Original Meaning of Cock-Throwing on Shrove-Tuesday
1737 Jan
 1737-Jan | "An Enquiry into the Original Meaning of Cock-Throwing on Shrove-Tuesday." Gentleman's Magazine (London:1736-1750) 7 (1737 Jan): 6-8; Online at Animal Rights History, 2003.
Quos sectis Bellona lacertis
Sava movct, cecinere deos; cristamq; rotantes
Sanguineam populis ulularunt tristia galli. LUCAN.
BATTERING with missive Weapons a Cock tied to a Stake, is an annual Diversion that for Time immemorial has prevailed in this Island. At this Custom is peculiar to our Nation, and so generally practiced amongst us, an Enquiry into the original Meaning of it will I hope be acceptable to the Curious. Without doubt something was at first designed by it: We now retain the Thing, the Reason of which is quite forgot and lost. For want of better Light and Evidence to direct us, we must be satisfied with such Conjectures as seem with greatest probability to account for it.
It has been a common Custom in all Ages to represent in Effigy the Persons we have any Hatred to, or Contempt of, and to use the Representations with Ridicule or Rage, as we would the Persons themselves represented, if we had them in our Power. Hanging or burning the Effigies of Malefactors who are out of the reach of Justice, is a Custom at this Time in Use in several Parts of Europe : And his Holiness of Rome (in Defiance of the Abolition of the Writ de Hæretico comburendo) has been often Buffoon'd and Executed in Effigy by the stanch Protestants of the good City of London.
That the Cock at the Stake is also a Representative, will appear highly probable from what follows:
"The original Meaning of the Custom under enquiry, I take to be this: In our Wars with France in former Ages, our ingenious Forefathers invented this emblematical way of expressing their Derision of, and Resentment towards that Nation. Poor Monsieur at the Stake was pelted by Men and Boys in a very rough and hostile manner. The brawny Arm that demolish'd the greatest Number of the Enemy, gained the Honour of being the Hero and Champion of its Country. The Engagement generally continued great part of the Day, and the courageous brave English always came off Conquerors.
It will reasonably be ask'd, why I fix upon the French, rather than the Scotch, the Spanish, or any other Nation? And why should the Enemy be represented by a Cock, rather than by a Hen, a Goose, a Dog, or any other Animal ? The Reason is evident: A Cock has the Misfortune to be called in Latin by the same Word which signifies a Frenchman : So that nothing could so well represent, or be represented by the One as the Other. The Frenchman is ingeniously Ridicul'd and Bastinado'd in the Person of his Namesake. This naturally accounts for the cruel and barbarous Treatment poor Chanticleer has undeservedly met with. It was an ingenious politick Contrivance to exasperate the Minds, and whet the Resentment of the People against the Enemies of their Country."
The Reader will probably imagine, that the Conceit of substituting a Cock for a Frenchman, because of the Latin Word common to both, had no Foundation in Nature, neither was such thing ever design'd, nor though of; but is only a low Joke, a vile Pun, drawn from the accidental Circumstance of the Similitude of a Name.
As to the Conceit being low, I agree with the Objector: But that it might pass for a happy Flight of Wit in dark and ignorant Ages is highly probable; because the same thought has been paum'd upon the present Age for such in a remarkable publick Instance.
Whoever casts round his Eye at Blenheim House, will observe over the Portals finely carv'd in Stone the Figure of a monstrous Lion, the Arms of England, tearing to Pieces a harmless Cock, in Spite of 6* Pliny's Authority [7] to the contrary. This Device emblematically represents the English Victories over the French under the Conduct of the late Duke of Marlborough. This Interpretation is not a Jingle of accidental Circumstances; but was really design'd when the Images were there erected. A conceit so low in so noble a Pile of Building may justly be called a Pun in Architecture. But if in so fine a Structure, design'd as a publick Monument of Honour to the British Nation; if in an Age, when Arts, Learning and Politeness shone with the greatest Lustre; if by Person of the first Rank and Quality if by judges, in all other respects, of the most elegant and delicate Taste; this Device has been admitted as a happy Flight of Wit: What Reflection on our remote Ancestors, to imagine that they applauded themselves on the same lucky Thought? Before Elegance and Luxury of Dress spread into the Country, the Inhabitants of London, by way of Reproach for Imitating the French in their Modes and Fashions, were named Cockneys (turning upon the same Though) that is, Apes and Mimicks of France. How nearly the Cockscombs (or as usually wrote Coxcombs may be related to the Cockneys, I take not upon me to determine.
The following Distich, spoken before the French Embassador by a Westminster Scholar, plays also upon the same Word.
Ex Gallo Capo sit: suerint si quiq; Capones Galli, quam suerit Gallica rara lues !
Our ingenious Forefathers refined upon this Conceit with great Subtilty: not only thereby express'd their Indignation to an Enemy, but pictured their national vice by an artful Hieroglyphick. Levity and Inconstancy of Temper is a general Reproach upon the French. The Cock upon the Steeple (set up in contempt and derision of that Nation, on some violation of Peace or breach of Alliance) naturally represents these ill Qualities.
The Time when this lacky Hint of substituting Namesakes for each other first came into Practice, I am not able to discover. From what we may suppose would be thought Wit in that Age, and the Circumstances of Affairs relating to Us and the French, I conjecture it to have happened in the Reign of 7† Edward III. when the two Nations seem to have been exasperated against each other by more than ordinary Resentment.
The Season of the Year, just before the Armies take the Field and enter upon Action; and the particular Day, usually celebrated with extraordinary Diversions and Luxury, (Mardi-Gras) were aptly fixed upon this Solemnity, in that all Sexes, Ages and Degrees then assembled, with Spirits brisk and Lively thro' Mirth and good Cheer, might encourage and exasperate each other, especially the armed Heroes now going abroad, against the common Enemy of their Country. Each Return of the Season added new Fuel to the flame: And by this means, Revenge and Rage always boiled in the Breast, and fired their Souls with a Desire of performing Warlike and Brave actions. Poictiers and Agincourt may probably be owing to this accidental and unregarded Circumstance.
Gallicide, or Cock-Throwing, was first introduced by way of contempt to the French, and to exasperate the Minds of the People against that Nation : But why should this Custom be continued, when we are no longer at War with them? The Affront annually offer'd is indeed not worth their Regard: but must justly bring the Genius of England into contempt and ridicule with all Europe. 'Tis a low mean expression of our Rage even in time of War [8] (tho' by the way, a much more significant Device than the Lion and Cock in Oxfordshire;) but in time of Peace 'tis absurd and foolish beyond Expression.
Considering the many ill Consequences that attended it, I wonder it had so long subsisted amongst us. How many warm Disputes and Bloody Quarrels has it occasion'd among the surrounding Mob ? Numbers of Arms, Legs and Skulls have been broke by the missive Weapons design'd as Destruction to the Sufferer in the String. It is dangerous in some Places to pass the Streets on Shrove-Tuesday; 'tis risking Life and Limbs to appear abroad that Day.
The Barbarity to the harmless Creature at the Stake, one would think, should be an Object of Horror both to the Actors and Spectators of this inhuman Tragedy. To Bastinado and torture a poor Creature out of Sport and Wanttonness is a species of Cruelty that wants a Name. It was a proper Reprimand of the Frogs in the Fable, to the little Masters who were pelting them with Stones:— "Young Gentlemen! pray forbear ! This may be Sport to You; but 'tis Death to Us."
But the greatest Unhappiness attending the rude Exercises of Cock-Throwing, Bull-baiting, Prize-fighting, and the like Bear-garden Diversions, (not to mention the more genteel Entertainments of Cock-Fighting, and our Theatrical Murders in presence of the 8* Audience, (on which Account we are justly the Reproach of all our Neighbours;) the greatest Misfortune arising from these Brutal Sports is, That they inspire the Minds of Children and young People with a savage Disposition and Ferity of Temper highly pleased with Acts of Barbarity and Cruelty. Good-nature, Compassion and Tenderness, will with great Difficulty afterwards gain Possession, if the Mind be first tinctured with Inhumanity and Blood.
The Honour then of the Nation which is blemished by continuing so foolish a Custom, the unhappy Consequences of broken Limbs and other Evils attending it, the Horror so savage an Entertainment must give to all good People, and the ill Effect if must have on the Morals of our Youth, &c. all call loudly on our Governors and Magistrates to exert their Authority and Power utterly to abolish so Dishonourable, so Mischievous, so Barbarous and Immoral a Custom, which too long has been practised with Impunity among us.
6* Nat. Hist. L. VIII. C. 16. Hoc tam savum Animal (Leonem) Gallinaceorum Cristæ, Cantusq; magis, terrent. L. X. C. 21. Galli terrori sunt etiam Leonibus ferarum generasissimis. Lucretius, l. iv. v. 714, &c.
7† The following Passage is in the Life of Archbishop Becket. Praterea quotannis, die quæ vocatur Carnilevaria, (Shrove-Tuesday) Scholarum singuli pueri sous apportant magistro suo Gallos gallinaseos pugnaces; & totum illud antemeridi anum datur ludo puerorum spectare in Scholis suorum pugnas Gallorum. If Cock-Throwing on Shrove-Tuesday had been the Diversion of Youth at that time, as well a Cock-Fighting, it had without doubt been mentioned with it.
8* Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet. Hor.
The [front] page, [contents], [page] and [article] headings all gave title (often differently) to the selections in this magazine. I have included each noting the source within brackets following the title. II.—Dissertations, Rise and Folly of Cock-Throwing [front] An enquiry into the original meaning of Cock-Throwing on Shrove-Tuesday [contents & page].
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