Kraaiende haan 1872

Jan Gerard Smits etched this image of a crowing rooster, with no known date. But look closer, and you will observe the potent symbolism invested in this barnyard fowl. The rooster, with its piercing cry at dawn, has long been a symbol of vigilance and resurrection. In many cultures, it heralds the sun’s return, chasing away darkness and ignorance. Consider the rooster atop church steeples—a watchful guardian, warding off evil. Yet, in other contexts, it symbolizes pride and even arrogance. Now, let us not forget the rooster's combative nature. A symbol of aggression, as seen in ancient gladiatorial contests, and how that image clashes with its more benevolent associations. The constant evolution of symbols, their meanings molded and remolded by the collective psyche across time and space, is perhaps the most powerful force in shaping our cultural memory. The rooster, a herald of light and a symbol of aggression, embodies this non-linear progression, resurfacing with ever-shifting connotations.