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Holy Chickens
Chickens have long been considered divine creatures
© Pete Self
The modern chicken, a descendant of the Red Junglefowl, was domesticated thousands of years ago. But chickens haven't always just been farm animals. During the Iron Age in the Middle East, the rooster's morning call became a symbol for chickens’ divine connection to the sun. When chickens made their way to Europe, they were considered exotic and even holy.
BirdNote®
Holy Chickens
Written by Lauren Colella
This is Birdnote.
[Domestic Chicken rooster crow]
The modern chicken, a descendant of the Red Junglefowl, was domesticated thousands of years ago. But chickens haven't always just been farm animals.
During the Iron Age, the rooster's morning call became a symbol for chickens’ divine connection to the sun.
[Domestic Chicken rooster crow]
In the city of Babylon, which is in modern day Iraq, historical illustrations show priests worshiping chickens set upon pedestals. In the Zoroastrian religion and in Greek mythology, chickens were considered sacred, responsible for bringing light to the world.
[Chickens clucking]
When chickens made their way to Europe, they were considered exotic and even holy. Julius Caesar wrote that “The Britons consider it contrary to divine law to eat the hare, the chicken, or the goose.” Archeologists even found some of the first chickens in Europe buried alongside people.
In the Roman Empire, chickens were farmed and eaten, but when the population fell around BCE 400, they regained their divine status. In the 9th century, Pope Nicholas I ordered that rooster figures be placed atop church steeples, in honor of the many biblical references to the species.
Today, the chicken’s sacred status lives on in artwork, in holiday traditions, and in our admiration for these common but fascinating creatures.
[Chickens clucking]
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.
Red Junglefowl (Domestic Chicken) XC86775 recorded by Myornis, and Red Junglefowl (Domestic Chicken) XC660179 recorded by Ken Behrens.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote June 2023
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# REJU-01-2023-06-19 REJU-01
References:
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_787590_en.html
https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/research-finds-chickens-were-worshipped-100…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-chicken-conquered-the-wo…
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/141221-chickens-ci…
Lauren Colella
Writer
Mary McCann
NarratorSights & Sounds
