The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. John Matthews
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between the Britons and the Irish, in which the latter were losing many men to the effect of poisoned arrows, a famous Pictish Druid named Trosdane told the Irish leaders to fill a pool with the milk from 150 white cows. The wounded men then bathed in the milk and were cured.
In Estonian legend, the cows of the giant Näkki were stalled at the foot of a great whirlpool and grazed along its ripples. Like all otherworldly cattle, they gave the most wonderful milk, but only the bravest heroes were ever able to catch one and introduce it into his own herd where it improved the stock to the envy of his neighbours.
In Egyptian mythology, the horns of the cow became part of the crowns of both Isis and Hathor, and also Nuit but the primordial Mehet-Weret is the cow goddess of the sky. She is believed to be the mother of Ra. Her name means ‘great flood’ and she represents the waters of the heavens along which the sun boat passes. She is shown as a cow, crowned with the triple moon crown, lying down upon a reed-mat with a flail across her shoulders as her badge of office. The scribe, Nebseni, makes this prayer to her: ‘Strengthen me just as you have strengthened yourself and show yourself upon earth, you who return and withdraw yourself and may your will be done.’ (See also Bull, Audumla, Cattle of Geryon.)
COYOTE
Also known as Sedit, Coyote is the divine trickster of the south-western Indians of North America. He is the instigator of many things and customs, in common with many other tricksters whose function is to break through boundaries and conventions so that new things may come into being. He creates people and brings fire, as well as being the bringer of death. His shape is both human and that of a coyote.
A story from the Thompson River Indians of British Columbia tells how Coyote determined to steal fire from the Fire People, supernatural beings who alone had the secret of making fire. With Antelope, Fox and Wolf, he gatecrashed a party they were having and made himself a headdress from yellow pine shavings. The Fire People danced first and then Coyote and friends performed an answering dance, but Coyote complained that he could hardly see to dance, so that Fire People built up a bigger and bigger fire. As the blaze grew higher, so Coyote’s friends began to leave, excusing themselves from the party because they were too hot, but actually to get into position to help fulfil Coyote’s plan. Coyote danced alone getting nearer and nearer to the fire until his headdress caught alight. Then he ran out, passing his blazing headdress to Antelope who passed it onto Fox and Wolf. Each of the animals was killed by the Fire People until only Coyote was left. As they drew near to kill him, Coyote threw his headdress into a tree which burst into flames. From that time to this, men have been able to make fire by using wooden fire-sticks. This was Coyote’s gift to humans.
Despite being a trickster, Coyote is a guardian of good behaviour, as he shows in this story which teaches people not to be nosy like the dog.
Coyote was always putting his nose into other people’s business. He once watched the Burrowing Owls dancing, seeing how they carried something on their heads. This was a bowl of foam but the owls never spilled a drop as they whirled limping on their short disjointed legs. Coyote begged to be taught the dance. The Owl chieftain told him that this was a sacred initiatory dance and that the thing on their heads was the heads of their grandmothers and that the limping was caused by the pain of having broken legs. Wanting to punish Coyote for his inquisitiveness, Owl said he would initiate Coyote if he went and fetched his grandmother’s head and smashed his legs with a stone. Hobbling in pain and carrying the head of his grandmother which he had sliced off with some deer teeth, he arrived back at the Owl’s dancing ground. He was unable to do anything except a pathetic dance which caused the bowls of foam on the Owl’s heads to spot their shiny black feathers. On hearing their laughter, Coyote knew that they had made a fool of him.
As the bringer of death, he also had to experience its pain.
A legend of the Pomo Indians of California tells how one day Coyote saw a rattlesnake going down a hole and called people to look, for he wanted people to know death. He got everyone to dance around it until the chief’s daughter was bitten on the ankle by the rattlesnake. She cried out in pain but Coyote got them to dance on. A few hours later the girl died and the chief demanded that Coyote resurrect her. He said, ‘If people live forever there will be too many people and not enough food.’ So the girl was laid on the pyre and cremated. A few days later Coyote awoke to find that his own daughter had died, for the chief had poisoned her in revenge for his own girl’s death. Coyote mourned all night and went to the chief and said, ‘My daughter must live again.’ ‘That’s not fair!’ said the chief. ‘You said it was wise to let people die when my daughter died.’ Coyote accepted that his words must also apply to himself and put his daughter on the pyre to cremate her. He mourned all that night and every night afterwards, which is why the coyote always howls at night.
CRAB
The constellation of Cancer the Crab was created by the Greek goddess, Hera, who raised up the crab that had tormented Hercules when he was attempting to kill the Hydra. Among the Andamanese Islanders in the Bay of Bengal, Lizard decided to hold a dancing party. He became so wild and strong that everyone grew frightened. Whenever anyone tried to catch him, Lizard threw them into the sea, turning them into all kinds of fish and turtles.
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