Today we went to the Wittlich Pig Festival (Säubrenner). It's based on a local legend that years ago when the village was still surrounded by walls with heavy gates to keep invaders out, the village came under attack by the Huns. One of the guardsmen lost the pin that held the gate closed, so he replaced it with a carrot (!?). That night, a pig came by and ate the carrot. The door then was open and the Huns entered and raped and pillaged. The townspeople were so angry...at the pigs, not the guy who secured their lives with a carrot...that they rounded them up and burned them. The Pig fest has been held every year in retribution to the pig that caused the town's destruction. Click here to view the pictures from the Festival.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wittlich Pig Festival
Today we went to the Wittlich Pig Festival (Säubrenner). It's based on a local legend that years ago when the village was still surrounded by walls with heavy gates to keep invaders out, the village came under attack by the Huns. One of the guardsmen lost the pin that held the gate closed, so he replaced it with a carrot (!?). That night, a pig came by and ate the carrot. The door then was open and the Huns entered and raped and pillaged. The townspeople were so angry...at the pigs, not the guy who secured their lives with a carrot...that they rounded them up and burned them. The Pig fest has been held every year in retribution to the pig that caused the town's destruction. Click here to view the pictures from the Festival.
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