Snout Lore

 

 

Hello Tea Friends!

Mickey here! With the recent launch of this season’s Pig Subscription box (and the arrival of my adorable new tea pet, Wilbur) I thought it’d be fun to do a deep dive into the history of our porky pink pals in China! This was an enlightening little research project. Enjoy!

 

(XiaoShan engraved seal made by Sun Mingguo for the year of the pig)

 

The Pig Zodiac

As always, I’ll start with something that most people are familiar with - The Zodiac Calendar. In the legendary tale about how the zodiac was created, the Pig comes in dead last. According to the tale, our stout little friend took a detour from the race and enjoyed a feast! Then, he had a nice, refreshing nap. Honestly? I’m jealous.

The pig did eventually finish the race in dead last, and that’s why it’s number twelve in the Zodiac cycle.

People born under the sign of the pig are said to be optimistic, exciting, good-hearted, and warm. They’re also said to be self-indulgent and a bit materialistic - which makes sense, considering pigs are a long-standing symbol of wealth and abundance.

Historical Hogs

Pigs have always been a versatile and efficient form of livestock, which is why they were so well loved in ancient China. They could eat just about anything, meaning they didn’t need a dedicated food type! Instead, they thrived on table scraps from their human companions. In return, nearly every part of the pig was used in one way or another, a necessity in a time when minimizing wasted food was critical.

Archaeologists have also uncovered fascinating evidence of just how important pigs were back then! One particular site of interest is the Neolithic Banpo Village, which appears to have been designed with pigs in mind. The streets were built to a certain size, and it even had a moat around it that would have kept the livestock contained.

 

(Yuan Dynasty Pig Dragon sculpture, courtesy of the LACMA)

Additionally, ceramic shards were found portraying a rather intriguing creature: the Pig-Dragon. Experts believe the Pig-Dragon evolved through the Hongshan culture and eventually became the fully recognized dragon symbol by the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE).

In ancient times, owning a pig was a huge achievement! Pig meat was often reserved for special occasions or sacrifices. It is still eaten on special occasions, but let’s talk about traditions next.

 

Cultural Legacy

Now, I keep saying the pig is viewed as a symbol of wealth and luck– in reality, its role in many traditions is often far from lucky for the pig itself. 

During the Shang Dynasty, pigs, cows, and lambs were commonly sacrificed in religious ceremonies. Even today, pigs continue to play a major role in certain rituals and festivals across China.

For example, I read about the Shen-Dzu (Holy Pig) Festival, where pigs are fattened up to their maximum weight and entered into contests. These guys are absolute units! The winner – and all its unfortunate porky pals – are then sacrificed to the local deity or city spirit before they get eaten. 

Just imagining the smell of all that cooked pork is making me a bit weak at the knees. These blogs always make me so hungry!

Fat and Fortunate - Symbolic Uses

The symbolism of the pig, I’ve learned, is a double-edged sword. While its usage in modern times is generally an insult, pigs used to be a respected symbol of courage.

In ancient China, pigs and boars were sometimes viewed as emblems of bravery. Why? Because catching a pig with bare hands was considered a serious challenge! I, for one, would not want to tangle with an angry boar. 

This is seen even in the Chinese character for “bravery” ("敢"), which depicts a man capturing a pig. Fitting!

 

 

(Zhu Jianqiang greeting guests at his home in the Jianchuan Museum Cluster, Chengdu city)

Speaking of bravery, have you ever heard the story of Zhu Jianqiang 猪坚强 (Strong-Willed Pig)? According to the coverage I read, this poor little pig survived for an astonishing 36 days beneath the rubble after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. At the time of his rescue, he was seen as a symbol of hope and resilience. A well-earned title, seeing as the poor thing was very severely starved and quite traumatized when they found it. He was even mistaken for a goat at first!

Understandably, people were devastated when he passed away in 2021 at the age of 14. I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Myths and (Curly) Tales

There are always so many stories and folktales to explore when I research animals in Chinese history. Here are two notable ones!

 

Journey to the West - 

In the legendary tale, we read about the character 猪八戒 Zhu Bajie. According to the story, he was once a heavenly general, but after getting drunk and making advances on Chang’e, the Moon Goddess (yikes), he was banished to the mortal world. 

Instead of reincarnating properly, he accidentally ended up in a pig’s womb, which left him half-human, half-pig.

 

(Zhu Bajie speaks with "the Destined One" in Game Science's Black Myth Wukong)

Despite this, Zhu Bajie is a strong and skilled warrior! But… he’s also, well, a total pig. He’s easily distracted by food and women, providing plenty of comic relief as you read through.

In the end, Zhu Bajie is rewarded the title “Cleaner of the Altar.” This is fitting for him since he spends his time cleaning up heavenly leftovers!

The Mule and the Lion - 

This cautionary tale puts great emphasis on the idea that bad company is a dangerous thing. 

A hungry Lion seeks out a Mule, hoping to trick it into leading him to the Pig’s house. The Mule, oblivious to the Lion’s true intentions, helps convince the Pig to come out.

On their way home, however, the Lion gets greedy and tries to snatch the Hunter’s dog. The pup was resting near a trap! The Lion is captured in his attempts to grab a quick snack. Lion begs the Mule for help, and in the process, also gets caught.

When the Hunter arrives, the Mule begs for mercy, trying to remind the Hunter that he knows the Mule! He knows the Mules family; he doesn’t belong in this trap!

But the hunter simply replies that the Mule chose to follow the Lion, and so now it will share its fate.

Oinks of Wisdom

I came across some interesting proverbs and folk sayings while researching, and I wanted to share them before I wrap up.

人怕出名猪怕肥 – "People fear getting famous, pigs fear getting fat." – Fame and success are tempting, but they bring more trouble than fortune.

门前肥猪 – “A fat pig at the door.” – The arrival of good luck and happiness!

扮猪吃老虎 – “Become a pig to catch a tiger.” – Disguise yourself as weak to lure in the strong and find an advantage.

That’s a (BLT) wrap, folks! Thanks for joining us for this week's blog. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s an open tab with adorable pictures of potbellied pigs in baskets that needs browsing. Dream of a pig!

Happy steeping!

-Mickey