British White History
- Explored and Defended
"In the forest laws of King Canute (A.D. 1014-1035), wild cattle
are thus referred to: "There are also a great number of cattle
which, although they live within the limits of the forest, and are
subject to the charge and care of the middle sort of men, or Regardors,
nevertheless cannot at all be reputed beasts of the forest as wild
horses, bubali (wild bulls), wild cows, and the like." "
Wild, White Cattle" (p.36)by James Edmund Harting (c.1880)
The purpose of this project was to explore
the ancient history of Britain's white park cattle and clarify the
relationship between the horned White Park and the polled White Park
which was given the breed name British White in 1946, upon the formation
of the British White Cattle Society. As a breeder of polled British
White cattle I've often been asked "What is the difference?"
I couldn't answer and found myself stumbling, as I knew Britain's
White Park Cattle Society declares no relationship to the polled British
White, yet the information currently available in essays and articles
on the polled British White and the horned White Park reflects much
of the same lore and legend.
They share this lore and legend because both
varieties of park cattle were present in the British Isles since 'time
immemorial'. In Wild, White Cattle" (p.36) by James Edmund Harting
(c.1880), it is clear that at the onset of the Middle Ages there were
polled herds, horned herds with a variety of shape and length, herds
with both red and black color points, and herds with both wild and
tame disposition.
The distinguishing trait today that separates
the two varieties is the presence of horns, and secondary to horns
would be the disposition of the animal, and those same traits have
existed for hundreds of years, the difference today is our 21st century
need to peg this wonderful bovine into two distinct breeds.
Within the existing horned White Park herds
in the UK, there are animals of both wild and tame disposition. However,
the horned Chillingham herd of White Park cattle is considered to
be representative of the true feral white park animal, and DNA testing
is said to show these Chillingham animals as distinct from any other
European breed. The Chillingham cattle continue to live in their native
habitat and the introduction of new blood is said to be minimal to
non-existent.
Unfortunately, many historians and breeders
key in on this DNA report and presume that all horned white park cattle
are proven distinct from the polled British White. I believe this
is an error of enormous consequence that will one day be corrected.
There is no pubic data that identifies the lineage of the British
White animals that were used for the basis of these tests, but most
assuredly the horned Chillingham White Park that was tested was an
animal of the most exceedingly closed genetics.
I was surprised to learn that there are Galloway's
that are white with black points, and considering the genetic dominance.
. .
Although there is strong evidence that the
White Galloway and White Park patterns are due to the tyrosinase gene,
the mutation does not occur in the coding portion of the gene and
therefore no DNA test has been developed. This temperature sensitive
expression of pigment, like that of the Siamese cat, is inherited
as a dominant. If a rancher breeds 7 non-white cows and obtains 7
white calves, there is a 99% chance that the sire is homozygous for
this trait. DNA Tests for Cattle - Dr. Sheila Schmutz
. . . .of the polled British White (pre 1946
White Park) markings it could be easily surmised that at some point
in time the British White was bred into the Galloway, and I would
instinctively surmise this occurred well before the modern days of
1960. I would have thought the odd white Galloway would be found more
closely linked to the British White judging from simply the look of
these ancient polled cattle and their docile nature and the dominance
of the white park markings once introduced into a breed.
However, per the EEAP Genetic Data Bank in
Hannover, Germany, the Galloway breed, along with the Whitebred Shorthorn
and the Fjall were introduced into the British White breed some time
subsequent to 1960. (Introduction of other breeds was done to the
extent necessary to build up the existing herds of polled British
White, for which we can all be thankful.
The Whitebread Shorthorn was used in the Woodbastwick
herd in a documented, minimal effort -- why this would result in a
perceived negative action by those who breed the ancient polled white
park (now the British White) and those who purport to have the mission
of preserving ancient breeds is a puzzle.
I find it a disservice to the breed to key
in on post-1960 breeding efforts to build up the numbers of the ancient
polled white park cattle. The polled variety of the white park cattle
was considered superior by this elder cattleman of the UK in the early
20th century. Do you think the excellence "since time immemorial"
of the polled white park animals referred to by this gentleman was
the product of unrecorded 19th or 20th century efforts to create a
superior polled white park animal? I think not.... exploration of
the ancient records which reference these cattle bear that out.
Sir Claud Alexander, owner of the Faygate
herd, writing in the 1912 "Amateur Menagerie Club" Year
Book says:"I would, however, strongly advise anyone who may think
of forming a herd to go to the polled variety for his foundation stock,
for they have been kept from time immemorial for their milk and beef
producing qualities, and right well do they justify their existence...
The Somerford cows are excellent milkers and one of mine averages
five gallons a day when in full profit.
In addition to this they are big heavy beasts
and give a good return from the butcher when their milking days are
over.... Mr Quinton Gurney's herd at Northrepps Hall is a thoroughly
practical one, for on it devolves the task of keeping the town of
Cromer supplied with milk. At Woodbastwick too, some grand milkers
are to be found, and here great attention is paid to beef producing
powers, as the records of the local fat stock shows frequently testify...
If anyone who reads these notes and feels inclined to form a herd
will communicate with me, I shall be pleased to supply any information
that may be required."
Having explored many references to date, I
now am confident that the polled British White cattle are not only
descended from the original white park cattle, but all the original
white park cattle, horned or polled, date back to the Bronze Age and
beyond. Most breeds of cattle can't be dated accurately before the
17th century. This breed is an exception.
Thanks to the scholarly efforts of old we are
able to look into the past and see this uniquely beautiful "hornless
and tame variety of the wild white breed" grazing green pastures
and filling a pale with abundant milk. Please note that both the British
White and White Park can have red ears and nose, etc... The black
points are predominant in British White and White Park herds, but
the occasional perfectly marked red-eared animal is still born and
is registered in both the British and the American associations.
The oldest references cited below speak of
milk white cattle with red ears. Given the rarity of this occurrence
now and presuming it to have been equally rare in days of old, it
is easily arguable that the very rarity of the red markings made them
special and thus worthy of inclusion in the oral histories that have
survived thousands of years.
PLEASE REMEMBER:: Until 1946
in the United Kingdom, all varieties of white park cattle with black
or red points were referred to as "white park cattle". So
references in this work and in others to the "ancient wild, white
park cattle" refer to all varieties of the breed until the formal
separation in 1946 of the polled White Park breeders into the British
White Cattle Society. Keep in mind that that 'wild' is not indicative
of feral, but rather of freedom from human domestication and intervention.
There are various statements as to how the
'park cattle' came to the British Isles; who brought them, if anyone;
when they arrived; or whether they are indigenous to the British Isles.
Those statements will be explored in the body of this work. A little
time spent with "HOW THE SUNGOD REACHED AMERICA"
will enlighten anyone who is inclined to explore how far
back in time man may have assisted the migrations of breeds of cattle
in the world.
This highly interesting work should also be
considered in the context of the ancient Druids that were integral
to the ancient Celtic cultures of Britain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland,
and France - and whom some scholars believe are responsible for the
building of Britain's Stonehenge and Ireland's Newgrange.
I suspect that many of the UK horned white park cattle with black
or red points that cling to the White Park designation are milky,
beefy, and docile, as is a polled British White, and I offer the opinion
that if in fact the British White bears no genetic kinship with the
ancient wild, white Chillingham cattle , then the ancient literature
explored below is making reference to the polled white park animal
we now know as British White, and firmly establishes their descent
from one of the earliest recorded domestic cattle breeds in the British
Isles.
I've found no references thus far in ancient
Celtic Bronze Age literary texts to the hunting of wild, "white
cattle with red points", but rather to the milking, the grazing,
the leading to slaughter of white cattle with red points that are
obviously highly regarded livestock, and quite obviously docile either
from domestication or by the innate nature of the animals. There are
references to wild bulls in general, with no reference to color, as
in the following:
" . . .and when the wild bull saw a man
coming towards him he drove his horns into the ground, and put an
acre of land over his own back." Myths and Folklore of Ireland
Fin MacCumbail and Gilla na Grakin
The earliest recorded mention of white cattle
with red points is found in the Táin Bó Cuailnge (The
Tain), aka The Cattle Raid of Cooley. "The Tain is considered
the oldest vernacular epic in western European literature. The earliest
versions were written down in the Irish monasteries of Bangor in County
Down and Dromsnat in County Monaghan in the eighth century" (1),
but it had a long oral existence among the Celtics of Ireland before
being committed to paper.
Central to the story is 'a great white bull'
that many sources cite as the breed now known as White Park. Besides
the great white bull, there is another passage in a prelude story
to 'The Tain' that involves the milking of 'three white cows with
red ears'. If in fact the horned White Park is genetically distinct
from the polled British White, then I would contend that the cows
referred to in this passage are the docile, polled British White animal
we know today.
"Historians are increasingly of the view
that behind the 'The Tain' are real events, in particular the advance
of the Gaelic conquerors from Connaught against the pre-Gaelic rulers
of Ulster."(1) Further, it is now believed that the Celts migrated
to the British Isles long before 500 BCE, thus this battle could have
taken place many centuries prior. If that is the case, then the events
being referred to in this story place the "great white bull"
and the "white cows with red ears" in existence in the British
Isles well more than 2500 hundred years ago.
There are many other references in ancient
texts that speak of the "hornless and tame variety of the wild
white breed" we now call British White. The earliest mention
of them is by the Celtics, as in the Cattle Raid of Cooley mentioned
above and other Druidic tales where the milk-white cow figures prominently.
There were also certain divination rituals of the Druids (Celtic priesthood
explored below) that required the sacrifice of white bulls that found
their way from oral legend into print. The following is an example
and one can easily infer they were domesticated, tame 'milk-white'
bulls :
When the new year approached, the Druids beset
themselves to discover this plant (mistletoe) upon an oak, on which
tree it they marched by night with great solemnity towards the spot,
inviting all to join their procession with these words: The New Year
is at hand: let us gather the mistletoe.
First marched the Ovades in their green sacrificial
robes leading two milk-white bullocks. Next came the bards singing
the praises of the Mighty Essence, in raiment blue as the heavens
to which their hymn ascended. Then a herald clothed in white with
two wings drooping down on each side of his head, and a branch of
vervain in his hand encircled by two serpents.
He was followed by three Derwydd--one of whom
carried the sacrificial bread--another a vase of water-and the third
a white wand. Lastly, the Arch-Druid, distinguished by the tuft or
tassel to his cap, by the bands hanging from his throat, by the scepter
in his hand and by the golden crescent on his breast, surrounded by
the whole body of the Derwydd and humbly followed by the noblest warriors
of the land.
An altar of rough stones was erected under
the oak, and the Arch-Druid, having sacramentally distributed the
bread and wine, would climb the tree, cut the mistletoe with a golden
knife, wrap it in a pure white cloth, slay and sacrifice the bullocks,
and pray to God to remove his curse from barren women, and to permit
their medicines to serve as antidotes for poisons and charms from
all misfortunes. Mysteries of the Druids (1861) W. Winwood Reade
The origins of druidism have been argued about
for centuries. In Julius Ceasar's writings we find "The Druidic
doctrine is believed to have been found existing in Britain. . ."(Caesar,
De Bellum Gallico, book 6). He gave us a picture of Celtic life in
the last century BC that is dominated by the Druids. There are statements
from some sources that the Romans "exterminated" the Druids,
and the final battle was at Llyn Cerrig Bach, Anglesey Island, Wales
.
They weren't completely exterminated as there
is mention of them in 4th century accounts of Christianizing Ireland.
[Some sources state that the Roman's brought the white 'park cattle'
to the British Isles, but others indicate the only cattle used by
the Romans were dark breeds. From the ancient oral stories of the
Druids, we know the white cattle were present before the arrival of
the Romans.]
Most scholars now believe that the Druids were
present before the arrival of the Celts, and that they are the pre-historic,
indigenous inhabitants of Britain. Celts were at one time a pervasive
culture in Western Europe, yet the importance of the Druids and their
sacred white cattle is largely unique to Ireland, Wales, Britain,
and France, which is pertinent to the discussion of whether the white
cattle with red points were indigenous to the British Isles. When
the Celts came to the British Isles they adopted the religious customs
and rites of the native Druids. The unifying bond between all the
Celtic tribes was their common priesthood, the Druids.
Their efforts preserved common culture, religion,
history, laws, scholarship, and science. They were a separate social
class of the highest standing in Celtic society, which no doubt made
them a target of the Romans. With the onset of Christianity, druidism
was not acceptable; it was viewed as pagan. Nonetheless, many aspects
of druidism were incorporated into Christianity to appease the Celtic
people, and they remain part of organized religion today.
An example follows:
"Life of St. Brigid": "she gets the land for her shrine
and abbey from an avaricious bishop by getting him to swear that she
can have as much land as her cloak will cover. Although he thinks
he's got the best of the bargain, he doesn't know Brigid is a goddess,
whose lore tells that she hung her cloak on the sun's rays to dry.
When she threw out her cloak, it spread in
glittering billows for acres, and her sacred place was thus preserved.
Perhaps Brigid's most clever trick was to transform herself from a
goddess into a Christian saint, thus assuring that the very Church
opposing Irish paganism would perpetuate her tales and lore."
Below are some interesting excerpts from ancient
texts that further describe the white cattle and establish their existence
and their domestication for millennia:
:
". . . she milked the three white cows with red ears." Cuchulain
of Muirthemne (Also part of The Tain)
". . . a perfectly white cow with red ears, and boil it down
in a lump." Morgan's Frenzy
". . . insisted on getting seven hundred white cows with red
ears. . ." The Progress of the Wicked Band
". . . when the milk-white bull with gilded horns. . ."
The Georgics of Virgil (c.29 BCE)
(Click here for additional links to other
texts that speak of the white cattle.)
The cattle referred to in these passages are most likely the ancient
ancestors of the domesticated British White herd of today. Obviously,
the cows referred to in the above quotes were not ferocious. Also,
one can surmise that they were not all horned. The term "milk-white"
is found several times in the ancient texts. Thus far, I've not found
any text that mentions black ears.
The best examples of cattle within the British
White breed are milk-white; the best examples of Ancient White Park
as seen in photographs are simply white, not the striking milk-white
of the British White. Here is one additional passage from a lovely
Welsh fairy tale that makes possible reference to the Dynevwr herd
of white cattle that date back to the 10th century AD.
". . . with the white bull from the court
of the King . . . Dynevwr Castles. . ." The Lady of the Lake
Notice the reference is simply to a "white
bull", no mention of the color points nor the horns. Yet we know
that in Wales the Dynevwr herd continues today, and it is white with
colored points and considered a critical source for horned Ancient
White Park genetics.
This lends support to the belief that the cattle
referred to in the passages cited are British White/White Park animals
despite the fact that the references thus far found do not speak of
black ears. However, the fact that the Dynevwr herd is now focused
on breeding the Ancient White Park clouds the issue of British White
vs.
White Park animals being described in old
texts, unless you accept the existence of the "hornless and tame
variety of the wild white breed" in days of old as well as the
horned, ferocious white variety, which may have been present at Dynevwr
as well. Furthermore, the use of a polled sire would produce polled
offspring, as the polled gene is said to be dominant in a cross with
a horned gene (to be confirmed), and it is certainly possible that
this would have occurred at Dynevwr.
Also consider this additional Dynevwr refererence,"From
at least the tenth century white cattle were paid in tribute to the
Welsh lord of Deheubarth (Deheubarth est. 920 A.D.) by those seeking
his pardon." Obviously, these were not feral white cattle being
paid in tribute.
Hadrian's Wall was built in the 2nd century
AD by the Romans to establish a barrier between Roman Britain and
the native Picts and Scots who lived in the northern highland areas
of Britain. This wall established the southern boundary of what is
known as the Caledonian Forest , from which many of the surviving
herds of wild, white cattle originated. Hadrian's Wall served to protect
the Celtic culture and the native wildlife in northern Britain from
the Romans, the Anglo-Saxon invaders, and later from the Norman's.
Rome abandoned Britain in the 5th century,
and life in the British Isles was forever changed. The breakdown of
Roman law and civilization was fairly swift after the Roman army departed
in 410 AD. To counter the raids from continental pirates, Picts and
Scots towns would bring in mercenaries from Europe to defend them
from attack. These mercenary soldiers were Angles and Saxons from
northern Germany, who apparently rather liked Britain, and they slowly
colonized northwards and westwards, pushing the native Celts to the
fringes of Britain. Roman Britain was thus replaced by Anglo Saxon
Britain, with the Celtic peoples remaining in Cornwall, Wales and
Scotland. (Anglo-Saxon Era Reference ) Ireland was never conquered
by the Romans and the evolution of this region's Celtic culture was
not significantly influenced by other peoples until the onset of Viking
raids in the 9th century AD.
"In the forest laws of King Canute (A.D.
1014-1035), wild cattle are thus referred to: "There are also
a great number of cattle which, although they live within the limits
of the forest, and are subject to the charge and care of the middle
sort of men, or Regardors, nevertheless cannot at all be reputed beasts
of the forest as wild horses, bubali (wild bulls), wild cows, and
the like." " Wild, White Cattle" (p.36)by James Edmund
Harting (c.1880)
[Some British White histories speculate that
the breed was introduced to the British Isles by the Vikings in the
8th or 9th century. Vikings from Denmark and Sweden came to the British
Isles in overlapping time-frames between the 8th and 12th centuries.
They came first as raiders and slavers, later as settlers and farmers,
and lastly as traders. By the beginning of the 10th century there
were established Viking settlements in Wales and other regions of
the British Isles.
Considering the previously explored ancient
Druid descriptions of milk-white cows with red ears that mirror the
early 13th century description of the Dynevwr herd, and the fact that
the ancient Druid legends of Ireland were written down in the 8th
century, prior to the onset of the Viking raids in Ireland, it is
my opinion that this is incorrect.]
In 1066 AD the Normans invaded Britain and
William the Conqueror was declared King. This event marks the beginning
of the period referred to as the Middle Ages. The existing nobility
were stripped of their land and their rank and the new king granted
land to new nobles, including higher churchmen such as bishops and
abbots. " In 1079, William "afforested" the area (brought
it under Forest Law).
In common with other large areas within the
country, Forest Law imposed a kingdom within a kingdom, where the
few inhabitants were subjected to draconian laws to preserve, increase
and protect game of all species. Twenty-one Forests were established
by William." He justified his actions by claiming it was a continuation
of Anglo Saxon tradition that the forests were for the pleasure of
the King. The Anglo Saxon King Canute did claim some forest as the
crown's, but nothing so vast as that clamed by William. Some historians
tell us that many entire villages were wiped out by William in the
establishment of Forest Law.
". . . in the formation of which he (William)
is said by Odericus Vitalis, "to have laid waste more than sixty
parishes, compelling the inhabitants to emigrate to other places,
and substituting beasts of the chase for human beings, that he might
satisfy his ardour for hunting." The Ancient History of Sherwood
Forest
But at the same time other sources indicate
'common inhabitants' of this forest were allowed to turn their livestock
out into the 'waste' as they were not allowed to build walls that
might obstruct the free roam of the King's game. The culture, the
people, and the forests of Wales and modern-day Scotland were again
largely protected from the Norman pillage thanks to Hadrian's Wall
(122 AD) to the north that continued to establish a protective boundary
for modern-day Scotland and Offa's Dyke (est. 9th century) to the
west that separated Wales from Southern England.
". . . All of them were milk white except
for their red ears." The Barons de Brause (early 13th century)
These forests abounded with wildlife, and
it is said the nobility secured the boundaries of their land "within
a pale, haye, or wall", with the game and wild animals they contained,
or with others driven in, and these enclosures became parks. Within
the native mix of wildlife in these parks were herds of white cattle
so wild they were hunted as game. It is from these "ferocious"
wild, white park cattle that were the object of the hunt that the
best examples of the Ancient White Park of today has most likely descended.
The Chillingham herd remains in it's native
habitat today. In the USA, the BBar Ranch has a herd of Ancient White
Park with black points. If you look closely at photos of both herds
and open your mind, you will see the that they are of a distinctly
different character than the British White. That difference in character
is reflected in the lengthy flight zone of the true Ancient White
Park. Obviously, these were not the white cows with red points that
ancient literature holds in such high regard, or the white cows with
red ears of the 10th to 13th century discussed above.
These wild, white cattle most certainly could
not be yoked to a plow or milked, or easily herded to a new owner
in payment of tribute or debt.
As to why the different varieties of white
'park cattle' roamed wild in the forests of Britain in the Middle
Ages we can only speculate. The Ancient White Park variety was likely
never domesticated. Many events in history could provide explanation
-- the extermination of the Druids who raised and revered them; the
quashing of the Celtic culture in much of Britain; or perhaps there
is some old kernel of truth in this Welsh fairy tale about a magical
milk-white cow and the disappearance of her and her "particoloured"
offspring into the dark waters of a lake.
It's apparent in recorded history that the
wild, white cattle were never present in large numbers as compared
to the dark breeds. This is just yet another instance where the passage
of time contrives to almost lose to us some of our rarer moments and
species. British White cattle are perhaps the most docile breed of
beef cattle on the earth, many having no flight zone from humans.
At times it seems almost magical.
In the course of time from the 11th century
to 16th century Britain, the British White breed continued to be revered
as evidenced by this passage:
". . . on pain of forfeit for every penny
. . . a white bull with red nose and red ears."
Wroth Money - Ceremony at Knightlow Cross
Also of interest here is this is yet another reference to a white
animal with red points many centuries after their first mention in
Druid legend. This begs the question of why the black points dominate
this breed today. This 'wroth money' ceremony was last performed on
November 11, 1892 and it is believed to have been a tradition well
more than a thousand years. (November 11, St Martin’s Day, is
the eve of the old Celtic Samhain when the cattle were brought down
from the hills for winter and the excess stock were slaughtered".
)
We know that at different points in time the
numbers of these cattle have been dangerously low and concerted efforts
were made to preserve the breeds. Could it be that the the herds with
red points suffered more during periods of disease or drought merely
by happenstance? Or could it be that the appearance of a white cow
with red points was as equally rare in the Bronze Age and beyond as
it is today, and thus they were singled out as special in the legends,
traditions, and histories of old. Update:
In Welsh stories the fairy cows are described
as either white or speckled, so one can infer that they were white
and speckled with another color. British White cattle often have speckles
of black spots across their shoulders. Further, Mr. Harting gives
us this old description of the Somerford herd which includes ".
. . Like all other old herds of the forest breed, they have a strong
tendency to produce small black spots on the neck, sides, and legs,
and this the proprietors admire and encourage; many of them have therefore
become more or less speckled."
In the past century and more there were enormous
efforts made in the UK to increase the few remaining herds of the
ancient polled white park cattle (British White), and the excellent
results of those efforts are in the USA, Australia, and other countries
across the globe. To bring the British White history to the 20th century,
I use again this old informative excerpt:
Sir Claud Alexander, owner of the Faygate
herd, writing in the 1912 "Amateur Menagerie Club" Year
Book says:"I would, however, strongly advise anyone who may think
of forming a herd to go to the polled variety for his foundation stock,
for they have been kept from time immemorial for their milk and beef
producing qualities, and right well do they justify their existence...
The Somerford cows are excellent milkers and
one of mine averages five gallons a day when in full profit. In addition
to this they are big heavy beasts and give a good return from the
butcher when their milking days are over.... Mr Quinton Gurney's herd
at Northrepps Hall is a thoroughly practical one, for on it devolves
the task of keeping the town of Cromer supplied with milk. At Woodbastwick
too, some grand milkers are to be found, and here great attention
is paid to beef producing powers, as the records of the local fat
stock shows frequently testify...
If anyone who reads these notes and feels inclined
to form a herd will communicate with me, I shall be pleased to supply
any information that may be required."
What I find most interesting is the casual
inference that the polled variety has better milk and beef producing
qualities and has from "time immemorial". The domesticated
white park cattle (British White) from the days of the Druids should
have better milk and beef producing qualities than the Ancient White
Park. A few years after the excerpt above was printed, the Park Cattle
Society was formed in the UK, which encompassed both horned and polled
examples of the breed. In 1946 the group split and the polled "white
park" animal became formally known as a British White and the
British White Cattle Society in the UK was formed.
Through their efforts the polled British White
has risen from numbers so low as to be listed a rare breed, to it's
status now as a minority breed. Their numbers will continue to grow
as this beautiful, docile animal becomes more broadly known across
the world as the breed that delivers all that an owner can wish for
in health, longevity, fertility, milk, and beef.
(1) BBC - The Cattle Raid of Cooley - Up to
AD 200
Author's Note: The opinions expressed in this
work are mine at this writing. As research into the history of the
white cattle of the British Isles continues, this work will be updated
to reflect any new information found or changes in opinion. .
Copyright @ January 3, 2004, Jimmie Lynn West,
All Rights Reserved
