[Peter-Alexander Kerkhof, currently a researcher at the Friske Academy, part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences, has much to say about the portrayal of pigs in video games set in the Middle Ages. The polygonal pigs of the past were muscular, lumbering, pink, and too naked. At least that's what Kerkhof wrote in an article he contributed to the Leiden Medievalist blog (opens in new tab) in August 2021.

Let's get back to the story. When humans domesticate creatures, they change over time to reflect the traits we have selectively bred for. The giant ears of corn we soda in the United States were bred from wild corn, which yields far less. Cute and adorable little pugs with crushed faces and crippling breathing problems are the descendants of the noble wolves that guarded prehistoric campsites. Thank you.

Through his study of this period, Kerkhof has obtained much evidence of the differences between the character of pigs in medieval Europe and modern sows. Namely, medieval pigs were lean, hairy, and had boar-like tusks. Also, medieval pigs were more free-range than modern pigs; only breeding sows and piglets were kept on farms, while the rest roamed the nearby forests and fields.

Lest such an interpretation seem to rely solely on the works of medieval artists, who were very bad with cats (opens in new tab), Kerkhof has an extensive bibliography that cites animal remains and the legal codes of various kingdoms alongside contemporary art and animal depictions.

Kerkhof paints a compelling picture of pigs of old. But modern developers have completely failed in their depictions of pigs: in Assassin's Creed, A Plague Tale, The Witcher, everywhere you look, there is a pink, bellied pig in a cage. This is the result of the pursuit of realism.

All kidding aside, Kerkhoff's article is thought-provoking. More than a condemnation of game developers, it is a reminder of how utterly alien the past is. Language, morality, science, and even our understanding of the passage of time were so different even just 200 years ago.

I suppose it's OK for medieval games to continue to "misunderstand" pigs, but I'm curious how "Pentimento" (opens in new tab) handles its gayness. As my girlfriend pointed out to me, we should always make room in our hearts for the pink bellied grunters of today. For centuries, genetic engineering projects have been underway to make them the perfect snack food.