Difference between revisions of "Pig"

Revision as of 11:13, May 8, 2007

Pigs are omnivorous odd-toed ungulates originally native to Europe. Pigs have long snouts with flattened ends, curly tails, and are typically pink in color. Feral pigs, however, rapidly revert to the dark and bristly form of the wild boar, from which domestic pigs are derived.

Male pigs are called boars, female pigs are called sows, and baby pigs are called piglets.

Pigs are surprisingly intelligent, and trained pigs are used in parts of Europe to root for truffles. The Vietnamese pot-bellied pig is a small house-trained variety, which is kept indoors so that mosquitos bite it in preference to the human residents.

Bacon, pork, often in the form of the sausage and ham come from pigs. Pigs' trotters are a delicacy in northern England, dried pigs' ears are readily available as a treat for dogs, and the fat of the pig is lard, the skin is often either deep fried or baked and sold as pork scratchings in UK pubs. It is said that everything of the pig can be eaten, with the exception of the oink. Footballs are traditionally made from a pig's skin, and for the earliest ballgames, an inflated pig's bladder was used for a ball.

Religious Views

To those of the Jewish faith, rule of the Book of Leviticus, eating pigs or even handling their hide is an abomination. , "...the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7-11:8).

Muslims have, and still practice, a similar prohibition on the consumption or handling of pigs.

In the liberty of the New Covenant, not even pigs are considered unclean by Christians, unless a person is convinced they are unclean in his own mind. Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.