Pig-faced women
Legendary wealthy women with pig faces, once believed real.
Pig-faced women are figures from European folklore and popular belief, particularly in the Netherlands and England, who were said to be wealthy women with normal human bodies but the face of a pig. The legend is primarily documented in Dutch and English sources from the late 1630s onward, and for centuries was widely treated as fact, inspiring ballads, chapbooks, and public exhibitions.
- Origin
- Netherlands, England (late 1630s)
- First english reference
- Tannakin Skinker (1640)
Lore & Background
The earliest surviving version of the legend is a Dutch print from 1638–39 about Jacamijntjen Jacobs of Amsterdam. While pregnant in 1621, she refused a beggar with three children, telling her, 'Take away your filthy pigs, I will not give you anything.' The beggar cursed her, and Jacobs' daughter was born with the head and face of a pig, eating from a trough and speaking with a grunting voice. The first English reference is the fable of Tannakin Skinker, recorded in a 1640 chapbook titled A Certaine Relation of the Hog-faced Gentlewoman called Mistris Tannakin Skinker. Skinker was born in 1618 to Joachim and Parnel Skinker in a town on the Rhine, after a beggar cursed the mother for being 'hoggish.' The child ate from a silver trough and spoke with grunts. A fortune teller advised that marriage to a gentleman, not a 'Clowne, Bore or Pesant,' might break the curse, and a dowry of £40,000 was offered.
Reader's Guide
The legend of pig-faced women is significant as a case study in the persistence of folklore and the blurring of fiction and fact. Originating in the late 1630s in three European countries, it became particularly popular in England and later Ireland. By the early 19th century, the magical elements had faded, and pig-faced women were widely believed to be real. In Dublin, it was believed that the reclusive philanthropist Griselda Steevens hid her face because she had a pig's face. In 1814–15, a rumour swept London that a pig-faced woman lived in Marylebone, and portraits were published. Showmen exhibited supposed pig-faced women at fairs, possibly shaven bears dressed in women's clothing. Charles Dickens remarked in 1861 on the longevity of the belief. The last significant work treating pig-faced women as genuine was published in 1924. The legend illustrates how birth defects, the theory of maternal impression, and the media of ballads and chapbooks could sustain a widespread belief for nearly three centuries.
Did You Know?
- In 1814–15, a rumour swept London that a pig-faced woman was living in Marylebone, and numerous alleged portraits were published.
- Showmen exhibited living 'pig-faced women' at fairs, which may have been shaven bears dressed in women's clothing.
- The last significant work to treat the existence of pig-faced women as genuine was published in 1924.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Pig-faced women?
They are legendary figures described as wealthy women who had an otherwise normal human body but bore the face of a pig. The tales circulated primarily in the Netherlands and England from the late 1630s onward.
What role do Pig-faced women play in folklore?
Rather than serving as heroes or villains, they function as a living marvel and spectacle that inspired ballads, chapbooks, and public exhibitions. For centuries, audiences treated these accounts as literal fact rather than fiction.
Why are Pig-faced women important in Dutch folklore?
They represent one of the most widely 'believed' marvel stories in early modern Dutch and English popular culture, surviving in print for generations. Their persistence illustrates how pre-scientific public discourse could blur the boundary between fact and fiction.
When and where did the Pig-faced women legend first appear?
The broader legend was already circulating in Dutch sources by the late 1630s. The earliest known English reference dates to 1640 and is linked to a figure named Tannakin Skinker.
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