SC - Period pig info

[Stefan li Rous]

Ras replied on the period pig questions with:
> BTW, IMO means 'In My Opinion'. I do have a reference  from Platina which you 
> should have in yopur swine files which specifically states that  at least one 
> pig was so fat it had a nest of mice living  in it's flesh'. I take that as 
> at least  ONE valid primary source that does not conjecture but rather 
> indicates that pigs were fat. All period refences to pigs that I am aware of 
> do not state that the pigs were in fact skinny. Skinniness seems to be 
> conjectured by the  writers you mention. Granted they may be correct for a 
> certain section of England, I do not see that as indicative of general 
> swinish characteristics throughout the rest of Europe. Perhaps I am missing 
> something here but since this is an area I am EXTREMELY interested in I 
> certainly would welcome an actual period quotation which stated that pigs 
> were indeed skinny. On face value, I now have fat  quotes 1 and skinny quotes 
> 0. :-)

Huh? Where did "skinny" get into this? I did not say period pigs were skinny.
I said that most of the them were not fat. Not fat does not mean they were
skinny. It just means they weren't fat. And I don't think the authors I was
quoting were implying they were skinny, either.

I have not said my quotes were indicative of all of Europe throughout all
of the SCA period. I think I've been pretty clear to indicate these folks
were talking about Anglo-Saxon pigs. It is often difficult to paint the
European Middle Ages with simple, broad statements. I don't think I have.
If that was the conclusion got from my comments, I appologize. However,
this is the evidence I currently have, When presented with appropriate
evidence I will change my statements on this accordingly. I've got to
work with what I have. This is why I am asking for any evidence you
have to back up your statements that "period pigs were fat". I consider
that to differ from "Some period pigs were fat", which I will agree
with.

- -- 
THLord  Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris             Austin, Texas         stefan at texas.net
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****