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THE GALLIC ROOSTER
One of the national emblems of France,
the Coq Gaulois (the Gallic Rooster) decorated French flags
during the Revolution. It is the symbol of the French people because of the play on words
of the Latin gallus meaning Gaul and gallus meaning coq, or
rooster.
The rooster has been used as an ornament on church bell towers in France since the
early Middle Ages, but at that time it was probably used to symbolize vigilance as
roosters are known to crow at the expectation of the sunrise. The Gallic Rooster has been
used for centuries by folk artists as a decorative motif on ceramics or carved and
veneered wooden furniture.
The rooster played an important role as the revolutionary symbol, but it would
become an official emblem under the July Monarchy and the Second Republic when it was seen
on the pole of regiments' flags. In 1830, the "Gallic Rooster" replaced the fleur-de-lis
as the national emblem, and it was again discarded by Napoleon III.
Since 1848, the rooster has been seen on the seal of the Republic (Liberty is
seated on a rudder decorated by a rooster); it was used from 1899 as a motif on gold 20
franc coins and it occasionally appears on stamps.
It is the emblem of French sports teams in international competitions.
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