13/07/2022
Do you know why most churches and archaeological buildings in Europe have rooster statues on the top of them?
The rooster is a symbol of Christians; just according to the Bible, on the night following Christ's arrest, St. Peter refused to confess he believe in him 3 times in a row, before rooster crows.
It is rare to find an old Western European church without a rooster statue at the top of its bell tower; this rooster has signs and symbols, such a reminder of Peter's mistake when he denied confession to Christ, according to the French magazine Ça m’intéresse.
Christians in the West are said to be awakened to the roaster's crowing, until the 5th century, and then, they built towers, and erected the statue of a rooster, in order to warn Christians of falling in the wrong direction of Peter himself, and also to point to the direction of the wind.
This pet bird represents the transition from darkness to light, it is also herald of sunshine, and Christian tradition says that St. Peter spent a night in the wrong, before the rooster let out his crow. So we won't be surprised to have this bird symbol on many towers in Europe.
In the 9th century, Pope Nicholas ordered the installation of the rooster symbol on church bells.
And in France, this symbol is considered as a metaphor back to 2000 years; the word "Galos" in Latin means rooster, and the region of the Ghal.
So, putting the rooster of the land of Ghal, as a religious symbol above the church towers, has good reasons.
Is there a custom in your country similar to raising a rooster statue in Europe?
