|
 |
 |
Partake of the Boar and Grow Wiser with Each
Bite
ATLANTA – The boar’s
head will be the center of attention at Oglethorpe University’s 83rd
annual Boar’s Head Ceremony and Holiday Concert on Friday, Dec. 5,
at 7:30 p.m. in the Conant Performing Arts Center.
The event will
feature music by university ensembles under the direction of W.
Irwin Ray, as well as performances by the University Singers,
University Chorale, Oglethorpe Dancers and the Oglethorpe Early
Music Consort. Miriam White and David Buice will provide
accompaniment. The highlight of the evening is the obscure “kissing
of the boar’s head” initiation ceremony for students inducted into
Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national leadership honor society
founded at Washington and Lee University in 1914.
The legend of Boar’s
Head can be traced to the late 14th century at Queens College of
Oxford University. A student named Copcot, wandering the forest of
Shotover on the day before Christmas, stopped to read Aristotle when
he was attacked by a wild boar. As the boar charged, Copcot stood
his ground saying in Greek, “Wisdom conquers even the treacherous
beast.” At the last moment, he extended his arm, thus ramming the
book down the throat of the animal. The boar found Aristotle hard to
swallow and, amidst much choking and gasping, expired. Copcot
brought the carcass to the college cook, who roasted it, Aristotle
and all, for Christmas dinner. It was observed that those who ate
the flesh of this boar grew wiser with each bite.
Oglethorpe University,
steeped in English tradition with ties to Corpus Christi College of
Oxford University, adopted the tradition as an occasion to hold a
holiday party for faculty, staff and students. As the event has
evolved through the years, it has become a time to honor the
inductees of ODK. New ODK initiates carry the boar’s head, mounted
on a litter, into the auditorium where the legend is told and the
various musical ensembles and the audience participate in a holiday
concert.
A reception, during
which the ODK initiates kiss the boar’s head as part of their
initiation, will follow in the lobby of the Conant Performing Arts
Center.
Oglethorpe University
promises a classic education in a contemporary city. Our students
learn to make a life, make a living and make a difference. Our
graduates become community leaders who are distinctive in their
ability to think, communicate and contribute. For more information,
visit www.oglethorpe.edu.
###
|
