Riga roostersLegends of my Town

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

Why Roosters?  On top of the oldest Riga

Churches - Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s, St. John’s and St. Jacob’s – are decorated with roosters (weathercock), not crosses.

According to Christian tradition, the rooster is a vigilant defender against evil, and with his morning song he can drive away all bad things.

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

The Legend The time before the rooster’s first song is

full of evil There are four the roosters should be raised

as high as possible, to hear their songs from far away

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

Tradition demanded that after the restoration of the St.Peter’s Church tower, the construction foreman must sit on the rooster’s back, drink a glass of wine and then drop the glass to the ground. The number of fragments the glass splits into is the number of years the tower will remain standing.

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Riga roosters

Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

St.Peter’s Church tower stood for 200 years until World War II, when it burnt down along with the church on June 29, 1941 – exactly on St.Peter’s day.

Legend tells that the Riga Rooster which adorns the top of the oldest church spires in the city serves as a wind indicator to guide visitors into the city.

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

The Practical Meaning

The rooster on a church steeple serves as a wind indicator.

This is very important for Riga as a seaport since the wind direction means a great deal for sailing vessels.

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Riga roosters

Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

1.Roosters and Other Animals So there you have it. The Riga Roosters keep

watchful eyes over the city, welcoming visitors and defending against evil.

But it’s not just the tops of churches that house ornamental touches adding the unique flair to the city and its architecture.

Buildings of all types throughout town are topped with all sorts of figurines, animals, and sculptures.

One particularly interesting story is the “Cat House.”

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

Legend of the cats

The legend known by most Riga`s people, which is also told to tourists, comes in at least two versions. One version of the legend has it, that the wealthy tradesman who commissioned the building was refused membership of the Riga Tradesman Guild, mostly just called the Great Guild. The central element of both versions is the anecdote, that seeking retribution, the tradesman had two copper statues of angry-looking cats with arched backs and raised tails placed on the turret rooftops with their tails turned towards the house of the Great Guild, situated across the street.

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The other and perhaps older version of the cat legend has it, that the wealthy tradesman placed the two statues of angry-looking cats on the building turret rooftops with their tails towards the Riga Town Hall, following a dispute with the Riga City Council, after which he urged the erection of the building .The Riga Town Hall at the time was in the same direction as the Great Guild, but it burned down during World War II, was demolished 1954 and only rebuilt at the very same place in the years 2000—01

Riga roosters

Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia

Riga roosters

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Legends of my Town, Riga, Latvia