"The Story of the Black Cow" is an old Himalayan Tale about a little stepson who was tossed into the wrong hands. Having had a wicked stepmother, this child turned to a single black cow for consoling advice and relief from his current struggles. In response, the cow nurtured and raised him as her own for many years till the day he was taken by a princess to be wed. Although the story's plot is more complex, the basic trend appeared to be the motherly nature of the cow. This tale and others with cattle characters have an underlying tenor in which they appear to parallel the cow species with the maturing of a young character once dependent on them. Even in the more familiar tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk", the cow's milk symbolizes the weaning process, marking the end of Jack's childhood and infancy, hence his "responsible" adventure. And, as the stories continue so did the relation between maturity and the cow species.
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These Himalayan cows are being used as a primary means of backpacking
essentials needed for their travels. |
From the opposite side of the world comes the well-known Korean folktale of "Lazy, The Cow" in which yet again, the cow is related to the transcending from childhood to adulthood and responsibility. A lazy boy with no respect for his mother or her hard work is met by a man who tricks the boy into turning into a cow. In his years of turmoil and labor as a working cow, he later realizes his disrespect for his mother, and the apparent lackadaisical lifestyle he carried. Once he was morphed back to human, he led an ambitious life, grown up to be a mature man.
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The lazy boy is tricked into becoming a cow and forced to work, later
making him appreciate his mother and change his careless lifestyle. |
This analogy may have been brought forth by the mere role of the cow in old societies. Throughout the world, societies as a whole have depended on them to provide them with food, warmth, work power, and prosperity. Being one of the first domesticated species to provide peoples with these novelties may have set forth an association of cows with wisdom, nurturing behavior, and continuance to a more modern and advanced society and lifestyle. In other words, many societies would relate that without the support of the cow species, their societies would fall in health and prosperity. Their role as working animals may have also contributed to this image of cows due to the fact that they were considered "leaders" as they were strapped to carriages and plowing mechanisms. Their strength, stature, and guiding abilities apparent in their work made them a strong candidate for characters responsible for influence, education, and support.
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