Rooster of Barcelos – Souvenir from Portugal

Rooster of Barcelos – Another animal figurine souvenir collected during my travel to Portugal.

Almost every souvenir shop I crossed in the different cities of Portugal I found these roosters, in all sizes and colors, staring back at me. It didn’t take long to figure out that Barcelos Rooster is one of the most common symbols of Portugal. Chatting up with a souvenir seller helped satiate the initial curiosity. He said in Portuguese people consider rooster as the embodiment of their love of life. It symbolizes faith, good luck and justice.

But is that all? Read on to know this famous rooster’s story of origin, its importance as Portuguese symbol, adorning them as tatoo, the various mediums it is made with and also the Feng Shui guidelines for placement.

Traditional hand painted clay figurines – Rooster of Barcelos – souvenir from Portugal

The Legend of the Barcelos Rooster

Such a popular symbol will have its own story of origin. And I was right. A simple google search with rooster of Portugal threw up n number of sites rich with info. But as it happens, the story has passed down generations after generations thus bringing several variations to it, but I decided the following story is the best.

It is believed the legend related to the rooster takes place in 15th century in Barcelos. An unsolved crime in the town of Barcelos kept all its citizens anxious and petrified.  People were scared to leave their houses. During this phase of fear all around, an impoverished pilgrim was passing through Barcelos to fulfil a promise he made during a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Despite his explanation for being in Barcelos he was arrested, accused of the crime and condemned to hang. He refused to go quietly and asked to be taken to the judge who sentenced him to death. The authorities granted his wish and brought him to the magistrate’s house where the magistrate was having a banquet with friends.

The pilgrim swore his innocence and pointed to a cooked rooster on the table. He claimed that the rooster would crow at the hour of his hanging as proof. The statement caused a large amount of laughter and mockery. The judge ignored the statement of innocence, but still set aside the rooster as he had lost his appetite. When the time for execution came, the pilgrim went to the gallows to accept his punishment.

Classic Barcelos figurine

Right before the executioner could deliver his judgment, the roasted Barcelos rooster sprang to life, stood upon the table in front of the crowd and crowed just as the pilgrim had predicted. Taken aback, the judge realized the mistake he had made and rushed to save the pilgrim. Meanwhile the noose was not correctly tightened, so the innocent pilgrim could be saved from his death sentence.

Later, the pilgrim returned to Barcelos. He sculpted a cross in honor of the Virgin Mary and St. James, who he felt was responsible for saving him with the miracle of the rooster. Today, this cross is referred to as the Cross of the Lord of the Rooster. This statue is still in existence in the Archeological Museum of Barcelos.

Ever since rooster is said to symbolize faith, honesty, justice, love of life and luck.

How did the Portuguese rooster rise as a national symbol?

The first person to turn the legend of the Barcelos rooster into an object was artisan Domingos Côto. He designed the rooster out of clay initially. Soon other artisans began copying Côto’s work. Thus the rooster was immortalized and displayed at homes, offices, shops and more.

Antonio Salazar, who served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, was one of the main people responsible for spreading the Barcelos rooster as a national symbol of Portugal. Salazar believed in local traditions and nationalism. He declared the rooster as an official symbol of Portugal.

Rooster of Barcelos – Souvenir from Portugal different mediums

Most of the roosters will have single comb but you can search out for the figurines which have four or five deep serrations in the comb that will add a variety to your collection. They come in different colors but the motifs painted on them are usually hand painted heart and colorful flowers.

A traditional version is one that is made of clay and hand painted but you get them in wood, plastic, cloth stuffed ones. You can also get embroidered and painted roosters on fabrics, T-shirts. You get them as pieces of jewelry too, but I didn’t want to hang roosters from my ears and neck so didn’t go searching for them.

Huge family of roosters -souvenir from Portugal

Prices of Portuguese rooster depends on the size and the material used. I was surprised that we got them very cheap in Braga. Not sure why but probably the reason may be Braga is close to Barcelos – I am guessing. My younger daughter (the baby of my house) ended up buying ten small ones for one Euro. So we now have one huge family of roosters.

Feng Shui Rooster Placement

Feng Shui, as you know, is a practice of arranging the pieces in living spaces in order to create balance with the natural world to harness energy forces and establish harmony between an individual and their environment. In Feng Shui roosters are associated with the bringing of good luck and fortune. There are some Feng Shui rules related to how rooster should be placed in your house. This is not just for the one you get from Portugal but also for all rooster figurines that you may pick up from different countries.

• Keep it facing the entrance door of business to ward off evil energies and keeping competitors away.
• For fame and good luck the rooster should be placed on the south corner of the living room.

Galo de Barcelos Tatoo

Some tourists are so enamored that they get a colorful rooster of Barcelos tattoo done on their body. This amazing Portuguese Tattoo Design is made with wonderful ink that makes the whole design look great. The colorful ink effect is indeed different and eye-catching.

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Souvenirs from Around the World

In these times of no travel I look back pieces of memories I have collected from the various cities I have travelled to. Yes, I am talking about the souvenirs I have collected during travels. Allow me to transport you to another part of our beautiful world, another era, through the stories of origin of these keepsakes!

Souvenir, in simple words is defined as: a thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event. First recorded in 1775 as meaning “a remembrance or memory,” the noun souvenir stems from the French souvenir “to remember, come to mind.” A few years later, it took on the sense of “a token” of an event or experience. Opposite is Castaway.

Do you collect souvenirs? Do you have a theme for collection? Let me know in comments below.