Other traditions: cattle and tradition
Folk custom, luck and protection, and beliefs that fit no single faith.
Many beliefs about cattle belong to no single faith. They come from folk custom, the farming calendar and the wish for luck and protection. In China and East Asia, the Ox is one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, and a clay spring ox was once struck to open the farming year. In Japan, ox statues at Tenmangū shrines are rubbed for good fortune. In Celtic Europe, cattle were driven between fires at Beltane. In Madagascar, zebu herds and zebu horns on tombs speak of wealth and standing.
The Ox of the zodiac and the spring ox
In the Chinese zodiac, the Ox is the second of the twelve animals and stands for hard work, patience and reliability. The years of the Ox return every twelve years; the most recent was 2021 and the next will be 2033. In imperial China, a clay ox was paraded and struck at the start of spring to call the farming year into being. Korea, Vietnam and Japan keep the same zodiac, with local variations.
Tenmangū shrines
In Japan, shrines to Sugawara no Michizane, a ninth-century scholar and statesman revered as Tenjin, the god of learning, keep statues of oxen. Legend says an ox carrying his body stopped and refused to go further, and he was buried where it stood. Visitors rub the ox statues for good fortune, and students pray for success in exams. Kitano Tenmangū in Kyoto and Dazaifu Tenmangū in Fukuoka are among the best known.
Fires, bells and luck in Europe
At Beltane, the old Gaelic festival on 1 May, cattle were driven between two bonfires before going out to summer pasture, in the belief that it would protect them through the season. In many parts of Europe, cow bells, sprigs of rowan or red ribbon were hung on cattle to ward off ill luck. A horseshoe or a cross chalked on the byre door served the same purpose. Many such customs have faded but are still remembered locally.
Madagascar and the zebu
In Madagascar, the zebu came with early settlers from Africa and Asia and became central to life and ceremony. A family's herd is a sign of wealth and standing, and zebu are given at weddings, funerals and the famadihana, the turning of the bones. In the south, the Mahafaly and other peoples decorate tombs with zebu horns from the animals of the funeral feast, and the number of horns shows the importance of the person buried.
Worth knowing
- Year of the Ox: Second animal of the Chinese zodiac
- Spring ox: Clay ox struck at the start of spring
- Tenmangū ox statues: Rubbed for good fortune in Japan
- Beltane: Cattle driven between fires on 1 May
- Malagasy zebu: Wealth and ceremony in Madagascar
- Mahafaly tombs: Decorated with zebu horns
Sources and further reading
Original text by the EveryCow desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Gayal: Aditya Kabir, Public domain, source