The Rooster of Barcelos is one of the most
beloved symbols of Portugal! (many will say is a idiotic one or even of
bad taste, other just adore him and is common to see this little guy
everywhere in the country, as small clay statues to decorate all the
housewife ovens, pocket chains, pins or mugs for breakfast! You name it
and he is there!)
The proud black and red rooster has it's origins in the village of Barcelos on a legend of a rooster that came back to life after was dead and already cooked!!... (lucky one, enh?!)
The proud black and red rooster has it's origins in the village of Barcelos on a legend of a rooster that came back to life after was dead and already cooked!!... (lucky one, enh?!)
According to the legend, silver had been stolen from a landowner in Barcelos, and the inhabitants of that city were looking for the criminal who had committed the crime. One day, a man from neighboring Galicia turned up and became suspect, despite his pleas of innocence. The Galician swore that he was merely passing through Barcelos on a Pilgrimage to Santiago of Compostela to complete a promise.
Nevertheless, the authorities arrested the Galician and condemned him to be hang. The man asked them to take him in front of the judge who had condemned him. The authorities honored his request and took him to the house of the magistrate, who was holding a banquet with some friends. Affirming his innocence, the Galician pointed to a roasted rooster on top of the banquet table and exclaimed, "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." The judge pushed aside his plate because he decided to not eat the rooster. But still, the judge ignored the Galician's appeal.
However, while the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed as the Galician predicted. Understanding his error, the judge ran to the gallows, only to discover that the Galician had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace.
Some years later, the Galician returned to Barcelos to sculpt the Calvary (or Crucifix) to the Lord of the Rooster (Portuguese, "Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo") in praise to the Virgin Mary and to Saint James. The monument is located in the Archeological Museum of Barcelos. This legend has some variations, but the essential is exactly as above.
The 17th-century calvary can still be see at the Archeological Museum of Barcelos in Paço dos Condes, a gothic-style palace in Barcelos, a city in the Braga District of northwest Portugal.
