The Rooster
Roosters (Gallus gallus domesticus) are adult male domestic Chickens. They are found on every continent across the globe except Antarctica, primarily thriving in agricultural settings, backyard coops, and rural landscapes. They feed on beetles, caterpillars, small mice, lizards, frogs, grass and weeds.
Characterised by their larger stature, vibrant plumage, prominent fleshy red combs, and sharp leg spurs, they act as the dedicated guardians, peacemakers, and leaders of their flocks.
Beyond their well-known role as nature's loud, dawn-announcing alarm clocks, one truly unique biological feature of roosters is that their ear canals automatically close when they crow. This built-in auditory defense mechanism completely blocks out the sound, preventing the bird from deafening itself when blasting a call that can easily exceed 90 decibels at close range.
Roosters also display their brilliant iridescent hue through something called structural colouration. The long, curved main tail feathers of a Rooster display strong iridescence. These beautiful metallic colours are completely pigment-free, instead they have microscopic keratin structures on their feathers. These structures act like a prism, and scatter the refracting wavelengths of White Light to create their shimming deep green colours.
Another well known and loved symbol, the Rooster, is immediately identified with the Chinese Zodiac in modern times, though I am sure we will find many more cultures that wove a tale or two around this magnificent feathered creature. As the Chinese symbol of this archetype is the most well known, I think we shall start our Essay there.
We'll begin with how it came to be included in the Chinese Zodiac. The Legends relays that in ancient times, the Rooster did not look as it does today. It was a proud, powerful bird with a spectacular, crown-like set of Golden Antlers on its head, but it lacked the bright, beautiful feathers it wears now.
The Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, announced a great race across a wide river to select twelve animals to represent the zodiac years. At the time, the Dragon was a strong contender but lacked horns, making him look less majestic than he desired.
The Dragon approached the Centipede, a clever insect, and asked for advice on how to look more intimidating for the Emperor. The Centipede suggested borrowing the Rooster’s magnificent Golden Antlers.
The Dragon and the Centipede visited the Rooster. The Dragon promised to return the Golden Antlers immediately after the race, and the Centipede stepped forward as the guarantor, swearing on his life that the Dragon would keep his word.
Wanting to help his fellow creature, the Rooster generously handed his Golden Antlers over to the Dragon. To make up for his lost Golden Antlers, the Rooster was gifted a vibrant, fiery red comb and a coat of shimmering, multi-coloured feathers.
On the day of the race, the Rooster realized he was a poor swimmer. He teamed up with the Sheep and the Monkey. Together, they found a sturdy raft and because of their brilliant teamwork, they reached the shore together.
The Jade Emperor was so impressed by their cooperation that he awarded them consecutive spots, The Sheep took 8th place, The Monkey took 9th place, The Rooster took 10th place.
The Dragon ultimately loved the Golden Antlers so much he refuses to give them back to the Rooster and dives deep into the bottom of the ocean where the Rooster could not reach them. The Rooster pleads with the Centipede for help since he guaranteed the Dragon would return them.
The centipede shrugs and refuses to help, so the Rooster snaps him in two and eats him. Now not surprisingly the Centipede with his hundred legs is the archetype for the The Hundred-Eyed Demon King (Duomu Jing, 多目怪 / 多目魔君) who eventually escapes his celestial prison by digging underground. So now we also have the archetype for the god of the fickle Mortal Humans.
The Golden Antlers denote that these animals are directly connected to the First Born Divine Male, as the Dragon is his emblem. The Rooster not only wears the Golden Antlers, but he illuminates first to lead his divine brethren and the righteous into the dawn of a new cycle.
The Rooster is also the 10th creature of the Zodiac, the first ten numbers in the Fibonacci Sequence equates to 88. 88 is the number of the Divine Duo ie: the Divine Male and Divine Female.
Now let's look to another myth called the Heavenly Rooster of Taodu Mountain. According to ancient Han dynasty Texts like the "Records of the Mysterious Middle" and the "Revised Collection of Weft Texts", there is a mystical, paradise-like mountain in the Eastern Sea called Taodu Mountain. The East denotes the beginning of a new cycle, when the gods and humans are in the Higher Ages.
It relays that atop this mountain grows an unimaginably massive, coiled Peach Tree spanning three thousand li in circumference. Perched at the very highest branches of this giant tree sits the Heavenly Rooster (or Golden Rooster).
Every morning, he is the first creature to see the very first rays of the sun hit the Peach Tree, at that moment the Golden Rooster lets out a mighty, piercing divine crow so loud that it triggers a chain reaction. The moment it crows, every Rooster across the earth hears it and follows suit, waking up humanity and heralding the arrival of a new day.
"Above lives a celestial Rooster. When the sun first rises and shines upon this tree, the heavenly Chicken crows, and all the Chickens under heaven follow suit." 「上有天雞。日初出照此木，天雞即鳴，天下雞皆隨之。」
Some Texts have translated 雞 (jī) which is a general word for all Chickens, however in the context of this myth Hens do not crow. Upon looking into further Texts, we find that other similar myths do explicitly state that it is only the Roosters who crow. I think the reasoning of only using the word Rooster at the beginning, is to denote the First Born Divine Male.
If we look to the other major Text that records this exact same myth, the Shuyi Ji (述異記). Instead of just using the generic word for Chicken, it uses the term 雄雞 (xióngjī), which explicitly and undeniably translates to "Rooster." As we know that the Rooster is the symbol for the First Born Divine Male, this means all the other Roosters who crow back to the Golden Rooster, even if they are "Chickens" are also, Divine Males.
The Sun Rooster represents Mao, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions (ancient Chinese constellations corresponding to the Pleiades). He lives in the Palace of Brightness, and his divine duty is to crow at dawn, signaling the banishing of darkness. The Sun is also the archetype directly connected to the First Born Divine Male.
In traditional Chinese astronomy and mythology he is known for making a journey to the West defeating poisonous pests and monsters. In the Ancient Epic, "Journey to the West the Sun Rooster" the god Maori Xingguan played a crucial role. The well studied student will identify the West is the setting of the Sun and symbolic for the Underworld.
During the quest, the monk Tang Sanzang is kidnapped by the Scorpion Demoness, a monster so powerful that her venomous sting severely defeats both Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie.
The Goddess Guanyin then appears and informs Sun Wukong that no mortal or standard immortal can defeat this demon; their only hope is Maori Xingguan, the Sun Rooster. Sun Wukong travels to the celestial Palace of Brightness to recruit the Rooster God, who readily agrees to descend to the mortal realm to eliminate the pest.
Upon arriving at the demon's lair, Maori Xingguan transforms into his true form, a magnificent, two-meter-tall giant Rooster. In his true state, Light begins to emanate from him and the Rooster god’s eyes burn like twin suns, his golden feathers reflect no shadows.
The Rooster lets out his first powerful crow, which instantly shatters the demoness’s illusions and forces her to revert to her true form: a giant, monster Scorpion. He crows a second time, and the sheer cosmic power of the sound utterly paralyzes the creature, causing her magic to collapse and her body to melt, killing her instantly.
As one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Rooster is a star god. In Chinese literature (Shenmo), only high-ranking star gods like the Rooster, project a divine aura (Xianqi or Shenguang).
The Chinese mystics state that the solar energy pouring from the Rooster god is the Heavenly Fire of Purple Mist (Ziqi). As it radiates outward, it creates a sacred boundary—a Mandala of Light—where no malice or corruption can structurally exist.
So again in this myth, we have the Divine Man, who is travelling West (denoting the Underworld), destroying the evil humans symbolised by the venomous Scorpion who have taken power over humanity in the Lower Ages.
In the Chinese mythos, the Scorpion is not a benevolent archetype at all, it is always connected to the Lower Ages in their mythology. The well studied student understands there is always going to be an exception to the rule in Esoteric literature, this is why we look cross culture, and then identify the common reoccurring theme being communicated by the archetype.
Then we have "The Battle of the Ten Thousand Immortals" (万仙阵 / Wan Xian Zhen featuring our beautifully plumed hero once again. In this myth Huang Cang, was originally a mortal giant Rooster, after being slain during the apocalyptic Battle of the Ten Thousand Immortals, he was canonized by Jiang Ziya on the Platform of Gods as Maori Xingguan, joining the Twenty-Eight Mansions to govern the night sky.
In the Legend, there is a massive magical war and showdown between two rival sects of Taoist deities: the Chan Sect (who support the righteous Zhou army) and the Jie Sect (who protect the corrupt Shang dynasty).
The event is named the "Ten Thousand Immortals Formation" (Wan Xian Zhen) because the grandmaster gathered all his remaining disciples, low-level followers, and spirit-beasts into one place to fight. The Ten Thousand Immortals is relating to the brave and righteous Mortals who helped the Divine Male defend against the corrupted, in doing so they became immortal like the gods.
Let's take a look to the Japanese Scribes and see how they have embedded this gloriously feathered creature into their stories.
It begins with the Sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother, Susanoo. One day her brother went on a destructive rampage through the heavens. Devastated and angry, Amaterasu hid herself away inside the Ama-no-Iwato cave, sealing the entrance with a massive boulder. Without her radiance, the cosmos was instantly plunged into a cold, eternal night, allowing evil spirits to run amok.
All the gods who exist throughout the Universe then gathered at the riverbank of heaven to figure out how to coax the Sun Goddess out. The wise god Omoikane devised a plan to trick Amaterasu into believing that her absence no longer mattered.
First, the gods collected all the "long-singing birds of the eternal land", the mythical Roosters. They build a large wooden perch outside the cave entrance and set the birds upon it. On command, the Roosters began to crow loudly in unison, mimicking the breaking of dawn to confuse the goddess inside.
Next, they forged a beautiful bronze mirror and a jewel necklace, hanging them on a sacred sakaki tree near the cave door. Finally, the goddess of mirth, Ame-no-Uzume, overturned a wooden tub and began a wild, comical dance. Her performance was so entertaining that the millions of assembled universal gods burst into roaring laughter.
Inside the cold, dark cave, Amaterasu was puzzled. She heard the Roosters crowing as if it were morning, and the gods laughing uproariously as though they were celebrating that the dawn had finally come. Curious as to how anyone could celebrate without her Light, she cracked open the heavy stone door. When she asked what was happening, the gods told her they were celebrating a deity more beautiful than she.
They held up the bronze mirror. Amaterasu stepped forward to look at her own magnificent reflection, completely captivated by the brilliant Light. At that exact moment, a god of immense strength hidden by the door grabbed her hand and pulled her completely out of the cave.
Another god quickly tied a sacred straw rope (shimenawa) across the entrance so she could not go back and hide away again, restoring warmth and Light to the world.
However, the assembly of gods were furious with her brother Susanoo for causing the disaster. To restore cosmic order, they put him on trial, punished him, and banished him to the mortal realm (Underworld), where he underwent a dramatic transformation from a destructive force into a heroic figure.
He was forced to hand over his tribute of divine goods as restitution for the damage he caused. The gods then cut off his hair, long beard and fingernails, symbols of his divine strength. Then he was officially banished from the High Celestial Plain, Takamagahara and cast down to the earthly realm of Izumo.
The story ends with Susanoo fighting a Dragon, as he was slicing through one of the dragon's tails, he discovers a magnificent, flawless blade hidden inside the flesh. This weapon was the legendary sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (The Grass-Cutting Sword).
Recognizing its immense power and wanting to reconcile with his sister, Susanoo presented the sword to Amaterasu as an apology offering. She accepted it, sealing their peace and cementing the sword as one of Japan’s Three Imperial Regalia.
I do not think the well studied student requires a commentary on these Legends, it is very apparent in the telling of these myths we have the Divine Male and Divine Female and their descent into the Lower Ages.
The fact Susanoo took the Imperial Sword from a Dragon solidifies his position as the First Born Divine Man. For those confused by the name "Grass cutting sword", if the divine and righteous humans are likened to flowers and trees, who would be symbolised by common grass?
Now I think we would do well to look at the smaller countries of our Eastern story tellers and see how they have entwined their myths around this majestic creature, this tale is from Indonesia.
The story begins that King Raden Putra ruled the prosperous kingdom of Jenggala. He had a kind Queen and a jealous mortal concubine. The concubine hated that the King loved the Queen more. She bribed the royal physician to help her fake an illness.
She then framed the Queen, claiming to the King that the Queen tried to poison her. The King, believing the lie, banished the pregnant Queen to the deep jungle. However, the guard tasked with her exile took pity on her and let her live safely in the woods.
There, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Cindelaras (Look at how close this name is to Cinderella) Cindelaras grew up strong, smart, and friendly with the jungle animals. One day, an Eagle dropped an egg near him. The Creator, as we see with Zeus in the Ancient Greeek mythos, is often directly connected to the Eagle.
He cared for the egg until it hatched into a special Rooster, however this Rooster was magical. Instead of a normal crow like other ordinary Roosters, it sang:"Kukuruyuk! My master is Cindelaras, living in the woods, and his father is King Raden Putra!"
Hearing this, the Queen tearfully told Cindelaras the truth about their royal past. Inspired, Cindelaras decided to travel to the palace with his Rooster to meet the King. Along the road to the capital, Cindelaras entered local cockfighting contests. His agile Rooster won every single match.
Word of the unbeatable bird reached King Raden Putra, who invited the mysterious boy to the palace for a grand match. The king wagered half his kingdom if Cindelaras' Rooster won, while Cindelaras agreed to become a slave if he lost.
The King's large, fierce fighting Rooster faced Cindelaras' bird. Despite its size, the King's Rooster was quickly outmatched and defeated. Immediately after winning, the magical Rooster crowed its famous song for the King to hear: "Kukuruyuk! Cindelaras, son of Raden Putra, lives in the wilderness!"
Shocked by the words, King Raden Putra questioned the boy. Cindelaras explained who he was and shared his mother's story.
The terrified physician and guard confessed that the concubine had forced them to lie.
Realizing his terrible mistake, the King apologized, punished the wicked concubine, and brought the Queen back to the palace with great honor. Cindelaras was welcomed as the rightful crown prince, and the family lived happily ever after.
The Indonesian story tellers have not failed to keep this archetype intact. The Rooster, in this myth, not only represents the Divine Prince, but also a Prince who is living a life of hardship until the Rooster announces his divine nature.
Indonesian Story Tellers have also not disappointed us with their myth the legendary Sarimanok. He was the magical Rooster companion of the hero in the epic Biag ni Lam-ang.
In some indigenous creation tales, Sarimanok the Rooster, plays a role by pecking and splitting the giant bamboo from which the first humans, Malakas and Maganda, emerge. The well studied student will remember another Legend in which the goddess emerged from the middle of a Bamboo shoot from our Essay on the archetypal symbol of Jade.
In that Japanese myth regarding the sacred gem Jade, an old man notices a mysterious stalk of bamboo glowing from within. He cuts it open to find a tiny, thumb-sized baby girl.
He and his wife raise her as their own daughter, naming her Kaguya-hime (The Shining Princess of the Supple Bamboo). From that day on, every time the old man cuts open a bamboo stalk, he finds a nugget of gold inside, quickly making his family wealthy.
In the famous Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang, the hero Lam-ang possesses magical Rooster who possesses a powerful, destructive crow. During Lam-ang's quests, he uses the rooster's magical crow to effortlessly flatten buildings or challenge arrogant suitors.
The very first letter of the traditional Thai alphabet is kaw kai (ก ไก่), which stands for Rooster/Chicken as the Rooster is seen as an emblem of new beginnings and auspicious momentum.
An ancient Legend from Northern Thailand explains why the city of Lampang is known as the "City of the Rooster". The Legend states that about 2,500 years ago, the god Indra wanted to visit a village in northern Thailand to see the local people. To make sure the villagers were awake and ready to welcome him, Indra sent a bright White Rooster to crow and alert everyone of his impending arrival.
Let us now look to our Ancient Greek Scribes and see how they have furnished their legends with our vocal little feathered friend.
The story begins with Ares, the Greek god of war, carried on a secret love affair with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. The lovers only met at night to keep their relationship hidden from Aphrodite's husband, Hephaestus, and to avoid the watchful eyes of Helios.
Ares trusted a young soldier and companion named Alectryon to stand guard outside the bedroom door. Alectryon's job was to sound the alarm if anyone approached, specifically before Helios crossed the sky. One morning, Alectryon fell fast asleep at his post. Helios discovered the hidden couple and immediately ran to tell Hephaestus.
Furious that his privacy was ruined and his secret revealed, Ares transformed Alectryon into a Rooster. Because of this curse, the Rooster can never forget his failure to warn of the approaching dawn. The well studied student would do well to note that the symbol of the Rooster is directly connected to the god Ares as one of his primary symbols.
We see the usual narrative of the gods forgetting themselves, falling into their vices and the Rooster heralding their time of reawakening. Note it is a "warning", reflecting that this new dawn will not be welcomed by everyone.
Finally we have our epic Norse Storytellers, and they too have imbued their legends with this radiantly feathered creature, you are going to like this, because our little friend, the Rooster plays a starring role in the Legend of Ragnarök.
The epic begins with a devastating winter that ends with the total destruction and rebirth of the universe. Here is how the end of the Great Year unfolds in Norse mythology.
Before the Roosters ever crow, the world of mortal men (Midgard) is broken by Fimbulwinter. This is not a normal winter; it is a brutal winter that cannot be broken by the Spring which causes all the crops to fail. Snow drives from all directions, frost covers the earth, and biting winds pierce the spirit.
Starvation causes the social order to collapse. Brothers turn on brothers, families turn on each other, and the world descends into war. The Earth can no longer sustain such evil and fractures, the ancient primordial wolves Sköll and Hati finally catch their prey. Sköll swallows the Sun, and Hati swallows the Moon, plunging the nine realms into absolute darkness. The Earth trembles violently, snapping all bonds and fetters.
The trickster god Loki and his monstrous son, the giant wolf Fenrir are released and right at this moment, the three Roosters crow: Gullinkambi screams in Asgard, rallying the gods and the righteous dead. Fjalar crows in the upper realms of the giants and the Soot-Red Rooster wakes the divine and mortals in Helheim, the Underworld.
The oceans boil as the Midgard Serpent (Jörmungandr) writhes out of the sea, spraying venom that poisons the sea and sky. The monstrous armies march toward the vast plains of Vigríd, the designated battlefield. Loki captains Naglfar, a terrifying ship built entirely from the unpared fingernails and toenails of dead men, carrying an army of monsters.
Led by Surtr, the fire giants of Muspelheim ride forth. As they cross Bifröst (aethereal bridge), their immense weight causes it to shatter into pieces. Heimdall, the watchman of the gods, blows his mighty horn, the Gjallarhorn, sounding a blast heard through all nine realms.
The Final Battle takes place on the plains of Vigríd, the greatest warriors in existence collide with the demons and mortals who have corrupted the world. Odin charges the giant wolf with his spear Gungnir but is swallowed whole by Fenrir.
Odin’s son, Víðarr, immediately avenges him by stepping on the wolf's lower jaw with a magical boot and tearing Fenrir apart. Thor finally kills his arch-nemesis, the Midgard Serpent, with his hammer Mjölnir. However, Thor takes only nine steps before collapsing and dying from the serpent's lethal venom.
The smoke blackens the sky, and the charred, ruined earth sinks completely into the boiling sea. The old universe is dead. Eventually, the waters recede, and a new, green paradise earth emerges from the sea.
The Sun’s daughter takes her mother's place in the sky. In the new world, Thor’s sons Móði and Magni, and Odin’s sons Víðarr and Váli, gather together. Even Baldr, the beautiful god who died before Ragnarök, returns from the Underworld.
Two mortal humans, Líf and Lífþrasir, who also survived the destruction by hiding deep inside the wood of Yggdrasil, step out into the sunlight. They repopulate the earth, beginning a brand new cycle of life, free from the old world's corruption.
I think that is the perfect way to end our journey into the archetypal symbol of the Rooster. The symbolic meaning has remained strong with this archetype, and the narrative regarding the two sides of creation continues. The Norse epic solidifying that the Rooster is the illuminated First Born Divine Man in full power, who heralds the end of the corrupted world and the beginning of a new Age of Light.
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