From today's Forgotten English page-a-day

[javasaurus]

"At Queen's College, Oxford, the Boar's-head feast is still celebrated with accustomed ceremonial. The mythical origin of the custom is the story of a student of the college who was attacked by a wild boar while he was diligently studying Aristotle during a walk near Shotover Hill, some five hundred years ago. His book was his only means of defence, so he thrust the volume down the animal's throat, exclaiming, "Graecum est!" The boar found Greek very difficult to digest, and died on the spot, and the head was brought home in triumph by the student. Ever since that date, a boar's-head has graced the college table at Christmas."

The quote comes from P.H.Ditchfield's Old English Customs, 1896, and refers to an event c.1400.



I figure I should mention that my page-a-day calendars for next year will include the Karen MacNeil Wine Lover's Calendar, and the "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" calendar, the latter a frightfully funny holiday gift from my beloved.