Cow

Ushi-Bakemono

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Ushi-Bakemono
Category: Cow

The Myth

Ushi-Bakemono is a yokai with elements of social satire, introduced in Hyakki Hirugyo, from Keigetsu Omachi’s Eiri Kunwa, an illustrated collection of moral tales published in 1916. It is listed as the 35th of the 41 yokai in the work.

Ushi-Bakemono is depicted with a human body and the head of a large black ox. At first glance, its appearance resembles Shennong, the ancient Chinese deity, but unlike Shennong, the creature is an ox monster that provides no benefit to humanity.

The ox monster is said to doubt everything around it, including gods, morality, the state, and life itself. It wanders aimlessly through a fog, questioning these aspects of existence.

The horns on its head represent jealousy and insidious cunning. The creature is said to attempt to push down anyone and everyone in order to advance itself.

Although such a being may call itself a modern person, the tale presents it as something less than human: an ox monster wandering through the world, driven by doubt, jealousy, and cunning.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “牛の化物 [うし‐ばけもの] (Ushi-bakemono).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). July 25, 2021. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1078437905.html

Unmushi

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Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Sea Cow
Category: Cow

The Myth

Unmushi is a yokai from the area around Kagoshima Bay in Tarumizu City, Kagoshima Prefecture. It takes the form of a black cow with horns and is said to emerge from the sea with a terrifying roar.

The Unmushi appears only on the 27th day after Obon. Because of the creature’s appearance on that day, people traditionally avoided going out to sea.

Sources

Takahashi, Toshihiro. “海牛 [うんむし] (Unmushi).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). July 9, 2011. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654024.html

Umingmånguaq

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Tradition: Inuit mythology, Canadian mythology
Alternative Names: Umingmånguaq
Category: Cow

The Myth

Umingmånguaq is the spirit of the musk-ox. It has no eyes and perceives everything through its ears, which grow from stems and resemble horns.

A hunter first encountered Umingmånguaq while hunting caribou. The spirit spoke to him like a human being and explained that it was simply searching for a shaman whom it could serve.

From then on, Umingmånguaq would follow the hunter wherever he went. He did not need to turn around to see whether it was there, because whenever he turned to look for it, the spirit would disappear.

Umingmånguaq was regarded as having healing powers and was said to be able to cure all ailments.

Sources

Rasmussen, Knud. Intellectual Culture of the Hudson Bay Eskimos. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1930. 3 vols. Vol. 1, Intellectual Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos (1929); Vol. 2, Observations on the Intellectual Culture of the Caribou Eskimos (1930); Vol. 3, Iglulik and Caribou Eskimo Tests (1930). Internet Archive

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

Turosik

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Tradition: Polish Mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: Cow

The Myth

Turosik is an ancient forest demon born from the primeval wilderness. It takes the form of a colossal aurochs and is regarded as the king of the woods, ruling over the deepest parts of the forest where there are no paths and where fear itself becomes a weapon.

Turosik appears as an enormous, powerful wild bull resembling an aurochs. Its immense size and thunderous movements make it a terrifying presence within the forest.

When travelers stray into Turosik’s territory, the demon suddenly charges from between the trees. The sound and force of its approach sends them fleeing in blind panic, causing them to run deeper into the forest rather than back toward safety. Those who flee from it rarely manage to find the road again.

Hunters encounter a more deceptive form of the demon. Turosik appears to them as a grievously wounded animal, staggering through the forest and apparently too weak to escape. The hunters believe they have been presented with an easy and glorious kill and pursue the wounded beast farther and farther into the wilderness.

The deception is driven by their pride and greed. Once Turosik has lured the hunters beyond any possibility of finding their way home, it abandons its appearance of weakness and leaves them lost in the forest.

None of those deceived by Turosik ever find their way back. Long afterward, their bones are discovered scattered among the undergrowth, stripped clean by ants, serving as silent evidence of the demon’s dominion over the forest.

Sources

Zych, P., & Vargas, W. (2021). Bestiariusz słowiański: Rzecz o biziach, kadukach i samojadkach, p. 392.

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.