f> Donald A. Mackenzie — Scottish Pork Taboo 



Dean Ramsay (1793 — 1872) has provided important 

 evidence reo^ardin^ the Scottish prejudice against pigs (23, 

 chap. 2) : — 



'' I am induced to mention the existence of a singular 

 superstition regarding swine which existed some years ago 

 among the lower orders of the East Coast of Fife. I can 

 observe, in my own experience, a great change to have taken 

 place amongst Scotch people generally on this subject. 

 The old aversion to the ' unclean animal ' still lingers in 

 the Highlands, but seems in the Lowland districts to have 

 yielded to a sense of its thrift and usefulness. I recollect, 

 however, an old Scottish gentleman who shared the horror 

 of the pig, asking very gravely : ' Were not swine forbidden 

 under the law, and cursed under the gospel ? ' 



The account given by my correspondent of the Fife 

 swinophobia is as follows : — 



' Among the many superstitious notions and customs 

 prevalent among the lower orders of the fishing towns of 

 the East Coast of Fife, till very recently, that class enter- 

 tained a great horror of swine, and even at the very mention 

 of the word. If that animal crossed their path when about 

 to set out on a sea voyage, they considered it so unlucky 

 an omen that they would not venture off. A clergyman of 

 one of those fishing villages, having mentioned the super- 

 stition to a clerical friend, and finding that he was rather 

 incredulous on the subject, in order to convince him told 

 him he would allow him an opportunity of testing the truth 

 of it by allowing him to preach for him the following day. 

 It was arranged that his friend was to read the chapter 

 relating to the herd of swine into which the evil spirits were 

 cast. Accordingly, when the first verse was read, in w^hich 

 the unclean beast was mentioned, a slight commotion was 

 observable among the audience, each one of them putting 

 his or her hand on any near piece of iron — a nail on the 

 seat or bookboard, or to the nails on their shoes. At the 

 repetition of the word again and again more commotion was 

 visible; and the words *' cauld airn " (cold iron) — the anti- 

 dote to this baneful spell — were heard issuing from various 

 corners of the church. And, finally, on his coming over 

 the hated word again, w^hen the whole herd ran violently 

 down the bank into the sea, the alarmed parishioners, 

 irritated beyond bounds, rose and all left the church in a 

 bodv.' " 



