The Year of the Cow

According to Chinese astrology, 1985 is the year of the cow. The gentle cow is traditionally a symbol of benevolent and generous intentions. Legend has it that in prehistoric times the Jade Emperor held a race to see which animals would be first to cross a river. The first 12 animals would, according to order, represent the combinations of celestial stems and terrestrial branches. These animal symbols would help mankind to better keep track of the years.

During the race, the cow agreed to let the non-amphibious cat and rat climb up on her back to cross the river. The crafty rat pushed the cat into the water and climbed up onto the cow's ear. Upon reaching the shore, the rat was first to jump on the bank. The cow, undisturbed, climbed slowly up the bank to come in second. The amiable cow is thus said to be forever tolerant of the argumentative, often boorish rat.

The well-known sculptor, Chu Ming was born to a farming family in the year of the cow. Since the age of three, when he became a cowherd, he has always considered the animal to be both gentle and hardworking. People born in the year of the cow, he asserts, tend to be quiet and tolerant.

Lu Fang-chih, a reputable clothes designer also born in the year of the cow, prefers to stress another side of the cow's nature--her temper. While the cow may be gentle, it can also be very stubborn. In Chinese, a "cow's temper" refers to stubbornness.

The cow has been raised by man for over 6000 years. Today, wild cows may still be found in Tibet, and thickly forested areas in northern Europe and America. A fierce long-horned variety, capable of scaring away a lion when angry, is seen on the broad African plains. Domesticated cows may be divided into three major categories: meat cows (including Heifer and Angus varieties), dairy cows (including Guernsy and Jersey varieties), and work oxen (in Taiwan, primarily the water buffalo).

Cows are said to have particularly strong senses of smell, hearing and direction. As grass-eating animals who lived on the plains, members of the cow family had to develop sharp senses of smell and hearing to warn them of dangerous predators. Although they no longer need them for protection, domesticated cows have retained these strong senses, and will become predictably nervous at the arrival of a stranger. They can hear their owner calling from many kilometers away. In addition, their sense of direction enables them to be able to wander for as long as two weeks and still find their way home.

Thus, cows are not stupid animals, and are easy to raise, provided attention is given to their environment, sanitation and feeding. Cows require little time or trouble, and because of their good tempers, are relatively easy to control. For these reasons they were domesticated early in China, and played an important part in Chinese history.

Oracles were written on cow bones during the Shang dynasty, indicating their importance as early as the eleventh century B.C. The Ching scholar Yuan Mei wrote that oxen were used in planting during the Hsia dynasty (4000 years ago).

Because of its important function in plowing and planting, the plow ox was of great value in an agricultural society. Owning more than one was a sign of particular wealth and status. Eventually a number of beliefs and legends grew from the importance of this beast of burden to the lives of farmers.

On the first day of planting after the lunar New Year, early farmers prayed to the earth and grain gods believed to be embodied in the cow. A paper cow was constructed and a blind man would pick from pieces of red and white paper placed before him, pasting them onto the cow. A predominance of red papers would indicate the danger of fire, while the predominance of white meant the threat of flooding. Next a club was used to tear the paper cow apart, after which it was thrown into a fire. A live cow was also sacrificed and eaten to bring good luck in the coming year. (Except for this occasion, farmers restrained from eating beef because of the animal's importance as a beast of burden, and the belief that eating beef would decrease a person's yang element, causing them to see ghosts.)

In one legend, a cow rose to the sky to become a star. In another, T'ien Tan of the Warring States period dressed cows up like fire and put torches on their heads to scare off the enemy. During the same period the tradesman Hsien Kao tricked warriors of the state of Ch'in out of attacking with a gift of cattle. During the Ming dynasty, Cheng Ch'eng-kung brought eight cows when he first came to Taiwan to begin cultivating the land. When the animals died, the people built a temple in their name.

Few oxen are still used for planting in modern Taiwan. Traditional yokes and cow-cart wheels have become collector's items, and the famous Peikang cattle market has seen its last days. The previously venerated beast has moved from the field to the steak-house. In 1959 410,000 head of cattle were used in farming. Last year the figure was only 50,000. Beef consumption, however, has multiplied in the past 20 years, from approximately 3700 metric tons per year in the sixties to a current 29,702 metric tons.

Taiwan's beef consumption relies in part on imports from America and Australia. The government has tried to encourage cattle raising, but the expense, coupled with the tendency of cattle to become ill in a warm, humid climate has made this a difficult task. Research is now being carried out at the Hualien Cattle Improvement Station to raise the better acclimated water buffalo for consumption. According to the plan, retired farmers will help to raise the young animals along Taiwan's riverbeds and hillsides.

The cow has thus fallen from the realm of the agricultural gods to the dinner table. But just as it provided its fellow animals a life-saving ride across the mythological river, the cow now provides man with its strength, milk, meat and hide. Such a beast holds a worthy position in Chinese astrology.

(Jill Ardourel)

[Picture Caption]

1. Cows grazing in the Hengchun pasture beside Tachien Mountain. 2. Chu Ming's wooden sculpture portrays the gentle, amiable nature of the water buffalo.

1. From sunrise to sunset, the strong, hardworking water buffalo is the farmer's companion in the fields. 2. A watercolor by the painter Li Ch'i-mao.

Such oxcart scenes are now seen only in a few rural areas.