8/21/2003: Huge pig sacrificed
 

http://cellar.org/2003/hugepig.jpg

It's an animal picture, but if it's Thursday it must be sad.

The pig is a winner: it's 2116 pounds (960 kilograms), and has won the "Pigs of God" contest.

Unfortunately for the pig, that means it was the largest pig killed in a sacrificial ceremony. It was the largest of 30 such sacrificed pigs, who are neutered at an early age and then force-fed to get them to reach enormous weights.

All for the purpose of this traditional religious ritual of the Hakka people of Taiwan, a culture that makes up about 15% of the island's population.

Sort of makes the "Have you seen the little piggies?" theme not apply, huh?

So...do they eventually have one hell of a pig roast or what?

I live in Vancouver, BC. Our local talk/news radio had a rep. from WSPA on for about an hour discussing this.

I can understand how these type of things get started (this is my best guess, Google only brought me to protest pages) get the population to grow massive pigs to increase the food supply under the guise of a contest.

Problem is that the food isn't needed anymore but because it's 'tradition', it continues. I bet most of the people involved don't know why the contest exists, only that tradition dictates it continue.

Somewhere in North America there is another 'tradition' involving hurting animals. It's called a suicide run involving men riding horses along a course at full speed and ending with a run down a severely steep sandy slope straight into a river. Men & horses being injured is standard, being killed is a definate possiblity. According to participants this is part of First Nation peoples heritage. I find this very hard to believe because (from what I've read) Indian braves treated their horses like family. The were an integral part of a warrior's 'make-up'. I don't think they'd risk injuring/killing their mounts just to prove their bravery. I believe they had trials that only involved the warrior, most of the time unarmed.

why did they neuter them?

does that make them grow bigger? ...

Sure. I was skinny till my second wifes lawyer cut my........;)

I believe it does. Once their neutered they don't spend every waking moment running around trying to screw everyting in sight. They get lazy and figure stuffing their face is the next best thing.

Really thought, it's true. Most domesticated animals who get snipped (male and female) tend to gain weight. You know, like the neighbor's Cocker Spaniel who looks like a torpedo with chicken legs.:eek:

It also makes them taste better. Hey, I'm serious here.

Just how many times have you been married? I would think after losing your manhood you would have a rather difficult time finding number three?:eek3:

Naw, I'm always on the lookout for my next ex. As women...ah...er...mature the horizontal bop is less important than other traits. Someone to steer them in the right direction.:cool:

Now don't get me wrong Stonan, I'm probably one of the biggest animal rights advocates in the Cellar, but I don't think this 'tradition' was started under the 'guise' of a contest. If they were that hungry, they would have just grown big pigs and ate them. I'm also not sure that most involved don't know the origin of the tradition. In most places where traditions exist, especially outside the US, the origins have been passed down through the generations. They like to tell stories and talk about their ancestors and stuff like that. It's really not about how the tradition started, but what purpose does it serve in today's society. Most continue for entertainment purposes. I'm by no means against traditions, but do take issue with those that involve animal cruelty. Go ahead, have a log rolling contest or a tree climbing contest (granted those aren't very good examples), but don't hurt or kill an innocent animal in the process just to get your jollies off it.

Now as far as killing the piggies as part of a sacrifical contest I disagree totally. Unless, of course, they aren't tortured and are eaten afterwards. I agree that they probably do suffer pain by being forced to be so overweight, but it is difficult to break traditions of other countries when we are looked upon as outsiders. Take bullfighting, for example. Now don't even get me going on that. This has to be one of the cruelest, inhumane forms of animal torture I know. Who cares how it became a tradition, it just needs to be stopped. As far as I can see it is done now as mainly a form of entertainment. Who needs that when there's the Internet. Seriously though, animal activists have tried to stop it for years without much success. I think in order to stop such inhumane traditions we need to get the native people involved in helping. Most foreigners don't want to hear anything American's have to say, but slowly they might begin listening if their own people started to oppose such acts.

I've also heard of the "suicide run" in North America. Another stupid event even if it is a Native American tradition. It obviously serves no purpose in the modern world other than to entertain. Once again, why do people need to be entertained by watching and participating in animal cruelty. There are so many other things they could be doing like jumping on each others backs and running full speed down the hill ending with a face-plant in the water:p

All right, I can probably go along w/ that, but just how many times have you been married?:p

Didn't pick up on steer? Legally, just twice.

But as far as the pig goes, sacrificing a pig or something to the "gods" is very common everywhere. It's only natural to pick the biggest (best) for that and of course the person that raised it would be honored also. As people become wealthier they can feed the critter better and breed them better until the beast gets grotesque. But the tradition continues because it ties the generations together. It honors not only the gods but ancestors, part of the culture. I really see no harm in that the pig was not a pet, but born and raised to be eaten.
I think you'll find that it's predominately modern well fed cultures that this animal rights/welfare attitude exists. Elsewhere animals were food or tools except the occasional pet.
My grandfather didn't abuse his horses, not because he thought they were great noble beasts but for the same reason I don't take a hammer to my cars. They are valuable and I need them.
Bull fighting......I don't approve, but I understand.

From another POV, hey, nobody mentioned the fan in the above picture. I bet it stinks like nothin' else in that room. Pigs are good eatin', and smart, but they can reek too.

why does it make them taste better? .. More fat per lb of meat? (kind of like how a lot of people prefer a RibEye, because it's marbled with fat and more flavorful) ?.... ... ... or are the pigs hormones altered as a result of the neutering in some taste-affecting way?

just curious.

It's the hormones. Testosterone is really foul. If a boar gets over 300 lbs or so without being cut, you wouldn't like the taste. Even if they're cut at that point and grow much bigger and older, they still don't taste good.