2.7- The Dun Cow with Willerby

Join us this week as we take you to Willerby, a little village in the Midlands with some strange magic in the air. The villagers have been having some problems with The Dun Cow and Dan, a representative from the parish council, talks us through the key methods for dealing with The Cow.

The story of the dun cow

The original story of the Dun Cow seems come to us from the area of Dunsmore Heath near Rugby but it is also a recurring motif in folkore from Durham, Somerset and Lancashire.

In the most famous retellings, involving the giant Guy of Warwick, the gargantuan cow is at first a blessing. Able to give hundreds of bushels (a bushel= 64 pints ) of milk a day, the cow provides enough milk to support an entire community.

But there is always someone who wants to mess up such a perfect set up. In this case, the culprit is often a witch. Although sometimes it is some young boys playing a prank or anther equally selfish member of the community.

What is always the same is the method by which the cow is made to turn against the community it has served so patiently. In every version, the ingrate who spoils everything does so by milking the cow through a sieve (for mysterious reasons known only to themselves).

The cow’s reaction to such treatment is to go mad with anger and rampage through the countryside until it is stopped by a strong man, who manages to slaughter it in a feat of Herculean bravery.

Guy of Warwick

The hero of the hour in the medieval romances is Guy of Warwick. This giant of a man was said to have lived during the reign of King Athelstan. He is credited in legend with having slain the giant Colbrond in single combat. He is also famous for being the man who slayed the Dun Cow.

The story of the cow is only part of Guy’s legend. Once as famous as Robin Hood, artefacts associated with him were being collected by the Earl’s of Warwick as early as the 14th century. In fact, Guy’s enormous porridge pot and fork are still on display at Warwick castle to this day.

Willerby

Just like the poor people of Anglo-Saxon Warwick, our friends at Willerby village also have problems with the Dun Cow. Parish councillor Dan came on the show to explain to us some of the problems they face when the cow comes to call. If you want to read that story in fill for yourself then head over to the Willerby website or find them on Bluesky or Instagram.