Pigs were an important and integral part of English village life, both visible and essential. Living in close proximity to their owners and fed on scraps, they were the subject of perennial interest. While the words associated with the pig, such as hoggish, swine and pigsty, and phrases like greedy as a pig associate the pig with greed and dirt, this book shows the pig's virtues, intelligence and distinctive character. The pig also has its place in literature from Fielding's pig-keeping Parson Trulliber to Hardy's Jude the Obscure and Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford.