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You are here: Home / Irishisms / Lessons In Life From Wise Old Irish Hens

Lessons In Life From Wise Old Irish Hens

May 10, 2012 by Irish American Mom 16 Comments

Eggs, chickens, and hens played a vital economic role in Irish rural life over the centuries.  We Irish even claim to have invented bacon and eggs.  Many old Irish sayings are peppered with poultry references.  Today, let’s explore some clucking wise words of old.

 

1. How the Irish first paired eggs with bacon:

 

In the 18th and 19th centuries the Irish poor seldom ate their own hens’ eggs, but instead sold them to help pay the landlord’s rent on their small holdings.

Cohabiting with hens was common.  By day the fowl foraged outside by themselves, but at night it was vital to protect them from wandering foxes.  Since a hen house required payment of additional rent, it was cheaper to bring the whole flock inside the family home at night.  There they rested along with the family pig (the gentleman who paid the rent).

This habit of keeping poultry indoors gave rise to the Irish legendary claim to being the first people to pair eggs with bacon.  The old tale tells how an Irish peasant was frying bacon in a pan over an open fire one day.  A lazy hen was roosting on the cross-beams above.  The hen supposedly dropped an egg, which fell against the side of the pan.

The shell split, spilling into the pan on top of the bacon.  Rather than wasting the bacon the woman served it, egg and all, to her hungry husband.  He returned to work, proclaiming the deliciousness of the fried combination.  Word spread far and wide, and soon the perfect pairing of bacon and eggs was known the world over.

 

2. Fowl-proof guidance on choosing a wife:

 

The importance of hens in the daily lives and existence of the rural Irish poor, is clearly evident in the vast number of old sayings which feature our feathered friends and women. Here are a few:

 

“It’s a bad hen that won’t scratch herself.”

 

This means to watch out for a lazy woman.

http://vintagerio.com/details.php?gid=119&pid=20929Image Credit

“A whistling woman and a crowing hen

will bring no luck to the house they are in.”

 

In years gone by it was deemed ill-mannered for a woman to whistle.  Only a man should whistle, and only a rooster, or cock as they are called in Ireland, should crow.  When a hen crows she is assuming the role of her male partner and going against nature.  So the saying is warning against women who try to assume a man’s role.

 “The cocks crow, but the hens lay the eggs.”

 

Whistling women and crowing hens would also be considered attention-seekers, an attribute not appreciated in a hard working wife.  In today’s modern age of equality and liberated women, these last two sayings reveal how oppressed women were long ago, and how silencing women was deemed important.

 http://vintagerio.com/animal_g87-cockerel_blank_labels_p483.htmlImage Credit

 

“Even black hens lay white eggs.”

 

In Ireland brown eggs were deemed to be of higher quality than white eggs.  This saying is equivalent to “don’t judge a book by its cover” or “don’t be deceived by looks”.

 

“There are three kinds of women:

a woman as shameless as a pig,

a woman as contrary as a hen,

and a woman as gentle as a lamb.”

 

The poor women of Ireland got little respect in bygone days.  I think I’d prefer to be considered “as contrary as a hen,” than to be a pushover and “as gentle as a lamb”.

 

 

“The hen has ruffled feathers until she rears her brood.”

 

I can relate to this one.  When a hen sits in the sun and gets hot she ruffles her feathers, but a busy mom has little time to relax.  “To ruffle someone’s feathers” also means to annoy a person.  A hen will ruffle her feathers in fear and excitement.  The saying is telling us that age and grown-up children bring wisdom and calm to a woman.

 

“It’s the second clutch that kills the old hen.”

 

As an older mother, I should perhaps worry about this one.  A clutch is a brood of chickens.  Hopefully my second clutch of triplets won’t knock the stuffing out of me.  It can also be a warning to grandmothers.  Boisterous grandchildren can be tiring.

 

 

“You can’t expect a big egg from a little hen.”

 

Big children were healthier children, so a good, round woman with child bearing hips was considered the best choice for a wife.

 

 

3. Advice About In-Laws:

 

“The three sharpest things on earth:

A hen’s eye after grain

A blacksmith’s eye after a nail and

An old woman’s eye after her son’s wife.”

 

 

Few poor Irish girls moved into a home of their own upon marrying.  Instead they shared the same roof with their husband’s mother, who probably didn’t appreciate the new woman’s traits as much as the newlywed son.

 

“….as scarce as hens’ teeth.”

 

I love this simile.   It might be used like this – “money is as scarce as hens’ teeth around here.”  Money was probably as scarce as mother-in-laws’ teeth too.  Most, like hens, were toothless.  With no tooth brushes, many cleaned their teeth by rubbing them with cold ashes from the fire.

http://vintagerio.com/animal_g87-bird_themed_labels_p113.htmlImage Credit

 

“As the old cock crows, the young cock learns.”

 

This one is equivalent to “like father, like son.” And remeber a rooster is called a cock in Ireland.

 

“She’s like a hen with an egg.”

 

Some hens like to lay their eggs in private, while more social hens lay in a coop.  A hen in search of a private nest will fuss and cackle until she finds it.  This saying aptly describes a bothersome, interfering mother-in-law.

 

“She never sells her hen on a wet day.”

 

This is a sign of a shrewd, clever woman.  A hen with wet feathers appeared much smaller than a dry one and did not fetch as good a price.  A mother-in-law seeking a good dowry for her son’s hand in marriage would “never sell her hen on a wet day.”

 

4. Wisdom For Life:

 

“He’d offer you an egg if you promised not to break the shell.”

 

Beware of the man who makes false and useless promises.

 http://vintagerio.com/animal_g87-fox_p411.htmlImage Credit

 “Never ask a fox to mind the hens.”

 

A fox in the hen house is never a good thing.

“A hen is heavy over a long distance.”

 

A physical burden, no matter how light initially, can grow exhausting with time.  So remember, if something appears easy at first, it may still grow tiring with time.

“It is better to have a hen tomorrow

than an egg today.”

 

An egg provides instant gratification, but once it is eaten it is gone forever.  Owning a hen means you have to be patient and wait for everything you want.

Other nationalities cite a similar saying but in reverse.  “It is better to have an egg today than a hen tomorrow.”  In this case, it is better to go with a sure thing today than wait for a possibility of more tomorrow.  Perhaps the Irish saw things in reverse after enduring the hardship and devastation of the Great Hunger. Many ate their hens in desperation, but then had no eggs to depend upon.

http://vintagerio.com/animal_g72-animal__p9802.htmlImage Credit

And finally, one of the most famous chicken sayings which many nations may claim.

“Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.”

 

which Oscar Wilde countered with:

“People who count their chickens

before they are hatched, act very wisely,

because chickens run about so absurdly

that it is impossible to count them accurately.”

– Oscar Wilde

And so, if you enjoyed this little post about wise old Irish hens, don’t forget we have a whole farmyard of animal sayings to work our way through over the coming months.  There are plenty of old Irish sayings about dogs, cats, geese, ducks, horses and cows which we will explore in future posts.

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

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Filed Under: Irishisms, Wise Old Words Tagged With: Chickens, Hens, Irish Farm, Irish Quotations, Irishisms, Old Irish Sayings, Rural Life, Wise Old Words

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Comments

  1. Liam says

    May 10, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    Mairead
    Where did you come with all these? 🙂 I think the only one I”ve heard of is the “Don’t count your chickens…”
    I’m going to see can I work a few of these into conversation over the next few days. Might get a few funny looks along the way.
    Thanks for posting
    Liam

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      May 11, 2012 at 12:15 am

      Liam – I think I learned half of them from my West Cork grandmother. She had a saying for everything. If she had lived in America, I don’t think anyone would have known what she was talking about.

      Mairead

      Reply
  2. Grammy says

    May 11, 2012 at 8:35 am

    What is it about Irish (in my case a mix of Irish/Cherokee) Grandparents and crazy old euphemisms? My Granddad had one for any and all occasions. I used to think he made them up as he went along but you’ve convinced me he was just repeating the ones he heard from his Grandparents!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      May 11, 2012 at 10:29 am

      Old sayings were a part of my grandparents daily speech also, Grammy. Proverbs and blessings tripped off their tongues, and sometimes their words of choice were far from blessings, but the funniest expressions ever.

      Reply
  3. Anna Murphy says

    May 29, 2012 at 11:28 pm

    I enjoyed the post very much. I have kept a few chickens around for the last 15 years or so, and I love watching them. For the first time, we had a hatchling. It is 4 days old today and wanders about the yard with Mother Hen. If anyone gets too close to chick, she spreads her wings and ruffles her feathers to make herself appear large and formidable. Even the dog runs away from her. 🙂

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      May 30, 2012 at 9:06 am

      Anna – Your poor dog must be petrified. A hen with her chick is not to be messed with! When I was a little girl I saw many hens with ruffled feathers on my grandmother’s farm in County Cork. They surely look formidable when protecting their little ones. Thanks for visiting and letting us know about your Mother Hen and her chick.

      Reply
  4. Leslie says

    March 22, 2013 at 7:20 am

    I read your prayers for safe travel (thank you!)
    and then saw the poultry sayings. Totally enjoyed reading them.
    A great way to start my day!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      March 22, 2013 at 11:14 am

      Thanks Leslie – nothing in the world like a few poultry lessons to get the day off to a great start. Have a wonderful weekend.
      Best wishes,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  5. Maureen O Hanlon says

    November 27, 2013 at 11:17 am

    This is great Mairead 🙂

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      November 27, 2013 at 5:45 pm

      Maureen – I’m glad you enjoyed this little hen post. It really is amazing how much our feathered friends featured in sayings from olden days.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  6. Ruthe Monteith says

    January 13, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    I love these sayings! Please don’t forget the Donkey!
    My Grandfather raised chickens in San Diego from
    1920 thru 1955. But, his saying was about “Bees”.
    “Oh, the bees make honey while the men make Money”
    there were other sayings of course but this one stuck
    with me!

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      January 13, 2015 at 4:03 pm

      Ruthe – I love your Dad’s expression about the bees. I will definitely have to collect all the Irish sayings I know about the donkey, and dedicate a complete post to the humble ass.
      Best wishes,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  7. Maureen O Hanlon says

    July 18, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    Well Mairead this blog brought back so many happy memories to me, my Mother used to say all those sayings, thank you for the memories,

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      July 18, 2015 at 10:15 pm

      Hi Maureen – So glad this post brought back good memories of your mother, and all her sayings about hens.
      Best wishes,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  8. Eric says

    November 4, 2018 at 6:27 am

    All roosters are called cocks in English speaking countries, not just Ireland.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      November 4, 2018 at 6:33 pm

      Thanks, Eric. Anywhere that American English is not spoken, the rooster is called a cock. I wonder if this is true in Canada also, since it is part of the British Commonwealth.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply

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