Semolina Pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower

I have always been fascinated by spam that isn't trying to sell me something. Why does it exist? By random accident? Because of bored high-schoolers who've gotten hold of software from somewhere and want to try it out? What gives?

For example: yesterday, I received a spam email with the subject header "pritchard". The message, in its entirety, was:

venison

The spoofed address was from somewhere in France, if that helps. Which it doesn't.

Perhaps it's a secret message. Or the true meaning of life. Venison. Now I know.