Swineherd

I am the herder of the swine and I bring all the pigs from the village into the forest where they find food.

I am the swineherd and I take all the pigs from the village into the forest where they find food.

You think about becoming a swineherd yourself? Well, you need a protective hat or hood, a horn and a long stick. When you are in the woods, you don’t just have to watch the pigs, you also have to use your stick to knock off the acorns, chestnuts and beechnuts. I can hurl the stick into the treetops so that the fruit falls down. When it is time to go back to the village, I call the pigs with my horn. It’s not so easy to keep all the pigs together, and I don’t earn much money either.

On St. Martin’s Day, 11 November, at the end of the grazing period, when I drive my herd back to the village, there is always a celebration.