Do you believe in superstitions and that certain things or actions can bestow good or bad luck on someone?
It’s a controversial topic, but an interesting one nevertheless. Especially when it comes to chickens, and roosters in particular.
In this article, I thought I’d take a look at a rooster crowing at night superstition. As well as some of the beliefs and symbols attached to roosters.
Table of Contents
What Does It Mean When a Rooster Crows at Night?
You shouldn’t expect to hear a rooster crowing overnight. They usually let out the first crow to announce the break of dawn.
If you do hear one crowing at night, it most likely means they think or have seen a threat such as a predator or heard a noise that has spooked them.
After all, it’s their job to alert their flock of hens to any dangers that might be present.
If you want to look at this from a superstition side, however, there are some interesting theories.
I’ve done some research into the topic, and some of the superstitions around hearing a rooster crow overnight include:
- There is some unexpected news coming your way soon
- There is going to be a death in the family
- Evil spirits are present
- They are detecting some kind of spiritual presence
As you can see, all the superstitions revolve around bad things happening - as is so often the case.
I couldn’t really tie any of this back to the origins of why some of these things are believed. But, it’s fair to say that no one has ever welcomed hearing a rooster in the middle of the night. So it’s not hard to understand why it’s not associated with anything positive.
What Does a Rooster Crowing Symbolize?
According to whats-your-sign.com, the rooster symbolizes illumination in most cultures. Although, in Norse and Celtic cultures they are a symbol of the underworld.
Looking into the history behind this, it seems to be tied to roosters serving as messengers. Hearing a rooster crow would be a warning that danger is present, which makes sense as that’s the role of a rooster within a flock.
Roosters are often colorful with strong personalities. Words like; vigilance, courage, and strength have often been used to describe them throughout history.
Anyone who has kept a rooster in their backyard flock will be nodding their heads right now, I know I am.
They can be incredibly feisty and will take on just about anyone or anything threatening their hens.
Related - How long do roosters live on average?
Roosters and Chinese Culture
Roosters have a deep history in Chinese culture. They are the tenth sign of the Chinese zodiac, and symbolize a number of things:
- Honest
- Bravery
- Luck
- Prosperity
- Ordinariness
They’re certainly seen as a more positive symbol than in some of the other cultures I’ve covered so far.
Roosters and Ancient Greek Culture
Archaeological discoveries and ancient sources into Greek and Roman times have revealed that roosters were associated with gods such as Mars, Minerva, and Asclepius.
Hearing a rooster crow was associated with a victory cry. To these cultures, they symbolized strength, healing, and other positive things.
Roosters and Christianity
In Catholic art, roosters are almost always associated with Peter. In the bible, it says that Peter would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed twice. Symbolizing the rooster’s crow as a call to repentance.
Apparently, it’s because of this story in the bible that roosters started being used as weathervanes on churches.
I found it interesting researching this because one of my earliest memories of seeing one of those metal weathervane ornaments with a rooster on top was seeing one at the church near my home.
Some Other Chicken Superstition and Myths
Here are some other chicken-related superstitions and myths I was able to find. Take a look and see what you think:
- A black rooster is an omen of death
- If a hen crows is means bad luck (here’s proof that hens can crow)
- A rooster crowing on your doorstep is bad luck
- It’s bad luck to find a soft-shelled egg
- It’s bad luck to collect eggs from their nesting boxes after dark
- Chicks hatched in June are believed to sleep a lot
- Eating chicken gizzards will make you more beautiful
- Eating chicken feet will make you more beautiful
- Hens will not lay eggs in a field where potatoes are growing
Some interesting ones there, right? It’s hard to pinpoint where these kinds of superstitions originate from, but they always seem to survive generations.
Are Roosters a Sign of Good Luck?
In some cultures, they are, yes. The most interesting research I could dig up on this topic was related to Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is a traditional practice in China where items are placed in certain positions around the home to harmonize individuals with their surroundings and bring them good luck, fortune, and more.
It’s believed that if you position a rooster ornament on your work desk facing towards the door it’ll block negative energy from entering the room. It’ll also help promote better working relationships and help you make better business decisions.
For general good luck, it’s recommended you place a rooster ornament in a clutter-free corner of your living room.
In Summary - Rooster Crowing at Night Superstitions and More
From the number 13 (there isn’t even a house number 13 in my street) to black cats crossing our paths and breaking mirrors - our culture and history is steeped with superstitions.
Whether you believe in superstitions or not, it’s hard to escape them for the most part.
I’ve deliberately left my own opinions on the subject out of this article. I had fun doing a load of research and finding as many chicken and rooster related superstitions as I could though.
It’s definitely left me with some things to think about, and I find myself looking at roosters a little differently now...
Resources
Image credits - Header Photo by Jon Sailer, black rooster image by Miroslav Matěcha, and brown rooster image by Camerauthor Photosandstories on Unsplash
Symbolic Meaning of the Rooster - Whats-Your-Sign.com
7 Things Roosters Symbolize in China - ChinaHighlights.com
Feng Shui Rooster Significance and Use - FengShuiBeginner.com
