How did the pork taboo come about?

[Napoleon IV]

My only anecdote regarding Indians and pork comes from a girlfriend I had a long time ago who was southern indian (tamil and telegu) family. There was no religious directive banning pork but they still did not eat it. Where she came from, pigs were seen as the garbage cleaners of the cities, regularly eating filth, garbage and even corpses. For the preservation of their own health, these people avoided pork which was seen as unclean. She did say that the lower castes ate pork and to avoid associating themselves with a lower caste, they also abstained from pork. In their eyes, the best meat was goat.

Here we see two explanations that have been put forward for this taboo existing in the modern day. In all probability there was no one cause but a mixture of different factors like classism, disease, lack of resources, someone in power not liking ham, etc.

 

[pa_dutch]

Regarding Ethiopian Orthodoxy, it is my understanding that this church places a heavier emphasis on the old testament of the bible and therefore its followers adhere to many of the food laws jews adhere to. The Ethiopian language, Amharic, is considered a semetic language too. My research shows the ethiopian church was established in the 4rt century and therefore before any islamic influence.

As far as I'm aware, the other Oriental Orthodox churches don't specifically ban pork the way that Ethiopians and Eritreans do, though. Coptic Christians in Egypt usually don't eat it simply due to their being located in the middle of an Islamic society that forbids it, but even then it appears there are some Coptic pig farmers. I'm not sure about Assyrians or Indian Orthodox Christians but I'd assume they have a similar situation.

Before, I thought maybe the early Christians banned pork for the same reasons Jews and Muslims are prohibited, and that the Ethiopian ban is a remnant of this... The prevalence of pigs in Europe (I believe in Denmark there are more pigs than people?) led Christianity there to accomodate the pork-eating habit in the same way that European Christianity has assimilated various pagan festivals and folk beliefs. The lack of specific pork protocols in other Oriental churches suggests this is not the case, however...

 

[mojojojo]

As far as I'm aware, the other Oriental Orthodox churches don't specifically ban pork the way that Ethiopians and Eritreans do, though. Coptic Christians in Egypt usually don't eat it simply due to their being located in the middle of an Islamic society that forbids it, but even then it appears there are some Coptic pig farmers.
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Didn't all the pigs in Egypt get killed by the govt some time back over swine flue fears?

 

[Clandango]

Anyone mention how pork apparently tastes like people? Probably best to not have people enjoying the tastes in less civilized times a couple thousand of years back.

 

[Clandango]

Didn't all the pigs in Egypt get killed by the govt some time back over swine flue fears?

Really a nuisance, since those pigs kept away form international areas where they could acquire it. And because the pigs are the garbage many Copts live in. Not that the Copts are dirty, they just search for recyclables in the dumps.

 

[Fenlander]

Do people actually adopt cultural practices for the sake of being different?

Just look at Canada and the United States, or Anglophone Canada and Francophone Canada, or Ireland and Great Britain. Wherever you have two similar cultures right next to one another, the smaller one will often go out of it's way to emphasise what few differences exist so as to avoid being simply assimilated.

 

[Nialironarm]

You could argue that the Hebrews very identity was built on being different from their neighbours.

They worshipped one God where their neighbours had many.

They had distinct ways of dressing.

And they had dietary taboos.

 

[Kevin in Indy]

I think Woody Allen quipped once that the prohibition was not on pork per se, but only on pork served at certain restaurants...

 

[hx87]

Regarding Ethiopian Orthodoxy, it is my understanding that this church places a heavier emphasis on the old testament of the bible and therefore its followers adhere to many of the food laws jews adhere to. The Ethiopian language, Amharic, is considered a semetic language too. My research shows the ethiopian church was established in the 4rt century and therefore before any islamic influence.

My only anecdote regarding Indians and pork comes from a girlfriend I had a long time ago who was southern indian (tamil and telegu) family. There was no religious directive banning pork but they still did not eat it. Where she came from, pigs were seen as the garbage cleaners of the cities, regularly eating filth, garbage and even corpses. For the preservation of their own health, these people avoided pork which was seen as unclean. She did say that the lower castes ate pork and to avoid associating themselves with a lower caste, they also abstained from pork. In their eyes, the best meat was goat.

That's an interesting preference--I like goat meat in general but always avoid ordering goat dishes at Indian restaurants since they give you 80% bone and 20% meat. Anyone know why that is?