This work is a continuation of the series ‘Animals have no Religion’. It questions our position as human beings in relation to other living creatures. As humans are aware of themselves, we question our origins as well as what we want to be, or become. Do animals respond to instinct alone, and therefore only follow their nature? Is there a hierarchy, with Man as religious animal on top?
Every religion regards animals and their place in our lives differently. In some religions, humans are seen as equal to animals, in others animals are “beneath” humans and of lesser importance.
I consider the cow on top of the hierarchy for her gentle nature and strength. The cow is very honored in society, the closest to humans and without violence. The cow is seen as sacred because of the ability to nurture human life, provide milk, meat, leather and plowing the rice fields. The cow also fulfills the role of sacrificial animal in human rituals.