Rooster Tattoo

Rooster Tattoo





The rooster is still the unofficial emblem of France, and its historic links go back to ancient Gaul. Through its close relationship with the mother goddess, it became an emblem of fertility and birth. Its further association with courage, vigilance, bravery in battle and lust for life, qualified the rooster as a worthy motif for the French Revolutionaries, and appeared on the flag of the first Republic in the late 1700s. The Latin word Gallus means both 'Gaul' and 'cockere', ensuring the rooster's adoption as a fitting emblem for the French. The Gallic cockerel appears on government seals, and was the symbol used by the French Resistance in WWII as a reminder of the resilience of the French people, bolstering their commitment to resist.

Kenyan legend describes a Great Red Rooster who lived in the clouds, causing lightning when it ruffled its wings, and thunder when it crowed. Before the advent of clocks, the rooster was kept in the royal court of ancient Korea as the 'royal timekeeper'. For the Babylonians the cockerel was a solar symbol and was placed on the altar prior to making offerings to the Sun God.

Some aspects of the rooster character have earned it infamy in folklore and literature. Boastful, arrogant, ambitious, and proudly crowing about its own status are less positive aspects of this impressive bird. But its red comb and wattles against white feathers have made it a favourite subject for artists. In China, these red features were symbols of autumn and sunset.