Rooster in Various Mythologies

by Daniel Mackie October 11, 2012

Here is the finished watercolour of The Rooster.
I mentioned in my earlier post about how the rooster featured in greek mythology.

The rooster features in many diffent cultures writtings and beliefs.

The Bible provides a well-known reference in the passage where Jesus prophesied of his betrayal by Peter: “And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.” (Luke 22:34) This made the rooster a symbol for both vigilance and betrayal.

In chinese mythology the rooster is attributed with five virtuess, knowledge, military expertise, courage, benevolence and credibility. The roosters crow was believed to inicate a fresh start, that evil spirits, afraid of the light would dissapear at the crow of the rooster.

This old european tale is a peach!

This account comes from Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, written in roughly 79 AD.

The Basilisk which is nasty serpant/devil type of creature that can kill you with its glance! The basilisk is alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad. In Medieval Europe, the description of the creature began taking on features from cockerels.

Elder points out That the Basilisk…. ” destroys all shrubs, not only by its contact, but those even that it has breathed upon; it burns up all the grass too, and breaks the stones, so tremendous is its noxious influence.” Thankfully Elder belives in natures balance and that the beast is destoryed by the Roosters crow!

In jewish legands comes the lesson from the rooster of putting ones mate first, The Rooster, when he finds something good to eat, calls over his hens so they can eat first.

Buy cards and prints at Daniel’s shop The DM Collection

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