The Horses of Neptune, illustration by Walter Crane, 1893.
Horse symbolism is the study of the representation of the horse in mythology, religion, folklore, art, literature and psychoanalysis as a symbol, in its capacity to designate, to signify an abstract concept, beyond the physical reality of the quadruped animal. The horse has been associated with numerous roles and magical gifts throughout the ages and in all regions of the world where human populations have come into contact with it, making it the most symbolically charged animal, along with the snake.
Mythical and legendary horses often possess marvellous powers, such as the ability to speak, cross waters, travel to the Other World, the underworld and heaven, or carry an infinite number of people on their backs. They can be as good and Uranian as they are evil and Chtonian. Through the "centaur myth", expressed in most stories featuring a horse, the rider seeks to become one with his mount, combining animal instinct with human intelligence.
The horse's main function is as a vehicle, which is why it has become a shamanic and psychopomp animal, responsible for accompanying mankind on all its journeys. A loyal ally to the hero in epic tales, a tireless companion in cowboy adventures, the horse has become a symbol of war and political domination throughout history, a symbol of evil through its association with nightmares and demons, and a symbol of eroticism through the ambiguity of riding. The horse is familiar with the elements, especially water, from which the aquatic horse known in Celtic countries is derived. Air gave rise to the winged horse, known in Greece, China and Africa.
Literature, role-playing games and cinema have taken up these symbolic perceptions of the horse.
Horsesymbolism is the study of the representation of the horse in mythology, religion, folklore, art, literature and psychoanalysis as a symbol, in its...
Buddhist symbolism is the use of symbols (Sanskrit: pratīka) to represent certain aspects of the Buddha's Dharma (teaching). Early Buddhist symbols which...
guardian spirit. Horse in Chinese mythology HorsesymbolismHorses in Germanic paganism Horse sacrifice Horse worship List of fictional horses Sun mythology...
rider between worlds and through the air. The importance of horses in the mythology and symbolism of the Germanic peoples dates back at least to the Nordic...
most common example is the emblem of Mongolia. Lung Tulpar Pegasus Horsesymbolism Davidson, Ronald M. (2005). Tibetan Renaissance : tantric Buddhism...
tiger's teeth and claws, and also devour leopards and tigers. HorsesymbolismHorses in East Asian warfare Chinese folklore Chinese folk religion Chinese...
In linguistics, sound symbolism is the perceptual similarity between speech sounds and concept meanings. It is a form of linguistic iconicity. For example...
earlier Abrahamic myths as a symbol for the seductive draw of wisdom. This symbolism is reflected in various stories and parables, such as the tale of the...
lime (linden) tree by humans Rose symbolism - a more expansive list of symbolic meanings of the rose Apple (symbolism) - a more expansive list of symbolic...
and with profound shamanic symbolism, this psychopomp is entrusted with the task of carrying the dead to Valhalla. The horse pulls the chariot of the sun...
legitimacy, a symbolism shared in all Celtic countries. Although this legend is mostly to be found in Poitou, there are attestations of the Mallet horse in historic...
sword and rides a red horse as the creator of (civil) war, conflict, and strife. The third, a food merchant, rides a black horse symbolizing famine and...
Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically...
Serbian: Lipicaner, Slovene: Lipicanec) is a European breed of riding horse developed in the Habsburg Empire in the sixteenth century. It is of Baroque...
The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming...
Retrieved 2021-08-02. Sayadi, Omer (2020-03-16). "The scimitar". MENA symbolism. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2021-07-30. Nicolle...
three traditional offices of Jesus Christ, i. e. king, although such a symbolism was assumed from the earlier Roman association or at least also employed...
Symbolist painting was one of the main artistic manifestations of symbolism, a cultural movement that emerged at the end of the 19th century in France...
Petrov-Vodkin, 1912, Bathing of a Red Horse, oil on canvas, 160 × 186 cm, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow – Symbolism Jacques Lipchitz, 1914, Acrobat on Horseback...
colors used in art; the Lascaux cave in France has a painting of a yellow horse 17,000 years old. Ochre and orpiment pigments were used to represent gold...
Karabakh (Azerbaijani: Qarabağ atı) is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse breed. It is named after the Karabakh region, from which the breed originates...
(January 2022). "اسب های بالدار". Bukhara 147. "Plate with youths and winged horses | Sasanian | Sasanian". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Textile Gallery...
Global Information