Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology
Alternative names: Colchis Bulls, Bronze Bulls, Tauroi Khalkeoi
Category: Cow
The Myth
The Khalkotauroi are two enormous bulls with bronze hooves and bronze mouths. Flames pour from their mouths, making them dangerous even before they begin to charge.
The bulls were forged by Hephaestus, the divine blacksmith, and given to King Aeetes of Colchis. Aeetes guarded the Golden Fleece and set the creatures as one of the impossible tasks that Jason had to complete.
Aeetes promised Jason the Golden Fleece if he could yoke the two bronze bulls and use them to plough a field. Afterward, Jason was required to sow the freshly ploughed earth with dragon’s teeth.
The heat of the bulls made the task nearly impossible. Their fiery breath could burn anyone who approached them, but Medea, the daughter of Aeetes, had fallen in love with Jason and secretly gave him a magical potion that protected his body from the flames.
Protected by Medea’s potion, Jason approached the Khalkotauroi, endured their fire, yoked the enormous bulls, and forced them to plough the field.
Sources
“Khalkotauroi.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalkotauroi