Magic horses. Magic - horse or horse. Myths, legends, beliefs

a fairy tale about a horse

A fairy tale about a horse. A fairy tale about a horse that celebrated the New Year

In a shady forest on a snowy edge there lived a horse. Her house was small, but it was warm and cozy. In the mornings, the horse ate oats, which were brought to her by her caring owner. The grandmother combed her mane with a magic comb, pampered her with sugar, which the horse loved very much, and spread hay under her feet.

After eating and combing its hair, the horse went out for a walk. It was quiet in the winter forest in the morning. Only sometimes you could hear a bunny digging in the snow, or a squirrel jumping along the branches of trees. The horse loved to frolic in the fresh air.

Her grandmother recently told her that in a few days there will be a holiday that is celebrated by all people and animals. This holiday was called New Year. The Horse heard about it for the first time and was very surprised that it was her year coming - the Year of the Horse. She decided to thoroughly prepare for it: she stocked up on hay and oats, and decorated her house with garlands of dry branches. She liked the New Year's troubles. She loved holidays and wanted to celebrate the holiday with her entire, albeit small, family.

The horse valued home, strong relationships and was faithful to its owner. She knew that on New Year's Eve her grandmother was preparing a gift for her. The horse was languishing in anticipation of the New Year, never ceasing to fuss. While frolicking at the edge of the forest, she kept picking off spruce branches to decorate her house with them.

And now the holiday has arrived. The forest became unusually lively. The family of bunnies congratulated each other, the bunnies gave brothers and sisters fresh carrots, the family of baby squirrels delighted each other with nuts, the bears discovered a new supply of sweet honey, and the grandmother brought a wonderful oatmeal soup to the horse. The horse was delighted with the gift, but even more she appreciated the fact that on this New Year's Eve she and her owner were together. The horse gave grandma a beautiful horseshoe for good luck. The grandmother combed her hair with a comb, while humming a New Year's song, and the horse quietly sang along with her.

This New Year's Eve became one of the best in the horse's life.

A fairy tale about a horse. Magic horses

One day, a little horse that lived with her grandmother in a house near the forest got lost. It happened early morning when she went out into the forest for a walk. The horse itself did not understand how it got into a dense, impenetrable thicket. She wandered for a long time among unfamiliar trees and bushes, afraid of a sudden attack by a hungry wolf.

By evening the horse was very tired. She had no choice but to spend the night in an unfamiliar place. She hid under the branches of a tall blue spruce, which reliably protected her from predators. The horse fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning she woke up from the shrill squeak of a little bunny. The gray bunny tried to wake up the horse and he succeeded. She opened her eyes and looked at him very carefully.

“Hello, horse,” greeted the polite bunny. – How did you end up in our area?

“Hello, baby,” answered the horse, leaving the night shelter. - Unfortunately, I got lost.

“I can help you,” the bunny suggested. – Not far from this place there is a clearing, yes, a real clearing! Of course, I understand that it’s hard to believe, but it begins as suddenly as it ends. It is inhabited by amazing creatures, very similar to you.

Horses? – the horse asked in surprise.

Yes, yes, little horses! – the bunny confirmed. - I can take you to them.

But I don’t live in the forest clearing that you suggest I go to, but on the outskirts of the forest in a small hut with a lonely grandmother,” the horse noted.

Maybe magic horses will help you get back home? - suggested the bunny. – You know, they are very beautiful and kind and know everything, everything, everything in the world!

“Okay,” the horse agreed. She had no choice, and she obediently followed the gray bunny.

After walking a little through the forest, the travelers emerged into a huge clearing, which seemed to have no end or edge. It started so suddenly that the horse even got lost for a moment. She turned her head back, but the forest behind her disappeared, turning into a thin horizon line.

Marvelous! - said the horse.

The bunny nodded politely and ran to the very center of the magical clearing. Suddenly a warlike horse ran out to meet the travelers, with a scarlet tulip on its forehead. He looked sternly at the approaching wanderers, releasing thick steam from his nostrils, stomping his strong legs menacingly.

The horse stopped out of fright, and the bunny squealed loudly:

Hello, residents of the magical meadow! We've come with peace! We really need your help.

The warlike horse approached the travelers:

Foreigners are prohibited from entering our country!

But we need your help,” the horse protested. - Since yesterday morning I have been wandering through the forest and cannot find my way home.

You really don't want to hurt us? – the horse asked menacingly.

Yes, I’m just asking for your help,” the horse confirmed.

Then welcome to our country. “I will take you to the queen,” said the horse.

Following the fairy-tale warrior of the magical clearing, the horse and the bunny arrived at the queen, who was already meeting travelers at the gates of a small palace. On the queen’s forehead there was also a delightful flower – a daisy. She invited the wanderers to her place, fed and watered them, and during the meal asked them in detail about what had happened.

The horse sadly told about what happened to it the day before. The queen promised to help her. She called her faithful servant Teresa, who agreed to carry out the queen’s order: to escort the horse that had gotten lost in the forest home.

Theresa had a beautiful gerbera attached to her forehead, and her skin color was like the color of the sun. The extraordinary horse led the travelers back into the forest, which began as suddenly as it ended the last time before the horse and the bunny entered the clearing.

After some time, the horse already saw its home. She was so happy about this! Teresa led her through the impenetrable forest as quickly as if she knew every tree and blade of grass. The horse thanked the fairy horse with all her heart and ran home, where her owner was waiting for her.

Goldellii
They are not as rare as Rainbow Unicorns or Angs. Once upon a time there were a lot of them, they were found in France, Scotland, almost the entire continent, even in Britain. But they were almost exterminated by greedy people... And their numbers are growing at a very low speed...
These animals look white, very rarely sand or yellow. Their horn is silver, white or gold in color. Their main difference from other species is the golden mane and tail (thin long hairs reminiscent of lurix or gimp, for embroidery). The height of these Unicorns is approximately equal to the height of the Indian Unicorn.
Goldelias are the most capricious of all types of Unicorns. Their small numbers can be explained precisely by this capriciousness and selectivity........ They extremely rarely interbreed with individuals of other species. They are very careful when composing married couples. They form pairs at the age of 5-7 years. And they have offspring only when they like some place for refuge. Only one foal is born to a female Goldelia. What is interesting is that his mane at birth and in the first week is silver in color, and then it acquires a golden color...... The foal becomes independent at 3 years old. Goldelias are very proud, and before getting the next one they prefer to rest for 2-3 years... One fact should be noted - Black Goldelias do not exist. They are examples of purity, kindness and truthfulness, and these qualities somehow do not fit with the concept of the “Black Unicorn”.
Both magicians and Muggles know about these creatures. Magicians use all the magical ingredients obtained the right way, for their intended purpose.... But the Muggles, most often, having heard enough legends about the Unicorn bestowing riches, chase him in order to force him to pay off death... But, not having received what they wanted from Goldelia, they prefer to kill them only for their gold hair that is then sold...
Properties;
These creatures have the gift of "truth-seeing". Their horn, like the horn of other unicorns, can disinfect water, neutralize poisons (but not all! Such as cyanide, for example, it cannot completely neutralize. A person dies from this poison, passed through the horn of Goldenmane, only after a month and without pain, he simply falls asleep and does not wake up. A large dose of arsenic causes week-long paralysis, followed by a quick and complete recovery). Therefore, it was not Goldelius’s horn that was considered their main wealth (in terms of poisons, one could not rely on it 100%), his hair was valued more than the horn.

Using hair from mane and tail obtained the right way:
1. Used for embroidering patterns on dresses, camisoles, cloaks, and all kinds of nobility. The difference from ordinary gold threads was that a person who puts on such an outfit becomes terribly attractive and attractive (and it doesn’t matter whether he is handsome or ugly in appearance.).
2. Numerous strands were woven from golden hair, which were used for various purposes.
a) Young witches wove a ribbon from them around their heads so that a ring or gap was formed on the forehead, a symbol of the “third eye.” They knew that these Unicorns were "Truth Seers".
b) Forest Witches used them as ties for the robes of raincoats. Tied around the neck, they served as a symbol of protection and played the role of a talisman against evil creatures and dark forces.
c) Muggles used these ropes as ties for wallets and no one could steal such wallets.
d) “Sword of Justice” - A rope of Goldenmane’s hair was braided around the handle. And such a sword could never rise against an innocent person; it became too heavy to lift.
3. Pegasus feather braided with golden hair. - Allowed you to write beautiful, truthful stories with a beautiful handwriting (Pegasus feather - inspiration and handwriting, golden hair - truthfulness). This thing will serve only one person, its owner.

Sagari
Another spirit born from a precise turn of events, and strange even by Youkai standards. Sagari is the ghost of a horse that died below the tree and is now connected to it. Appearing as the head of a free horse, she hangs from the branches using her movable mane or single humanoid arm, depending on the story. Soft-hearted people have the power to release this creature, but not all Sagari are interested in leaving their place, they prefer the comfort of their tree to what awaits the horses in the afterlife. Although they are creepy, they are not known to attack people.

Hippocerus
Hippocervus is a heraldic fantasy animal. Hippocervus is translated from Latin as horse-deer, which accurately describes the appearance and character of the animal. The horse and deer natures in him constantly fight among themselves, making this animal extremely indecisive and absent-minded. He personifies a cowardly and cowardly man who set foot on an unknown path and soon succumbed to despair, feeling lost on it.

Karkadann
Karkadann (meaning "lord of the desert" in Farsi) is a mythical creature mentioned in medieval Arabic and Persian literature. Represented a ferocious unicorn, found in North Africa, Persia and India. Apparently, we are talking about a rhinoceros or a similar species of extinct animal (Elasmotherium), moreover, in modern Arabic and Persian languages this word refers to a rhinoceros. Sometimes depicted with a human head impaled on a horn.
Karkadanna is often depicted as a horse, deer or rhinoceros. He is about the size of a rhinoceros, has a lion's tail (and sometimes a head), has three hooves on each leg, one in front and two in back (i.e., like a primitive horse), and a yellow mane. It also has a straight black horn (there are also drawings with a horn curved back). In the presence of poison, trembles and sweats.
Karkadann is extremely ferocious. When he runs, the ground shakes. Rarely can a warrior come close to him, let alone defeat him. He can attack and kill an elephant. Karkadann leaves quite deep marks. His voice is low and loud. When he roars, the sound travels over long distances, and all the animals run away in horror. Only a ring-tailed dove can tame his furious temper. Having seen a bird, Karkadann will lie quietly for several hours, waiting for the dove to sit on his horn. When the dove sings, Karkadann is blissful. Karkadann also likes to drink morning dew. In the morning, placing his head with a horn in the water, he not only drinks, but also purifies the water. All evil within the stream dies, and all female creatures become pregnant.

Shadhavar
Shadhawar is another Persian unicorn that resembles a gazelle with one hollow horn. When the wind passes through the horn, wonderful music sounds, like from a flute. It attracts both animals and people. When an animal enchanted by music approaches him, Shadhavar uses this opportunity to hunt. There are many parallels between the Shadhavars and the Sirens from Greek mythology.

Radish horse
“A horse - a radish - is a very curious creature that spends most of its life underground like an unremarkable vegetable. But if someone happens to dig it up, he will experience an extraordinary sight. The appearance of the “radish” is strikingly reminiscent of an embryo foal or calf . Many of these "seedlings" fall prey to the immense appetite of rabbits, cows and other livestock. There is an opinion that these creatures, being neither plant nor beast, live less than a year. By the last new moon of summer (and by this time they have fully reached maturity ) radish horses independently uproot themselves from the ground and begin to trample the fields. "Ripe" individuals reach the size of a rabbit and no longer need food. Within one night, they successfully sow a new crop of radish horses. Unfortunately, in last years a decline in the population of these amazing creatures has been noticed" unknown naturalist, 1852.

Knightmare is a mythical unicorn with a flaming fire instead of a mane. The Knightmare's fur is black with a bluish tint, its eyes are yellow or orange, without pupils. They are afraid of sunlight. They live in forests and near mountain meadows. The hooves of these unicorns are charged with a lot of negative energy. The blood of Knightmares is used by black magicians to prepare powerful poisons. These creatures are dangerous to approach, they are capable of breathing fire and tearing flesh with a single bite. Even a self-rescuer cannot save you from Knightmares. At the site of the death of the knightmare, a plant with dark poisonous berries grows. Untamed knightmares serve only their own thirst and anger. Unlike normal horses, Knightmares are intelligent and use the horse form only to deceive others. These black unicorns know your worst fears, and if you fall asleep in a place where they are found, they will appear in your dreams in the form of your fear.

Leber is a horse with swan wings. Lebers usually live in small herds, and most often fly to the coast of Loch Ness. Leber is distinguished not only by his specific swan appearance, but also by the so-called swan loyalty... This horse will be with you until your death, and will never betray you.

Continued under the cut. A lot of!

Kirin is a Japanese unicorn, a mythical creature that personified the desire for a bountiful harvest and personal security. It is said that he is a fierce follower of justice and law, and that he sometimes appeared in court, killed the guilty and saved the innocent. Kirin is the most important animal deity. The Japanese Kirin, unlike the Chinese Qilin, acquired much more “aggressive” features. So, for example, the ability to demand sacrifice for the bestowal of strength began to be attributed to him.
The Japanese kirin has many descriptions, but is most often depicted as having a scaly body reminiscent of a sika deer, a single horn, and a bushy tail. His body is often enveloped in flames, and the creature can breathe fire. According to mythology, he came out of the He Tu River, and on his back was a numerological diagram, which was called “He Tu”. This amazing animal does not step on plants and does not eat animal food. It is believed that Kirin is a messenger of favorable events, a symbol of prosperity and good luck. This celestial being lives for two thousand years, and can be seen only once every millennium, at the beginning of a new era - as they say, he appears at the birth of a great leader. Supposedly, Confucius's mother met Kirin before the birth of her child.
If the name is literally translated, “ki” and “rin” mean the male and female principles of the animal, and connect it with the yin-yang philosophy. In modern Japanese, "kirin" translates to "giraffe".

Thestral - Skeletal horses of enormous size. They can only be seen by those who have seen death. Thestrals are attracted to the smell of meat and blood. They are flying creatures. They are well oriented in space. But both Thestrals and Nightmares have a special dark beauty and require a very respectful attitude. Most likely the word "thestral" comes from English word"thester" - darkness, gloom, dark. This word is rare and is not found in all dictionaries. But there is another curious fact that proves the linguistic relationship of thestrals with the Nightmares of Greek myths. The most famous Nightmares are those four individuals who were harnessed to the chariot of the Greek god of war, Ares. And Ares had two sons - Deimos (horror) and Phobos (fear). So, Phobos in Latin is “thestius”.

Amister A type of magical horse. Amisters are one of the most unusual mystical creatures. Despite their terrifying appearance, Amistras are kind and loyal companions, although it is not so easy to tame them, much less find them; they are found very rarely and, as a rule, in the most unexpected places. Amisters are immortal animals, it is impossible to kill them, since they, in fact, do not represent completely living matter, they are, as it were, woven from magic, fire and night. Graceful, black as night itself, Amistras are deadly in battle, incredibly fast, and their loyalty is legendary. The black skin of these magical horses shimmers with all shades of black and crimson, the tail and mane seem to be woven from tongues of magical flame, which does not burn only those whom the horse trusts. Amister's eyes burn with hellish fire, their breath is scorching, their hooves are hot to the limit, and stones melt under their steps. Many have tried to find Amisters, but so far not a single mortal has succeeded, although there are often rumors that they have sometimes seen a fiery horse in the night and heard its heartbreaking roar.

Tersan. No one knows for sure about their origin, but there is a legend. One day Neptune fell in love with a beautiful mermaid. There was nothing more beautiful than her in the world. They saw each other every day, but one day the mermaid did not appear. Neptune became worried. His servant sailed and notified Neptune that his beloved had been caught by evil people and wanted to show her around the world, but they had taken her to the other side of the world. Then Neptune called upon the powers of the oceans and seas and created a hundred Tersans. Faster than the speed of the wind, he rushed to the mermaid, but found that she was dead. The mermaid resisted, and the people killed her. Neptune grieved for a long time and ordered the Tersans to go ashore every night and leave bloody footprints in memory of the mermaid. They live exclusively in water, but at night they come ashore for just a couple of minutes and beat blood out of the sand or stones with their hooves. Nobody knows where they get the scarlet blood from. And why they come ashore at all also remains a mystery, because their environment is water and they feed, live and reproduce in water. Their bodies are made of their water. They are strong like a tsunami, fast like a hurricane and beautiful like the ocean. Their bodies are seething like boiling water. Their eyes are pearls of extraordinary beauty. Their blood is water from the purest waters on earth. When they come ashore, their bodies transform at the speed of the wave, and they become snow-white horses. But this lasts for several minutes.

Sleipnir - in German-Scandinavian mythology, Odin's eight-legged horse on which he travels between worlds. Odin's horse Sleipnir is also a huge ash tree that unites the heavenly, earthly and underworld worlds. So in this case, the image of a horse is associated with the universe as a whole. Sleipnir had gray color, eight legs, could gallop on land and water. Symbolizes the wind blowing from eight main points.

Kelpie. This water demon, native to England and Ireland, can take many forms, although it most often appears as a horse with a mane of reeds. In Scottish lower mythology - a water spirit that lives in many rivers and lakes. Kelpies are mostly hostile to humans. They appear in the form of a horse grazing by the water, offering its back to the traveler. Demons also lure bathing children, and those, amazed by the beauty and docile nature of the horse, trustingly sat on it for a ride. The kelpie immediately rushed into the depths of the reservoir, carrying away its prey. The man’s legs were glued to the sides of the horse, and his hands to the mane, so there was no salvation for the man who sat on Kelpie. They say that Kelpies are able to jump on the surface of the water as if on land.

K'yaard is a very complex and difficult companion, which not every rider is able to cope with. Moreover, k'yaard chooses a rider for himself, as a rule once and for the rest of his life, and remains faithful to him to the end. Forcibly tame and enslave k'yaard is impossible. So what is a k'yaard? This beautiful, albeit frightening, animal is often called “a relative of the snake,” and obviously for good reason - at least many of the features of these creatures clearly do not belong to the horse breed. According to the build of the k'yaard equal to a medium or tall horse, its features are graceful but strong. Bred in places located on islands. Can gallop on the surface of water and through the air. Differs from ordinary ones only in the presence of huge fangs. Vampires usually use them to get out of the island onto the continent.

Herd of Coliostro. Magic horses of the Calyosto live in the taiga, from birth each individual is associated with a wolf, when one dies, another dies after it

Gurria. A variety of magical horses, the most unusual and rare of all known.
Gurria is the rarest creature in all of Avalor. Traditions and legends are written about them, songs and ballads are sung about them.
Few people have seen this mysterious creature, many consider the existence of the Gurria to be a myth, but only the ancients know that this is not the fruit of phantasia, they know that the Gurria still exist today.
Little remains of the description of these magical creatures; it is known that in appearance the Gurrii resemble the Frestals, but are also very different from them.
Gurriyas are majestic, proud creatures, dexterous and graceful, devoted and faithful, kind and at the same time merciless towards their enemies. The color of these horses is completely different but at the same time unusual, the wings are huge and wonderfully reminiscent of the huge wings of the ancient metamorphs who once lived in these lands. According to legend, the Gurria originated from metamorphs who left their lands and took the form of wonderful horses.
Gurriya magic is unique, but not fully studied, and is hidden behind many secrets and mysteries. There have been many hypotheses that the Gurrii have human speech and are able to communicate with each other at a distance using telepathy, but this is just one of many other assumptions and guesses...
During the great battle with dragons, Hurriyas were destroyed in large numbers for their loyalty and mutual assistance to the enemy. Now - they have also gone down in history, like the completely exterminated metamorphs, defeated in the battle for their faith and freedom...

Noggle. In the folklore of the Shetland Islanders there is a water horse. As a rule, the noggle appears on land under the guise of a wonderful bay horse, saddled and bridled. Noggle is not as dangerous as the kelpie, but he never refuses to pull one or the other of his two favorite jokes. If at night he sees work in full swing at the water mill, he grabs the wheel and stops it. You can drive it away by showing a knife or sticking a burning branch out the window. He also likes to pester travelers. As soon as someone sits on it, the noggle rushes into the water. However, apart from swimming, nothing threatens the rider: once in the water, the noggle disappears with a flash of blue flame. To avoid confusing a noggle with a horse, you should look at the tail: the noggle's tail curls over its back.

eh-eshka. In Scottish folklore there are two water horses, gray in color, treacherous and dangerous. Sometimes they turn into beautiful young men or giant birds. Eh-ear in the form of a person can be recognized by the algae in his hair. Introducing itself as a horse, the eh-ear seems to invite you to sit on itself, but whoever dares to do so faces a tragic end: the horses jump into the water and devour their rider, and then the waves throw the victim’s liver ashore. Unlike kelpies, which live in running water, ech-ears live in seas and lakes.

Lame Argamak.
Each pegasus had its own rider, but with the advent of Christianity, all magical animals began to be hunted, including pegasi. Something happened to his rider, so they seized the pegasus, but all attempts to tame him led to nothing, and as a warning to the “fiend of hell,” they cut his wings so that he could not fly without pain, and attached knives to his legs so that he could not gallop without pain. pain, and gouged out his eyes so that he could not see beauty. After all this, he became embittered with the world, and they gave him the name Lame Argamak....
Argamak is the horse of death, which gallops over the earth and cuts the threads of life. And if he throws off the bonds from his muzzle, his voice, or rather howl and groan similar to a neigh, will kill all living things...

Horse Hel.
In the old days, before they began burying the dead in a new cemetery, a live horse was buried there. This horse appears as a ghost and is known as the Horse of Hel. She walks on three legs and foretells death to anyone who sees her. This is where the saying comes from about someone who managed to recover from a dangerous illness: “He gave death oats” (to appease or bribe it).
The horse Hel sometimes appears in the cathedral in Aarus. One man, whose windows overlooked the cemetery at the cathedral, saw her one day from his window. “What kind of horse is that?” “This must be Hel’s horse,” answered the one sitting next to him. “Well, I’ll look at her!” said the man. Looking out the window, he became pale as a corpse, but did not tell anyone what he saw. Soon after, he fell ill and died.

Fasfer.
Fasfer is a demonic horse that became a victim of human cruelty. They caught him and chained him, tightened him very tightly and tied the bridle so that the rusty bit would tear his mouth. They stuck a chain into my back so that it came out of my stomach. After all the torment he endured, he became embittered with people. And he kills everyone who gets in his way. There is a legend that k"yaard is the son of Fasfer.

Myths, legends, beliefs

The horse plays an important role in many mythological and magical systems; it is one of the most mythologized sacred animals, which often acts as an attribute of the highest pagan gods and Christian saints, chthonic creatures, as well as deities associated with the cult of fertility and death, the afterlife. Often the horse was an indispensable attribute of the deities of war, thunder and lightning.

Stories about mythical horses known in ancient Indian, Celtic, Slavic and other mythologies.

In Indo-European mythology, the horse has a special place, explained by its role in the economy and resettlement of the ancient Indo-Europeans. So, for example, in the Indo-European twin myth, the divine twins and the two mythological leaders and ancestors of the tribe associated with them (Anglo-Saxon Hengist and Horsa) were represented in the form of two horses.

Often a horse plays the role of an animal on which one or another deity travels. Common to Indo-European peoples is the image of the sun god on a war chariot drawn by horses. For example, Perun (in Slavic mythology - the god of thunderstorms) was invariably represented as a rider on a horse or chariot, striking Veles the Serpent; the seasonal deities Avsen (in East Slavic mythology - a character associated with the beginning of the spring solar cycle) and Yarila (in Slavic mythology - the deity of spring fertility).

In pagan times, sacred horses were kept at the temples of many high gods, since it was believed that the deities themselves rode them. According to legend, the god Sventovit (in Western Slavic mythology - “god of gods”. The highest god, associated with war and victories) rides out to battle with demons on his white sacred horse, kept at the temple.

One can also recall the image of a horseman in Slavic mythology, for example, an epic hero (who in some cases in later times replaced a deity) slaying the Serpent.

When Christianity came to the Slavic territories, the pagan gods were replaced by Christian saints, and the horse began to be an attribute of many Christian characters. For example, such saints as St. George the Victorious and Elijah the Prophet were represented on horseback. In addition, patron saints of horses appeared in the Christian tradition. One of these patron saints was, first of all, considered the “horsemen” Flor and Laurus, as well as Yegoriy, Nikola and others. The days of remembrance of these saints were often called “horse holidays.”

Among the southern Slavs, St. was considered the patron saint of horses. Fedor (Todor) Tiron; Todor's Saturday (the first Saturday of Lent) was also a “horse holiday.”

On such holidays, they did not work on horses; they were fed to their fill, and various ritual actions were performed with them. For example, they brought people to the church and sprinkled them with holy water, bathed them, decorated their tail and mane with ribbons, organized horse shows and races, etc. In addition, in many places, on horse holidays, herds were driven through “earth gates” or “living fire” in order to protect horses from damage, the evil eye and disease.

Like any sacred animal, the horse often acts as a sacrifice offered to the gods. In Ancient India, for example, there was a ritual of killing a horse (ashvamedha), which was equated to the three parts of the cosmos.

The Romans called the ritual of horse sacrifice Equus October (“October horse”), which took place every year on October 15. The Romans held chariot riding competitions on the Campus Martius. The right horse in the winning team was sacrificed to Mars with a blow from a spear to ensure a bountiful harvest. The head of this horse was cut off and decorated with a bunch of buns. Then the inhabitants of two areas of Rome - the Sacred Way and the Subura - disputed each other's right to possess this head. If the head went to the inhabitants of the Sacred Road, they attached it to the wall of the royal house, but if it went to the inhabitants of Subura, it was attached to the Mamilian Tower. The horse's tail was cut off and delivered to the royal dwelling with such speed that blood still had time to drip onto the royal hearth. Horse blood was collected and stored until April 21. On this day, the virgin Vestals mixed it with the blood of newborn calves sacrificed six days before. The resulting mixture was distributed to shepherds, who used it to preserve their flocks.

The horse occupied an important place among the Slavs in wedding customs. In Russian medieval wedding rites, a horse was given as ransom for the bride. Often, a horse, oddly enough, serves as the personification of the world tree. We find a similar symbol in Scandinavian mythology, where the world tree is called Yggdrasil, which literally means “horse of Ygg,” that is, the horse of the god Odin (in Scandinavian mythology, the supreme god).

Among the Slavs, the horse was considered the brainchild of both Belbog (the element of light) and Chernobog (the element of darkness). At the same time, a white horse was dedicated to the light god, and a black one to the dark one.

The horse is often associated with the cult of fertility, which is reflected in calendar rituals, as well as in the customs of dressing up as a horse on Christmastide and other holidays. So, on St. George’s Day, the Russians made a “horse” (mummered), on which a shepherd rode; On the pasture, this “horse” entered into a funny fight with a “horse” from another village.

You can also find the horse personifying the Spirit of Bread. When the wind bends the ears of corn to the ground, residents of the area between Calw and Stuttgart say: “Yes, there is a horse running.”

In Hertfordshire, at the end of the harvest, a ritual called “calling the mare” was celebrated. The last ears of corn left standing in the field are tied into a bundle nicknamed “mare”. The reapers line up at some distance and throw sickles at him. The one who manages to trim the “mare” receives a reward to the cheers of the other reapers. After this, the reapers loudly shout three times: “I have it,” to which the others respond three times: “What do you have?” - “Mare, mare, mare.” - “Whose is she?” - “So and so.” - “Where will you send her?” - “To such and such.” At the same time, the name of a neighbor who has not yet completed the harvest is called. In this custom, the Bread Spirit, in the form of a mare, moves from the field where the harvest has ended to the field where it is still going on and where, therefore, the Bread Spirit can easily nestle.

In some cases, the horse also acted as the personification of dark forces. During the ritual send-off of mermaids on Ivan Kupala, a carnival effigy was made using a mask - a horse skull, which at the end of the ritual was burned at the stake or thrown into the water. The horse skull embodied evil spirits - a mermaid, a witch, a sorcerer and death, which should be destroyed or expelled.
The “uncleanness” of the horse is also reflected in folk superstitions, such as:
Do not cross the place where the horse was riding - lichen will appear.

If you stand in the place where the horse's head was, your stomach will hurt and calluses will appear on your feet.

If you need to cross the place where the horse was riding, you need to spit on it, otherwise your nose will often bleed.

If you come across a bald horse first, don’t expect success that day.
Subsequently, the image of a horse, personifying evil spirits, began to be associated with the world of the dead, the afterlife, “the other world.” Therefore, horses later played a special role in funeral rites.

In popular beliefs, the horse began to be associated with the afterlife, and was often perceived as a guide to the world of the dead.

In pagan times, the horse was buried (burned) along with its owner. There was also a known custom of burying a fallen horse as a person, leaving an overturned sleigh on the grave.

Practical use

In magical practices, the horse is primarily used to predict the future. And this tradition dates back to ancient times. So, for example, at the temple of the highest god of the Baltic Slavs, Sventovit, they kept a sacred white horse, which during fortune-telling was brought to three rows of copies. If a horse stepped on its left foot, it was considered a bad sign, and if it walked on its right, it was considered a good sign, foretelling good luck and a fruitful year.

In Ancient Rus', horses were blindfolded, sat on it backwards and watched: where it goes, the fortuneteller will marry.

Most often, village sorcerers and witches resorted to horse predictions. Here are some instructions for predictions taken from ancient witchcraft books:

It's good if the horse:

neighs upon returning home;
neighs in the stable;
sneezes frequently and blinks his eyelids.

It's bad luck if the horse:

stands dejectedly and sighs often;
stumbles on the first three miles of the path;
shakes his head and throws it up;
snorts;
snores;
often trips under the rider;
she sneezed until she left her master's land.

To death if the horse:

on the road it will unharness;
sniffs the warrior;
eats food with his eyes closed.

The horse was ascribed great magical significance in wedding ceremonies. It was believed that a horse harnessed to a wedding train protected newlyweds from the evil eye and damage.

The only one an important condition It was impossible to take for this purpose a horse that had ever carried a dead person, otherwise in this case it itself would become an aid for black magicians.

Such attention was paid to the horse during the wedding ritual because there was a belief that a sorcerer or witch would certainly try to jinx or ruin the wedding. For this reason, as many amulets and talismans as possible were used to protect both the young people themselves and the festive fun from evil spirits. Horses also played a significant role here. This animal senses very well the approach of people with unclean thoughts, those who have evil plans. The horses were, in a way, the “guardians” of the wedding. If a sorcerer or witch appeared, they began to laugh loudly and shake their heads.

Also very often in ancient times, especially among the Slavs, a horse was used to protect young people on their wedding night from evil spirits, for which purpose it was tied somewhere near the house. It was believed that when evil spirits approached, the horse would neigh loudly and thereby scare away unwanted guests from the palace of love.

Also, on the first wedding night, the horse served to lure energy into the house, promoting fertility and offspring. This was done so that the children of the newlyweds would grow up healthy, smart and rich.

For these purposes, it was considered the most effective to use not just a horse, but a stallion and a horse. It was believed that such a combination serves as the most reliable means of protection against any unwanted encroachment on newlyweds by black magicians, sorcerers and witches.

Some witchcraft schools claimed that if the stallion was black and the horse was white, then such a couple would not only protect the young on their wedding night, but would also bring them good luck in the future, and their children conceived on this day would subsequently be healthy and healthy. rich.

For magical protection of a house, most often it was not the horse itself that was used, but its image. Among the Slavs, the roof of the house was almost always crowned with the image of two “skates”, which protected the house from the penetration of negative energy and negative vibrations.

Sorcerers and magicians of ancient times of all cultures paid Special attention how to treat a horse, since the magical properties of a horse directly depended on how it treated its owner and how correct, from the point of view of magic, its care was.

The fact is that the horse itself serves as a kind of amulet and protective talisman that protects its owner from troubles and misfortunes, from encroachment on him by sorcerers and witches, from casting various evil eyes and damage on him.

In many folk songs and fairy tales we find a motive of gratitude to the horse for carrying its owner out of the den of evil spirits or saving him from persecution by various evil spirits. All this reflects the popular perception of horses as magical guard animals. Therefore, it would be useful to give here some tips on caring for a horse in terms of magic.

This information is taken from ethnographic studies, magical treatises on modern and ancient magic, as well as from “Grimoires” (witchcraft books of the Middle Ages).

It is necessary that the mare during mating be in a position with her head to the south, otherwise the born stallion or mare will be weak and frail.

The horse should be harnessed to the plow for the first time on the very day on which it was born, otherwise the devils might steal it or the brownie might dislike it.

If you drive a purchased horse along with your horses until you sweat and let the sweaty one go to the hay, then it will not go to the old owner, but will forever remain with the new one.

Cats, especially black cats, should not be allowed into the stable - the horses will start to get sick.

If a dead horse is taken out through the gate head first, the remaining horses may die. It must be carried forward feet first.

When a horse foals, you cannot give anything to anyone.

To prevent a purchased horse from leaving the yard, you should cut off a tuft of hair from its mane and bury it in the ground at the gate.

If a dead person was transported on a horse, then it begins to feel sad. To fix this, we need to let someone drive it to church.

When they buy a horse at the market, they take a piece of earth from under the right hoof of the horse’s front leg and then, after bringing it home, they throw that earth into the yard in order to “dry” the purchased horse to their home and so that it does not return to its old owner.

If the horse gets tired on the road, you should run around it three times, and then it will walk easily again.

If a horse in the forest begins to wheeze and move with difficulty, it means that the devil has mounted it. To get rid of an invisible, uninvited rider, you need to stand in front of the horse and look through the collar at its back.

You cannot approach the horse with fear, as well as without calling it by name - it can kill you.
It is good to transport tobacco and wool on a horse - this makes the horse grow healthier.

Summary
The horse is used for:

identifying sorcerers, witches and people with unclean thoughts;
protecting your home from the penetration of negative energy and negative vibrations;
protection of newlyweds from the evil eye and damage at the wedding;
protecting the newlyweds from evil spirits on their first wedding night.

Sacred animals since ancient times, horses are associated with fertility, magic, clairvoyance, omens, sorcerers and pagan deities. Horses-angels, horses-ghosts or demons, horses of the sun, moon, sea, night, as well as centaurs, hippogriffs and unicorns - all of them are embodied in the pages of this book. You will learn about wedding and funeral ceremonies associated with the horse, about the symbolism of the horseshoe, about the gods and saints who patronize horses, about the Trojan horse and Valkyrie horses.

Magic horses

We are all with early childhood are familiar with the wonderful horses that inhabit a certain fairyland, but I am sure that many will be surprised to learn how many different legends are associated with this kind of creatures. Here are the most typical examples; many of them are truly exciting and quite dramatic.

The visible physical world in which we live is penetrated by many invisible worlds, each of which in itself is a perfect complete system, just like the material world, which is the only one conscious of the human beings living in it. There is a lot of evidence of this around us, but, with rare exceptions, it is invisible. The fairyland to which we are about to go in search of magic horses is in many ways surprisingly similar to the world in which we live. The inhabitants of the ghost-land, in which live the earth-bound souls of former mortal creatures, almost always relive again and again some unfortunate event from their past life, or are gripped by a single all-consuming desire that allows them to think only of the ways in which they hope to realize it. And wizards, if, of course, you believe the legends, eat and drink, get married and have children, acquire houses, horses and livestock. To be able to communicate with humans, they can even take on their appearance, so perfect that mortals talk and trade with them, unaware of their true nature. It’s hard to say why, but fairies and elves are passionate about horses, and they prefer to acquire mortal horses for their purposes, although magical horses also exist. It appears that wizards can imbue mortal horses they take possession with qualities they themselves possess, including immortality, or at least comparative immortality.

Among the works of Scottish minstrelsy (Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border) we find the following story about a magic horse and its rider.

“Osbert, a brave and powerful baron, visited a noble family who lived near Wandlebury in the diocese of Ely. Among the stories that were passed from mouth to mouth in the circle of his friends, who were having fun remembering ancient tales and legends, the guest also heard this: if an unaccompanied knight rides out to a nearby plain by moonlight and challenges an opponent to battle, the spirit of a certain person will immediately appear before him knight.

Osbert set out to carry out an experiment and set off, accompanied only by the squire, whom he ordered to remain outside the valley, surrounded by ancient fortifications.

Osbert, who issued the challenge, was immediately attacked by the enemy, who was immediately knocked out of the saddle and grabbed the reins of his horse. At this time, the ghost knight jumped to his feet and threw his spear at Osbert, wounding the latter in the thigh. Osbert returned victorious, leading his horse, which he entrusted to the care of his servants. The horse was black, like all his harness, playful and very beautiful. He stayed with his new owner until the first rooster, and then his eyes sparkled with fire, he hit the ground with his hoof and disappeared.

Taking off his battle vestments, Osbert finally realized that he was wounded and that one of his metal boots was full of blood... After that, until the death of the knight, the wound on his thigh opened on the anniversary of the duel with a ghostly opponent.

Another similar story is given in The Hierarchy of Blessed Angels (Hierarchy of Blessed Angels), but it had a tragic end. One night, when a Bohemian knight was riding on horseback in the company of his friend, a multitude of magical warriors suddenly appeared before the riders. order of battle under flying banners.

The knight, despite the attempts of his comrade to restrain him, rushed forward to fight with the brave warrior who had defeated the strange creatures. The knight and his horse were very quickly thrown to the ground by the enemy. The knight's companion managed to escape, and the next morning, when he returned, he discovered the mutilated bodies of his friend and his horse on the ground.

The ancient Scottish family of Macleans from Lochbury was warned of impending death by the spirit of an ancestor killed in battle. They say that he galloped along the rocky shore, and then circled the family residence three times; at the same time, his magic bridle made a strange sound - this is how he notified of approaching death. Perhaps his faithful stallion carried him into the last battle and, together with his rider, fell on the battlefield, although the magic bridle, mentioned quite definitely, rather connects its owner with the country of the elves. Therefore, we decided to include the story in this category rather than in the ghost section. Probably, the horse and its rider were allowed into the magical land after death.

There are many stories about such admissions even during life. The door between the two worlds is not always closed, although mortal beings who enter it very rarely have the desire to return. For them, time ceases to exist and life becomes a constant joy. Although those who loved in their world cannot completely forget about it, and the death of loved ones often turns out to be such a powerful spell that it calls mortals even from a magical land.

Next story narrated by Dr. Graham.

“One day a young man, walking through the forest, noticed certain subjects dressed in green emerging from one of the round hills, which are usually called magic hills. Each of them successively addressed someone else by name with a request to bring a horse. Soon a saddled horse appeared, they all sat on it and rushed somewhere upward. The young man dared to say the same name and asked to bring his horse, which appeared at that very moment. He mounted and joined the magical riders. The young man stayed with them for a year, attending fairs and weddings. One day the groom sneezed, and the young man, according to custom, said: “The Lord blesses you.” The wizards were angry because he mentioned God out loud. When he committed the same offense for the third time, they threw him off a cliff. The young man remained alive and well and returned to mortal society.”

Here we see an example of the mentioned open door. The story also illustrates the fact that wizards have a preference for horses that have the ability to fly.

Almost two centuries ago, Mount Southerfell in Cumberland was haunted by ghostly horses and their riders. The first human beings to witness this terrible invasion were a shepherd named John Wren of Wilton Hill and his servant Daniel Stricket. On a warm summer evening in 1743, the two, sitting on the porch of their house, suddenly noticed a man with a dog chasing several horses on the steep and slippery slopes of Mount Southerfell. Although horses would hardly have been able to stand on the steep slope, these creatures rushed at an unusually high speed and disappeared at the foot of the mountain. Highly intrigued, Ren and Stricket set out for the mountain the next morning, expecting to find the dead body of their reckless pursuer and crashed horses, or at least traces of them. But they found no signs that a dramatic chase had taken place there the day before. Not wanting to be ridiculed by their neighbors, they for a long time They didn’t tell anyone about what they saw, but when they finally decided, they were actually ridiculed. Nothing more interesting happened until June 23rd (St. John's Day Eve) of the following year. By this time Stricket had changed hands and was now in the employ of Mr. Lancaster of Blake Hill, near Wilton Hill. In the morning he was taking a walk when he accidentally looked towards Southerfell and saw a group of horsemen moving quite quickly along steep slope. Stricket looked at the unusual picture in shock for some time, but still managed to pull himself together and decided to call someone as a witness. Of course, he was afraid of ridicule, but the picture was so real that he still risked asking the owner to go outside, explaining that he wanted to show him something. Mr. Lancaster went out expecting to see the fires which the shepherds used to light on St. John's Eve, but, to his great astonishment, he saw the scene just described. Having made sure that both saw the same thing, the men called the rest of the servants, and everyone was able to observe the unusual phenomenon. Groups of horsemen seemed to emerge from the swampy lowlands and became visible to the inhabitants of a town in a place called Noth. From there they moved in marching formation in a winding line along the mountainside. Once opposite Blake Hill, the riders began to disappear behind the mountain. The penultimate rider from each squad galloped forward, after which he began to maintain the same speed as his comrades. After comparing their observations, the inhabitants of Blake Hill found that they all saw relative changes in position in the same way and at the same time. This phenomenon was observed not only by the witnesses we mentioned, but also by all residents within a mile radius. The procession moved for two and a half hours, counting from the moment when Stricket noticed it, after which the thickening darkness did not allow further observations. Blake Hills was half a mile from the procession.

The incident occurred on June 23 on a mountainside located between Penrith and Keswick. Mr. Lancaster's story was recorded and its truthfulness attested by himself and Daniel Strickett. It is given by Clark in his work on lakes (Survey of the Lakes, 1789).

Mr Clarke suggested that the vision may have been prophetic, foreshadowing the uprising that occurred a year later.

One more similar example can be given. Lord Lindsay described how his friend and companion Mr. William Wardlaw Ramsay, while crossing the Arabian Desert, noticed a large group of horses and riders moving along the dunes. According to accurate information subsequently obtained, there could not have been any horsemen in the vicinity at this time. Mr. Lindsay relates his friend's experience as a striking example of "that sublime state which the imagination naturally assumes in scenes not very agreeable to the ordinary feelings of men," but this gives us no clue. Obviously, he implies that his friend simply imagined the horsemen. He goes on to describe Mr. Ramsay as a man with “excellent, keen eyesight, and not disposed to excessive credulity or prejudice.” To top it off, he adds that he was never able to get rid of the conviction that he clearly, in reality, saw the horsemen. For Arabs, such explanations are completely unnecessary. For those who spend their entire lives in the hot silence of the desert, such fleeting encounters with the inhabitants of another world are quite common. But they are treated without lightness, on the contrary, with reverent fear, and they believe that they foreshadow the death of the one who saw them. By the way, this was confirmed in the described case. A few weeks after meeting the horsemen, Mr. Ramsay died in Damascus.

It is quite possible that the reason that the strange horsemen are those who are close to the last line is not at all because they want to warn of imminent death. Just people who have come to the end of their lives life path, spiritual perception is heightened, and they notice the inhabitants of other worlds - interpenetrating astral regions that are usually invisible.

I cannot say whether the desert horsemen Ramsay saw were wizards or not. They could be the ghosts of people and horses that perished in the vast expanses of sand, or they could belong to some divine country.

There are many legends that the hero of bygone days did not die, but sleeps along with soldiers and horses in some secluded cave, waiting for the country to call him again under its banner and for him to lead regiments into battle.

For example, the Moroccans, abandoned in the mountains of Valencia, expected that their beloved hero al-Fatimi would one day return from his secret refuge in the Sierra de Agar to avenge all evil and destroy the tyrants. It should be noted that in fulfilling the prophecy, he must be riding on green horse This color (special for the inhabitants of a magical land) is the key to the origin of the legend and justifies our attribution of the green horse to magical horses (Malory. Death of Arthur).

On the other hand, I attributed the horse Vishnu to the group of angels, since he clearly has a heavenly origin.

In Cheshire there is a curious and very interesting legend about the adventures in which the possession of a white horse involved a local farmer. According to legend, in the 12th or 13th century there lived a certain farmer in Mobberley who had a beautiful white horse, which he decided to sell at the fair in Macclesfield. On the opening day of the fair, he went there on horseback. It was an early morning. The road led past the heather-covered moorland that lay around Alderley Edge. On the way, he bent down to tidy up the horse's mane, and then he felt that she was getting restless. Raising his head, he was surprised to see a tall, impressive figure, dressed in a monastic robe, who blocked his path with a black wooden staff. The vision made it clear to the farmer that his idea was hopeless, because Providence had intended a much more important mission for his horse. Having ordered the farmer to wait for him (along with his horse) in the same place in the evening, when the sun set, the ghost disappeared.

The farmer doubted the words of the strange monk and decided to continue his journey to the fair. However, all his efforts to sell the horse were in vain. He halved the price, but still no one wanted to buy the horse, although many admired its beauty. Then he decided that he must face the danger and meet the strange monk at the appointed place. Calling on all his courage to help, he went to the heath. The monk turned out to be punctual. Seeing the farmer, he told him to follow him and led him past Golden Stone and Stormy Point straight to Saddle Bowl. When they arrived at the place, horses could be heard neighing, and the sound clearly came from under their feet. The monk waved his black staff, the ground parted, and a heavy iron gate appeared before the gaze of the astonished farmer. The farmer's horse jerked to the side in fear and threw off its rider, who, no less frightened, collapsed at the feet of his ghostly companion and begged for mercy. The monk urged the man to be courageous and enter the cave, where he would see something that no mortal had ever seen. Entering the gate, the farmer found himself in a spacious cave, on both sides of which stood horses that were an exact copy of his horse in color and size. Near them lay soldiers in the armor of long-gone times, and in the rocky recesses there were piles of weapons, as well as gold and silver in ancient coins. The monk took several coins and gave them to the farmer in payment for the horse, and when asked about the meaning of the strange spectacle, he replied as follows:

“These cave-bound warriors are preserved by the good genius of England until that great day when, maddened by internal turmoil, England will be thrice conquered and lost from dawn to dusk. Then we will awaken from our slumber and rise to change the destiny of Britain. This will happen when George, son of George, reigns, when the forests of Delamere rustle over the slain sons of Albion. Then the eagle will drink the blood of the princes from the headless bodies. Now hurry home, because all this will not happen on your time. Cheshire (Chester) will speak up and be heard.”

The farmer left the horse with the monk, and the iron gates closed. And although the farmer often looked for the place of his strange adventure, he never found it.

The sign of a small inn on Monk's Moor near Macclesfield ("Iron Gate") commemorates this event. It depicts a heavy gate opening at the gesture of a robed figure before whom a yeoman kneels. In the background is a beautiful White horse, and in the distance - a view of Alderley Edge.

A very similar legend is told by Walter Scott in Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft.

“Thomas of Ersildown, after retiring, was believed to have gathered forces from time to time to take part in military operations at moments of crisis for the country. The story has often been told of a merchant who sold a black horse to a man of venerable and old-fashioned appearance, who appointed a small hill in the region of the Eildon Hills, called Laken Har, as the place where the seller would receive his money at exactly 12 o'clock at night. He came, received the price of the horse in ancient coins, after which the buyer invited him to inspect his home. The seller, in the deepest amazement, walked past long rows of stalls in which horses stood motionless, and at the feet of each lay an armed warrior. The wizard explained in a whisper that all these people would awaken during the Battle of Sheriffmuir. At the end of this unusual vault, a sword and a horn hung on the wall. The prophet pointed to them as a means to remove the spell. The man, without thinking twice, picked up the horn and blew. And immediately the horses in the stalls began to worry, the warriors stood up, and the clanking of armor was heard. The mortal, frightened by what he had done, dropped the horn. And the voice, spreading around like the voice of a giant, uttered the following words:

May the coward be cursed for what he was able to do, After all, he did not take the sword before he blew the horn.

A gust of wind threw the horse trader out of the cave, the entrance to which, no matter how much he looked for it later, he could never find.”

A similar story is told about an Irish leader. Earl Gerald of Mullaghmast sleeps with his soldiers and horses in a cave located somewhere in the dungeons of the castle. The Count is resting, sitting at the head of a long table that stands in the middle of the room. Fully armed warriors sit on both sides with their heads down on the table. Their saddled horses stand in stalls behind them. Once every seven years the earl and his horse awaken and ride around the Curragh in Kildare. When the horse was first imprisoned in the cave, its silver shoes were half an inch thick. When the seven-year journeys have thinned them to the thickness of a cat's ear, the miller's son, born with six fingers on each hand, will blow the trumpet. The earl, warriors and horses will wake up and go to battle with the English and drive them out of Erin, after which the earl will become king of Ireland and will rule for four decades.

They say that a horse trader one day, when the count was making his next trip, found the cave open and illuminated. He was so shocked by what he saw that he dropped the bridle he was carrying in his hands. The sound of her fall, which seemed surprisingly loud in the huge cave, woke up the warrior sleeping next to him. He raised his head and asked: “What, is it time?” The uninvited visitor guessed to answer: “Not yet, but soon.”

The warrior lowered his head on the table again, and everything became silent, and the horse trader, without wasting time, escaped with his life.

According to an old heroic poem called Ogier le Danois, or "Ogier the Dane", this famous Danish prince enjoyed the fairies' favor all his life. Six fairies brought him gifts when he was still a baby in his cradle. Five of them promised that all earthly joys would belong to him, and the sixth, Morgana, declared that he would never die and would live forever with her in the mystical land of Avalon. The prince's life was full of adventures.

One day, while returning to France after a successful military campaign in the east, his ship crashed on the rocks and all his companions were killed. The prince set off along the shore and came across a magical castle, invisible during the day, but shining brightly with lights at night. Here he was met by the magical horse Papillon, known for his wisdom and magical power. The next day, when the prince was walking through a flowering meadow, Morgana herself appeared to him. She gave him a magic ring that restored his lost youth, and placed a crown of oblivion on his head, which erased the past from his memory. For two hundred years he lived in a magical land with King Arthur, Lancelot, Oberon and Tristan, spending his time in constant entertainment, but the day came when the crown of oblivion fell from his head and the memory of the past returned. The prince immediately wished to leave for France, and his mistress, beautiful horse Papillon soon fulfilled his wish. There he helped defend Paris from the Norman invasion. When the prince completed his mission, Morgana took him back to the island of Avalon, where he will remain with his friends and the magic horse until his country needs him again.

In Serbia they believe that Prince Marko and his horse Sharac sleep in a cave on Mount Urvina. And while they are resting, the prince’s sword slowly rises from the top of the mountain, as if from a sheath. When he becomes fully visible, Marco will once again be in the saddle of Sharac and free his country from its enemies. From time to time he wakes up to look at the sword and see if its time has come. Sharats chews hay in anticipation, but his supplies are already running out, so the momentous hour is about to come.

But even during such a long wait, it seems that Marco and his horse sometimes emerge from their secluded hiding place to help their country. The most striking example of their deeds can be read in the International Physicist Newspapers of May 1913, which contains an article entitled “How a 14th-century Serbian prince won a miraculous victory in the last war.” The author of the article was present at a banquet where General Misic spoke about an incident that occurred just a few days ago. The Serbian infantry was ordered to wait at the foot of Mount Prilip (near which Marko Castle still stands) for the approach of their artillery, which was significantly superior to the Turkish. The troops were specifically warned not to begin the assault on the fort until they received a special order. All morning the infantry calmly waited, when the first cannon shots were heard, the commanders noticed excitement in the troops, then frantic screams were heard, and people ran as fast as they could to Castle Marco. The general heard the captain's voice ordering him to stop, but no one paid attention to him. Other commanders also tried to restrain the soldiers, urging them to exercise reasonable caution and explaining that the fort could not be taken without artillery support. It was all in vain! People fled under enemy fire and fell dead in dozens. The general closed his eyes. He felt his blood run cold. Everything was going badly. A catastrophic defeat and indelible shame awaited him. The approaching Serbian artillery stopped firing so as not to shoot at their own comrades who were fighting with the Turks. A few minutes later, the Serbian flag fluttered from the main tower of Marko Castle. The Turks fled in disarray. The Serbian victory was complete.

When General Misic arrived at the castle, it turned out that the Serbian losses were insignificant. He praised the soldiers for their bravery, but could not help but reproach them for disobeying orders. To this, the general received a chorus response that the soldier was led into the attack by Prince Marko: “What, didn’t you notice him riding on Sharac?”

The general did not doubt the honesty of his soldiers, nor their courage. He released everyone, ordering that everyone be given a double portion of food and wine for a week. Every tenth soldier received a medal for bravery.

Although Marko and Sarac are semi-historical figures and occupy approximately the same position in Serbian history as King Arthur in English history, according to some legends, they had magical origins. They say that Marco is the son of Vila, the fairy princess, and the dragon. Sharats, a wonderful piebald stallion, was a gift to Marco from the same sorceress, who also endowed the horse with magical powers. But according to another legend, Marco bought Sharac as a foal suffering from leprosy, cured him, taught him to drink wine and eventually raised him into a magnificent horse. There is another legend, according to which Marco served the owner for three years for the right to choose a horse from those that grazed in a certain meadow. The selection method he used highlights his magical origins, as he lifted each horse by its tail and spun it over his head. Finally, he approached the piebald foal, which, despite his supernatural strength, he could not even move from his place. There is little doubt that he chose this particular foal. The king's son named the foal Sharac, meaning "piebald", and for the next 160 years they were the closest of friends. It was often said about Marco that he was “a dragon sitting on the back of a dragon.” The prince loved the horse more than his brother, he fed him from his plate and gave him wine from his cup. And Sharats was worthy of his master’s love. The horse was so fast that it could even catch up with a flying sorceress. He struck sparks with his hooves, and blue flames erupted from his nostrils. Under his feet, the ground cracked and stones scattered in all directions. But he treated his owner with such tenderness and attention that Marco could feel completely safe and sleep peacefully in the saddle while the horse made its way along the steep mountain paths. And on the battlefield, Sharats always knew exactly when to kneel down to protect his master from an enemy spear, and when to rear up to hit the enemy’s horse with his front legs. He could trample Turkish soldiers with his hooves and bite off the ears of their horses. In addition, he was able to jump three spear lengths upward and four spear lengths forward.

Residents of Bohemia believe that their national hero, the pious King Wencelius, along with a group of specially selected knights and horses, sleeps in a deep cave under Mount Blanik. Legend has it that their sleep will last until their country, in danger, calls on them for help. There are several legends about how mortals entered the cave and saw sleeping warriors.

According to one of them, a blacksmith was mowing grass in his meadow when a stranger suddenly appeared and asked him to stop his work and follow him. The guide led the blacksmith into the depths of the mountain. There, to his surprise, he saw sleeping warriors. Each of them sat on a horse, leaning forward and burying his head in its neck. The stranger asked the blacksmith to shoe the horses and provided all the necessary tools for this, but warned that the blacksmith must be careful not to touch any sleeping warrior in the process. The blacksmith skillfully completed the work assigned to him, but when he was shoeing the last horse, he accidentally touched the rider, who perked up and asked: “Is it time already?” The stranger, making a sign to the blacksmith to remain silent, calmly replied: “Not yet.” And silence reigned in the cave again.

The blacksmith shod all the horses, received old horseshoes as a reward for their work, and went home. At home, he discovered that he had been absent for a whole year, and the old horseshoes that were in his bag were made of pure gold.

Another legend tells how a servant was leading two horses through Blanik and suddenly heard the horses snorting and the sounds of military music. These were the knights of King Wencelius, returning from military exercises. The horses the man was leading became completely uncontrollable, rushed somewhere deep into the mountain, and he was forced to follow them. When he finally got home, it turned out that ten years had passed, although, according to his calculations, only ten days had passed. The curious deviation of time or loss of sense of time noted in this and the previous case is a common experience of those who have been among wizards, if, of course, their stories can be believed. The transformation of completely useless gifts into gold, which occurred after the return of the person who visited the magical land to mortal life, is also a very characteristic method of wizards, which helped the author decide to place the mentioned legends in this particular chapter.

Grokhman has preserved for us another version of the legend of Mount Blanik. According to it, the knight Stoymir is a hero bewitched by a spell, under the influence of which he will remain until the appointed day of deliverance. The mountain was the site of his last battle, in which both he and his entire squad died. After the end of the battle, when the enemies had retired, the knight's friends came to bury the dead and help the wounded, but did not find a single body. They assumed that the enemy had taken them with him to demand a ransom. When night fell, the people living in the neighborhood were awakened by a strange noise. It seemed as if an army was walking nearby. Coming out of the houses, they saw the killed knights practicing on their horses. Then they took the animals to the river to drink and returned to the depths of the mountain.

The shepherd who told this story also claimed that he himself penetrated the mountain and saw the knight and his warriors sleeping.

Valkyries are strikingly beautiful girls from Scandinavian mythology who ride equally beautiful and amazingly fast-footed white horses. Their mission is to select the bravest warriors killed in battle to be transported to Valhalla, where the great Odin rules and where the heroes meet again at a merry festival, during which Odin’s girls pour sweet honey into their cups.

J. C. Dollman portrayed for us fantastic horses and their lovely riders in the painting "Ride of the Valkyries", in which they are represented flying through a stormy sky. No less expressive is the painting by K. Dilits “The Chosen Slain,” depicting one of the Valkyries on a magnificent horse, rising into the sky with the body of a slain warrior thrown over the pommel of the saddle. Thus, part of the dead were chosen by the Valkyries and transported on their horses across the rainbow bridge - Bifrost (Billröst) - to Valhalla. There they were met by Odin's sons Hermod and Bragi and escorted to the foot of their father's throne. According to some sources, there were nine Valkyries, others call different numbers- from three to sixteen. Their mission concerned not only those killed in battle on land, but also those killed at sea, and they often flew over the waves and snatched dying Vikings from sinking ships. Sometimes they stood on the shore and beckoned them to come to them. It was an unmistakable sign that the approaching battle would be the last for those who saw them, and great was the joy of the latter.

Mrs. Hemans described the scene very beautifully.

They moved slowly towards the seashore;

As they approached, it became clear

That each one sits on a high light horse

With a fluttering lush mane.

They beckoned with pale hands

From the dark rocky shore,

Showing a glimmering spear.

And then peace of mind descended upon him

And he looked at the unearthly inhabitants without fear,

After all, he knew well that the daughters of Valhalla

They choose the dead.

Song of the Valkyrie

Valkyrie horses were considered the personification of clouds. It was claimed that as they flew through the air, dew and drizzle fell from their flowing manes. For this they were very highly valued, since it was this magical feature that directly influenced the fertility of the earth. Their riders were revered as deities of the air and were called norns, or goddesses of fate. They often visited the earth in the guise of swans. Forever young and very beautiful maidens had flowing golden hair and hands of extraordinary whiteness. When visiting the battlefields, they wore blood-red armor and helmets made of gold or silver.

Matthew Arnold describes their actions this way:

Across the battlefield, where warriors fell one after another,

Their horses galloped, drowning their hooves in blood.

They took the bravest warriors from death,

Which they took with them at night better world,

To please the gods and feast in Odin's hall.

Wagner did not take into account the generally accepted idea that Valkyrie horses are always white, and refers to gray and bay colors. “My gray will happily graze next to your bay,” one of the girls in his opera “Die Walküre” says to her sister.