The Three Little Pigs

[Zorakman]

In the story of “The Three Little Pigs” the pigs always reply to the wolf’s demands with the phrase “Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin”. Does this phrase have any signifigance, or is it just a convienent rhyme with “little pig, little pig let me in!”? I’m wondering if their’s any cultural context, and further wondering if pigs have chins at all.

“Boy, sure wish we had one o’ them Doomsday devices”-Gen. Turginson, Dr. Strangelove

[funneefarmer]

Conveniant rhyme.

[krish]

Is this useful?

Javelina comes from a Spanish name for the collared peccary, a New World relative of swine (but not a true pig) that ranged from the southwestern United States down to the tip of South America. Javelinas are extremely bristly – very hairy on the chinny-chin-chin.
Source

[DrFidelius]

krish’s post ties in with the well-known theory that the tale of the “Three Little Pigs” is a folk-tale versiion of actual historical events. The ghettos established in 14th Century Spain and Portugal were purged by the Inquistion under the guidance of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. The “Big Bad Wolf” is clearly Tomas de Torquemada, the inquisitor general of Castile and Aragon. He was a Dominican (Domini Canis-- a Hound of God). The three “pigs” with their obsession with their chin whiskers are (or were) the rabbis of Granada (grain = straw), Zaragoza (in the lumber provinces), and Cadiz. The original tale did not have the happy Disney ending.

Hope this makes the story clearer.

Dr. Fidelius, Charlatan
Associate Curator Anomalous Paleontology, Miskatonic University
“You cannot reason a man out of a position he did not reach through reason.”

We apologise for the fault in the sig files. Those responsible have been sacked.

[aseymayo]

Gee, Grandpa, you tell the best fairy stories. Now tell us the one about Little Cinders and the auto-da-fe!

---

Official Poster of the Millenium

[Louie]

The original tale did not have the happy Disney ending.

I never heard the original ending to the story. What happened?

[Ukulele_Ike]

Louie, does the term “Iron Maiden” signify anything to ya?

– Uke, Medieval/Renaissance/Reformation Torture Buff

[C_K_Dexter_Haven]

Well, I dunno about “original”, there’s lots of versions, but basically the wolf eats the pigs from the house of straw and the house of sticks, after huffing and puffing and etc.

The huff-n-puff routine doesn’t work on the house of bricks, the wolf tries a few attempts to lure the pig out but the pig always outsmarts the wolf. The wolf tries to come down the chimney, the pig puts a boiling pot at the bottom, the wolf falls into the pot, the pig puts the lid on, and the wolf is scalded to death.

Much more satisfactory, to my mind, that the stupid pigs are devoured and the wolf is killed.