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Mythical and legendary creatures such as demons, giants, fairies, etc. have always been widely reflected in Persian works, especially ancient texts. The amber cow is one of these mythical beings that has been mentioned in Persian literature; but the important discussion about this creature is the different and sometimes contradictory descriptions that are clearly seen in most sources, including dictionaries and description of commentators. In fact, none of these sources can provide a clear and accurate description of this unknown creature. In most dictionaries, encyclopedias of animals, and words and compositions dictionaries of the poets' works, this sea cow by mistake has been considered as a kind of fish, called (in French) cachalot or Cachalo, and consequently, several commentators have erred in their descriptions of this strange creature. Accordingly, in this research, the authors try to clarify the ambiguities related to the folk tale of this legendary animal by collecting documents from various sources, presenting evidence from the poetry of different poets, discussing each of them, and providing a coherent and definite description of the nature of this mythical animal based on newly discovered points.

Keywords: Amber cow, sea cow, cachalot fish, lavender, gem of night light.

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