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 also an indispensable attribute of the deities of war, thunder and lightning.

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

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

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

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

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

When Christianity came to the Slavic territories, the pagan gods were replaced by Christian saints, and the horse became an attribute of many Christian characters. For example, such saints as St. George the Victorious and Elijah the Prophet were represented as equestrian. In addition, the patron saints of horses appeared in the Christian tradition. One of these patrons of the saints, in the first place, were considered "horsemen" Flor and Laurus, as well as Yegoriy, Nikola and others. The days of memory of these saints were often called "horse holidays".

Among the southern Slavs, St. Fedor (Todor) Tyrone; Todorov Saturday (the first Saturday of Great Lent) was also a "horse holiday".

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

Like any sacred animal, the horse often acts as a sacrifice 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 horse sacrifice rite Equus October ("October horse"), which was performed every year on October 15. The Romans organized chariot-riding competitions on the Champ de Mars. The right horse in the victorious team was sacrificed to Mars with a blow of a spear to ensure a bountiful harvest. The head of this horse was cut off and decorated with a bunch of rolls. Then the inhabitants of two districts of Rome - the Sacred Road and Subura - challenged each other for the 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 Mamiliya 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 21st. On this day, virgin vestals mixed it with the blood of newborn calves sacrificed six days before. The resulting mixture was distributed to the shepherds, who used it to preserve their flocks.

The horse played an important role among the Slavs in wedding customs. In the Russian medieval wedding ceremony, the horse was given as a ransom for the bride. Often the horse, oddly enough, is the personification of the world tree. We meet a similar symbol in Scandinavian mythology, where the world tree is called Yggdrasil, which literally means "Igga's horse", 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 a light god, and a black horse to a dark one.

The horse is often associated with the cult of fertility, which is reflected in calendar rites, as well as in the customs of dressing up a horse on Christmastide and other holidays. So, on St. George's Day, the Russians made a "horse" (mummer), on which a shepherd rode; on the pasture this "horse" entered into a funny battle with a "horse" from another village.

You can also find the personification of the Spirit of Bread by a horse. When the wind bends the ears to the ground, the inhabitants of the area between Kalw and Stuttgart say: "Yes, there is a horse running."

In Hertfordshire, at the end of the harvest, a ritual called "summoning the mare" was performed. The last ears left in the field on the vine are tied into a bundle, nicknamed "mare". Reapers line up at some distance and throw sickles at him. The one who succeeds in cutting the "mare" receives a reward, accompanied by the cheers of the other reapers. After that, the reapers loudly shout out three times: "I have it," to which the others answer three times: "What have you got?" - "Mare, mare, mare." - "Whose is she?" - "So and so." - "Where are you going to 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 is over, to the field where it is still going and where, therefore, the Spirit of Bread can easily nestle.

In some cases, the horse also acted as the personification of dark forces. During the ritual wires of mermaids to Ivan Kupala, a carnival stuffed animal was made using a mask - a horse's skull, which at the end of the ceremony 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 have been destroyed or expelled.
The "impurity" of the horse is reflected in folk signs, such as:
Do not cross the place where the horse rode - lichens will appear.

If you stand in the place where the head of a rolling horse was, then the stomach will hurt and calluses will appear on the legs.

If you need to cross the place where the horse was rolling, you need to spit on it, otherwise blood will often come from the nose.

If a bald horse comes across first, don't expect success on that day.
In the future, the image of a horse, personifying evil spirits, began to be associated with the world of the dead, the afterlife, “that light”. Therefore, in the future, horses played a special role in funeral rites.

The horse in popular beliefs 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) together with the owner. The custom of burying a fallen horse as a person was also known, leaving an overturned sleigh on the grave.

Practical use

In magical practices, the horse is primarily used to predict the future. And this tradition goes 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 spears. If the horse stepped with the left foot, then this was considered a bad sign, and if with the right - good, portending good luck and a fruitful year.

In ancient Russia, horses would be blindfolded, sat on her backwards and looked: where she would go, there the fortuneteller would marry.

Most often, village sorcerers and witches resorted to predictions about horses. Here are some guidelines for divination taken from ancient witchcraft books:

Good if the horse:

1. will laugh upon returning home;
2. neighs in the stable;
3. sneezes and blinks frequently for centuries.

Unfortunately, if the horse:

1. stands dejectedly and sighs often;
2. stumbles on the first three versts of the path;
3. shakes his head and throws it up;
4. snorts;
5. snoring;
6. often stumbles under the rider;
7. sneezed until she left the land of the owner.

To death if the horse:

1. unharness on the road;
2. the warrior sniffs;
3. eats food with his eyes closed.

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

The only important condition was not to take for this purpose a horse that had ever taken a dead person away, otherwise in this case it itself became a help 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 themselves and the festive fun from evil spirits. Horses also played a significant role here. This animal very well senses the approach of people with unclean thoughts, those who have planned unkind things. Horses were, in a way, the "watchmen" of the wedding. In the event of the appearance of a sorcerer or a witch, they began to laugh loudly and shake their heads.

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

Also on the wedding night, the horse also served to lure energy into the house, conducive to 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 argued that if the stallion is black and the horse is white, then such a couple will not only protect the young on their wedding night, but also bring them good luck in the future, and their children, conceived on that day, will subsequently be healthy and rich.

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

Sorcerers and magicians of antiquity of all cultures paid special attention to how to handle a horse, since the magical properties of a horse directly depended on how it relates to the owner and how correct, from the point of view of magic, care was taken.

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

In many folk songs and fairy tales, we find the motive of gratitude to the horse for taking his master out of the den of evil spirits or saving him from the persecution of various evil spirits. All this reflects the popular perception of horses as magical protective animals. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to give here some tips for caring for a horse in terms of magic.

This information is taken from ethnographic research, magical tracts on modern and ancient magic, as well as from the "Grimoires" (witchcraft books of the Middle Ages).

It is necessary that the mare during mating was 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 for the first time to the plow on the very day it was born, otherwise the devils may steal it or the brownie will dislike it.

If you drive a purchased horse along with your horses to sweat and let it 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 be killed. It must be taken out with your feet first.

When a horse is foaled, you cannot give anything to anyone.

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

If a dead person was taken on a horse, then she begins to yearn. To fix this, you have to give someone a ride on it to church.

When they buy a horse at the market, they take a piece of soil from under the right hoof of the horse's front leg and then, bringing it home, throw that soil 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 go easily again.

If a horse in the forest begins to wheeze and carry with difficulty, it means that the goblin has sat down on it. To get rid of the invisible, uninvited rider, you need to stand in front of the horse and look through the yoke at its back.

With fear, as well as without calling out by name, you cannot approach the horse - it can kill.
It is good to carry tobacco and wool on a horse - this makes the horse feel good.

Summary
The horse is used for:

• identifying sorcerers, witches and people with impure thoughts;
• protecting the house from the penetration of negative energy and negative vibration into it;
• protection at the wedding of newlyweds from the evil eye and damage;
• protecting the young from evil spirits on their wedding night.

Nightmar is a mythical unicorn with a blazing fire instead of a mane. Nightmar's coat is black with a bluish tint, yellow or orange eyes, without pupils. 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 nightmares is used by black magicians to prepare the strongest poisons. These creatures are dangerous to approach, they are able to breathe fire and tear apart flesh with one bite. Even a self-rescuer won't save you from nightmares. At the place of death of the nightmar, a plant grows with dark poisonous berries. The untamed nightmars serve only their own lust and anger. Unlike normal horses, nightmares are intelligent and only use horse form to deceive others. These black unicorns are aware of your worst fears, and if you fall asleep in the 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 shores of Lake Lochness. Leber is distinguished not only by a specific swan appearance, but also by the so-called swan loyalty ... This horse will be with you until his death, and will never betray.

Continuation under the cut. Lot!

The Kirin is a Japanese unicorn, a mythical creature who personified the desire for a bountiful harvest and personal safety. 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. The Kirin is the most important animal deity. The Japanese Kirin, in contrast to the Chinese Qilin, has acquired many more "aggressive" features. So, for example, the property was attributed to him to demand a sacrifice for the gift of power.
The Japanese Kirin has many descriptions, but most often it is depicted with a scaly body, reminiscent of the body of a sika deer, with one horn and a lush tail. Its body was often enveloped in flames, in addition, the creature can breathe fire. According to mythology, he came out of the He Tu river, and a numerological diagram was depicted on his back, which was named "He Tu". This amazing animal does not step on plants or eat animal food. It is believed that the Kirin is a messenger of auspicious events, a symbol of prosperity and good luck. This heavenly being lives for two thousand years, and you can see him only once in a millennium, at the beginning of a new era - as they say, he appears at the birth of a great leader. Presumably, Confucius's mother met Kirin before the birth of the child.
If you literally translate the name, "ki" and "rin" mean the masculine and feminine principles of the animal, and associate it with the yin-yang philosophy. In modern Japanese, "kirin" is translated as "giraffe".

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

Amister. A kind of magical horses. Amistra are one of the most unusual mystical creatures. Despite their frightening appearance, Amistra are kind and loyal companions, although it is not so easy to tame them, and even more so to find them, they are very rare and, as a rule, in the most unexpected places. Amistras 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 the night itself, the Amistras are deadly dangerous 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. Amistra's eyes burn with a hellish flame, their breath is scorching, hooves are red-hot to the limit, and stones melt under their steps. Many tried to find Amistrov, but so far not a single mortal has succeeded, although there are often rumors that sometimes they saw a fiery horse in the night and heard its heartbreaking roar.

Tersan. Nobody knows for sure about their origin, but there is a legend. One day Neptune fell in love with a beautiful mermaid. More beautiful than her in the world was not. They saw each other every day, but one day the mermaid did not appear. Neptune became agitated. His servant sailed and informed Neptune that evil people had caught his beloved and wanted to show her around the world, but they took her to the other end of the world. Then Neptune summoned the forces 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 only go ashore for a couple of minutes and beat blood from the sand or stones with their hooves. Nobody knows where they get the scarlet blood from. And why they come ashore at all remains a mystery, because their environment is water and they feed, live and breed in water. Their bodies are made of water. They are as strong as a tsunami, as fast as a hurricane, and as beautiful as an ocean. Their bodies boil 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 are transformed at the speed of a wave, and they become snow-white horses. But this takes a few minutes.

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

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

K "yaard is a very complex and difficult companion, which not every rider can handle. Moreover, k'yaard chooses a rider for himself, as a rule, once and for all his life, and remains faithful to him to the end. Violently tame and enslave. So what exactly is a k'yaard? This beautiful, albeit frightening animal is often called the "relative of the snake", and obviously for a reason - at least many of the features of these creatures clearly belong not to the horse breed. Equal to a medium to tall horse, graceful but strong in features Bred on island locations Can bounce on water and in the air They differ from ordinary ones only in the presence of huge fangs. Vampires usually use them to get from island to continent.

Koliostro herd. Magic horses of Kaliosto, live in the taiga, from birth each individual is associated with a wolf, when one dies, the other dies after him

Gurria. A variety of magical horses, the most unusual and rare of all known.
The Gurriya is the rarest creature in all of Avalor. Legends and legends are composed about them, songs and ballads are sung about them.
Few have seen this mysterious creature, many consider the existence of the Gurriyas a myth, but only the ancients know that this is not the fruit of fontasia, they know that the Gurriyas exist to this day.
From the description of these magical creatures, not much remains, it is known that outwardly the Gurrians resemble the Frestals, but they are also very different from them.
Gurriy are majestic, proud creatures, dexterous and graceful, loyal and loyal, kind and at the same time ruthless to enemies. The color of these horses is completely different but at the same time unusual, the wings are huge and wonderfully resemble the huge wings of the ancient, who once lived in these lands, metomorphs. According to legend, the Gurrians came from the metomorphs who left their lands and took the form of wonderful horses.
The magic of Gurriy is unique, but not fully studied, and is hidden behind many secrets and mysteries. There have been many hypotheses that the Gurriy 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 the dragons, Gurriy was destroyed in multitudes for loyalty and mutual assistance to the enemy, Now - they just went down in history, like the completely exterminated metamorphs, defeated in the battle for their faith and freedom ...

Noggle. In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands, the 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 throw one or the other of his two favorite jokes. If at night he sees that work is in full swing at the water mill, then he grabs the wheel and stops. You can drive it away by showing a knife or sticking a burning branch out the window. He also loves to pester travelers. As soon as someone lands on it, the noggl is thrown into the water. However, except for swimming, nothing threatens the rider: once in the water, the noggl disappears with a flash of blue flame. In order not to confuse a noggle with a horse, one should look at the tail: at the noggle, the tail is bent over the back.

eh-eschka. In Scottish folklore, there are two water horses, gray in color, treacherous and dangerous. Sometimes they turn into beautiful youths or giant birds. Eh-ear in human form can be recognized by the algae in the hair. Pretending to be a horse, the eh-ushka as if invites to sit on itself, but the one who dares to do so will face a tragic end: horses jump into the water and devour their rider, and then the waves throw the victim's liver onto the shore. Unlike kelpies, which live in running water, eh-ears live in the seas and lakes.

Lame Argamak.
Each pegasus had its own rider, but with the advent of Christianity, they began to hunt all magical animals, including pegasus. Something happened to his rider, so they seized the pegasus, but all attempts to tame him did not lead to anything, and for the edification of the "fiend of hell" they cut their wings so that they could not fly without pain, they attached knives to their feet so that they could not ride without pain, and gouged out his eyes so that he could not see the beauty. After all this, he became embittered with the world, and gave him the name Lame Argamak ...
Argamak is a horse of death that gallops over the ground and cuts the threads of life. And if he throws off the fetters from the muzzle - his voice, or rather a howl and groan similar to a neighing will kill all living things ...

Horse Hel.
In the old days, before they began to bury the dead in a new cemetery, a live horse was buried there. This horse appears as a ghost and is known as the Hel Horse. She walks on three legs and portends death to those who see her. Hence comes the saying about who managed to recover from a dangerous illness: "He gave death oats" (to appease or bribe her).
The horse Hel sometimes appears in the cathedral in Aarus. One man, whose windows overlooked the cathedral cemetery, saw her once from his window. "What kind of horse is that?" "It must be Hel's horse," replied the one sitting next to him. “Well, then I'll look at her!” The man said. Looking out the window, he turned as pale as a corpse, but did not tell anyone what he saw. Shortly thereafter, he fell ill and died.

Fasfer.
Fasfer is a demonic horse that has become a victim of human cruelty. They caught him and chained him up, tied him very tightly and tied a bridle so that the rusty bit would tear his mouth apart. They stuck a chain in the back so that it would come out of the abdomen. After all the suffering he had endured, he became angry with people. And kills everyone who meets on his way. There is a legend that "yard is the son of Fasfer.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived an old man with an old woman, and during their entire existence they had no children. They took it into their heads that now their years are ancient, they have to die soon, but God did not give an heir, and they began to pray to God that he would create a brainchild for them in remembrance of the soul. The old man made a covenant: if the old woman gives birth to a child, at that time whoever comes across first, I will take him as a godfather. After some time, the old woman got sick and gave birth to a son. The old man was delighted, got ready and went to look for his godfather; just outside the gate, and a carriage rolls towards him, harnessed with fours; the sovereign is sitting in a carriage.

The old man did not know the sovereign, took him for a boyar, stopped and let’s bow.

What do you want, old man? - asks the sovereign.

Yes, I ask your mercy, do not be told in anger: to baptize my newborn son.

Al you have no acquaintances in the village?

I have many acquaintances, many friends, but taking as godfathers is not suitable, because such a covenant is laid: whoever meets first, that and ask.

Well, - says the emperor, - here's a hundred rubles for your christening; I'll be there tomorrow.

The next day he came to the old man; they immediately called the priest, christened the baby and named him Ivan. This Ivan began to grow not by the years, but by the hour - like wheat dough rises on dough; and it comes to him every month by mail for a hundred rubles of the Tsar's salary.

Ten years passed, he grew up big and sensed in himself an exorbitant strength. At that very time the sovereign thought about him, I have a godson, but what he is - I do not know; wished to see him personally and immediately sent an order so that Ivan the peasant's son, without hesitation, should appear before his bright eyes. The old man began to pack it for the trip, took out the money and said:

Give you a hundred rubles, go into the city on horseback, buy yourself a horse; otherwise the path is long - you can't go on foot.

Ivan went to the city, and he came across an old man on the way.

Hello Ivan the peasant son! Where are you going?

The kind fellow answers:

I'm going, grandfather, to the city, I want to buy myself a horse.

Well, listen to me if you want to be happy. As soon as you come to the horse, there will be a little peasant selling a tightly thin, lousy horse; you choose her, and no matter how much the owner asks from you - come on, do not bargain! And when you buy it, bring her home and graze her in the green meadows for twelve evenings and twelve mornings in the dew - then you will recognize her!

Ivan thanked the old man for his science and went into the city; comes to the horse, lo and behold - a peasant is standing and holding a thin, lousy horse by the bridle.

Selling a horse?

What are you asking for?

Yes, without bargaining a hundred rubles.

Ivan the peasant's son took out a hundred rubles, gave it to the peasant, took the horse and led him to the yard. He brings him home, his father glanced and waved his hand:

Lost money!

Wait, father! Perhaps, luckily for me, the horse will recover.
Ivan began to lead his horse every morning and every evening into the green meadows in the pasture, and that's how twelve dawns of the morning and twelve dawns of the evening passed - his horse became so strong, strong and beautiful that no one thought or thought, except in a fairy tale, and so reasonable - that only Ivan would think in his mind, and she already knows. Then Ivan, the peasant's son, dressed himself a hero's harness, saddled his good horse, said goodbye to his father and mother, and went to the capital city to the Tsar-Sovereign.

Whether he rode close, far away, soon, shortly, he found himself at the sovereign's palace, jumped down to the ground, tied the heroic horse by the ring to an oak post and ordered to report to the king about his arrival. The tsar ordered not to detain him, to let him into the chambers without any bullying. Ivan entered the royal chambers, prayed for the holy icons, bowed to the king and said:

Hello, your majesty!

Hello godson! - answered the sovereign, sat him down at the table, began to treat him with all sorts of drinks and snacks, and he himself looked at him, marveled: a glorious fellow - he was handsome in his face, and clever in his mind, and took his growth; no one will think that he is ten years old, everyone will give twenty, and even with a tail! “It can be seen,” thinks the tsar, “that in this godson the Lord gave me not a simple warrior, but a powerful and powerful hero.” And the tsar granted him an officer's rank and ordered him to serve with him.

Ivan the peasant's son took up the service with all his eagerness, he does not refuse any work, he stands behind the truth; For this the sovereign fell in love with him more than all his generals and ministers, and began to trust none of them as much as his godson. The generals and ministers became angry with Ivan and began to hold advice, how to negotiate it before the sovereign himself. Once the tsar summoned noble and close people to his place for dinner; as everyone sat down at the table, he says:

Listen, gentlemen, generals and ministers! What do you think of my godson?

What can I say, your majesty! We saw neither bad nor good from him; one thing is bad - a painfully boastful ugly birth. More than once they heard from him that in such-and-such a kingdom, distant lands, a large marble palace was built, and a high fence was erected all around - no one on foot or on horseback could get there! Nastasya the beautiful princess lives in that palace. No one can get her, but he, Ivan, boasts to get her, to marry him.

The king listened to this slander, ordered to call his godson and began to tell him:

Why do you boast to generals and ministers that you can get the princess Nastasya, but you are not reporting anything to me about that?

Have mercy, your majesty! - Ivan the peasant son answers. - I could not even dream of that.

It's too late to unlock now; if he boasted with me, do the deed; if you don’t do it, then my sword, your head off your shoulders!

Ivan the peasant's son was grieved, hung his little head below his mighty shoulders and went to his good horse. The horse will speak to him in a human voice:

What, master, are you twisting yourself, but you are not telling me the truth?

Ah, my good horse! Why should I be merry? The authorities agreed to me before the sovereign himself that I could get and marry Nastasya the beautiful princess. The Tsar ordered me to do this business, otherwise he wants to chop off my head.

Don't grieve, master! Pray to God and go to bed; The morning is wiser than the evening. We will do this business; just ask the king for more money, so as not to bore us on our way, it would be enough to eat and drink whatever we want.

Ivan spent the night, got up in the morning, appeared to the sovereign and began to ask for a gold treasury on the march. The king ordered to give him as much as necessary. Here the good fellow took the treasury, put on his horse a hero's harness, sat on horseback and rode off.

Whether close, far away, soon, shortly, he drove to the distant lands, to the thirtieth kingdom, and stopped at the marble palace; the walls around the palace are high, neither gates nor doors are visible; how to get behind the fence? His kind horse says to Ivan:

Let's wait until evening! As soon as it gets dark, I turn into a gray-winged eagle and be transported with you through the wall. At that time the beautiful princess will sleep on her soft bed; you go straight to her bedroom, take her on the sly in your arms and carry her boldly.

That's good, they waited for the evening; as soon as it got dark, the horse hit the damp earth, turned around like a gray-winged eagle and said:

It's time for us to do our job; look don’t make a mistake!

Ivan the peasant's son sat on an eagle; the eagle rose into the skies, flew over the wall and put Ivan in a wide courtyard.

The good fellow went into the wards, he looks - it's quiet everywhere, all the servants are deeply asleep; he is in the bedroom - on the crib lies Nastasya the beautiful princess, in her sleep she scattered rich covers, sable blankets. The good fellow gazed at her indescribable beauty, at her white body, bewildered by his hot love, could not resist and kissed the princess on the sugar lips. From this the red maiden awoke and screamed in a loud voice in fright; the faithful servants rose to her voice, the faithful servants came running, caught Ivan the peasant's son and tied his hands and feet tightly. The princess ordered him to be imprisoned and given him a glass of water and a pound of black bread a day.

Ivan sits in a strong dungeon and thinks a gloomy thought: "That's right, here I put my wild head!" And his good heroic horse hit the ground and became a little bird, flew into the broken window to him and said:

Well, master, obey: tomorrow I will break down the doors and I will deflect you; you hide in the garden behind such and such a bush; Nastasya the beautiful princess will walk there, and I will turn into a poor old man and beg her for alms; Look, don't yawn, or it will be bad.

Ivan cheered up, the bird flew away. The next day the heroic horse rushed to the dungeon and knocked out the door with its hooves; Ivan the peasant's son ran out into the garden and stood behind a green bush. The beautiful princess went out for a walk in the garden, as soon as she came up against a bush - when a poor old man approached her, bows and asks with tears for holy alms. While the red maiden was taking out a purse with money, Ivan the peasant's son jumped out, grabbed her in his arms, clamped her mouth so tightly that it was impossible to give a small voice. At the same moment, the old man turned into a gray-winged eagle, soared high and high with the queen and a good fellow, flew over the fence, sank to the ground and became, as before, a heroic horse. Ivan the peasant's son mounted his horse and set Nastasya the princess with him; tells her:

What, fair princess, now won't you lock me up in prison?

The beautiful princess answers:

Apparently, my destiny is to be yours, do with me what you yourself know!

Here they are going along the road; Whether close, far away, soon, shortly, they come to a large green meadow. On that meadow there are two giants, fist-fisting each other; beat up, beat up to blood, and none of the other can overpower; beside them lie a pomelo and a hook on the grass.

Listen, brothers, Ivan the peasant son asks them. - What are you fighting for?

The giants stopped fighting and say to him:

We are both siblings; our father died, and all that remained after him was his estate — that broom and a stick; we began to share, and we quarreled: everyone, you see, wants to take everything for himself! Well, we decided to fight not to the stomach, to death, whoever survives - he will receive both things.

How long have you been arguing?

We've been beating each other for three years now, but we won't get any sense!

Eh you! There is a reason to fight with mortal combat. Is greed great - pomelo and stick?

Don't say, brother, what you don't know! With this broomstick and with a hook, at least some force can be defeated. No matter how many troops the enemy has sent, boldly go out to meet: where you wave a broomstick, there will be a street, and if you swing it, it’s the same with a side street. And a stick is also needed: no matter how many troops you capture with it, you will take everything prisoner!

“Yes, things are good! - thinks Ivan. - Perhaps, it would be useful to me too.

Well, brothers, - he says, - do you want me to divide you equally?

Share, kind person!

Ivan the peasant's son got off his heroic horse, picked up a handful of fine sand, led the giants into the forest and scattered that sand on all four sides.

Here, - he says, - collect sand; whoever has more will get both the stick and the broom.

The giants rushed to collect sand, while Ivan grabbed both a stick and a broomstick, mounted his horse - and remember what they called!

For a long time, or for a short time, he drives up to his state and sees that a great misfortune befell his godfather: the whole kingdom has been fought, an army is standing near the capital city, threatening to burn everything with fire, to betray the king himself to evil death.

Ivan the peasant's son left the princess in a nearby forest, and he flew to the enemy's army; where he waves a broom - there is a street, where he swings - there is a side street! In a short time he interrupted as many as hundreds, as many as thousands; and what escaped death, he hooked it with a hook and dragged it alive to the capital city.

The tsar greeted him with joy, ordered him to beat the drums, blow the trumpets, and granted him the rank of general and a myriad of treasury.

Then Ivan the peasant's son remembered about Nastasya the beautiful princess, asked for time off and brought her straight to the palace. The tsar praised him for his heroic prowess, ordered him to prepare the house and celebrate the wedding. Ivan the peasant's son married a beautiful princess, celebrated a rich wedding and began to live for himself, not to grieve. Here's a fairy tale for you, and I have a bunch of bagels.

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 - they all embodied in the pages of this book. You will learn about wedding and funeral rites associated with a horse, about the symbolism of a horseshoe, about gods and saints who patronize horses, about the Trojan horse and the Valkyrie horses.

Magic horses

We are all familiar from early childhood with 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 such creatures. Here are the most typical examples; many of them are truly breathtaking and quite dramatic.

The visible physical world, in which we live, is permeated by many invisible worlds, each of which itself is a perfect complete system, as well as the material world, which is the only conscious human beings living in it. Around us there is a lot of evidence of this, only they, with rare exceptions, are invisible. The fairyland we are about to travel to in search of magical horses is, in many ways, remarkably similar to the world in which we live. The inhabitants of the ghostly land in which the earth-bound souls of former mortal creatures live, almost always relive some unfortunate event from their past life again and again, or are seized by one all-consuming desire that allows them to think only about the ways in which they hope to fulfill it. And wizards, of course, if you believe the legends, eat and drink, marry and give birth to children, acquire houses, horses and cattle. To be able to communicate with people, they can even assume their appearance, and so flawless that mortals talk and trade with them, unaware of their true nature. It is difficult to say why, but fairies and elves are passionate about horses, and they prefer to acquire mortal horses for their purposes, although magic horses also exist. It seems that wizards can bestow upon mortal horses acquired possession qualities that they themselves possess, including immortality, or at least comparative immortality.

Among the works of Scottish minstrels (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 Wondlebury in the diocese of Ely. Among the stories that were passed from mouth to mouth in the circle of his friends, who were entertained by the recollection of ancient legends and legends, the guest heard the following: if a knight unaccompanied by the moon leaves on a nearby plain and challenges an opponent to battle, a certain spirit will immediately appear in front of him knight.

Osbert set out to experiment and set off, accompanied only by the squire, who was ordered to remain outside the valley, surrounded by ancient fortifications.

The challenger Osbert 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 the horse, which he entrusted to the care of the servants. The horse was black, like all his harness, playful and very handsome. He stayed with the new owner until the first roosters, and then his eyes flashed with fire, he hit the ground with his hoof and disappeared.

Taking off his combat 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 was opened on the anniversary of the duel with a ghostly rival. "

Another similar story is found in the Hierarchy of Blessed Angels. (Hierarchy of Blessed Angels), but it had a tragic end. One night, when a Bohemian knight was riding in the company of his friend, a multitude of magical warriors suddenly appeared in front of the horsemen in battle formation under fluttering banners.

The knight, despite the attempts of his comrade to restrain him, rushed forward to fight with a brave warrior who was out of line with strange creatures. The knight and his horse were very quickly defeated by the enemy to the ground. The knight's companion managed to escape, and the next morning, when he returned, he found the mutilated bodies of a 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 drove three times around the family residence; at the same time, his magic bridle made a strange sound - so he notified of the impending death. Perhaps his faithful stallion carried him to the last battle and, together with his rider, fell to the battlefield, although the magic bridle, mentioned quite definitely, rather connects its owner with the land of the elves. Therefore, we decided to include the story in this category, and not in the section on ghosts. Probably, the horse and its rider after death were admitted to the magical land.

There are many stories about such tolerances even during his lifetime. The door between the two worlds is far from always closed, although mortal beings who enter it very rarely have a 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 summons mortals even from a magical land.

The following story is told by Dr. Graham.

“One day a young man, walking through the woods, noticed certain subjects, dressed in green, emerging from one of the circular hills, which are usually called magic hills. Each of them sequentially 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 up. The young man dared to pronounce the same name and asked to bring his horse, which appeared at the same moment. He sat astride and joined the magic riders. The young man stayed with them for a year, attending fairs and weddings. Once the groom sneezed, and the young man, according to custom, said: "The Lord blesses you." The wizards got 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 favor horses that have the ability to fly.

Nearly two centuries ago, Mount Southerfell in Cumberland was frequently visited by ghost 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, unexpectedly noticed a man with a dog chasing several horses on the steep and slippery slopes of Mount Souserfell. Although the horses could hardly have stood on the steep slope at all, these creatures rushed at an unusually high speed and disappeared at the foot of the mountain. Highly intrigued, Ren and Stricket set off for the mountain the next morning, expecting to find the dead body of the reckless pursuer and the crashed horses, or at least their tracks. But they found no sign of a dramatic chase taking place there the night before. Not wanting to be ridiculed by their neighbors, they did not tell anyone about what they saw for a long time, but when they finally decided, they were really ridiculed. Nothing more interesting happened until June 23rd (the eve of St. John's Day) of the following year. By this time, Stricket had changed hands and was now serving with Mr. Lancaster of Blake Hill, near Wilton Hill. He was taking a walk in the morning when he accidentally glanced in the direction of Souserfell and saw a group of horsemen moving rather quickly along a steep slope. For some time, Stricket looked dumbfounded at the unusual picture, 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 bonfires that the shepherds used to kindle on the eve of St. John's Day, but to his amazement he saw the picture just described. After making sure that both were seeing 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 marshy lowlands and become prominent to the inhabitants of a town in a place called Noth. From there they moved in a marching formation in a winding line along the slope of the mountain. Once opposite Blake Hill, the riders began to hide behind the mountain. The penultimate rider from each squad galloped forward, after which he began to adhere to the same speed as his comrades. 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 on 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 was observed on 23 June on the side of a mountain located between Penrith and Keswick. Mr. Lancaster's account was recorded and attested to be true by himself and Daniel Stricket. It is found in Clark's Survey of the Lakes (1789).

Mr. Clark suggested that the vision might have been prophetic, foreshadowing a rebellion that occurred a year later.

Another similar example can be given. Lord Lindsay described how his friend and companion Mr.William Wardlow Ramsey, while crossing the Arabian Desert, noticed large group horses and riders moving across the dunes. According to accurate information obtained later, there could be no riders in the vicinity at that time. Mr. Lindsay recounts his friend's experience as a shining example of “the sublime state that imagination naturally assumes in scenes not too pleasing to the ordinary senses of people,” but this does not give us a clue. Obviously, he means that his friend was simply imagining horsemen. He goes on to describe Mr. Ramsay as "a man with" excellent, keen eyesight, not prone to excessive gullibility and prejudice. " To top it off, he adds that he was never able to get rid of the belief that he clearly, in reality, saw the riders. For the Arabs, however, such explanations are completely superfluous. For those who spend their whole life 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 awe, and they believe that they portend 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 possible that the reason that the strange riders are the one who is close to the last line is not at all that they want to warn of imminent death. It's just that people who have come to the end of their life experience sharpen their spiritual perception, and they notice the inhabitants of other worlds - interpenetrating astral regions, which are usually invisible.

I cannot tell if the desert riders seen by Ramsey were wizards or not. They could be the ghosts of people and horses that perished in the vast sandy expanses, or belong to some divine country.

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

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

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

In Cheshire, there is a curious and very interesting story about an adventure in which a local farmer got involved in owning a white horse. According to legend, in the 12th or 13th century a certain farmer lived in Mobberley with a beautiful white horse, which he decided to sell at the fair in Macklesfield. On the day of the opening of the fair, he went there on horseback. It was an early morning. The road ran past the heathery wasteland around Alderley Edge. On the way, he bent down to tidy the horse's mane, and then he felt that she was worried. Raising his head, he was surprised to see a tall, imposing figure, dressed in a monastic robe, which blocked his way with a black wooden staff. The vision made it clear to the farmer that his venture was hopeless, because Providence had assigned a much more important mission for his horse. By ordering the farmer to wait for him (along with the horse) at the same place in the evening when the sun went down, the ghost disappeared.

The farmer doubted the words of the strange monk and decided to continue on his way to the fair. However, all his efforts to sell the horse were in vain. He cut the price by half, but no one wanted to buy the horse anyway, although many admired its beauty. Then he decided that he must face danger and meet at the appointed place with a strange monk. Summoning all his courage to help, he set out for the moorland. The monk was 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, the neighing of horses became audible, and the sound was clearly coming from under their feet. The monk waved his black staff, the ground parted, and the gaze of the astonished farmer saw a heavy iron gate. The farmer's horse rushed to the side in fright and threw off the 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, in color and size that were an exact copy of his horse. Near them lay soldiers in armor of bygone times, and in the rocky recesses there were heaps of weapons, as well as gold and silver in ancient coins. The monk took several coins and gave them to the farmer as payment for the horse, and when asked about the meaning of the strange sight, he answered the following:

“These warriors imprisoned in a cave were preserved by the good genius of England until that momentous day when, maddened by internal unrest, England would be conquered and lost three times from dawn to dusk. Then we will awaken from our sleep and rise to change the fate of Britain. This will happen when George son of George will rule, when the forests of Delamere will rustle over the slain sons of Albion. Then the eagle will drink the blood of princes from the decapitated bodies. Now hurry home, because all this will happen at the wrong time. Cheshire (Chester) will talk about it and be heard. "

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

The sign of a small hotel in the Monk Wasteland near Mackelsfield ("The Iron Gate") recalls the event. It depicts a heavy gate opening in obedience to the gesture of a figure in a cassock, before which the yeoman knelt. A beautiful white horse is shown in the background, and in the distance is a view of Alderley Edge.

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

“Thomas from Earsildown, after retiring, was believed to have gathered some forces from time to time to take part in hostilities in times of crisis for the country. The story was often told of a merchant selling a black horse to a venerable and old-fashioned man, who designated a small hill in the Eildon Hills area called Laken Har, where the merchant would receive his money at 12 o'clock sharp. He came, received the price of the horse with old coins, after which the buyer invited him to inspect his house. In the deepest astonishment, the seller walked past long rows of stalls in which horses stood motionless, each with an armed warrior lying at their feet. 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 enchantment. The man, without thinking twice, took the horn in his hands and blew. And immediately the horses in the stalls got worried, the soldiers stood up, the clatter of armor was heard. The mortal, terrified of what he had done, dropped the horn. And a voice that echoed around like the voice of a giant said the following words:

Cursed be the coward for what he could do, After all, he did not take the sword before blowing the horn.

A gust of wind threw the horse merchant out of the cave, the entrance to which he, no matter how later he looked for him, could never find. "

A similar story is told about an Irish leader. Earl Gerald of Mullahmast sleeps with his soldiers and horses in a cave somewhere in the dungeons of the castle. The Count is resting at the head of a long table that stands in the middle of the room. On either side are fully armed warriors with their heads resting on the table. Their saddled horses stand in stalls behind them. Once every seven years, the count and his horse wake up and circle Kurrach in Kildare. When the horse was first imprisoned in the cave, its silver horseshoes were half an inch thick. When the trips, made every seven years, thin them to the thickness of a cat's ear, the miller's son, born with six fingers on each hand, will blow a trumpet. The count, soldiers and horses will wake up and go to battle with the British and expel them from Erin, after which the count will become king of Ireland and will rule for four decades.

It is said that the horse merchant once, 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, which he carried in his hands. The sound of her fall, which seemed surprisingly loud in the huge cave, woke the warrior sleeping next to him. He raised his head and asked: "Is it time already?" The uninvited visitor guessed to answer: "Not yet, but soon."

The warrior again lowered his head on the table, and everything was quiet, and the horse merchant, wasting no time, fled.

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

Once, 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 coast and came across a magic castle, invisible by day, but shining brightly with lights at night. Here he was met by the magic horse Papillon, known for its wisdom and magical power. The next day, when the prince was walking in a flowering meadow, Morgana herself appeared to him. She gave him a magic ring that brought him back to his departed youth, and put the 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 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, the 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 would stay with friends and a magic horse until his country needed him again.

In Serbia, it is believed that the prince Marko and his horse Sharats are sleeping in the cave of Mount Urvina. And while they rest, the prince's sword slowly rises from the top of the mountain, as if from a scabbard. When he becomes fully visible, Marco will once again be in the saddle of Sharaz and free his country from enemies. From time to time he wakes up to look at the sword and see if his time has come. Sharatz is chewing hay in anticipation, but his supplies are already running out, so the momentous hour is about to come.

But even with such a long wait, it looks like Marco and his horse sometimes come out of a secluded hideout to help their country. The most striking example of their deeds can be found in the "International Physicist of Newspapers" from May 1913, which contains an article entitled "How the Serbian prince of the XIV century 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 happened just a few days ago. The Serbian infantry was ordered to wait at the foot of Prilip Mountain (near which the castle of Marko still stands) for the approach of their artillery, which was significantly superior to the Turkish. The troops had specially warned that the assault on the fort would not begin until a special order had been received. All morning the infantry calmly waited, when the first cannon shots rang out, the commanders noticed excitement in the troops, then frantic shouts were heard, and people ran as fast as they could towards Marco's castle. The general heard the captain's voice ordering to stop, but no one paid attention to him. Other commanders also tried to restrain the soldiers, urging them to be reasonably careful and explaining that the fort could not be taken without artillery support. It was all in vain! People fled under enemy fire and fell in dozens dead. The general closed his eyes. He felt the blood run cold in his veins. Everything was going badly. A catastrophic defeat and indelible shame awaited him. The approaching Serbian artillery ceased fire so as not to shoot at their own comrades, who fought with the Turks. A few minutes later, the Serbian flag was hoisted on the main tower of Marko Castle. The Turks fled in disarray. The Serb victory was complete.

When General Misic arrived at the castle, it turned out that the losses of the Serbs 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 had led the prince Marko into the attack: "How, did you not notice him riding on Sharaz?"

The general did not doubt the honesty of his soldiers, as well as their courage. He dismissed everyone, ordering to give each of them a double portion of food and wine during the week. Every tenth soldier received a medal for bravery.

Although Marco and Sharaz are semi-historical figures and occupy about the same position in Serbian history as King Arthur in English history, according to some legends, they were of magical origin. It is said that Marco is the son of Vila, the magical princess, and the dragon. Sharatz - a wonderful piebald stallion - was a gift to Marco from the same sorceress, who also endowed the horse with magical power. But according to another legend, Marco bought Sharatz as a foal suffering from leprosy, cured him, taught him to drink wine and eventually raised him to 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. His selection method emphasizes its magical origins, as he lifted each horse by the tail and twisted it over his head. Finally, he approached the piebald colt, which, despite its supernatural strength, could not even budge. There is hardly any doubt that he chose this particular foal. The king's son named the foal Sharatz, which means piebald, and for the next 160 years they were closest friends. Marco was often said to be "a dragon sitting on a dragon's back." The prince loved the horse more than his brother, he fed from his plate and gave wine from his bowl. And Sharats was worthy of the master's love. The horse was so swift that it could even catch up with a flying sorceress. He used his hooves to strike sparks, and blue flames burst from his nostrils. Under his feet, the earth cracked and stones flew in all directions. But he treated the 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. Yes, and on the battlefield, Sharatz always knew exactly when to kneel down in order to protect the owner from the enemy's spear, and when it was necessary to rears up in order to hit the opponent's horse with his front legs. He could trample the Turkish soldiers with his hooves and bite off the ears of their horses. In addition, he was able to jump upward three lengths of the spear, and forward four lengths.

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

According to one of them, a blacksmith was mowing grass in his meadow when a stranger suddenly appeared and asked him to interrupt his work and follow him. The guide led the blacksmith into the bowels of the mountain. There, to his surprise, he saw the sleeping warriors. Each of them sat on a horse, leaning forward and burying his head in her 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 hurt any sleeping warrior in the process. The blacksmith skillfully performed the work entrusted to him, but when he was shoeing the last horse, he accidentally hit the rider, who roused himself and asked: "Is it time already?" The stranger, making a sign to the blacksmith to be 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 labor, and went home. At home, he found that he had been absent for a year, and the old horseshoes in his bag were made of pure gold.

Another legend tells how a servant was leading two horses through Blahnik and suddenly heard the snorting of horses and the sounds of military music. These were the knights of King Venzelius returning from military exercises. The horses, led by the man, 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 divergence of time or the loss of the sense of time noted in this and the previous case is a common experience for those who have been among wizards, if, of course, their stories can be believed. The transformation of completely useless gifts into gold, which took place after the return of a person who visited a 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 chapter.

Grokhman has kept for us another version of the legend about Mount Blahnik. According to her, the knight Stoimir 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 he and his entire squad were killed. After the end of the battle, when the enemies withdrew, the knight's friends came to bury the dead and help the wounded, but they did not find a single body. They assumed that the enemy took them with him in order to demand a ransom. When night fell, the people living in the neighborhood were awakened by a strange noise. The impression was that an army was walking nearby. Leaving the houses, they saw the slain knights exercising on their horses. Then they took the animals to the river to get drunk and returned to the bowels of the mountain.

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

Valkyries - girls of striking beauty from Scandinavian mythology, ride no less beautiful and surprisingly fast white horses. Their mission is to pick up the bravest warriors who died 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 bowls.

J.C. Dollman portrayed for us fantastic horses and their lovely riders in the painting "Flight of the Valkyries", in which they are shown flying through a stormy sky. No less expressive is the painting by K. Dilitz "The Chosen Slain", depicting one of the Valkyries on a magnificent horse, rising into the sky with the body of a dead warrior thrown over the bow of the saddle. Thus, some of the dead were chosen by the Valkyries and transported on their horses across the rainbow bridge - Bivrest (Billrest) - to Valhalla. There they were met by the sons of Odin 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 battles 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 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 this 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 flowing, lush mane.

They beckoned with pale hands

From the dark rocky shore

Featuring a flickering spear.

And then peace of mind descended on him

And he looked without fear at the unearthly inhabitants,

After all, he knew well that the daughters of Valhalla

The killed are selected.

The horses of the Valkyries were considered the personification of clouds. It has been argued that when they fly through the air, dew and drizzle falls from their fluttering manes. For this, they were highly valued, since it was this magical feature of theirs that directly influenced the fertility of the earth. Their riders were worshiped as deities of the air and were called norns, or goddesses of fate. They often visited the earth in the guise of swans. Eternally young and very beautiful maidens had flowing golden hair and hands of extraordinary whiteness. When visiting the battlefields, they donned blood-red armor and helmets made of gold or silver.

Matthew Arnold describes their actions as follows:

Across the battlefield where warriors fell one by one,

Their horses galloped, drowning their hooves in blood.

They took the bravest warriors away from death

Which at night they took with them to a better world,

To delight 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 mentions gray and chestnut colors. “My gray one will gladly graze next to your bay,” one of the girls in his opera Valkyrie tells her sister.

a fairy tale about a horse

a fairy tale about a horse

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

In a shady forest on a snow-covered edge there lived a horse. Her house was small, but it was warm and cozy. In the mornings, the horse ate oats, which the caring hostess brought her. Grandmother combed her mane with a magic comb, spoiled her with sugar, which the horse loved very much, laid hay under her feet.

After eating and combing her hair, the horse went out for a walk. It was quiet in the winter forest in the morning. Only sometimes it was heard how a hare 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 welcomed by all people and animals. This holiday was called the New Year. The Horse first heard about him and was very surprised that it was her year - the Year of the Horse - that was coming. She decided to thoroughly prepare for it: she stocked up on hay, oats, and decorated her house with garlands of dry branches. She liked the New Year's chores. She loved the holidays and wanted to meet the attacker with her whole, albeit small, family.

The horse appreciated the home, strong relationships and was loyal to its owner. She knew that on New Year's Eve, her grandmother was preparing a gift for her. The horse languished in anticipation of the New Year, never ceasing to bustle. Gambling on the edge, she now and then plucked spruce branches to decorate her house with them.

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

This New Year's Eve has become one of the best horses in life.

A fairy tale about a horse. Magic horses

Once a little horse that lived with my grandmother in a house next to the forest got lost. It happened early in the morning when she went out into the woods 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, fearing 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 asleep soundly.

In the morning she was awakened by 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 closely.

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

Hello, baby, - answered the horse, leaving the night hide. - Unfortunately, I got lost.

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

Horses? The horse asked in surprise.

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

But I do not live in a forest clearing to which you invite me to go, but on the outskirts of the forest in a small hut together with a lonely grandmother, ”the horse said.

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 way out, and she dutifully followed the gray hare.

After walking a little through the forest, the travelers got out to a huge clearing, which, it seemed, had neither end nor edge. It began so suddenly that the horse was even lost for a moment. She turned her head back, but the forest behind her disappeared, turning into a thin line of the horizon.

Marvelous! - said the horse.

Bunny nodded politely and ran to the very center of the magic meadow. Suddenly a warlike horse ran out to meet the travelers, with a scarlet tulip on its forehead. He looked sternly at the approaching wanderers, letting thick steam out of his nostrils, stamping menacingly with strong feet.

From fright, the horse stopped, and the bunny squealed loudly:

Hello inhabitants of the magic meadow! We've come with peace! We really need your help.

A warlike horse approached the travelers:

Foreigners are not allowed to enter 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 harm us? The horse asked menacingly.

Yes, I'm only asking for your help, - confirmed the horse.

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

Following the fabulous warrior of the magic meadow, the horse and the bunny arrived at the queen, who had already met the travelers at the gates of a small palace. On the Queen's forehead there was also a delightful flower - chamomile. She invited the pilgrims to her place, fed and watered, during the meal inquiring in detail about what had happened.

The horse sadly told about what had happened to her the day before. The Queen promised to help her. She called her loyal servant Teresa, who agreed to carry out the Queen's order: to accompany the horse lost in the forest to the house.

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

After a while, the horse saw her house. She was so happy about it! Teresa led her through the impenetrable forest as quickly as if she knew every tree and blade of grass. The horse thanked the fabulous horse heartily and ran home, where the mistress was waiting for her.