Mythology

Ukher Bookholdoy

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Tradition: Buryat Mythology, Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Ukher Bookholdoy
Category: Cow

The Myth

Ukher Bookholdoy is a werewolf spirit from the lower mythology of the Buryats. It takes the form of a hornless and tailless cow and appears at night.

The creature walks on its hind legs, despite having the appearance of a cow. Its hornless head, lack of a tail, and unusual way of walking distinguish it from an ordinary cow.

Sources

“Ukher-Bookholdoi.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/ukher-bookholdoi

Uaiput

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Tradition: Egyptian mythology
Alternative Names: Uaiput
Category: Deity, Cow

The Myth

Uaiput is the name given to a group of four cow-goddesses. The group is depicted together as four bovine female deities.

Sources

Budge, E. A. W. (1920). An Egyptian hieroglyphic dictionary : with an index of English words, king list and geological list with indexes, list of hieroglyphic characters, coptic and semitic alphabets, etc. (p. 146) J. Murray.

Twelve-Horned Calf

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Twelve-Horned Calf
Category: Cow

The Myth

A calf with twelve horns was said to have been born in Tamba Province, Japan. The calf was black and had six horns growing from each side of its head.

Sources

Akisato, Okina, and Nishimura Chūwa. “牛；ウシ，動物；ドウブツ，角；ツノ (Ushi; Animal; Horns).” Kaii/Yōkai Image Database, International Research Center for Japanese Studies. Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/cgi-bin/YoukaiGazou/card.cgi?identifier=U426_nichibunken_0446_0013_0000

Tsi-aumbi-aumbi

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Tradition: Madagascar Mythology
Alternative names: Tsy-aomby-aomby, Tsy-aomby-aomby
Category: Cow

The Myth

Tsi-aumbi-aumbi is a bloodthirsty, man-eating bull from the folklore of Madagascar. Despite its bull-like body, it has no horns and possesses unusual speed and cunning, using tricks to hunt and overpower people.

The Tsi-aumbi-aumbi has a body like a bull, but its head is hornless and its hooves resemble those of a horse rather than a cloven-hoofed animal. It inhabits the forests and surroundings of Mahavelona. It is herbivorous, insectivorous, and anthropophagous, eating grass, insects, and people.

The creature is exceptionally fast. When a person sees it and believes the animal is far enough away, the Tsi-aumbi-aumbi can suddenly reach them almost immediately.

When attacking a person, it initially pursues them until they become exhausted. If its victim attempts to escape by climbing a tree, the Tsi-aumbi-aumbi uses various tricks to force them back down. If these fail, it tears through the surrounding undergrowth with a powerful stream of urine.

People attempting to escape by holding onto the branches and letting go when the creature approaches are also deceived. The Tsi-aumbi-aumbi waits for them to lose their balance and fall, allowing it to catch and devour them.

Sources

“Tsi-Aumbi-Aumbi.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/tsi-aumbi-aumbi

Tongsitun

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Tongsitun
Category: Fox, Cow

The Myth

The Tongsitun is a black, one-horned beast from Manchu folklore. It resembles a fox, is about seven feet long, and has the head of a bull.

The Tongsitun is said to devour tigers and dragons. It also eats iron and copper.

As the Tongsitun grows older, it develops fish scales. With age, it therefore becomes a strange combination of a fox, a bull, and a fish.

Sources

“Tunsitun.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/tunsitun

Treasure-Hunting Calf

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative names: Spectral Calf
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Treasure-Hunting Calves are spectral calves associated with hidden treasure in the folklore of Westmorland. They appear as ghostly calves and can lead people to buried or concealed wealth.

In a legend connected with Hackthorpe Hall, which had become a farmhouse by the early nineteenth century, a spectral calf appeared before the tenant farmer. The strange animal led him to a stone cattle trough.

The farmer searched beneath the trough and discovered a hidden cache of gold. There was supposedly enough treasure to pay for two estates.

The legend does not explain why the calf guarded the treasure or why it chose the form of a familiar farm animal.

Sources

Sedgwick, Icy. “Cows in Folklore: From Fairy Cattle to Spectral Calves.” Icy Sedgwick. February 8, 2025.

Tranez

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Tradition: Roman Mythology, Italian Mythology, Indian Mythology, Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Tranez
Category: Cow

The Myth

The Tranez is a small but extraordinarily brave creature, about the size of a hare. Despite its diminutive stature, it possesses remarkable strength and fearlessness.

The Tranez has striking red fur and a natural helmet-like covering on its head. This hard covering protects it from bites, blows, and other dangers in the wild.

The creature was said to inhabit the Orient, referring to the distant lands of the East, including regions extending from India toward China. These lands were traditionally imagined as remote and wondrous places filled with unfamiliar animals, plants, and other marvels.

The Tranez’s small body but exceptional courage was regarded as an example of the Creator’s careful design, demonstrating that every creature was given qualities suited to its particular way of life.

Sources

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

Toro Encantado

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Tradition: Guatemala Mythology
Alternative names: Enchanted Bull
Category: Cow

The Myth

Toro Encantado is an enchanted bull made entirely of pure gold, once revered by the Kekchi people of Alta Verapaz. The bull was worshipped as a sacred being and honored through festivals, flowers, incense, dancing, and music.

The golden bull was associated with Sactzicuil, a hill in Alta Verapaz. The Kekchi held festivals in its honor and treated the place where it lived as sacred. At appointed times, the people gathered to decorate its home with flowers, fan it with the fragrant smoke of burning copal, and dance around it accompanied by music.

Eventually, the enchanted bull sank down into the hill and disappeared.

After its disappearance, a powerful Kekchi wizard ordered half of the women of the tribe to wear the tupuy as a reminder of the bull’s tail, while the other half were instructed to cut their hair in a particular manner to commemorate its ears.

According to the tradition, this custom continued among the women of the tribe. Some would smooth their hair down to the nape of the neck and wind it repeatedly with a red wool cord until it became thick and long like a bull’s tail. Others would cut a lock of hair on each side of the forehead, allowing the locks to hang down like the bull’s large ears.

Sources

G. B. G. “Guatemala Myths.” The Museum Journal 6, no. 3 (September 1915): 103–115. Accessed August 29, 2026. https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/416/

Torapee and Torapa

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Tradition: Thai mythology
Alternative names: Torapee, Torapa
Category: Cow

The Myth

Torapa was originally a giant who was tasked with guarding the gates of Lord Shiva’s palace. After disobeying his master, he angered Shiva and was cursed to be reborn as a giant buffalo named Torapa.

Torapa was destined to be killed by his own son, Torapee. From the time he was young, Torapee would compare the size of his hoofprints with those of his father. He knew that when his own hoofprints became equal in size to his father’s, he would be strong enough to challenge and kill him.

Eventually, the day came when Torapee’s hoofprints were approximately the same size as Torapa’s. Torapee then challenged his father and killed him, fulfilling the curse.

The name Torapee subsequently became associated with an ungrateful child in Thai proverbial speech, referring to someone who repays their parents with hostility rather than gratitude.

Sources

“The Mythical Creatures in Thailand.” Explore Bangkok. Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.explore-bangkok.com/mythical-creatures-in-thailand/

Toralindo

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Tradition: Indonesian Mythology
Alternative names: Toralindo
Category: Cow

The Myth

Toralindo is a gigantic buffalo from the mythology of the Torajan people of Sulawesi. It is believed to support the Earth upon its horns, and its movements are associated with earthquakes.

Toralindo is an enormous buffalo capable of carrying the Earth on its horns. Its movements can cause the ground to shake, and its reactions to sounds or animals can influence the stability of the Earth.

According to Torajan tradition, the Earth is flat and is supported by the giant buffalo Toralindo. When Toralindo is bitten by a fly, it shakes its head to drive the insect away, causing an earthquake.

Different villages have different ways of trying to stop Toralindo from shaking its head. Some people begin to meow loudly, because buffaloes are believed to be afraid of cats. When Toralindo hears the meowing, it forgets about the fly and stops shaking its head.

Other people imitate a pig being struck with a stick, believing that the resulting squealing will distract Toralindo and prevent it from continuing to shake its head.

Sources

“Toralindo.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/toralindo