Wild boar

Wild Boars of the Northern Kingdoms (Elder Speech: Tirth), also known as wild swine, are quite dangerous natural beasts appearing in the Northern Realms. The wild boar features prominently in the cultures of Islanders and Nordlings, many of which saw the animal as embodying warrior virtues.

Actual attacks on humans are rare, but can be serious, resulting in multiple piercing injuries to the lower part of the body. Regardless, the animal is not considered dangerous enough for a witcher to be called; folks usually manage to hunt down the beast or pay crowns to a hunter for removal. The domesticated breed is called a pig.

Hearts of Stone expansion

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Bestiary entry

How doth the little wild boar

Improve his shining tusks,

And rut them ‘gainst the forest floor,

And on the trees’ rough husks!

How cheerfully he seems to grin

How neatly spreads his claws,

And welcomes little lasses in,

With gently smiling jaws!

Louis of Charolle, mathematician, author and poet

These woodland beasts are as “wild” – untamed, nasty and aggressive – as their name indicates. To this day, many peasants in outlying Kaedweni villages believe wild boars persist on a diet of young maids, though in truth they most often slate their hunger with roots and acorns. Do not think this vegetarian diet makes them harmless, however. In fact, these animals’ stout build and sharp teeth render them veritable fur-covered combat machines. Mother Nature has additionally equipped them with dual pairs of tusks - upper "pipes" and lower "sabres" - and this weaponry's sum effect is to make the beasts the terrors of the woods, a threat to all who venture or dwell there, human, humanoid and otherwise. Boars also have hard, club-like snouts, which some peasants call their “whistles,” though no boar has ever been heard to make such a noise. Instead, they emit a characteristic grunt, which sounds to some like the snoring of an extremely overweight man. Another peasant belief claims boars have extremely prickly natures, and, if offended, will vent their anger by knocking down fences and gobbling up potatoes. Though they sometimes live alone, boars usually appear in small groups of 3 to 5 specimens.

Videos

The Witcher 3- Boar ambush

Beast in heraldry

File:COA Everec.svg

Wild boar is also common symbol in coat of arms from Northern Kingdoms and maybe Empire of Nilfgaard also (athough there is not confirmed any).

A complete beast may represent what are seen as the positive qualities of the wild boar, namely courage and fierceness in battle; a boar's head may represent hospitality (from the custom of serving the boar's head in feasts), or it may symbolize that the bearer of the arms is a noted hunter.

Trivia

• Crach an Craite is called by Nilfgaardian soldiers Tirth ys Muire ("Sea Boar") for his deeds. Also when you pass around some islanders in Kaer Trolde harbor in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt you can hear that three new prepared ships will bear the names Hemdall, Kambi, and Crach´s private ship, Wild Boar of the Sea.
• Wild boards are native to the realms and did not cross during the Conjunction).

Gallery

Wild Boar comics.png

See also

• Elder Speech