with a
> > > Latin line about serving the boar with mustard.
> >
> >
> > This reminds me of a story that Dr Samuel Johnson, contemplating
> > William Shakespeare's family coat of arms sporting a falcon and the
> > motto "Non Sans Droict" (Not Without Right), said he wanted one
> with
> > a boar's head and the motto "Not Without Mustard."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In antiquity the fierce
> > > boar was feared and respected. With its ferocious nature the boar
> > was
> > > associated with death, just as the winter solstice was associated
> > with
> > > the death of light. In northern climates, where the land was
> > frozen in
> > > winter, hunters needed to kill to feed their families. Even if
> > > dangerous, a boar was a large enough animal to provide a feast
> for
> > quite
> > > a few.
> >
> >
> > It's also hump-backed, but let's not go there.
> >
> >
> >
> > Katy
> >
> ...... which reminds me, apologies if I am going too far off-topic,
> that Joan Rivers once called Dolly Parton "hump-fronted", as it says
> in today's "Spectator".
>
>