Pai Cow is a small, yellow cow-like cow that lives in the mountains of central China. Her name stems from the Chinese phrase,"Pai meaning low; chi meaning high". She is reported to be the ancestor of the Mongolia Men's Uul, considered by some historians to be the first herd animal domesticated. The Pai Cow is considered sacred in the civilization of Szechwan province in China. A special festival celebrating the olden times of the Pai tribe is celebrated in the spring once the cow is honored with offerings, dances and songs.
1 story states that Pai lived with a herd of reindeer in the north of Mongolia. 1 day, the reindeer started to go missing and Pai began to look for them. She eventually found one in a deep crevice. The other reindeer came to see her and they ran off together. This was to be their last meeting.
Another version of the origin story says that Pai cowherds were tending reindeer and they took care of them until one night they lost their way. They arrived at the edge of a lake where a hippo had washed up. Hearing the cries of the frightened hippo, Pai jumped into the water to save her cows but forgot her knife.
The hippo bit into the Cow's flesh and pulled it cowered nearby. The frightened hippo bit its leg off so it could no longer walk and the other reindeer tried to assist the wounded hippo up but they also became frightened. Looking to save the cows, Pai paddled towards them but fell prey to the hippo's powerful bite. The other reindeer ran away while the Cow stumbled backwards.
No one knows for certain how Pai came to be. One account states that she was the daughter of the Emperor Kangxi and the mother of the Emperor Mingyao. Some historians feel that Pai was the daughter of Khaeko who married a Kung Lung and afterwards came to be called Kema. Still others say that Pai was the daughter of an honoured Buddha and the title is taken from the Brahma temple in which Buddha attained Nirvana.
Pai had two brothers, Siau and Rhea. Siau became the first wife of Kema while Rhea was married to Tsoo who was the son of Nanda. The family lived in the Southern area of Manchuria, where there were lots of rivers and lakes. There are lots of monuments in the area which give some idea as to the lifestyle they practiced.
When I was researching my Novel The Gods of Amethyst, I found Pai's tomb in the temple near the Xingjian Pass. The tomb dates back to around 200 BC and included the bones of Pai's two-year old son. It is believed that the child was adopted or died of asphyxiation. No toys or articles were found in the grave. It's likely that this was the first Chinese Buddhist temple.
Legend has it that Pai had ten children but none survived to maturity. She took her final child with her on a journey to the heavenly abode but before she left him, she spread a white silk flower before her son begging him to eat it. This was the origin of this legend concerning the white silk blossom. I've heard that Pai cow is linked to the moon goddess because the moon represents feminine power in Chinese belief.
Pai Cow coins are very popular today. They are quite pleasing to the eye given their distinctive round shape. Some have been made with an oblong shaped oblong coin in the middle and then encircling it is smaller circular motifs of animals, plants or geometric figures. These coins are usually easy to recognize given their distinctive look.
They are usually encrusted with diamonds given its association with the moon goddess. A popular variety is the"Three Treasures" given to the kid on his first birthday. The motifs encircling the cow would be the ears of a ram, a rainbow, a pot and a lampshade. The cow itself is adorned with little stars encircling its forehead.
Today the Pai Cow is still widely used by Chinese people especially during festive occasions like New Year's Day and Holidays. The intriguing history of this cow may be passed on from generation to generation. They're also used by some Chinatown restaurants. They are considered somewhat of a status symbol for the educated members of Chinese society.
