Mammal Stereotypes - Cattle - 8 - Page 1

Bull, vicious, evil, dumb bull, peace loving bull, holy cow

Cattle are considered sacred in various world religions, such as Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and others. Earlier religions in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Israel and Ancient Rome also held similar beliefs. In some regions, especially Nepal and some states in India, the slaughter of cattle is prohibited and their meat may be taboo

The cow was possibly revered because Hindus relied heavily on it for dairy products and for tilling the fields, and on cow dung as a source of fuel and fertilizer. Thus, the cow's status as a 'caretaker' led to identifying it as an almost maternal figure (hence the term gau mata). In the olden days cattle being limited to select few fortunate folks, the cows enjoyed the status that gold or money enjoys today