Boar Zoomorphic Kilt Pin

This 4" tall, rugged pewter kilt pin design was drawn exclusively for USA Kilts by Doug Cavanagh at Celtic Hammer Club.  The pin was hand cast in pewter and polished to a high shine in the UK. It has 2 straight pins and plunger clasps for a secure connection to your kilt.

Boars appear throughout Celtic and Norse mythology as sacred beasts of battle, representing courage, virility, and the relentless pursuit of honor. They also have a strong connection to magic and the Afterlife. Boars are one of the most popular motifs in ancient warrior art, depicted on shields, helmets, weapons and banners. The importance of the boar is confirmed by numerous bronze boar figurines and grave goods found at Celtic sites across Europe.

In Celtic Lore:

In Celtic mythology, the boar symbolized strength, courage, fertility, and warrior prowess.

In druidic Celtic culture, the boar was a potent symbol of the chaotic forces of nature. It was seen as embodying a powerful duality: the untamable, deadly ferocity of the wild as well as the generous sustenance it provides.

For instance, a supernatural white boar with red ears was believed to be an otherworldly animal that could guide heroes from the mortal realm into the Otherworld. In the tales of Arthur and the Welsh hero Culhwch, hunting a boar served as the hero's initiation into an adventure connected to the Otherworld.

It was common for mythical characters to shape-shift into boars. One Irish myth tells of Tuan mac Cairill who lived for centuries in the form of a stag, an eagle, and a boar before returning to human form. In some tales, it was seen as a divine, prophetic, and vengeful beast. The death of the hero Diarmait is caused by a supernatural boar. 

Here on earth, the stubborn and aggressive boar was a formidable opponent to hunt all across Europe. It was known for charging right at the hunter and goring him unless he managed to put his spear in the way. As a result, boar meat became symbolic in and of itself. It was usually only eaten at the feasts of the warrior class, and during sacred rites. The choicest cut of pork, the "Champion's Portion," was reserved for the bravest warrior.

In Norse Lore:

In both Irish and Norse myth, boar or swine is the meat of the gods. A famous motif in Irish mythology is a feast of pigs that are slaughtered and eaten every day but magically reappear whole in the evening.  

For the Vikings, this was the boar Sæhrímnir who was eaten daily by the Einherjar (chosen warriors) in Valhalla. Each night, the boar was resurrected so that the warriors training for Ragnarök would always dine well.

The boar was truly a beast of battle and as such was the war mount of two important Norse deities – Freyr and Freyja.