Article: SSU’s Rodney the Rooster Evokes Respect for Chicken Spirit

[Shepherd]

by Shepherd Bliss
WaccoBB.net

Rodney the Rooster recently appeared at SSU and was quickly adopted as their mascot. His body was later found "ravaged". See the PD's story here. Shepherd Bliss shares some of his chicken-wisdom with us below...

By caring for chickens for nearly two decades on my Kokopelli Farm in Sebastopol, I have great respect for that other two-legged. I miss Sonoma State’s Rodney the Rooster, who was recently killed, and the spirit he ignited on campus. His April 27 memorial service was a genuine tribute. I brought four of my hens, so that Rodney would have family there.

For each of my four years teaching at SSU, I’ve brought chickens as Teaching Assistants. They have a lot to communicate, as I describe in the essay “Chicken Wisdom” in the psychology book “Held in Love.”

Chickens are my power animal. They are vulnerable, yet hardy. Chickens can be tricksters, as well as loud-mouths. One person trying to catch a chicken is likely to fail, unless he uses a tool. Chickens practice the martial art of aikido and are escape artists able to “fly the coup.”

Rodney represented his breed well. He displayed beauty and wisdom to charm people to get what he wanted, including food, attention and protection. Rodney was a survivor for months, until something took him out.

Chickens are smarter than most people realize. They do dumb things, though not as stupid as humans currently causing chaotic climate change and polluting our air, water, soil, and food chain. We predators have a lot to learn from prey like Rodney about survival, especially at this historic moment when humans endanger the Earth and all its creatures.

Rodney the Rooster has a good ring to it. But I prefer the word used in the agricultural community for male chickens. It is used in the extensive literature on cocks by Socrates, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Christians and others. It was the prudish Anglo-Saxons in Victorian England who replaced the word “cock” with “rooster.” They apparently wanted to cover up something.

Those who honor Rodney stand in a long, distinguished line. The last words of Socrates, that ancient Greek father of philosophy, were “O Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Pay it and do not neglect it.” Asclepius was the legendary physician and healer of souls after death. Giving him a cock was a symbol of life hereafter.

In his play “The Birds” Aristophanes wrote, “Just like the great king he struts along, the only bird that has a straight crest on his head.” Aristotle also lectured and wrote about chickens.
Christians picked up the cock as a symbol of resurrection. At the Last Supper Jesus mentioned that his disciple Peter would betray him thrice before the crowing of the cock, which he did. The Venerable Bede of Britain wrote that “the cock a saint.”

The great Italian Aldovandi praised the cock because “he fights for his dear wives and little pledges against serpents, hawks, weasels and other beasts.” Scientists have proven that today’s chickens are the direct descendents of dinosaurs.

Shakespeare opened Hamlet with a discussion of the appearance of the ghost of Hamlet’s father: “It was about to speak when the cock crowed.” Horatio responded, “The cock is the trumpet to the morn to awaken the God of the day.” The ghost apparently “faded on the crowing of the cock.” Such power!

O Rodney, may your legend live on, that we may live on. You brought us joy and lifted our spirits. May your story continue to be told as long as Sonoma State exists. And even beyond that time.

People wanting to learn more about chickens can read “The Chicken Book,” by UC Santa Cruz historian Page Smith and biologist Charles Daniel. It is based on a chicken course they taught in l972.

A good remembrance of Rodney would be a SSU course on chickens. It could include the story of the Jewish chicken ranchers who made Petaluma the egg capital of America for years. The course could include a study of the land on which SSU was built, which used to be Fred Rohnert’s farm. Chickens probably roamed this land before students did.

I like SSU’s current mascot—the mythological seawolves. However, I welcome an ongoing discussion of renaming our mascot after Rodney--something like the gamecocks, the scrappy bantams, which he was, or the wise birds.

With her play “Vagina Monologues” Eve Ensler brought good attention and respect to that word. May Rodney’s legacy include more respect for the positive and inspirational characteristics of a true cock.

Long Live Rodney the cock!

Shepherd Bliss has run the Kokopelli Farm since l992, currently teaches at Sonoma State University, and can be reached at [email protected].

[Dixon]

...They are vulnerable, yet hardy...a cock was a symbol of life...“Just like the great king he struts along..."...Christians picked up the cock as a symbol of resurrection...You brought us joy and lifted our spirits...

Yes, all of these things refer to a cock, and not just the avian kind! Kinda makes me wonder if the derivation of the word "cock" meaning "penis" may have actually had to do with these similarities.

[Glia]

Yup, especially early in the morning.

Rodney certainly was the cocky one, wasn't he! That eulogy is a wonderful read.

Yes, all of these things refer to a cock, and not just the avian kind! Kinda makes me wonder if the derivation of the word "cock" meaning "penis" may have actually had to do with these similarities.