> rare and sacred (like cows are to many Hindus)
I think someone else mentioned these cows recently, so I'll refer y'all to the books of Marvin Harris. (I can't remember which ones, but "Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches" and "Cannibals and Kings" are both likely -- and good.) Essentially, Hindus don't eat their cows because it would be like eating your tractor. Cows are used primarily for traction. If you can't plow, you're dead.
It's my understanding that Hindu cows are not at all rare, though I suspect they're less common than cows are among say African tribes who view them as wealth (and live off their milk and blood).
David Dunham <mailto:dunham_at_pensee.com> Glorantha/RQ page: <http://www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html> Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein
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