Wild pigs also roamed Europe in large herds. Boars had large, sharp tusks, but even without tusks, sows could be just as deadly. As omnivores, pigs could live anywhere. In the forest, they lived on acorns, while near towns, they lived on garbage. They were probably a match for wolves in an even fight, so they had no real major predators. None of this is news to people in the southern United States, where wild pigs have been making themselves at home, spreading, multiplying, and even growing to larger sizes.
Wild pigs were deadly and hunting them was often fatal, but — a key difference from wolves — they were also delicious. The best time to hunt them was in winter, when a boar could be driven into a snowdrift that might slow down his charges. On the other hand, snowdrifts were hazards for humans, too, and the boar was probably less troubled by frostbite. A boar-hunting party was large and well-armed, chiefly with very long spears that could reach the boar’s skin before the boar reached the hunter. Stopping a charging boar took a lot of strength and skill. It was best done with the end of the spear braced against the ground, but that technique also put the hunter right in harm’s way. By late medieval times, there were special spear-heads shaped for hunting boars.
Roast boar was the ultimate feast centerpiece for all the right reasons. But boars were also important symbols; the Germanic gods Freyr (Frey) and Tiw (Tue) were both associated with the boar. Frey’s association may have been with the boar as it was lord of the forest, while Tiw’s may have been through the spear that hunted it. Boars were good symbols for shields and helmet-crests; the boar’s very tough skull may have suggested a particular link to helmets. We have several silver, bronze, or gold examples from Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Scandinavian digs. The helmet found at Benty Grange in England disintegrated, except for its framework and perfectly intact boar.
Boars also showed up in names. In Anglo-Saxon, boar was eofor, while in continental German, it was ebur. In the poem Beowulf, Eofor is one of his companions. We see these elements in the names — now only used as surnames — Eberhard and Everly. Wilbur means “wild boar” in Middle English.