Battered Pig Can Keep You Safe

Dear Saveta: my boyfriend returned from a trip to the Caribbean with a necklace of a pig on a chain. An elderly man at an open air market sold it to him. Just as my boyfriend was walking away, he noticed the pig’s snout was damaged. He immediately turned back to point it out to the old guy whom immediately showed him other pig necklaces he had for sale and they all apparently had flaws like broken snouts, missing tails, chipped feet, etc. The old man’s explanation was that only if the pig was damaged would it bring the wearer good luck. Have you ever come across this before or was my boyfriend scammed by the old guy? F.J. Montreal QC

Dear F.J.: fascinating story and question. I dug deep and yes there are references that relate to your story. The wearing of a damaged pig as a charm was that the damage to the pig would serve to swallow up any harm that might arise against the wearer while wearing this charm. The old man you referred to in your letter was legitimate in his explanation – his pigs are on track!