Justin Postlethwaite explains why the cockerel is a symbol of France – and shares an intimidating lunchtime with one

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Back in the good old days when it was perfectly acceptable to bring a live rooster to an international rugby match, the sight of a proud French coq strutting about the touchline at the Parc des Princes before kick-off was all part of the pre-game hype, winding up the eager crowd into a frenzy before the snarling players in blue set about smashing their opponents.

I jest, of course – animal welfare and stadium safety have rightly put paid to this macho, anachronistic practice– yet the coq remains a potent and pertinent symbol of French pride. However, today, instead of dispatching live fowl onto the turf, supporters tend to sport a comedy rooster hat instead. Less intimidating but more in keeping with the sport’s good-natured fandom. Le coq also sits proudly and prominently on the maillots (jerseys) worn by the rugby players, just as it does for the footballers representing the nation at this year’s football World Cup.

France’s World Cup shirts bear le coq

A deep-seated emblem

Such is its significance as part of the French identity, a summary of why le coq is a deeply embedded representation of the country can be found on the website of the French President. It begins with historical context: “The association between the rooster and France stems from a play on words: the Latin word gallus means both ‘Gaul’ and ‘rooster’. This is why its image has appeared on Gallic coins since ancient times. “Its popularity grew after the French Revolution, so much so that it appeared on the seal of the Directory, and a committee of Conseil d’État members proposed adopting it as a national symbol to Napoleon I.” However, he rejected the symbol, saying: “The rooster has no strength, so it cannot be the image of an empire such as France.”

Despite this setback, le coq “regained its political prestige on July 30, 1830 when an order stipulated that its image must appear on the buttons of the National Guard uniform and at the top of its flags.” Today it sits proudly, defiantly atop the Élysée Palace’s garden gates and “remains the emblem of France for everyone”. The main reason that its image still resonates with the French, says Radio France, is its association with the country’s most turbulent period. Because the rooster “crows to expose wrongdoing… it served as the symbol of the whistleblower during the French Revolution.” It came to represent the anger of the French masses. Add to this its qualities of courage, combativeness, and boldness and you have a powerful emblem. It has a profound Christian history too, adds Radio France: according to the Gospels, it heralds the dawn and keeps the devil at bay – which explains why it is found atop church steeples.

A hungry cockerel mooches for scraps in a restaurant garden

An imposing animal

While I cannot personally vouch for the power of the rooster as a national emblem, I can certainly attest to its imposing, impressive presence in the flesh. At a recent lunch, Sunday diners, including myself, were halted mid-meal when the restaurant’s pet animal started ambling about the courtyard. Sure, it was minding its own business, probably looking for scraps, yet it was seriously menacing and intimidating.

My take on le coq’s enduring potency as an emblem for the French people is that it appeals to all camps: it symbolises authority and strength for those in power and the potential for noisy rebellion for those without it!