Meaning & Analysis
Regardless of whether the month of May starts with warm or cold weather, it will invariably include a cold spell severe enough to make cows, weakened from the winter, tremble or 'quake' from the cold.
Insights
Inevitability of Hardship
The proverb suggests that certain hardships are an inescapable part of life's cycles. Just as a cold snap is guaranteed to arrive in May, some difficulties are inevitable and must be endured, regardless of timing.
Deceptive Appearances
May represents a period of hope and renewal, yet it contains a hidden threat. This serves as a metaphor for the deceptive nature of promising situations, warning that even in times of apparent progress, one should be prepared for unexpected setbacks.
Vulnerability in Recovery
Cows are most vulnerable to the cold after the scarcity of winter. This symbolizes how individuals or systems are often most susceptible to a final, unexpected challenge just as they are beginning to recover from a prolonged period of difficulty.
Agricultural Realism
Rooted in agrarian life, the proverb reflects the practical anxieties of farmers. A late cold snap in May could be perilous for livestock weakened by winter, stunting the growth of vital spring pastures and threatening the herd's recovery.
Folk Meteorology
This proverb acts as a form of folk meteorology, preserving collective memory of recurring weather patterns like the 'Blackthorn Winter' or 'Ice Saints' days—a predictable cold spell in late spring known across Europe.
Psychological Preparation
By framing the May cold spell as an unavoidable event, the proverb psychologically prepares farmers for a potential setback, fostering resilience by transforming a discouraging surprise into an expected part of the annual cycle.
Linguistic Vividness
The unusual and vivid term 'cowquake' is a memorable folk coinage. Its evocative power captures the physical reality of shivering animals, making the proverb's warning both specific and impactful.
Rhetorical Devices
Parallelism and Repetition
The structure 'Come it early, come it late' uses parallelism and repetition to create a rhythmic and emphatic statement that reinforces the central theme of inevitability.
Neologism
The term 'cowquake' is a striking and memorable neologism (a newly coined word) that vividly captures the image of a shivering animal, making the abstract concept of a cold spell concrete and impactful.
Rhyme
The rhyming couplet in variants like '...late / ...quake' enhances the proverb's musicality and makes it easier to remember, which is a key feature of oral folk wisdom.
Personification
Some versions personify May ('come she early or come she late'), casting the month as an active agent that intentionally brings the cold, adding a layer of folkloric drama to the weather event.
Transcription
Quotations
Lett May come early or come late, Yet it will make the Cow to quake.
May come she early or come she late she'll make the cow to quake.
[As in 1670 Ray]. *May seldom passes without a brunt of cold weather. Some will have it thus, She'll bring the Cow quake. i.e. Gramen tremulum, which is true, but I suppose not the intent of the Proverb.
*A cold Rain oftentimes falls out in May, which makes the Cows, which are then but poor and weak, to tremble.
May come early, come late, 'Twill make the Cow to quake.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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