Roman rooster - small
In popular belief, the rooster is the symbol for belligerence or even combat readiness. It symbolizes also vigilance and the sunrise. The Romans worshipped him as a symbol of the home guard. In Assyrian mythology, the cock was a symbol of the God of fire and the Sun God. In Greek mythology, it was sacred to numerous gods. In Norse mythology, two cocks awaken the hero in Odin's and the forces in Hel's halls. Elsewhere, the cock dispel the nightmare of the fiends. On Christian tombstones and sarcophagi, the cock appears as a Herald of the day. An example from popular belief: a charcoal-colored rooster is seven years old, so he lays an egg, from which emerges a dragon.
The patron of the roosters is St. Gallus; he is also the patron saint of the watchmaker, sometimes called St. Veit and shown together with Peter and a rooster.
The original artwork dates back to the 1st century AD, and can be seen at the Museum für Vor-und Frühgeschichte in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. The original was found in Nida-Heddernheim, the older Praunheimer burial ground, grave 2.
- Original at the Museum für Vor-und Frühgeschichte in Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Height: approx. 9cm
- Animal length: 9cm
- Clay/ceramic castings, with patina
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