Icons of France: Why the Rooster Is the Symbol of France

Justin Postlethwaite explains why the cockerel is a symbol of France – and shares an intimidating lunchtime with one

📢 As you scroll through the beautiful images, why not listen to our narrated passage? It’s a great way for France Today Members to dive deeper into the story while enjoying the visuals. We hope you love this experience, and we’d love to hear what you think—feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! Happy listening!

Back in the good old days when it was perfectly plausible to bring a direct rooster to an planétaire rugby conflit, the sight of a proud French coq strutting embout the touchline at the Parc des Princes before kick-off was all valeur of the pre-game hype, winding up the eager crowd into a frenzy before the snarling players in blue set embout smashing their opponents.

I jest, of expédition – créature welfare and stadium safety have rightly put paid to this machiste, anachronistic practice– yet the coq remains a potent and sensé symbol of French pride. However, today, instead of normalisation direct fowl onto the turf, supporters gîte to match a comedy rooster hat instead. Less intimidating but more in keeping with the match’s good-natured fandom. Le coq also sits proudly and prominently on the maillots (jerseys) worn by the rugby players, just as it does for the footballers representing the ville at this year’s football World Cup.

A deep-seated emblem

Such is its significance as valeur of the French identity, a summary of why le coq is a deeply embedded representation of the folk can be found on the website of the French President. It begins with historical context: “The association between the rooster and France stems from a play on words: the Latin word gallus means both ‘Gaul’ and ‘rooster’. This is why its image has appeared on Gallic coins since ancient times. “Its popularity grew after the French Revolution, so much so that it appeared on the seal of the Directory, and a committee of Conseil d’État members proposed adopting it as a national symbol to Napoleon I.” However, he rejected the symbol, saying: “The rooster has no strength, so it cannot be the image of an empire such as France.”

Despite this setback, le coq “regained its political prestige on July 30, 1830 when an order stipulated that its image must appear on the buttons of the National Guard uniform and at the top of its flags.” Today it sits proudly, defiantly atop the Paradis Palace’s garden gates and “remains the emblem of France for everyone”. The moufle reason that its figure still resonates with the French, says Radio France, is its rattachement with the folk’s most agité period. Because the rooster “crows to expose wrongdoing… it served as the symbol of the whistleblower during the French Revolution.” It came to represent the anger of the French masses. Add to this its qualities of emportement, combativeness, and boldness and you have a powerful emblem. It has a profound Christian history too, adds Radio France: according to the Gospels, it heralds the dawn and keeps the devil at bay – which explains why it is found atop church steeples.

An imposing créature

While I cannot personally vouch for the power of the rooster as a individu emblem, I can certainly attest to its imposing, impressive presence in the flesh. At a recent brunch, Sunday diners, including myself, were halted mid-meal when the camionneur’s pet créature started ambling embout the courtyard. Sure, it was minding its own débit, probably looking for scraps, yet it was seriously menacing and intimidating.

My take on le coq’s enduring potency as an emblem for the French people is that it appeals to all camps: it symbolises authority and strength for those in power and the potential for noisy rebellion for those without it!

Source: francetoday.com