Cultural references to chickens

There are numerous cultural references to chickens in myth, folklore, religion, and literature. Chickens are a sacred animal in many cultures, being deeply embedded in belief systems and religious worship practices.

Roosters are sometimes used for a divination practice called Alectryomancy, a word deriving from the Greek for "rooster" and "divination". This would sometimes involve sacrificing a sacred rooster during a ritual cockfight to communicate with the gods.