The First Cock Crows at Four
Each time I see this bird, it takes me back to my “gicagi” days back in the 1950s when I was growing up.
I used to be amazed at how this bird knew it was time to crow at such an ungodly hour. Only later did I realise that it had been designed by its creator with an internal alarm system to get its females ready for another day.
I later was told that it, in fact, crowed three times before dawn: 3.30 am, 4.30 am and 5.30 am. I need to validate these times as they seem quite strange. Even the Jewish New Testament mentions the crowing as an incident when Peter, the senior disciple of Jesus Christ who was the leader of a rebel movement from Nazareth, was told by Jesus that “before the first cock crows, you will have denied me three times”( Luke 24:60). And so it was...
Background to the Cock Crow
The cycle that the earth follows is largely determined by the sun, a body that is some 93 million miles (or 150 million kilometres) away in the universe. We happen to be part of a galaxy that consists of quite a few planets at varying distances from the controller, i.e., the Sun.
How this precise configuration started is a mystery that even the cleverest scientists have never been able to figure out. So they leave it to religious fanatics who make things worse largely because of lack of proof especially in these days of hard science.
Anyhow, nature has a way of communicating with its creations. You will notice that chickens and most other birds - except owls, etc, - go to sleep as the sun sets in the west. The males of that species are, however, hardwired to know when the sun is about to rise again the following day. The answer might be much more complicated because they also crow at intervals during the daytime. Our scientists should tell us how the jogoo knows that the sun is about to rise again. There must be a clue. But no matter.
The Other Social Aspect
I have, as I grow older, realised that somehow my sleep cycle is such that I find myself waking up at around 4.00 am. Perhaps to go to the bathroom, perhaps for other less obvious reasons. Like procreation. There is even a popular song in my culture that tells you to wake up and do your thing before you go out on your hunt for food to bring to your family (“Muru wa Iya”).
Hunter-gathering men had this special responsibility because that was the easiest time to catch animals as they also woke up to graze. That food reward is welcomed heartily by your wife and her children when you bring it home for them to enjoy. Even, I am reliably informed by my fishermen friends, they also set out to fish well before sunrise. In case you did not return but you had “done your thing”, the wife may have a baby in her system to assure you of the continuation of your clan.
The Metaphor Revealed
Many African cultures are laden with metaphors, proverbs and idioms. This was to be able to pass on a significant message without having to explain it or for the children to understand what was being said.
In the present case, the metaphor is particularly poignant. And it is this: If you want to succeed in this life, you must be prepared to wake up very early in the morning. The English have a saying: “The early bird catches the worm”. Meaning that if you are up and ready to risk it while others are still asleep you will be able to find your promised land.
In my culture, we have a similar saying: “Itonga irokanagira kiroko”- i.e., the rich transact their business before daybreak. That is when it is quiet and there are no people to either disturb you or hear what you are talking about. It is also the time your brain is at its sharpest after a good night’s rest. I have this on authority from a recent podcast that I recently discovered (Mel Robbins, “Daily Practices for the Genius Within You”).
Where does the jogoo or cockcrow come in? The crowing is like an alarm. Once the first one goes off, you must wake up and get yourself ready. If you fall asleep again, the second crow must be obeyed - jump out of bed and get moving otherwise you will be condemned to hunger or, worse, eternal poverty.
In short, if you are lying there waiting for other people to bring you prosperity, you are dead meat. Just listen for the crow of the cock.
JH Kimura,
March 2020.