The mythological symbolism of white horses has been picked up as a trope in literature, film, and other storytelling. The Norse Horse Tavern, Elk Horn, Iowa. Most often, they appear only as fully-grown adults. [28], Gesta Francorum contains a description of the First Crusade, where soldiers fighting at Antioch claimed to have been heartened by a vision of St. George and white horses during the battle: There came out from the mountains, also, countless armies with white horses, whose standards were all white. Siddhartha used Kanthaka in all major events described in Buddhist texts prior to his renunciation of the world. [citation needed], In Zoroastrianism, one of the three representations of Tishtrya, the hypostasis of the star Sirius, is that of a white stallion (the other two are as a young man, and as a bull). His misbehavior often gets him in trouble, but he’s usually able to talk his way out of any situation. In more than one tradition, the white horse carries patron saints or the world saviour in the end times (as in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), is associated with the sun or sun chariot (Ossetia) or bursts into existence in a fantastic way, emerging from the sea or a lightning bolt. A huge white horse appears in Korean mythology in the story of the kingdom of Silla. [15][16] Uchaishravas was at times ridden by Indra, lord of the devas. [6] In an episode preserved in a remark of Pausanias,[7] an archaic Demeter Erinys (Vengeful Demeter) too had also been a Great Mare, who was mounted by Poseidon in the form of a stallion and foaled Arion and the Daughter who was unnamed outside the Arcadian mysteries. Sleipnir is also the ancestor of another grey horse, Grani, who is … He was a major god among the Vanir deities. 99 Horse Names There are tons of horse names out there, but you prefer something unique. In the New Testament, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse include one seated on a white horse[20] and one on a pale horse – the "white" horse carried the rider Conquest (traditionally, Pestilence) while the "pale" horse carried the rider Death. [24] At Padstow formerly, at the end of the festivities the hobby-horse was ritually submerged in the sea. Al-Buraq was also said to transport Abraham (Ibrâhîm) when he visited his wife Hagar (Hājar) and son Ishmael (Ismâ'îl). [8] Sleipnir is also the ancestor of another grey horse, Grani, who is owned by the hero Sigurd. Njord was generally seen as the chief of the Vanir gods. On her left arm she holds a yoke, which curves up above her shoulder, an attribute unique to this bronze statuette.[28]. [22], Two Christian saints are associated with white steeds: Saint James, as patron saint of Spain, rides a white horse in his martial aspect. [31], Epona is also worshipped today by neo-druids[32] and other pagans and polytheists. They were made not only by Celts, but also by Germans, Romans, and other inhabitants of the Roman Empire. In Irish Myth Donn "god of the dead" portrayed as a phantom horseman riding a white horse, is considered an aspect of The Dagda "the great God" also known as "the horseman" and is the origin of the Irish "Loch nEachach" for Loch Neagh. For the video game character, see. Pegasus from Greek mythology), or having horns (the unicorn). Later in the Book of Revelation, Christ rides a white horse out of heaven at the head of the armies of heaven to judge and make war upon the earth. One of Cúchulainn's chariot-horses was called Liath Macha or "Macha's Grey"[citation needed]. Bragi – The Norse God of poetry and eloquence. Aside from his infectious smile, boundless wisdom and kindness, he is most known for dying from a mischievous trick cooked up by Loki, the trickster god in Norse mythology. Loki was the trickster god, a shapeshifter who blurred the line behind good and evil. Although known only from Roman contexts, the name Epona ('Great Mare') is from the Gaulish language; it is derived from the inferred Proto-Celtic *ekʷos 'horse',[5] which gives rise to modern Welsh ebol 'foal', together with the augmentative suffix -on frequently, though not exclusively, found in theonyms (for example Sirona, Matrona) and the usual Gaulish feminine singular -a. He is also the father of Hel, Goddess of the underworld. On Mackinac Island, Michigan, Epona is celebrated each June with stable tours, a blessing of the animals and the Epona and Barkus Parade. Odin, Frigg, Thor, Loki, Balder, Hod, Heimdall and Tyr are the most elevated representatives of Æsir and are known as the main gods. All religion surely began with people looking around and trying to make sense of the world they lived in. [29] Her tale as a barren queen who bears child in the third year that mysteriously disappears features the horse lord Teyrnon who keeps a mare which foals every May Eve but is taken by a monstrous demonic claw. Although the name is Gaulish, dedicatory inscriptions to Epona are in Latin or, rarely, Greek. White horses have a special significance in the mythologies of cultures around the world. Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Vishnu and final world saviour, is predicted to appear riding a white horse, or in the form of a white horse. Earth – Daughter of Night and Annar. [23][24][25] Saint George, the patron saint of horsemen[26] among other things, also rides a white horse. "Epona" Dissertation, Bonn 1994 (Sonderdruck aus: Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 74.1993.). In the Celtic ritual, the king mates with a white mare thought to embody the goddess of sovereignty.[19][20]. The main goddess is Frigg. In the Puranas, one of the precious objects that emerged while the devas and demons were churning the milky ocean was Uchaishravas, a snow-white horse with seven heads. NJÖRÐR (Njord/Njorth) – a Vanir Sea and wind god regarded as the father of the goddess Freyja and god Freyr. As a rare or distinguished symbol, a white horse typically bears the hero- or god-figure in ceremonial roles or in triumph over negative forces. From earliest times, white horses have been mythologised as possessing exceptional properties, transcending the normal world by having wings (e.g. In the Equestrian type, common in Gaul, she is depicted sitting side-saddle on a horse or (rarely) lying on one; in the Imperial type (more common outside Gaul) she sits on a throne flanked by two or more horses or foals. In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. A euhemeristic account of Epona's origin occurs in the Parallela Minora, which were traditionally attributed to Plutarch (but are now classed as "Pseudo-Plutarch"): Fulvius Stellus hated women and used to consort with a mare and in due time the mare gave birth to a beautiful girl and they named her Epona. Created by the cow Audmula licking him from ice. They are described as patrolling the earth and keeping it peaceful. In Book I, "The Vision of the King," he writes of earliest England, invoking the white horse hill figure and the gods: Before the gods that made the gods Had seen their sunrise pass, By blood, Loki is a half-giant and also a shapeshifter, which has allowed him to have many non-human children. Hildisvini is the boar of the Goddess Freya, Hildisvini was made by the dwarves Dain and Nabbi. She is the goddess that is concerned with the protection of horses. At the moment of her child loss the lord discovers a supernatural human boy who grows up with a natural affinity for horses to become the great knight Pryderi later revealed to be Rhiannon's son. 7. Baldur’s name generally inspires a sense of bravery, happiness, and light in Norse mythology. And the English nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross" refers to a lady on a white horse who may be associated with the Celtic goddess Rhiannon.[33]. These stories were passed down in the form of poetry until the 11th – 18th centuries when the Eddas and other texts were written. Names derived from *Dyeus generally belonged to the most ancient and powerful gods. There are also white horses which are divinatory, who prophesy or warn of danger. The pantomime horse is thought to be a related survival. [34], The white horse is a recurring motif in Ibsen's play Rosmersholm, making use of the common Norse folklore that its appearance was a portent of death. [citation needed] However, Olmsted's interpretation has not been generally accepted by other scholars; Meid interprets the same inscription as an invocation of Dibona in vulgar Greek for aid in a romantic dispute.[11]. In Viking beliefs, Odin was the god of magic, wisdom, and war. Asgard was divided into 12 or more realms in which each principal god had his own luxurious mansion of gold or silver. "The Ancestors of Epona." The Hungarian name for God was, and remains "Isten" and they followed Steppe Tengriism. And so, when our leaders saw this army, they ... recognised the aid of Christ, whose leaders were St. George, Mercurius, and Demetrius. In: This page was last edited on 28 December 2020, at 03:29. He was the greatest of all Norse gods and the ruler of Valhalla, where brave warriors went when they died. [27] Lying on her lap and on the patera raised in her right hand are disproportionately large ears of grain; ears of grain also protrude from the mouths of the ponies, whose heads are turned towards the goddess. [1] She and her horses might also have been leaders of the soul in the after-life ride, with parallels in Rhiannon of the Mabinogion. Epona is mentioned in The Golden Ass by Apuleius, where an aedicular niche with her image on a pillar in a stable has been garlanded with freshly picked roses. He is mentioned only twice in Old Norse literature. Indra is depicted as having a liking for white horses in several legends – he often steals the sacrificial horse to the consternation of all involved, such as in the story of Sagara,[17] or the story of King Prithu.[18]. Cautious and Fortuitous, you are the Norse God Heimdall! The Book of Zechariah twice mentions coloured horses; in the first passage there are three colours (red, dappled, and white), and in the second there are four teams of horses (red, black, white, and finally dappled) pulling chariots. [2] The worship of Epona, "the sole Celtic divinity ultimately worshipped in Rome itself",[3] as the patroness of cavalry,[4] was widespread in the Roman Empire between the first and third centuries AD; this is unusual for a Celtic deity, most of whom were associated with specific localities. Heimdall's other names were Hallinskiði, Gullintanni, Vindhlér or Vindlér, and Rig. However, unlike in the movies, Thor is usually depicted with red hair and a full beard. [23] Small images of Epona have been found in Roman sites of stables and barns over a wide territory. Norse God Heimdall Guarding the Bifröst Bridge. In this latter tale (Yasht 8.21–29), which appears in the Avesta's hymns dedicated to Tishtrya, the divinity is opposed by Apaosha, the demon of drought, which appears as a black stallion.[12]. Loki’s name thus elicits both positive and negative connotations in Norse mythology. We do know that Odin was the most complex figure of all the Norse Gods. [14], Kanthaka was a white horse that was a royal servant and favourite horse of Prince Siddhartha, who later became Gautama Buddha. Skol! Phyllis Fray Bober, reviewing Réne Magnen, Miriam Robbins Dexter, "Horse Goddess," in, Theo Brown, "Tertullian and Horse-Cults in Britain", Herbert Kille, "West Country hobby-horses and cognate customs", Wiltshire is believable, but was added to the provenance, merely ". [15] As Epane she is attested in Cantabria, northern Spain, on Mount Bernorio, Palencia,[16] as Iccona Loiminna[dubious – discuss] in Portugal on the Lusitanian inscription of Cabeço das Fráguas. He was known as the trickster and mischievous god in Norse mythology, and engaged in battles with several of the gods of Asgard, such as Thor and Baldur. [8] Demeter was venerated as a mare in Lycosoura in Arcadia into historical times. They also believe that the only way for someone to achieve an honored death is to die in battle. We’ve assembled a complete list of Norse-viking horse names that honor this unique heritage while celebrating your pet’s personality. [14] Turaga was another divine white horse that emerged out of the ocean and taken by the sun god Surya. A south Welsh folk ritual called Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare) is still undertaken in December, which some folklorists likewise have held up as an apparent survival of the veneration of the goddess, but again there is no firm evidence to support the age of the practice. An inscription to Epona from Mainz, Germany, identifies the dedicator as Syrian. [11] Epona's feast day in the Roman calendar was given as December 18 on a rustic calendar from Guidizzolo, Italy,[12] although this may have been only a local celebration. There are twelve main gods in Norse mythology: Odin, Thor, Balder, Vidar, Vale, Brage, Heimdall, Ty, Njord, Froy, Ull and Forsete, – where Njord and Froy are not Aesirs, but Vanirs living in Asgard. Most notably, he is the father of Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, Jormungandr, the serpent circling the earth, and Fenrir, a gigantic wolf. Sometimes, Age and Loki is also considered Aesirs. Hildisvini: Battle Boar. [33], Gallo-Roman goddess of horses and fertility, This article is about the goddess. Though some mythologies are stories from earliest beliefs, other tales, though visionary or metaphorical, are found in liturgical sources as part of preserved, on-going traditions (see, for example, "Iranian tradition" below). 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