Most of us know the common facts, mixed & mingled with superstition and old-wives-tales...
"Chicken is a good source of protein"
"Chickens can run around after their heads have been cut off"
"Chickens are sacrificed by cults"
"Chickens will drown in a rainstorm"
Well...the above statements, though popular beliefs, aren't all exactly true. Join me as we delve into the strange & surprising world of chickens, and we'll dispel some myths (and learn some downright amazing truths, too!).
Chickens in Religion
Yes, it's true that chickens are sacrificed in some religions. No, this does not make said religions cults. Chickens are, like many barnyard animals, sacrificed in many Afro-Caribbean religions as part of festivities and ceremonies. It's not for any ghoulish cause-most of the time the entire chicken goes to good use. The meat becomes a meal (cooked and served in a grand feast); the feathers become parts of ritual crafts and dress, as well as spells and rites; and even the bones are used-in rites and divination!
The chicken was first domesticated approximately 8000 years ago. Primitive people considered the bird a sacred symbol, equating it with the sun. So the feathers of chickens have long been used in ceremonial clothing. The Romans considered chickens to be sacred to Mars, the God of War. No doubt because chickens can be fierce fighters, scratching violently with their claws and pecking angrily with their beaks. The term "cock fight" comes from an actual practice (illegal in many places) of placing two roosters in a cleared area and letting them fight to the death. The purpose of this barbaric game is to gamble on the potential success or failure of either chicken.
Considering there are more chickens on Earth than there are humans, and chickens are related to the dangerous king dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex, is it any surprise chickens are sacred in some cultures?
Chickens on Our Plates
Just about anything on a chicken can be eaten, with varying degrees of ease. Most people stick to the obvious bits-the meat of the legs, wings, and breast.
But I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention eggs. While chicken eggs aren't really chickens, per se, they are the building blocks of chicken life! Most eggs have only one yolk, sometimes two. The most amount of yolks per egg on record is 9! (It would be awfully crowded with 9 chicks in one egg!) Eggs can come in a variety of shades. The most common are brown and white, you if you know where to look, you could find chicken eggs in shades of pink, green, and blue!
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