The Urban Fable About a Roosters' "Cock-a-Doodle-doo"
The Urban Myth Surrounding a Roosters' "Cock-a-Doodle-doo"
One of the most long-held urban fables in the animal world has to do with the loud "cock-a-doodle-doo" of a cock. Popular belief has it that roosters crow only at the break of dawn, according to legend to wake up farmers and other early risers. A number of readers -- city dwellers, perhaps -- probably think that this tale is actually true.
Sorry to burst any bubbles, but the story isn't entirely true. While cock crowing usually does begin early in the morning, it can, and commonly does, continue throughout the day -- and the reason it happens has absolutely nothing to do with being a feathered alarm clock. In truth the piercing, high-pitched ululation serves as a territorial challenge to other barnyard roosters, to attract hens and as a general alarm.
How this myth got started is a matter of historical debate, but one of the earliest references to the rooster and its shrill cry can be traced back to Greek mythology. According to the myth, Alectryon -- the old Greek name for "rooster" -- was a young man who was ordered by Ares, the God of War, to ensure that no one entered his domicile while the he carried on an adulterous affair with goddess Aphrodite. Unfortunately for him, Alectryon fell asleep at his post, and Helios, the Sun God, caught the amorous couple. Spitefully, Ares turned Alectryon into a rooster, which always remembers to announce the sun's rising in the morning.
Other tales have sprung up around the shrill bird: in old central European folk tales Satan is believed to flee at the first crowing of a cock. A medieval tale posits that the Basilisk, a giant snake who kills with a single glance and is hatched by a toad from a hen's egg, will instantly die if it hears a cock crowing.
In todays world, even business tools like online Yellow Pages display the name rooster as it remains a fairly prevalent commercial appellation, for businesses from poultry processing plants to retail chicken establishments.
Chickens are both entertaining and useful to keep. They cost very little to raise and they earn their rent by laying eggs for you. Checking at random through local laws around the country, it is interesting to note how they deal with keeping fowl:
Mobile, AL: Unlimited chickens allowed. Westfield, MA: Chickens not allowed. Corvallis, OR: Unlimited chickens allowed, but no roosters. Chicago, IL: Can have unlimited number of chickens if use is only for pets or eggs; cannot have if use is to slaughter. Detroit, MI: Not allowed. Portland, ME: Chickens not legal. Aiken, SC: Chickens must be penned, and the pen kept 40' from neighboring residences. Los Angeles, CA: Unlimited allowance, but chickens may not be within 20 feet of owner's residence, and must be at least 35 feet from any other dwelling.
So there you have it -- the truth about the tale of the roosters cock-a-doodle-do and its historical context, as well as some contemporary information on how various locales legislate the presence of fowl within their borders.
About the Author
Matthew Paolini is the technical director for Citybook.com Online Yellow Pages in San Francisco, CA
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