Cattle Quote by Rick Bass
““When the longhorns could be gathered up and driven, it was theorized that the heat from the herd's mass attracted lightning. (Such was the radiant heat from a large herd that a cowboy's face would be blistered on whichever side of the herd he'd ridden by the day's end.) Their great horns also seemed to attract electricity, so that lightning and ground-electricity would bounce around from horn to horn throughout the herd - a phantasmagoric burning blue circuitry. The cracking of the cowboy's whips and the twitching of the cattle's tails also emitted sparkling "snakes of fire.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Lightning of the Longhorns,” in *The Great Outdoors*, 2015
The massive, heat‑producing herd is imagined to generate and channel electricity, creating a vivid, mythic image.
In simple terms: A herd’s heat and horns are likened to a living electric circuit.
Key Takeaway
Consider how natural phenomena inspire mythic storytelling.
Themes
nature
myth
energy
imagery
Mood
wonder
reflective
Type
poetic
descriptive
When to use this quote
- storytelling
- environmental writing
- creative nonfiction
Key Concepts
electricity
collective behavior
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this metaphor reveal about human perception of nature?
- How does myth shape our understanding of wildlife?
A Different Perspective
Scientific accuracy may be stretched for effect.
