Mythology

Zhuhuai

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Tradition: Chinese mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Zhuhuai is a strange man-eating beast said to inhabit North Peak Mountain, located two hundred li farther north. The mountain is covered with thorny orange trees, jujube trees, and hardwood trees.

The creature has the form of an ox, but possesses four horns, human-like eyes, and the ears of a pig. It is called the Zhuhuai.

The Zhuhuai makes a sound resembling the cry of a goose. Despite its ox-like appearance, it is a dangerous creature and is said to prey upon and devour human beings.

Sources

Strassberg, Richard E., ed. and trans. A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.

Zubro

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Tradition: Czech Mythology, Polish Mythology
Alternative Names: Zubro
Category: Cow

The Myth

Most Zubros are said to live in Bohemia, though they are also found in Poland, where they are believed to be smaller and less powerful. Wherever it appears, the Zubro is known as a terrifying kind of wild bull.

The Zubro is described as an enormous beast, reaching up to fifteen meters in length. Its hide is marked with dark brown and black coloring, and its horns can grow to a length of one and a half meters. The animal is swift and aggressive, and it can easily be driven into a state of uncontrollable fury.

When people attempt to hunt the Zubro, it does not flee helplessly. Instead, it defends itself with frightening intelligence. It blinds pursuing dogs by throwing its own dung at them. If it manages to seize a dog or a human, it hurls the victim into the air with its horns and catches them again as they fall, repeating this until the victim is dead.

Yet even such a creature can be defeated by cunning rather than strength. A skilled hunter first wears the Zubro down by driving it relentlessly with dogs. Once the animal is exhausted, the hunter positions himself beneath a tree with his spear. The enraged Zubro charges straight toward him, but the hunter hides behind the trunk. The beast thrusts its horns past the tree on both sides, and in that moment the hunter steps forward and kills it with a single thrust.

Sources

Van Maerlant, J. (2024). Der Naturen Bloeme (I. Biesheuvel, Trans.), p.74.

Zeekalf

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Zeekalf
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Zeekalf is an enormous sea monster from the folklore of Harderwijk. It has fiery eyes, a drooling mouth, and legs resembling those of a bat.

Sailors who swear too much may cause the creature to appear aboard their ship. Once the Zeekalf has come aboard, however, there is a way to drive it away. If the sailors pray to God, the devilish creature will flee from them.

Sources

“Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. Accessed August 30, 2026. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Witch as a Calf

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Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Witch as a Calf
Category: Cow

The Myth

In the Schöllang area of the Allgäu, a farmer was plagued by misfortune in his barn. His cows would not give milk, no matter how much he fed them, and one misfortune after another seemed to fall upon him. The farmer eventually confided his troubles to a man, who gave him strange advice. He told the farmer to get up at midnight and inspect the barn. A calf, he said, would be loose and running around among the other cattle. If the farmer found it, he should not hesitate to cut off both of its ears and then return to bed.

That night, the farmer went to the barn at midnight. Just as he had been told, he found a calf running freely among the other cattle. The farmer took a carving knife and cut off both of the calf’s ears. Having done what he had been instructed to do, he returned to bed without further investigation.

The following morning, the calf was standing unharmed in its usual place. There was nothing apparently wrong with it. But when the farmer looked around the barn, he noticed an old woman sitting in one of the corners. Her ears had been cut off.

The farmer immediately understood what had happened. He shouted, “There you have it!” and chased the old woman out of the stable. After this, the witchcraft that had plagued the farmer and his cattle ceased. His cows once again gave milk, and the farmer and his cattle were happy once more.

Sources

“Hexe als Kalb.” In Allgäuer Sagen, selected from K. A. Reiser’s Sagen, Gebräuche und Sprichwörter des Allgäus, by Hulda Eggart, no. 248, p. 259. Kempten and Munich, 1914. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/deutschland/bayern/allgaeu/hexe_kalb.html

Yamiyo no Ushi-oni

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: 闇夜の牛鬼
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Yamiyo no Ushi-oni is a strange yokai described in the Tamakushige. It has the head of a bull and the body of a human, with a tiger’s hide wrapped around its waist. Its face shines with an intense light that radiates outward, illuminating the darkness around it. In the tale, the creature is also able to perch high in the branches of a tree despite its large and powerful form.

The story takes place during the time when Ukita Naoie ruled Bizen Province. Kuroshima Sakon Nyūdō Munetsuna was a warrior from Kuroshima in Sanuki and was said to be a descendant of Tawara no Tōta Hidesato. Through circumstances of marriage and inheritance, Munetsuna came to succeed the household of Hatano and entered the service of Hoshiga Tōnai, the lord of Shūsō Castle in Bizen.

One night, Munetsuna was invited to the home of another retainer of Hoshiga Tōnai, Dokura Kamanosuke, where the two became absorbed in playing go. By the time they finished, it was already deep into the night. Around the hour of Ushi Mitsu, Munetsuna set out for home accompanied by his attendant, Mimizawa Riemon.

As they traveled along the road, they suddenly saw an extraordinarily bright light in the otherwise completely dark night. It was so brilliant that they could clearly see people’s faces and even the crests on their clothing. There was no fire nearby, and it was far too early for sunrise.

Wondering what could possibly be producing such light, Munetsuna looked around. About fifty ken ahead stood the residence of a samurai named Motoki Shichirō. From within its gate grew a large paulownia tree, and high among its branches was something that appeared to be a calf of about three years old—a large and powerful bull.

Its eyes shone like mirrors, while intense light also poured from its two raised horns, illuminating the surrounding area.

The creature’s head pointed toward the east and its tail toward the west. Despite its enormous and powerful appearance, it was crouched among the branches of the paulownia, resting upon one of the thinnest branches with the lightness of a dog or a butterfly.

Munetsuna, being a fearless man, was not frightened. Instead, he approached the gate and declared that this must be the Ushi-oni he had heard about. He considered himself fortunate to have encountered such a strange monster and decided that he would see exactly what it was.

The monster suddenly leapt toward him.

Munetsuna, who was highly skilled in martial arts, quickly grappled with the creature and forced it to the ground. He then drove his sword through its body.

At that very moment, the Ushi-oni vanished without leaving a trace. The brilliant light disappeared with it, and the surroundings immediately returned to darkness.

Munetsuna then turned around and discovered that his attendant, Riemon, had seen the light and had fainted from terror. Munetsuna gave him medicine and cared for him until he regained consciousness, after which the two continued back to their residence.

The strange events were connected to the household of Motoki Shichirō, whose property the Ushi-oni had appeared beside. Motoki had recently become deeply interested in a form of magic known as the Izuna technique. He had attempted to learn and practice the art himself, but had failed to complete it and eventually abandoned his efforts.

Afterward, strange supernatural events were said to occur continually within the Motoki household. On one occasion, a light appeared to walk through the air. On another, a severed human arm fell into the middle of a gathering. Strange noises caused the house to shake, while objects were mysteriously hurled through the air in phenomena associated with tengu.

These supernatural disturbances frightened the women and children of the household.

After Munetsuna defeated the Ushi-oni, however, the strange phenomena gradually ceased. The disturbances that had plagued the Motoki household fell silent, and before long the supernatural activity disappeared altogether.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “闇夜の牛鬼 [やみのよ‐うしおに] (Yami no Yo Ushi-oni).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). June 30, 2018.
https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1071487382.html

Ychain Banog

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Tradition: Welsh Mythology
Alternative Names: Ychain Banog, the Mighty Oxen, the Prominent Oxen of Hu Gadarn
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Ychain Banog were a pair of mighty oxen associated with Hu Gadarn, the legendary figure who appears in Welsh tradition. They were enormous and powerful beasts, renowned for their extraordinary strength. A terrible water-monster lived concealed beneath an enchanted lake, where it terrorized the surrounding region. The monster is described in some traditions as a crocodile and in others as a dragon. The Ychain Banog were harnessed to draw the creature from the depths of the lake. The oxen strained with all their strength as they dragged the enormous monster from its watery hiding place.

The struggle was so immense that one of the mighty oxen died from the exertion. The surviving ox continued the struggle, and its tremendous bellowing was said to split the mountain in two. Thus the Ychain Banog became remembered as the mighty oxen whose supernatural strength was used to overcome the monstrous creature lurking beneath the lake.

Sources

Sikes, W. (2017). British Goblins: Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (Classic Reprint) Forgotten Books, p. 109.

Wahx il-Baqar

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Tradition: Maltese mythology
Alternative Names: Wahx il-Baqar
Category: Cow

The Myth

Wahx il-Baqar is a terrifying man-beast with the head of a bull. It is said to emerge from the netherworld at night and roam through quiet country lanes and village streets.

Its arrival is announced by the loud rattling of chains. These chains are believed to be the remnants of the tethers that once bound the creature to the stone walls deep beneath the ancient underground of Minos.

As the creature wanders through the countryside, it releases a long and mournful howl. The sound is enough to terrify and panic farm animals, spreading fear among the surrounding villages.

Wahx il-Baqar possesses enormous eyes that are heavily afflicted and terrifying to behold. Anyone unfortunate enough to meet its gaze directly is believed to face almost certain death.

The creature is therefore a lingering echo of its dark confinement beneath the earth, retaining the chains of its former captivity as it wanders the world above. Its clanking chains, dreadful howl, and deadly gaze make it a being feared by villagers and travelers who are warned to avoid it at all costs.

Sources

Mifsud, S. D. (2014). The Maltese bestiary: An illustrated guide to the mythical flora and fauna of the Maltese Islands.

Waira

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Waira
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Waira is a rare and reclusive yōkai, few of which have ever been encountered. It is an ugly beast with a large body resembling that of a cow, but with four long limbs, each ending in a single sharp claw. Male Waira are mottled in earthy brown colors, while females are red.

Waira live deep in the mountains, particularly around heavily wooded temples and shrines. They are associated with Otoroshi and are believed to guard temples and shrines against wicked people.

Their powerful claws also serve another purpose. Waira use them to dig through the earth and uncover small animals hidden beneath the ground. Moles, mice, rabbits, and other small creatures make up their diet.

The Waira is said to have a strange origin. Because of its coloring and the mountainous, wooded environments in which it is found, it is believed that the creature may be a transformed yōkai born from an ordinary toad after reaching an advanced age.

The Waira is also speculated to have some connection with the Otoroshi. The two creatures share the same kind of habitat and are often encountered together, leading to the belief that they may be related in some way.

The origin of the name Waira is uncertain. Since the name is not written using kanji, there are few clues to its original meaning. The most commonly accepted explanation is that Waira is a regional corruption of kowai, meaning scary. This interpretation has also been taken as further support for a possible connection between the Waira and the Otoroshi.

Sources

“Waira.” Yokai.com. Accessed August 30, 2026. https://yokai.com/waira/?srsltid=AfmBOorxkYQbS-rokMmMloUPhpiJKdZaztDthwaYnRMY1FNsUxVqjJNG

White Cow of Lewis

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Tradition: Scottish mythology
Alternative Names: Bu-Vinda
Category: Cow

The Myth

The White Cow of Lewis is a supernatural cow with pure white hair that shines in the moonlight. It can speak like a human being and possesses a miraculous supply of nourishing milk. It is later revealed to be a beautiful woman known as Bu-Vinda, who says that she has many names and is associated with Dagda and Aengus.

During a harsh winter famine on the Isle of Lewis, the harvest had failed and the islanders’ food supplies were running dangerously low. Many people had already been forced to slaughter their cows for food, leaving them without the milk and cheese they depended upon. The people gathered together what remained of their supplies and agreed to share them equally, but the elders soon realized that the food would last only about two weeks, while the growing season was still a month away.

Desperate, the elders led the people to the standing stones, where they prayed to the gods for help and offered special tribute to the father god associated with fertility and the land, whom some called Dagda. As they returned to the village that evening, a storm appeared to be approaching.

Aine, who had been forced to sacrifice her own cow during the famine, noticed something moving near the shore. One of the elders warned her to return home before the storm arrived, but she slipped away and ran toward the sea.

A sudden wind threw Aine onto her back. When she looked up again, the storm had mysteriously vanished. Standing only a few feet away from her was a magnificent white cow, its pure hair shining beneath the moonlight.

The cow spoke to her and told her that it had been sent to help the islanders in their time of need.

Aine led the strange creature back toward the village, where the astonished islanders gathered around it. The White Cow then explained that it had come to help them survive the famine. Each person could receive a pail of milk every day for as long as necessary, and because the milk was a gift from the gods, it would provide all the nourishment they required.

One of the younger elders remained suspicious and asked how they could know that the creature was truly a gift from the gods rather than something evil. The cow told them to meet it at the standing stones at first light. It would fulfill its promise there, and Aine could drink the milk herself to prove that it was genuine.

At first light, Aine stood beside the standing stones with her pail and drank the fresh milk. Her hunger immediately disappeared, and she felt stronger than she had ever felt before.

The other islanders then lined up and received their milk. Each person found that the milk completely satisfied their hunger. Day after day, the White Cow continued to provide its miraculous nourishment, allowing the islanders to survive.

On the final day, the widow who lived in the north came to receive her share. Unlike the others, she was known for keeping herself apart from the community. When she bent down to milk the cow, she placed a sieve beneath it instead of a pail.

The sieve could never become full, and therefore the cow could not fulfill its promise. It realized that the woman was deliberately tricking it and declared that she was a witch who had depleted its strength. Since the pail could not be filled, the cow could provide no more.

The White Cow then told Aine that the islanders had already received enough nourishment to survive the remaining two weeks of winter. They would not starve.

The creature ran toward the ocean and leapt into the sea, disappearing from sight.

That night, Aine saw the White Cow transform into a beautiful woman. The woman thanked her for her help and apologized for having to leave.

When Aine asked who she was, the woman replied that some called her Bu-Vinda, although she had many names. She said that some also knew her as the partner of Dagda and the mother of Aengus, but that she had been many things to many people. To the people of Lewis, she said, she would simply be remembered as the White Cow.

The islanders survived the winter. Soon the crops were growing again, animals emerged from their burrows, lambs were born, fish became plentiful, and food once again filled the islanders’ tables. The White Cow eventually became only a whisper of a legend, but the people remembered the mysterious creature that had appeared from the sea and given them the nourishment they needed to survive.

Sources

White, David. “The White Cow of Lewis.” Folklore Scotland. Accessed August 30, 2026. (folklorescotland.com)
https://folklorescotland.com/the-white-cow-of-lewis/

Vaca de Lumbre

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Tradition: Mexican Mythology
Alternative Names: Vaca de Lumbre
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Vaca de Lumbre is a demonic cow from Mexican folklore that appears at night and runs through the streets of villages and towns. Despite its frightening appearance, it is said not to harm anyone.

The creature is described as a cow surrounded by flames. Its body seems to burn with smoke, sparks, and even flames pouring from its nostrils, giving it the appearance of a cow completely engulfed in fire.

The Vaca de Lumbre is said to appear only at night and, according to some traditions, repeatedly runs through the same place rather than wandering from one location to another.

In old Mexico City, it was believed that the Vaca de Lumbre was born exclusively on the Potrero de San Pablo. According to the legend, the fiery cow would appear there at night, running through the area while surrounded by its flames.

The creature was considered demonic, but its purpose was not necessarily to attack people. One explanation states simply that the Vaca de Lumbre runs at night because all children are supposed to be asleep. Its nocturnal nature therefore became part of the warning surrounding the legend.

Stories of the Vaca de Lumbre were also connected with other legends of fiery or ghostly cattle. Similar traditions were reported in Spanish folklore, including a Basque legend concerning a ghostly, fiery cow.

Another parallel was noted with the Granadan legend of El Belludo, a ghostly horse said to roam the streets of the city in the form of a demonic dog. The Vaca de Lumbre belongs to this broader group of supernatural animals associated with fire, night, and strange appearances.

A similar legend was also recorded in Texas. According to one account, when someone attempted to remove buried treasure from a particular place, an enraged bull with fire shooting from its nostrils would suddenly appear and attack the person digging there.

The Vaca de Lumbre therefore appears in Mexican folklore as a fiery supernatural cow whose terrifying appearance is more important than any actual violence. It runs through villages and towns at night, appearing as a burning cow that emerges from the darkness before disappearing again.

Sources

“Vaka de Lumbre.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/vaka-de-lumbre