The Portuguese seem to have a particular knack for ceramic folk art, sometimes rather camp, sometimes raunchy (just check Louça das Caldas, if you absolutely must know what we mean). The art in Barcelos is usually more naïf in style and seems to favor band figurines and… colorful cocks, which at one point would be ubiquitous in souvenir shops; in fact, you're likely to have seen one somewhere, especially if you took a holiday to the Algarve in the 70s or 80s, or know someone who has. However, what many visitors -and even locals- fail to understand is that this is actually a reminder against discrimination.
There are many variations for the legend around this rooster. Some are less family-friendly than others, but they do seem to agree in some aspects: a long time ago, in the brutal days of the dark ages, Barcelos (Google the place!) was being plagued by a crimewave for which the authorities had no answer. Then one day a man was arrested and brought before the local magistrate. He was a foreigner, a Galician who claimed to be on a pilgrimage to Santiago. If you haven't Googled the place (told you...), then you probably won't realize this explanation sounded awkward, for Santiago is itself in Galicia, and quite far from Barcelos. Spying could not be ruled out: back then Galicians were more or less permanent enemies of the king of Portugal. Believing foul play, the magistrate then proceeded in proper medieval form to investigate: the suspect was of course guilty until otherwise proven. It is of no surprise that the man, being from elsewhere, was unable to find witnesses for his defense. So he tried the very medieval option of trial by ordeal. The magistrate, bemused, agreed. And so it came to be that, in an age of superstition, the accused declared God would be on his side "if the nearest rooster would sing".
Now, one has to remember there was poultry everywhere in the middle ages, so this wasn't very hard to happen. A tweak was proposed by the magistrate: the nearest rooster would have to sing after sunset, otherwise the man would be found guilty and hanged. Sensing it was still a valid chance, the man agreed. And then, because it was late and almost dark, someone brought the magistrate's supper: stuffed rooster.
You can of course figure how horrified the man was: he had just bet his life that an already deceased parrot - I mean, rooster! - would sing. But rather than give in to despair, he declared that very rooster would rise and sing after sunset, as specified. The magistrate let him know he was to be taken to the gallows regardless, and hang at sunset anyway, for silence was to be expected.
And then, upon sunset the hooded executioner kicked a bucket from under the man's feet. At the same time, a rooster was heard. The magistrate's rooster, untouched, had risen in the plate and was singing in full voice.
With no credible explanation apart from divine intervention, the magistrate was forced to accept the innocence of the pilgrim, and had him removed from the gallows for decent burial. But he then found a further miracle had taken place, as the noose had been poorly made and had not worked as intended. The Galician man was the set free, and it is said he later returned to thank god for he life, ordering the construction of a cross named “Lord of the rooster”, which still exists.
So now you know the story of the legendary rooster of Barcelos, or the legendary story of the rooster of Barcelos, as you prefer. We could have told you a much more scientifically plausible story, of how the rooster was a fertility symbol for the pre-Christian inhabitants of these Celtic lands. But that would not have been half as colorful, now would it? Also, a more innuendo-lain version is available - just ask the staff at the event.
Nowadays, the rooster is a reminder against making foreigners scapegoats out of fear, or taken with a twist, it's a way to remind us to welcome all without prejudice. So take Ricky the Rooster home with you, and have a great story to tell whoever asks you why you have a big black cock in your living room.
Dear Participant!
The event is getting closer and closer and we’re looking forward to seeing all of you in June.
We’d like to inform you that the MOC signup will be closing soon on 30 April 2016. As we’d hate to miss out on your awesome models please ensure that you sign them up in time so we can enjoy them in June!
BEST OF THE SHOW
It goes without saying that there will be a competition for the best MOC or display of the show, voted by the participants.
The winner will receive a LEGO set 10234 Sydney Opera House™
So we hope that you'll leave some room in your luggage for a BIG box!
We’re very happy to announce that we’ve chosen a mascot for the Paredes de Coura Fan Weekend. Thank you all for your submissions! They were really great and we had a hard time choosing the winning entry. But of all the models submitted there was one that kind of grew into our hearts because it represented the Rooster of Barcelos, a common token and symbol of Portugal and the Portuguese.
So without further delay, it’s with great pleasure that we present you the official mascot Ricky the Rooster, by Alexis Santos
Barcelos is the name of a Portuguese town near the place where the event will be held and that was also an extra reason to choose Ricky as the mascot. If you want to know more about the Rooster of Barcelos click here
Hope you like it. You’ll be seeing more of Ricky soon.
Cheers!
We just wanted to let you know that registrations will be closing soon. We need to have all the participants signed up by the end of the month, in order to take care of all the logistics regarding meals, transport and accommodation.
So please let all your friends know that registrations are closing at 23:55 GMT of 30 March 2016.
Hurry up if you still want to be part of this amazing event.
Thank you very much.
The Paredes de Coura Fan Weekend wouldn't be half as amazing without all your stunning models from around the world. Hereby we would like to announce that you are finally able to register your MOCs!
The deadline for registering is the 23:55 GMT of 30 April 2016 which should give you plenty of time to think of what to bring.
To register your models, please follow the link below and fill out the form. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.
We are looking forward to seeing all of your wonderful models in Portugal in June!
MOC REGISTRATION
We are pleased to announce a very generous offer from LEGO to the participants of the upcoming Paredes de Coura Fan Weekend. As a registered participant you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a box full of LEGO bricks, also known as Play Brick Box or PBB.
What is a PBB? PBB is a cardboard box full of random and sealed prepacks with new LEGO elements. The box is 50x30x40 that weighs about 8-10 Kg.
Please read the following facts thoroughly before ordering a box!
The deadline to apply for this offer is 23:55 GMT of 3 April 2016. If you want to purchase a box, please click the button below.
We have begun to send out emails with the confirmation of sign-ups and the registration fee payment details. If you have signed and didn’t receive an email with this information, please let us know.
Looking forward to see you all in June!
We went a step further and thought it would be really nice if we would have a contest where you would have the chance to create and design it!
So here it is! Just a few guidelines before we start:
The entries can either be built with actual LEGO bricks or modelled digitally.
You should upload photos of your creation to any place you like and submit the links to it in the following form along with your personal details. Entries will be accepted until 23:55 GMT of 20 March 2016.
