A sneeze can send us running for cover. Reason? The swine flu, of course!
The often-fatal swine flu, has been traced to pig farms of Veracruz, Mexico. It is a potent cocktail of flu viruses that occur in pigs in North America, Europe and Asia, and also in birds and humans. In its current avatar, it is capable of infecting humans. And so it did, leading to the global epidemic. And panic!
You SWINE!!! We litter our speech with unkind references to the pig.
What a HOG!!! We behave like gluttons and look who’s being blamed!
Sweating like a pig?? Pigs don’t even have functional sweat glands!
“Sow”bhagyavati Elders’ blessings or ……
Welllllll, the pig does generate extreme reactions.
The Dirty Swine
For many, it is food they love passionately. As Roald Dahl’s The Pig exclaims, “They want my bacon slice by slice, to sell at a tremendous price”.
Some religions forbid the consumption of pigs. This in fact, partly triggered India’s first mutiny against the British in 1857. The British had introduced paper cartridges for the rifles, using a mix of beef tallow and pig fat to seal the cartridges. Since the soldiers had to bite off this part, Indian sepoys revolted against it.
Kudos to the pigs (and cows) for unifying Hindus and Muslims.
So is there anyone out there who loves the pig?
Children love to take piggyback rides and are taught early to save money in a ‘piggy bank’.
Did you know that the origin of ‘piggy bank’ had nothing to do with the pig? The ‘pygg’ referred to a type of clay used for making kitchen utensils, where people often saved their money.
Nursery stories abound with tales of the winsome ‘Three Little Pigs’ and the adventures of the Piglet in the company of Winnie the Pooh. And who hasn’t heard of Porky Pig of Loony Tunes? Three cheers to them!
The beleaguered pig has found dignity, and love at least in the world of children.
