My impression after reading up on it is that cows are so economically important in a pre-industrial society. They can plow the fields, they give us dairy, and many societies brought their animals indoors with them to stay warm in the winter.
The sacred status of cows seems to have to do with the prohibition of eating meat. If you kill a cow you can’t milk it anymore, it can’t work your fields, and it ceases to become a productive member of society. In this sense, it seems that cattle were recognized as being a vulnerable member of society. It makes sense then that people would want them treated equitably and not be slaughtered. Most people would probably have a similar aversion to eating a steak made out of the family dog.
Cows do more, though. Dogs are wonderful, but the fact a cow can work a field and give milk means pretty much ALL the food in your village is cow-dependent in your stone-to-iron age culture. It’s very symbolic that it feeds everyone without needing to die, I think. All that while being usually gentle. I don’t worship anything but I can understand how they would be seen as sacred.
It almost reminds me of the guy who picked “bears” for the higher power he believed in for AA.
Not odd, really. Like the other commenter said it basically boils down to how important cows were to ancient societies. Hathor, Apis etc in ancient Egypt for example. Hinduism was concocted around the same time so it makes sense. Hinduism survived, ancient Egyptian religions did not. Another example is Sun as God in both ancient Egypt and Hinduism.
You don’t think that animals which were domesticated slowly by humans over centuries from wild aurochs being sacred is odd? Because I sure do.
My impression after reading up on it is that cows are so economically important in a pre-industrial society. They can plow the fields, they give us dairy, and many societies brought their animals indoors with them to stay warm in the winter.
The sacred status of cows seems to have to do with the prohibition of eating meat. If you kill a cow you can’t milk it anymore, it can’t work your fields, and it ceases to become a productive member of society. In this sense, it seems that cattle were recognized as being a vulnerable member of society. It makes sense then that people would want them treated equitably and not be slaughtered. Most people would probably have a similar aversion to eating a steak made out of the family dog.
Fair enough, but most of us don’t worship dogs.
Cows do more, though. Dogs are wonderful, but the fact a cow can work a field and give milk means pretty much ALL the food in your village is cow-dependent in your stone-to-iron age culture. It’s very symbolic that it feeds everyone without needing to die, I think. All that while being usually gentle. I don’t worship anything but I can understand how they would be seen as sacred.
It almost reminds me of the guy who picked “bears” for the higher power he believed in for AA.
Cats though…
Yes, but there’s a reason for that. If you don’t worship them, they’ll eat your face when you’re asleep.
you’re new on the internet aren’t you
I was married to a Hindu woman for 20 years, this kind of thing is par for the course for about a billion people.
That doesn’t make it not odd if you just think about it.
Not odd, really. Like the other commenter said it basically boils down to how important cows were to ancient societies. Hathor, Apis etc in ancient Egypt for example. Hinduism was concocted around the same time so it makes sense. Hinduism survived, ancient Egyptian religions did not. Another example is Sun as God in both ancient Egypt and Hinduism.