Bahkauv
Bahkauv number among the strangest monsters in the Yelps Mountains. Some would say they rank among the weirdest beasts anywhere. They're essentially misshapen calves with ball and chain arms. When a person hears one of these monstrous heiffers mooing in the distance, they don't stop to ask, "how now, brown cow?" - they just run.
Being chased by a bahkauv tests the vigour of even the spryest adventurers. These beasts simply do not tire. And despite their obtuse body shape, they've got a real turn of speed on them. Having a wild-eyed bahkauv hoofing after you can be so motivating that Austrovian sports teams use them as training aides.
Bahkauv generally live out in the wild, but they will come into towns and villages in the winter months. When the temperatures drop and the mulled wine flows, potential victims will become less able to defend themselves. More than one person has stumbled out of a tavern only to see a bahkauv screaming towards them.
Although bahkauv will invade urban environments, they certainly aren't urban monsters. Adaptable beasts like manticores and shiboni have evolved to live alongside civilisation. Bahkauv just charge into it every so often to bludgeon the first person they see.
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| Bahkauv by Zuza Gruzlewska |
Being chased by a bahkauv tests the vigour of even the spryest adventurers. These beasts simply do not tire. And despite their obtuse body shape, they've got a real turn of speed on them. Having a wild-eyed bahkauv hoofing after you can be so motivating that Austrovian sports teams use them as training aides.
Bahkauv generally live out in the wild, but they will come into towns and villages in the winter months. When the temperatures drop and the mulled wine flows, potential victims will become less able to defend themselves. More than one person has stumbled out of a tavern only to see a bahkauv screaming towards them.
Although bahkauv will invade urban environments, they certainly aren't urban monsters. Adaptable beasts like manticores and shiboni have evolved to live alongside civilisation. Bahkauv just charge into it every so often to bludgeon the first person they see.
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Bahkauv Facts
Creation Notes
- Bahkauv go: "MOOOOOOOOOO!"
- The bahkauv's natural 'ball and chain' arms are comprised of long muscles that end in exposed bone. They're basically like tongues with knee caps at the end.
- A group of bahkauv are collectively known as a 'mayhem'.
- During calving season, female bahkauv can squirt their milk offensively. Said milk is incredibly acidic and can actually burn through armour.
Creation Notes
Bahkauv are a real-life mythical monster from Aachen, Germany. I learned about these beasts while reading up on the folklore of Germany and the Alps. According to legend, the bahkauv looked like deformed calves with sharp fangs. Weirdly, however, the statues dedicated to the beast din't really look like calves. See for yourself.
This one looks like some sort of half-ape goat-beast?
Unfortunately, the original statue was melted down for the metal in WW2. It was replaced by the one below.
This one looks more like a bald panther of some description?
So what's the deal? Do Germans not know what calves look like? Do calves look like goat-panthers in Germany? Has Wikipedia fed me a load of nonsense? Hard to say.
That Wikipedia article did have some more good info on bahkauv, though - namely that:
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Unfortunately, the original statue was melted down for the metal in WW2. It was replaced by the one below.
This one looks more like a bald panther of some description?
So what's the deal? Do Germans not know what calves look like? Do calves look like goat-panthers in Germany? Has Wikipedia fed me a load of nonsense? Hard to say.
That Wikipedia article did have some more good info on bahkauv, though - namely that:
The Bahkauv is associated with harassing drunk men. In legend, the creature would ambush intoxicated men at night and latch onto their shoulders, forcing them to carry it around before attacking themWhen I read this, I realised bahkauv were very in keeping with some of the other monsters I have, like the urban manticore. They actually ended up being a little bit too similar, which is why I made them more of a rampaging instrument of absurdity.
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