Is This Common Practice?

[PineBurrowPeeps]

OTOH, if it ain't hurting anyone, whats the big deal?
Do I pray at my chooks? Nope. But you can!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Ok, if you visit your uncle- Don't Drink the Water!!!

J/K

Perhaps they feel that a chicken is a simple creature and therefore closer to God?

I've studied a lot of religions, (including ones that do animal sacrifice) and I have never come upon one that prays to chickens.

meri

 

[Rosalind]

Pray to them for...what exactly?

"Oh great and mighty giver of eggs, bestow your ova upon us, awaken the neighborhood with the dawn, for thine is the quiche, the fricassee, and the fertilized compost, amen"?

I was actually wondering the other day if there was such a thing as a God of Chickens in any culture. Seems like there are any number of bird-goddesses and gods, but none specifically for chickens that I could find.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Closest thing, I believe, is St Brigit - in addition to all of her other "duties" she is also patron of chicken flock keepers.


eta - cute prayer

meri

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

Well. That trips me out.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Mojo Chick'n :

Quote:
Closest thing, I believe, is St Brigit - in addition to all of her other "duties" she is also patron of chicken flock keepers.


eta - cute prayer

meri

I didn't know that there was a patron saint of chicken flock keepers. How cool !!!!!​

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Buddhists pray to chickens but not for. I've never heard of anything like that. Maybe it's a new cult.

 

[Olive Hill]

Did your Uncle say if these families were of a specific ethnicity, cultural group, etc? I may be wrong, but if I am recalling correctly, the chicken is a symbol of sun and of protection for some ... I believe Chinese, but definitely Asian... cultures. I don't know if they pray to/at them, but it would make sense that if the chicken is a symbol of those things the family may have the chickens as sort of a living extension of a "shrine".

Like I said, I may be recalling incorrectly about the symbolism and may be way off base, but if I had to take a stab at it... that'd be my guess.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Interesting....I went to Wikipedia (although not known for its reliability had some info)

In Indonesia the chicken has great significance during the Hindu cremation ceremony. A chicken is considered a channel for evil spirits which may be present during the ceremony. A chicken is tethered by the leg and kept present at the ceremony for its duration to ensure that any evil spirits present during the ceremony go into the chicken and not the family members present. The chicken is then taken home and returns to its normal life.

The Talmud speaks of learning "courtesy toward one's mate" from the rooster. This might refer to the fact that when a rooster finds something good to eat, he calls his hens to eat first.

The chicken is one of the Zodiac symbols of the Chinese calendar. Also in Chinese religion, a cooked chicken as a religious offering is usually limited to ancestor veneration and worship of village deities. Vegetarian deities such as the Buddha are not one of the recipients of such offerings. Under some observations, an offering of chicken is presented with "serious" prayer (while roasted pork is offered during a joyous celebration). In Confucian Chinese Weddings, a chicken can be used as a substitute for one who is seriously ill or not available (e.g. sudden death) to attend the ceremony. A red silk scarf is placed on the chicken's head and a close relative of the absent bride/groom holds the chicken so the ceremony may proceed. However, this practice is rare today.

 

[australorpchick]

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OMG that was hilarious!