Mythology

Dun Cow

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Tradition / Region: Irish Mythology
Alternate Names: The Great Dun Cow; Y Fuch Frech; Y Fuwch Laethwen Lefrith
Category: Cow

The Myth

In the lands of Ireland and Britain there wandered a great and wondrous animal known as the Dun Cow. She was immense in size and known for her generosity, for she gave milk freely to anyone who asked. Her bounty seemed without end, and people came from far and wide to receive her gift.

In some tellings, she bore two mighty long-horned oxen, who later became famous for their strength and deeds. Yet though the cow gave willingly, not all treated her with respect. In certain stories, greedy people tried to take more than was fair, milking her without care or gratitude. Because of such acts, she was eventually killed, and in some places her enormous bones were said to remain as proof of her size and wonder.

Another tale speaks of a Dun Cow that belonged to a holy man in Ireland. After the cow died, her hide was preserved and turned into vellum. From this hide came the pages of a great book that held many ancient stories of Ireland. In this way, even after death, the cow continued to give, for her body became the keeper of the land’s tales and memories.

Thus the Dun Cow was remembered as a creature of abundance and marvel, whose generosity fed both people and legend, and whose gift endured even after her life had ended.

Sources

Monaghan, P. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. Facts on File, p. 141.

Donn Cuailnge and Finnbennach

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Tradition / Region: Irish Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

In ancient Ireland there lived two mighty bulls whose strength was said to surpass that of all other cattle. One was Finnbennach, owned by the queen of Connacht, admired throughout the land for his size and power. The other was Donn Cuailnge, the great bull of Ulster, the only beast believed capable of matching him.

Their rivalry became the heart of a great conflict. When the rulers of Connacht sought to possess Donn Cuailnge, the attempt set off the struggle remembered as the great cattle raid of Cooley. Warriors marched and kingdoms clashed, for the possession of the bull was seen as a matter of honor and power.

Whenever the two bulls met, their battles were terrible to behold. They charged with thunderous force, locking horns while their hooves tore the ground apart. Hills and fields were scarred by their fights, and men watched in awe as the land seemed to shake beneath them.

At last, in their final encounter, Donn Cuailnge overcame Finnbennach and slew him. Yet the victory cost him dearly, for he too was left wounded from the struggle.

Thus the two bulls passed into legend, remembered as creatures whose strength stirred war among kings and whose clashes were counted among the greatest marvels of Ireland.

Sources

Monaghan, P. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. p. 135.

Cursed Cow of Emerline Allen

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Tradition / Region: American Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

Long ago in the United States there lived an old woman named Emerline Allen, feared among her neighbors for her power to lay spells upon cattle. People said that anyone who angered her might soon see misfortune fall upon their livestock.

One night, some villagers claimed to have seen Emerline working a spell against Grandma Parker’s cow. Not long afterward, the animal stopped giving milk. Each day it yielded only a single small cup, no matter how it was tended.

Grandma Parker was told of a way to break such a curse. She was to take the little milk the cow produced, set it to boil, and cut it with a knife. By doing this, the spell would be severed, and the one who cast it would be forced to come begging.

She followed the instructions exactly. Soon after, Emerline Allen appeared at her door, asking for bread. She promised that if she were given something to eat, the cow would recover. But Grandma Parker refused her request.

With nothing given, Emerline went away in pain, and people said she suffered greatly. From that time on, the cow’s milk returned, and it gave as much as before.

Later, Emerline tried again to seek help, begging others for small things, but no one would give her anything. Left without relief, she endured her suffering alone, while the cow remained healthy and the spell never returned.

Gallery

Sources

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Folklore Council. (1948–1960). North Carolina Folklore, p. 307.

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Cuero

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Tradition / Region: Chilean Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

In the rivers and lakes of southern Chile and Argentina there is said to live a dreadful creature known as the Cuero.

It is described as resembling a living bull’s hide, flat and wide, with no hair upon its body. Along its length runs a raised spine, while its edges are lined with hooked claws and sharp points. From its body extend broad fins, and behind it trails a long, whip-like tail. Its eyes, red and swollen, rise on stalks like those of a crab, watching the shores and waters where prey may come.

The Cuero waits quietly near the banks, most often at dusk. When an animal or person comes close, the creature glides forward and spreads itself over its victim like a blanket. Once it has covered them, it drags them beneath the water.

On the underside of its body lies a sucking mouth filled with small teeth. With this it drains the victim’s blood and moisture until nothing remains but a dried body.

People say the size of the Cuero varies, some being no larger than a small animal, others vast enough to cover a man entirely. It is feared wherever it dwells, for few can escape once it has closed upon them.

Only the most skilled shamans are said to be able to destroy one. They use thorny branches as bait, for when the Cuero attempts to seize the offering, the sharp spines pierce its body and hold it fast, making it vulnerable.

Thus the Cuero is remembered as a silent hunter of the waters, shaped like a hide yet alive, waiting beneath the surface for the moment to strike.

Gallery

Sources

Trincau, R. (1918). VII. El Indo y el Cuero. In S. R. de Saunière (Ed.), Cuentos populares araucanos y chilenos: recogidos de la tradición oral (p. 70). Santiago: Imprenta Universitaria.

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Cuero (leyenda). Wikipedia, from https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuero_(leyenda)

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Crod Mara

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Tradition / Region: Scottish Mythology
Alternate Names: Sea Cow
Category: Cow

The Myth

In the Highlands and islands of Scotland, people speak of the Crod Mara, the sea cows that come from the waters and sometimes walk among earthly herds.

These cattle are said to be gentle compared to other creatures of the lochs. They have no horns and are often brown, though in some places they appear red, piebald, or black. When one of these sea cattle joins a farmer’s herd, the animals are said to grow strong and thrive, though the presence of such a creature is never without mystery or danger.

At times a sea cow follows a herd wherever it goes. It may lead the cattle toward an elfin hill, and when the mound opens, the animals can pass inside. Any beast that enters the hill is never seen again unless someone stops it in time.

Stories are also told of calves born from the union of water bulls and ordinary cows. One such calf, known by its unusually round ears, was recognized as special by a wise old woman. She ordered that it be kept apart from the rest of the herd and fed carefully for many years, so that it might grow safely and bring fortune.

In the same district, a maid once met a young man by the lakeside who asked her to comb his hair while he rested. As she did so, she saw green lake weeds tangled in it and realized he was no man but a water being. She calmed him until he slept and escaped, though she was chased by a terrible water horse. Only when the water bull itself was released did the two beasts clash in the lake, and afterward the danger was gone.

Thus the Crod Mara are remembered as cattle of the water world, sometimes a blessing to herds, sometimes a guide toward the hidden hills, and always creatures whose coming links the land to the mysterious depths beyond it.

Gallery

Sources

Campbell, J. G. (1900). Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland: Collected entirely from oral sources. Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons.

Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Crodhmara, from https://www.bestiary.us/crodhmara

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Cretan Bull

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Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology
Alternate Names: Marathonian Bull
Category: Cow

The Myth

In the time when the gods still intervened openly in the affairs of men, Poseidon sent a magnificent snow-white bull from the sea to King Minos of Crete. The god meant this beast to confirm Minos’ right to rule, on the condition that the king would sacrifice the animal in honor of the god.

But when Minos saw the bull, he judged it too splendid to lose. Instead of offering it to Poseidon, he sacrificed another, lesser animal and kept the divine bull for himself.

The god saw the deception and grew angry. As punishment, he caused Minos’ wife, Pasiphaë, to be seized by a strange and terrible desire for the bull. From their union was born the Minotaur, half man and half bull. To hide the monster, Minos ordered the craftsman Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, a vast and winding maze in which the creature was shut away.

Meanwhile the bull itself fell under the god’s curse. It grew wild and furious, rampaging across Crete, tearing up crops and destroying orchards, and no one could subdue it.

At last the hero Heracles was commanded by King Eurystheus to capture the beast as one of his labors. Minos allowed him to take it, and Heracles wrestled the bull into submission and carried it across the sea to Tiryns. Later the animal escaped again and wandered into the land of Marathon, where it continued to terrorize the countryside.

The bull’s fate crossed again with that of heroes. It was said to have caused the death of Androgeus, Minos’ son, which in turn led to the tribute of Athenian youths sent to Crete for the Minotaur. Eventually the hero Theseus captured the bull near Marathon and brought it to Athens, where it was sacrificed to the gods.

Thus the Cretan Bull became known as a creature sent by a god, the sire of the Minotaur, and a beast whose fury shaped the deeds of kings and heroes alike.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Cretan Bull. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretan_Bull

Cowpox Baby

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

In later times in Japan, people spoke of a strange child known as the Cowpox Baby.

He was shown as a young boy from distant lands, said to be Dutch-born, riding upon the back of a great white cow. On his arm were red marks, signs of a mysterious protection he carried. In his hand he held a sharp needle like a spear.

Before him fled the red smallpox god, a fearful spirit believed to bring sickness to children. The god was shown with a fierce, demon-like face and wore a straw sack decorated with red rice cakes, offerings linked to his worship. The Cowpox Baby chased this spirit, driving it away and shielding the children it pursued.

In some tellings, the child reaches out to save another boy or girl from the smallpox god, placing himself between the spirit and its victim. Songs were sung of him, praising the child who lived without fear of the illness and who brought safety to others.

Images of this strange rider spread far and wide, and the Cowpox Baby came to be seen as a protector who rode the white cow against the spirit of disease, guarding children from harm and driving away the red god wherever he appeared.

Gallery

Sources

TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia. (2021, December 31). 牛痘児 (Cow pox baby), from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1079978230.html

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Cow of Saint Kenelm

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Tradition / Region: English Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

After the young king Kenelm was murdered and secretly buried in the Clent Hills, his sister Quendryda ordered that his name should never again be spoken, so that he might be forgotten. For a time it seemed her command had succeeded, and the child king lay hidden beneath the earth, unknown to the world.

Yet a cow began to visit the place where he was buried. Each morning she went to the spot beside a thorn tree and remained there all day. From dawn until dusk she ate nothing, yet every evening she returned home with her udders full of milk. The next day she came again, and the same thing happened.

This continued for a long time. The people of the district watched in wonder, for the cow seemed bound to that single place and lived without grazing. Because of her strange vigil, the valley came to be known as Cowbach.

Though the king’s name was scarcely spoken, the cow’s silent presence kept the memory of the place alive.

Far away in Rome, a white dove flew into the Pope’s chapel carrying word that the body of Saint Kenelm lay in a place called Cowbach in the Clent Hills. The message was sent onward to Archbishop Wulfred of Canterbury, and men were dispatched to find the saint.

When they arrived in the district, the locals led them at once to the spot where the cow sat each day. There they uncovered the body of the young king. As it was raised from the earth, a clear spring burst forth where he had lain.

Thus the cow’s quiet watch preserved the resting place of the saint until the time came for him to be remembered again.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Saint Kenelm. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Kenelm

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Cow-Like Pitchfork Monster

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

In old Japanese imagery there is shown a strange creature with the form of a cow yet standing upright like a man.

It bears two horns upon its head and holds a pitchfork in its grasp. The fork is unlike any ordinary tool, for its three points end not in iron tips but in the curved claws of a raven. Around its neck it wears a blue scarf, hanging loosely as it stands.

Its legs are not like those of cattle, but end instead in bird-like feet, each with two sharp toes. No wings are shown, and no extra limbs appear beyond those needed to hold the fork.

No tale explains where this being came from or what it seeks. The scroll that preserves its image tells nothing of its deeds, its home, or its purpose. It simply presents the figure alone, a cow-like monster standing with its clawed pitchfork, silent and unexplained.

Gallery

Sources


Youkai Gazou Database. (2006). 熊手 ;クマデ International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken). Retrieved from https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/cgi-bin/YoukaiGazou/card.cgi?identifier=U426_nichibunken_0054_0001_0005

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Cow-Headed Torch Demon

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Cow

The Myth

In old Japanese imagery there is shown a strange demon with the head of a cow set upon a human body.

Its skin is dark, and from its bovine head grow two forward-curving horns. Its ears sit low beneath them, and its broad nose and heavy features give it clearly the look of cattle rather than man. Its eyes appear watchful, and its expression is stern and purposeful.

The creature is not shown raging or fighting, but walking. In one hand it carries a burning torch, whose flame lights the darkness before it, as if it travels by night or moves through shadowed places. It is clothed in layered garments — a bright red jacket, blue hakama trousers, brown leggings, and strong footwear — dressed for steady movement rather than for battle.

No story tells where it came from or what task it performs. The image leaves only the sight of a cow-headed demon striding forward with fire in its hand, a silent figure whose path and purpose remain unknown, marked only by the glow of the torch it carries into the dark.

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Sources

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