If you are walking along a lonely country road at night and hear an unnerving, loud noise, you know you are in trouble because it is likely to be the Rolling Calf. It looks like a large cow with fire coming from its nostrils and eyes - at least that's what the old folktales told by Jamaican grandparents and parents to their children say.
Renowned for its frightening growl and rattling chains, the Rolling Calf is said to roll around at nights dragging a large chain behind him. The chain makes a loud, clanking noise. The Rolling Calf is always male and is usually seen after an evil, wicked and dishonest butcher dies.
Now, to ward off or escape from the Rolling Calf, you can do a number of things:
1. Drop objects for the Rolling Calf to count;
2. Run quickly to a cross roads or a junction in the road and stick a pen knife in the ground.
3. Beating the Rolling Calf with a tarred whip held in your left hand.
Although mainly known in Jamaica, the Rolling Calf is similar to the May Cow in the Cayman Islands on the island of Cayman Brac. The May Cow only comes out during the month of May.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! The Rolling Calf is coming!