French Cockerel

The Coq Gaulois is a national Symbole of the France. The cock forever be the symbol of Gallic, the animal emblematic of these people was the lark. The cock is the symbol of France in the beginnings country, proud, obstinate, courageous and fertile. For the foreigners also, the cock symbolizes France, even if it is an animal to which one does not lend only qualities (limited, proud…).

The cock appears in the top of very many bell-towers, because of the cock of the Évangile S and not of a national symbol. It overcomes also good number of war memorials the set up after the First World War.

The cock is also the emblem of the Wallonia (Walloon cock).

Origin

The origin of the expression comes from a joke. At the beginning of the Low Middle Ages (XIIe), they pointed out by derision that in Latin, cock and Gallic said both " gallus" and that the French (particularly their king Philippe Auguste) were quite as proud as the animal of farmyard. By argumentativeness, the French took again on their account this expression by proposing this proud animal.

Political emblem

Although present like figure symbolic system in France since the medieval time, it is as from the time of the Rebirth that the cock starts to be attached to the idea of French Nation which emerges little by little. Under the reign of Valois and Bourbons, the effigy of the Kings is often accompanied by this supposed animal to represent France in engravings, on the currencies. Even if there remains a minor emblem, the cock is present at Louvre and Versailles.

The cock gained a particular popularity at the time of the French revolution and of the monarchy of July, where it was introduced to replace the animals symbolic systems of the Royalty (lion and eagle), as well as dynastic lily.

  • Thus, at the revolutionary period, one sees it being reproduced on one ecu, decorated with the Phrygian cap, on the seal of the First consul and the allegory of fraternity often carries a surmounted stick of a cock.

  • Napoleon i substitutes the Empire for the Republic and consequently the eagle replaces the cock because for the Emperor: " The cock does not have a force, it cannot be the image of an empire such as France".
  • After one period of eclipse, " Three Glorieuses" from 1830 the image of the French cock and the Duke of Orleans rehabilitate, i.e. Louis-Philippe, will sign an ordinance indicating that the cock should be reproduced on the flags and the buttons of uniforms of the national guard.
  • the imperial eagle finds its place with Napoleon III, like signs permanence of the Empire.

After that, the cock never found a true authority at the political level. One can only find some references scattered, such as:

  • the seal of IIe Republic representing the figure of Freedom holding a marked rudder of the cock;
  • under IIIe Republic:
    • the grid of the Elys3ee palace was decorated of a cock, " the grid of the coq" that one can still currently see;
    • the gold coin of 20 francs struck in 1899 and circulating until 1914, whose back is decorated of a cock.
    • the cock appears occasionally on stamps

Caricatures

At the time of the First World War, the assertion of the patriotic feeling will make French cock the figure of resistance and courage vis-a-vis the Prussian eagle. This representation manichéenne will be used more and more as from this moment, in particular by the caricaturists. It, since then, is very much used by the caricaturists.

Sporting emblem

Since ten years, the French cockerel had an important renewal of popularity with the sporting events (in particular football and Rugby), where it is the uncontested emblem of the French nation.

See too

  • List of war memorials French surmounted by a cock

  • Mascots:

External bonds

  • '' Embassy off France in the United States - additional information ''

  • additional Information on the site of French the Prime Minister

  • Images of Footix the cock, Mascot of the World cup of FIFA 1998.

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