Horses have been around almost since the beginning of time. Horses are beautiful animals and seem to have a spiritual presence. Their ability to pick up on our emotions and their sensitivity to our moods imbues them with something of a mysticism. Perhaps this is why horses throughout the ages have been a focal point of many myths and legends.

The Magical Unicorn.

One of the most well known mythical horses is the Unicorn, which has long captured the heart of the young and the old. Different cultures have different names and legends that pertain to the unicorn. The story of the origin of the Chinese written language involves a unicorn by the name of Ki Lin who showed it to Emperor Fu His over five thousand years ago. The legend states that the Emperor traced into the dirt on the ground the symbols in which the unicorn was covered. This was the beginning of the Chinese written language.

The Karkadaan is the name by which the unicorn is referred to in Arabia. It is a ferocious war like creature that can appear in different forms. It is from India as far back as 416 BC that we get the first written accounts of a unicorn. White in colour, this creature had dark blue eyes and a long horn atop a dark red head.

The European unicorn – according to folk legend – is like a horse, but smaller in statue, around three feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. The unicorn of Northern Europe is described as being either white or cream. In Southern Europe they are described as being nearly black to a golden colour. Their horn is said to have magical healing powers.

Today’s unicorns are depicted as being more closely looking like a horse and a little larger than older descriptions of the European unicorn. It is said to look exactly like a horse with a horn in the middle of its head. It is usually depicted as being pure white, however it has even been described as being colours like pink, purple and blue.

The modern mythical images of unicorns even today remain a popular fascination with young and old in Western cultures. You can find numerous references and depictions of unicorns in books, films and even childrens’ toys. The unicorn may be only an imaginary being, but it is still an enduring myth and one which continues to be popular even in this modern world.

The Winged Stallion.

Another horse type creature that has been written about in mythology and other stories is Pegasus. Pegasus – offspring of Posiedon and Medusa in Greek mythology – was a magnificent white winged horse that was ridden by Bellerophon and had mystic powers. By way of honour, the Greek god Zeus allowed his thunderbolts to be carried by Pegasus. Euippe became Pegasus’s mate and they had two offspring named Melanippe and Celeris. Zeus bestowed honour upon Pegasus by transforming him into a constellation, so the mythology states.

A Good Luck Symbol.

In many countries and to many people the horseshoe is a symbol of good luck. The history of how this famous superstition came about is not clear. Some say it is because it is crescent shaped and that shape is suppose to be symbolic of protection. Another belief states that it is lucky by virtue of having been worn by a horse which embues it with such. Blacksmiths were once believed to have supernatural powers; magicians to be able to work with iron, whch was said to have magical powers of its own. Iron horseshoes were hung in doorways to ward off witches and demons for this reason.

The seven nail holes in each shoe are also a signifier of good luck. There are some cultures in which the number seven is considered lucky. At one time people believed that if a horse had shoes that were made from the sword that had killed someone, he would never be tired and would also be very fast.

Horses and donkeys seem to have attracted more than their fair share of superstitions and old wives tales over the course of time. Here are some of the more interesting ones that have been passed down the generations.

  •  A horse would become crippled if it stepped in a wolf paw print.
  •  Bad luck will befall you if you change a horse’s name.
  •  If you wanted to cure whooping cough, the patient should inhale the breath of a horse.
  •  Riding a donkey whilst facing the wrong way is supposedly a cure for snakebites and toothache.
  •  Leading a horse through your house is said to reverse the bad luck bestowed upon you by the breaking of a mirror.
  •  To prevent a witch from casting a spell on your horse you would carry a rowan wood whip.
  •  Horse hair used to encircle a wart would get rid of it.
  •  To protect yourself from witches you take the tail hair from a black stallion and wear it on your wrist.
  •  To prevent a mare from being irritable you put copper pennies in the water tank.
  •  If you wanted to improve the tone of your piano, you could try putting the skull of a horse under the floor below it.

Horses do often appear to have this magical quality which continues to draw us to them. Certainly they inspire awe in most who are fortunate to come into contact with them. Their important place in the history and development of so many cultures and civilisations is down at least in part to this amazing ability to awe and inspire. Horses will always be involved in storytelling, being such an integral part of legend and myth both now and in the future.

This article has been published for the millions of horse enthusiasts all over the world by Animal Friends Equine Insurance – the UK’s only not-for-profit horse insurance provider. You can buy horse rider insurance today online or by phone, and all net profits go towards helping animals in crisis around the globe.

Tagged with: • • •

Filed under: Uncategorized

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!