The heroic horse is the meaning of the expression. War horses

Horses in the paintings of the great Russian artist Vasnetsov are a very special phenomenon. A connoisseur and lover of horses, Vasnetsov conveys the inner essence of the heroes of his paintings through their images. And studying at the theological school, and then at the seminary, could not but give the great artist knowledge and understanding of symbolism in general.

Unfortunately, modern man who sees horses only on TV, it is almost impossible to understand what the artist wanted to convey. But at that time ubiquitous horse-drawn people saw horses a hundred times a day. Therefore, the symbolism of horses in the paintings of Vasnetsov, Serov and other artists in those days was clear and transparent to the audience, at least intuitively. I will try, using my non-zero experience in equestrian business, to help the modern viewer understand some of the subtleties associated with this.

... A mixture of classes,

estates

and adverbs

on wheels wheels

the land was moving.

Capital

hedgehog of contradictions

grew all the way

and crepe

needles with bayonets. (c)

The ghost of communism roamed Europe,
He said: “I was shot in Paris” ...

Work on the painting "Heroes" began in the years when Russia, having taken over from Byzantium the historical baton of katechon, tried to fulfill the mission of erecting a cross over Hagia Sophia. And she abandoned this mission two steps away from fulfillment.

The turn of the Russian army from looking at Hagia Sophia was a death sentence for the Petersburg empire.

The tired knight on a heroic white, but dusty and tired horse was at a crossroads. No one had traveled the straight path before him. Returning back from a straight road ended very badly for the previous knights. Over there, a little ahead, by the swamps, as usual, their bones are turning white. The knight’s horse is looking with deep interest at the skull of another deceased brother: for some, the well-trodden road to the left ended before it even started. Yes, and whether you can climb there on a heroic horse through a stone calibrator. And the crows are already here. What did the artist mean - vultures, or as many as three symbols of wisdom: they say, think three times before turning onto crooked paths?

But the Russians call the road the place they are going to pass. The assassination attempts on tsars that followed the Berlin Congress, the spiritual turmoil of Orthodox philosophers, the arrival of the ghost of communism and its acquisition of flesh precisely here, etc., etc. the essence of desperate attempts to once again get on the path to fulfilling Russia's destiny - to be a deadbolt on the door that protects the world from absolute evil. It seems that all the long years of creating a masterpiece - more than twenty years - Vasnetsov was waiting for what they would take shape after all. various groups Russian society.

A year and a half after the completion of work on the picture, the Anglo-Boer War will begin, when British imperialism will be finally approved. Ahead, the First World War loomed clearer and more inevitable. Let's see what state, in the opinion of the great artist, is Russian society on the eve of severe trials.

Dobrynya Nikitich - the personification of the nobility - is depicted as a hero, severe and noble. His figure is the embodiment of combat experience, full mobilization and readiness for battle. Let's see how ready his essence is for close and inevitable trials.
A white horse under the hero-nobility is Oryol trotter. This domestic universal breed of horses, without a doubt, is the property of the people of Russia. It was bred both for use in a wide variety of household work, and for the army. When breeding Special attention was given to the obligatory combination of the special beauty of constitution and movements, strength, endurance, energetic temperament with natural kindness, poise, excellent learning and obedience. The breed originated from the most unique stallion of one of the two purebred breeds - the Arabian. And from German mares. Symbolic, isn't it?
The horse Dobrynya has big eyes, a big forehead, which speaks of an extraordinary mind. But is this horse ready for the upcoming trials in Russia in the 20th century? Unfortunately no. A real Oryol trotter - a horse "both in a cart and under a governor" - in Vasnetsov's time looked like this:

Krepysh - world record holder, horse of the century

But what about the horse depicted by Vasnetsov? Short, narrow-chested, small nostrils, small head, small joints. There are signs of degeneration.

You will say that training can improve nature. But feet that are too dry betray that this horse has never known hard enough work. And poorly developed muscles and excess fat are not talking about regular workouts, but about regular abundant feeding and rest in the stable. Yes, this horse is efficient and trained. A tail set aside, a head raised, a bold look at the enemy personifies energy and readiness. But ears in different sides, a slightly lowered lower lip and an empty expression of the eyes give out that what lies ahead for him is just a routine, even boring, work. To make it clearer, remember, for example, the images of naval officers, so colorful and accurately shown in the film "Sannikov Land".

And the hero-nobility is eager to fight and is already drawing his sword. Let us pay attention to the fact that the great artist depicted the sword naked only partially. Was this not a prediction of how the officers would behave in the Civil War?

Looking at the image of the nobility - Dobrynya Nikitich - it seems that the enemy is no longer further than fifty hundred meters. Why is the senior defender of the lines - Ilya Muromets, personifying the people - so calm? Ilya is attentive and focused, but judging by the way he peers into the distance, the enemy is still far away. It looks like the enemies are gathering at the border and making very suspicious maneuvers there, but so far they are not going to move towards the line of the heroes. What is the rush of the nobility? Where is it afraid to be late?

Yes, the situation is alarming. But if the heroes are expecting an attack, then the whole figure of Ilya Muromets shows that the battle is still far away. Look how Ilya sits on a horse. The legs are taken out of the stirrups, rest. The landing is relaxed, as if on vacation in a chair. Weapon in the stowed position.

It is also clear from the black horse of the hero that the enemy is plotting something, but it is too early to rush into battle. Yes, the horse noted the tension of the situation. Sensitively alert ears, swollen nostrils, the whole appearance of the horse show composure and readiness for immediate action. But the enemy is far away, and the horse, which every day works hard and hard, is not going to run in vain.

But maybe Ilya's horse was just weak from birth, ate little, was tortured by work? Or, for example, just stupid? Nothing like this. Yes, he is not purebred, but he has a wide chest, big nostrils, strong legs, well developed muscles. It can be seen that good nature is perfectly complemented by hardening in everyday hard work. The black suit, most likely, was chosen by Vasnetsov because the black ones are hotter than other horses. That is, the suit here personifies the ardent heart of the Russian people. At the same time, Vasnetsov portrays the black as kind and very smart: a big head, big smart eyes, nostrils with a large but elegant comma. These horses think a lot. He will seek cooperation if the rider shows confidence and calmness. This is a real heroic horse, one of those that are in the cart, and under the governor. He will not let you down either in work or in battle.

How in agreement is Ilya the people and his black essence? The crow does not look at the enemy, does not look at the neighbors, does not look around. Horses have non-binocular vision; in the right eye it can be seen that the crow in the picture is looking back - at the rider. Despite all the agitation of the nobility nearby, the tension of the situation in general and hot blood, the horse calmly awaits the commands of its hero. The hero, as we noted earlier, sits very freely. Moreover, any regular in the stable will immediately say that he violates several safety precautions at once. In general, it is immediately clear that the horse and the rider understand each other well and absolutely trust each other. At the same time, another oddity is striking: the bridle of the most controlled - black - horse is the most severe of the three. The noble and priestly horses have the simplest bits, the reins are thin and fastened with weak fasteners. And on a hot noble horse, the fasteners even look dangerously flimsy.

At the same time, the behavior of the black bear speaks of the obvious excessive severity of the means of control. Yes, and the heroic people clearly do not consider them necessary: despite the tense situation and the rider on the right, who is about to rush somewhere, the occasion is freely thrown around his neck. Perhaps Vasnetsov, with such a well-understood symbol in those days - a bridle - shows the degree of influence on each of the estates by the state.

The enemy, it seems, is really still far away: the crow has noted him, but so far he has not considered it necessary to turn in his direction, and even allows himself to play, arching his neck. And the spear of Ilya Muromets warningly blocks the way for the noble horse: “We don’t save Hagia Sophia anymore, do we? So why do we need Constantinople now? And then we will conquer Berlin again? Why do I need Berlin? Am I going to take potatoes to the market to sell?”

And what, in the opinion of the great artist, are the spiritual leaders of Russia, the clergy, so necessary on the eve of World War II?
About this in .

What is the theme of the poem? Why did Svyatogor accept "God's death" near the "Alatyr stone", which in Russian folklore is depicted as "the father of all stones", as a "white-flammable stone" and is endowed with healing properties?

The theme of the poem is the death of Svyatogor and the loyalty of his horse to him. Stone Alatyr is not only healing. In this case, he denotes the place where the hero was overtaken by his fate.

What role does the landscape of the "clean field" play in the poem? What sounds break the silence of the picture drawn by the poet? What is the significance of the crowing raven in the poem?

The open field on which the murdered Svyatogor lies is the background of heroic events. The battle is over, the enemies have rushed off, a raven is croaking over the defeated hero. This sound is always perceived as a symbol of trouble, and this trouble cannot be dispelled by a faithful horse. He sighs, he "roars like an animal", but the owner sleeps soundly.

In the poem "Svyatogor", the poet, depicting a heroic horse, follows the traditions of the Russian epic epic. How does he show the affection of the horse to his master?

The heroes always have a heroic horse - both in fairy tales and in epics. A mighty, brave horse is usually a participant in all heroic deeds, while he is always devoted to his master, and readers always have respect for a reliable comrade of a hero-warrior. There are even words in the poem that belong to the faithful horse:

Am I not full of spring wheat?

Am I not covered with a blanket of heat?

Should I wear Ivan?

What feelings and thoughts does the poet share with the reader in the poem "Svyatogor"?

I. A. Bunin. Svyatogor. What role does the landscape of the "clean field" play in the poem?

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A horse (komon, plying, tarpan) is one of the most revered animals among the Slavs. White and red horses were considered messengers of warmth and sunlight, of all good. The Slavs believed that a chariot, drawn by three horses, carried the solar disk across the firmament. The proverbs and sayings reflected the patience, endurance and immoderate appetite of horses. Images of skates protected the dwellings of the Slavs from harmful spirits and hostile navia.

Since time immemorial, the horse has been an indispensable helper and friend for man. The horse was required everywhere and everywhere: on the battlefield and on peaceful arable land, hunting and traveling: She was dressed in armor, harnessed to royal carriages and wretched peasant droshky, for a horse they "gave half their kingdom" (sometimes in the literal sense of the word).

The legendary horse of Alexander - Macedonian - Bucephalus - was buried with royal honors, and the tyrant-emperor Caligula even made his favorite a member of the Roman Senate. The horse was the breadwinner of the poor and a source of pride the mighty of the world this. You can talk about horses endlessly, but: All this was, was, was. The interest in the horse has not faded in the world, but at present, basically, "live horses have been replaced by steel cavalry." It was especially difficult for equestrian business in Russia recent years- Many stud farms have closed or vegetate in poverty, breeding work is in a deplorable state, hope is only for enthusiasts, whose number is slowly but still growing over the years. First of all, these are athletes, and then those who care about their health, and then those who care about their health, the health of their children, and, finally, just lovers of beauty.

First of all, especially for the townspeople, communication with a horse is associated with riding. Man has been doing it for more than five millennia. Images of horsemen were found on Persian engravings dated around 3000 BC. The charm and beneficial power of riding was conveyed by M. Yu. Lermontov in "The Tale of the Mountain of Our Time": ": I sat on horseback and galloped into the steppe; I love to ride a hot horse: No matter how sorrow lies on the heart, no matter how anxious thought tormented, everything will dissipate in a minute; the soul will become light, the fatigue of the body will overcome the anxiety of the mind. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne in his invaluable work "Experiments" states: "I am reluctant to get off the horse, since I have sat on it, because I am healthy or sick, I feel best riding."

HORSE - one of the most mythologized sacred animals; attribute of higher pagan gods; chthonic creature associated with the cult of fertility and death, the afterlife; guide to the next world. IN ancient times the horse was considered the brainchild of both Belbog (elements of light) and Chernobog (elements of darkness); at the same time, a white horse was usually dedicated to the light god, and a black one to the dark one.

In folk beliefs, the horse was endowed with the ability to portend fate, and above all, death. For this reason, horses were often used in fortune-telling: for example, during Christmas fortune-telling, Russian horses were blindfolded, sat on her back to front and watched: where she goes, the fortuneteller will marry there. Once upon a time, at the temple of the highest god of the Baltic Slavs, Sventovit, they kept a sacred white horse, which, during fortune-telling, was led to three rows of spears: if the horse stepped on the left foot, then this was considered a bad sign, and if on the right, it was good.

The horse has traditionally been an indispensable attribute of many deities, and especially the deities of war, thunder, etc. The most archaic in Slavic mythology is the image of a rider (a saint, an epic hero, a deity, etc.) who slays the Serpent. So, for example, Perun was invariably represented as a rider on a horse or on a chariot, striking Veles the Serpent. In general, many pagan deities were represented as horses (for example, the seasonal deities Avsen and Yarila). In pagan times, sacred horses were kept at the temples of many higher gods, and it was believed that the deities themselves rode these same horses; so, for example, according to legend, the god Sventovit goes to battle with demons, etc. on his white sacred horse kept at the temple.

Speaking about ancient mythology A.F. Losev comes to the conclusion that "If a given element is at the disposal of one or another deity, then for the mythologist this is clear evidence that once the deity itself was a given element." This conclusion is also applicable in the analysis of more archaic ideas, since the entire development of mythological images occurs through the splitting of the original object-subject experience.

Using this position, the image of a horse can be projected onto one of the four elements identified already in the Paleolithic era - the element of fire. So, among a number of meanings that fire received in the process of human development, one can especially single out such manifestations of it as: heavenly fire, sacrificial fire (which includes both funeral fires and the fire-priest, an intermediary between the world of people and the world of the gods), underground fire, life-giving fire.

All these manifestations of the element of fire are often embodied in mythological horses, which, apparently, are the emanations of this more ancient and meaningful symbol.

Common to many peoples is the idea of a heavenly chariot of the sun god harnessed by horses. The sun is that heavenly fire, the later worship of which was personified in the image of the sun god (this is clearly seen in Zoroastrianism, where Mithra eclipsed the more ancient fire cults).

Fire was an intermediary between the world of the gods and the world of people, the horse often performs the same functions, showing signs of a fiery substance in its being. Silver dishes have been preserved, presumably made in Georgia, where a horse is depicted at the fire altar. One report dating back to the time of the Arab conquest describes the temple in Kobadian (Southern Tajikistan): “In the building (temple) ... there were small and large fire altars and a small bronze horse. The inhabitants considered him to have descended from heaven. He is depicted in a state of movement with his front legs raised, as if turned to God. It is further told that when the Arabs arrived at this sanctuary in order to destroy it, a fire suddenly burst out from there, which burned the arriving soldiers.

Propp drew attention to the comparison of fire with a horse in Russian fairy tales, especially noting the striking coincidence of this character with the Indian Agni. The horse-fire appears with smoke from the nostrils, sparks from under the hooves, mostly of a red color, and performs the function of transferring the hero to some kind of thirtieth kingdom, not the essence of the earth. George the Victorious is depicted on a horse of a red suit (very rarely in iconography a white suit of a horse is depicted [white is a sign of the other world).

Serbian songs call the horse fire-bearing, and the toy horses of the Western Slavs are painted red.

The horse has the meaning of fire and light. A poet of the Moslem Renaissance has a line: "The horses of dawn came running on one shining day." Another example of this theme is the fiery horses of Helios.

The legend ascribes to the horse properties inherent in the unconscious person, which is expressed in the very metaphor of the Centaur. The torso of a person is his consciousness, Bottom part(croup and legs of a horse) - the unconscious. The horse has the gift of clairvoyance and supernatural hearing, the gift of a guide, leads those who are lost on the right path. Inherent in the horse and the gift of divination. In the Iliad, a horse makes an ominous speech, voicing the words of the dead to people when they are being taken to bury. A horse with human legs predicts to Caesar that he will conquer the world.

Pegasus is a source of inspiration. The winged horse Pegasus is winged not only in an allegorical sense, it is not only a symbol of poetic inspiration, the wings of Pegasus elevate him above even such a good flyer as a chimera. Poetic inspiration not only possesses reality, it becomes super-reality.

The images of the horse among the Scandinavians are associated with a change in the rhythm of the day. The night-horse rushes ahead with a dark mane, followed by the morning-horse - foam falls from it, covering the ground with the first dew. And the horse-day closes this derby - he has a light mane that illuminates the earth and air.

In the Upanishads, the horse is expressed not only through the ritual of sacrifice, but also through correlation with the calendar. The torso is the year, the seasons are other parts of the body, the joints are the months and crescents, the legs are day and night.

Since ancient times, Rus' has identified itself with the image of a horse: “Where are you rushing, Rus'?”.

The wooden house of the North was built with a horse. The upper contour of the gabled pediment of the house represented the sky, along which the sun moved in its daily movement from east to west through the sacred point of noon, marked by a towel under the ridge. The connection of the wheel-shaped sun with the figure of a horse above the roof emphasized the dynamism of the structure, along which the sun daily made its way from one lower end of the roof up to the gable, to the ridge and further down to the other lower end of the roof.

The horse is also a sign of war and the victory of the commander. Demonstrates power over the army. No wonder it was believed that to enter the city on a white horse means to win a real victory. Many parades were held with the commander in chief on a white horse, which prancing in front of the army.

The battle horse of the Slavs is, rather, a comrade and assistant to the knight. He is endowed with miraculous properties and often acts as a magical assistant. He can change his appearance, turning into a star, a bird, a fly; shaking himself, he turns into a little Humpbacked Horse. The horse can give a name to the hero, points to the betrothed or the bride, warns of various obstacles on the way to her and helps to overcome all difficulties, transferring the hero through the boundless water frontiers to the end of the world, where heaven and earth converge. He resurrects the killed hero with living water, pulls him out of the underground dungeon with one hair of his tail.

The image of a horse in Russian folk tales originates from ancient Slavic myths. The Slavs revered the horse more than other animals, because once the ancestors of most of the peoples of Eurasia led a nomadic lifestyle, and in the guise of a golden horse running across the sky, they imagined the sun. Later, a myth arose about the sun god riding a chariot across the sky. The image of the Sun-horse was preserved in the decoration of the Russian hut, crowned with a ridge - an image of one or two horse heads at the junction of two roof slopes in combination with the sign of the sun. An amulet with the image of a horse's head or just a horseshoe, like other solar symbols, was considered a powerful amulet.

The brightest and most colorful horse in Russian tales is Sivko-Burko. In one version of the tale, he is described as a horse with "one hair is golden, the other is silver." In another version of the tale, an equally impressive picture is drawn: “Sivko runs, only the earth trembles, flames burst from his eyes, and smoke from his nostrils.” In fact, there are about 60 Russian versions of the tale about Sivka-Burka, but these two are the most characteristic.

Speaking about Sivka-Burka and about heroic horses in general, Russian folk tales resort to expressions that are repeated word for word every time: "the horse runs - the earth trembles, sparks pour from the eyes, a column of smoke comes from the nostrils, firebrands fall from the back .." And when a mighty hero mounts a horse and beats him on steep hips: ".. a good horse becomes angry, separates from the damp earth, rises above the standing forest, which is lower than the walking cloud; fire bursts from the nostrils, smoke from the ears, hot firebrands fly after passes mountains and dales between the legs, covers small rivers with its tail, jumps over wide ones.

Look - after all, the heroic horse has been given all the properties of a thundercloud: brown color, extraordinary speed, flight through the skies, the ability to jump over seas, mountains and abysses, exhalation of a burning flame and an all-shattering stomp from which the very earth trembles: "The horse runs - the earth trembles! ".

The description of how Ivan the Fool became the owner of Sivka Burka also differs. In one legend, he receives a horse as a gift from his late father for doing his will and spending the night on the grave of an old man. In another, Sivko faithfully serves Ivan in return for the fact that he, having caught a horse when he trampled a field of wheat, lets him go. But in both versions of the tale main character becomes handsome after "he climbed into one ear of Sivka and crawled out into the other." Then Ivan the Fool rides a horse to the palace. There, Sivko-Burko jumps to the princess's window, which no ordinary horse can do, and Ivan takes out an embroidered portrait (or ring) of the princess. Sivko-Burko became the prototype of the Humpbacked Horse from the fairy tale of the same name by Ershov.

However, the motives of another Russian folk tale can be traced in Yershov's brilliant work. This is "The Firebird and Vasilisa the Tsarevna". In this legend, the heroic horse of the main character of the archer is endowed with extraordinary strength, wisdom and magical abilities. When an archer finds a feather of the Firebird in the forest, the heroic horse warns him not to take the find so as not to get into trouble. Sagittarius does not listen to him, picks up a pen and presents it as a gift to the king. Then the king forces the hero to get him the Firebird, Vasilisa the princess, Vasilisa's dress and ring. All assignments to the hero are helped by the heroic horse. The last task for the archer is the order of the king to plunge into a vat of boiling water. But the horse speaks to the hero and the archer, after dipping into boiling water, becomes handsome. The king is boiled in hot water.

Another heroic horse with the power of a wizard is the horse from The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water. Baba Yaga gives this horse to Ivan Tsarevich, but he loses some of his magical power when Ivan, against his advice, kisses the Sineglazka girl.

It is impossible to ignore the epic horse of the hero Dobrynya Nikitich - Burushka. The brown color of the horse is not accidental. According to folk beliefs, brown, along with red, is the color of blood. In ancient conspiracies, the “brown horse” was the embodiment of blood. So Burushka is the personification of the forces of blood and life. This horse takes part in the battle with the Serpent Gorynych together with his master. He tramples the cubs of the Serpent. This story traces the motif of another mythical battle - George the Victorious with the Serpent. George's horse also helped him, trampling the enemy.

A similar plot is observed in the fairy tale "Ivan Bykovich". In it, the hero's horse has such strength that it can only be held by chains. The horse comes to the rescue of the owner at the most critical moment of the battle, when Ivan Bykovich faces imminent death from a snake-like monster. Released from the chain, the horse runs to the battlefield and beats the monster with its hooves.

Often in legends, a horse is an expensive and very desirable gift. The attitude to the horse as a precious offering is well expressed in the fairy tale "Horse, tablecloth and horn". In it, a fool receives a horse as a gift from a magical crane, which can turn into a pile of silver coins.

A deep, completely unsolved meaning, folk wisdom has invested in three horses from the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Wise." These horses are painted red, black and white and carry riders of the same colors. Horsemen serve Baba Yaga. She explains to Vasilisa that a red rider on a red horse is a red sun, black is a dark night, and white is a clear day.

The mysterious images of fairy-tale horses have been disturbing the imagination of people for many centuries and serve as a source of inspiration.

In the form of wonderful horses, all significant natural phenomena were represented - winds, clouds and thunderclouds, a quick flash of lightning.

For example, the Morning Dawn (Dennitsa) leads the bridles of shining white horses (dawn clouds), driving away all harmful creatures with fiery arrows (beams of the rising sun). During the day, the horses turn red (red), in the evening - gray (dark gray) and the Evening Dawn takes them away from the sky. Night is a black horse. At this time, the Hors solar disk illuminates the underworld. Stars and constellations were also compared with horses, and the Milky Way with the milk of a heavenly mare. Noteworthy is the connection of horses with dew - healing water with strong magical properties. With the advent of the Sun, the dew disappears, and the heavenly horses drink it.

Horses were compared to swift-winged birds, the embodiment of everything dynamic, violent, restless and at the same time wise. The natural power of a horse is difficult to tame, it can only be controlled by a strong and confident rider. To pacify a wild horse in metaphorical language means to tame nature itself, to force it to give

Among the hero's assistants in uligers, his faithful horse occupies a very special place. The promotion of the horse to the ranks of the main characters of the uliger, endowing it with outstanding qualities, affirming the inseparable connection between the hero and his horse is evidence of the exceptional place and importance of the horse in the traditional conditions of life of the Buryats.

Highly developed horse cult among the nomadic Turkic and Mongolian peoples, it is caused by the special role of the horse among domestic animals: “Horse breeding was of great importance for the development of socio-economic relations among the steppe peoples in the past, and the cavalry represented the elite of the army. Therefore, everything related to the main character - the horseman-batyr - and his horse was clearly reflected in their epic.

Comprehensive coverage of the image of a horse in the epic of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples is devoted to the work of R. L. Lipets "Images of a batyr and his horse in the Turkic-Mongolian epic." The researcher rightly sees a connection with totemism in the prophetic properties and functions of the horse. In the Ekhirit Bulagat uligers there is no direct depiction of the horse as an ancestor, but it acts as a teacher of children, patron, savior and adviser. So, Erensei's horse saves his young children from death and looks after them.

An important place belongs to the horse in ugly plots about matchmaking. He points to the location of the bride, helps the groom in overcoming difficult trials. In uligers, where the sister is guilty of the death of her brother or she does not function in the plot, an important role in the resurrection of the hero is assigned to the heroic horse. He fraudulently brings the resurrection maiden or reports the death of the hero to his heavenly sisters.

Heroic horse in uligers

The wonderful horse also participates in the military campaigns of the hero. The description of the preparation of a horse before a hike, hardening, saddle in the uliger is given a significant place. It has become one of the typical places in the epic. The direct participation of war horses in a duel or battle is not reflected in the ekhirit-bulagat legends, it is found in the stage-late epic works.

motive getting a horse and his taming appears in narratives with a detailed epic biography of the hero and is directly related to the motif of naming. In the motive of taming, a kind of test of the horse and the hero takes place. The heroic horse tries to throw off the rider and, only having felt his strength and dexterity, recognizes his master in him, becomes obedient. From that moment on, the horse is an indispensable friend and assistant in all the affairs of the hero.

motive horse taming can be successively connected with the motives of taming zoomorphic patrons and twinning with "grateful" animals. Often a celestial origin is attributed to a heroic horse. The hero asks the celestials for a horse, along with equipment and military supplies, before the campaign. The appearance of such a horse is exaggerated.

Horse suits

The suit of the horse is always indicated in the uliger; it carries a characterizing, evaluative moment. Heavenly horses are endowed with epithets: huilen huhe morin - a gray horse, uulen huhe morin - a cloudy gray horse, ogtorgoin yuhen huhe morinoy othon huhe morin - the smallest among the celestial gray horses, mesheng soohor morin - a starry motley horse, naran gerel morin - a radiant horse .

The heroes and their betrothed have the most diverse horses: belgen heer morin - a prophetic bay horse, sharaga - nightingale, zeerde - red, soohor - motley. If the suit of heavenly horses is somewhat unusual (blue horse), then earthly horses are endowed with the usual common features and properties. The suit of the horse has a load and an estimated one. So, the heavenly elder Zarlig Sagan rides on a white horse (goyrkhon sagaan morin), and the Mangadhai, the monsters, usually ride stallions of a dark suit and intense color: “khaisan khara azarga” - a stallion black as soot, “shupan zeerde” - bloody ginger.

A bull is also used as a riding animal in uligers. Erensei leaves the house to his herds on a huge red bull with horns sixty fathoms (yoron alda ebertei yorgoy ulaan bukha). The old woman-monster has a roan bull-horse (bukha buural morin).

In many archaic uligers, such as, for example, in the introductory part of Aidurai Mergen, it is said that the hero has a myriad of herds and cattle, however, this is not further disclosed. In the later records of the epic, the motif of cattle theft from the hero appears, which is the reason for the fight against the Mangadhay monsters and foreign khans. Different types of animals are listed: cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Each individual herd has its main stallion, ram, goat and bull. Once in a foreign land, they yearn for their native land, the hero meets them exhausted, hungry, complaining about the mistreatment of the new owner.

Unfortunately, for a modern person who sees horses only on TV, it is almost impossible to understand what the artist wanted to convey. But at that time of widespread horse traction, people saw horses a hundred times a day. Therefore, the symbolism of horses in the paintings of Vasnetsov, Serov and other artists in those days was clear and transparent to the audience, at least intuitively. I will try, using my non-zero experience in equestrian business, to help the modern viewer understand some of the subtleties associated with this.

... A mixture of classes,

estates

and adverbs

on wheels wheels

the land was moving.

Capital

hedgehog of contradictions

grew all the way

and crepe

needles with bayonets. (c)

The ghost of communism roamed Europe,
He said: “I was shot in Paris” ...

The turn of the Russian army from looking at Hagia Sophia was a death sentence for the Petersburg empire.

But the Russians call the road the place they are going to pass. The assassination attempts on tsars that followed the Berlin Congress, the spiritual turmoil of Orthodox philosophers, the arrival of the ghost of communism and its acquisition of flesh precisely here, etc., etc. the essence of desperate attempts to once again get on the path to fulfilling Russia's destiny - to be a deadbolt on the door that protects the world from absolute evil. It seems that all the long years of creating a masterpiece - more than twenty years - Vasnetsov was waiting for what the various groups of Russian society would take shape after all.

Dobrynya Nikitich - the personification of the nobility - is depicted as a hero, severe and noble. His figure is the embodiment of combat experience, full mobilization and readiness for battle. Let's see how ready his essence is for close and inevitable trials.
The white horse under the bogatyr-nobility is the Oryol trotter. This domestic universal breed of horses, without a doubt, is the property of the people of Russia. It was bred both for use in a wide variety of household work, and for the army. When breeding, special attention was paid to the obligatory combination of the special beauty of constitution and movements, strength, endurance, energetic temperament with natural kindness, poise, excellent trainability and obedience. The breed originated from the most unique stallion of one of the two purebred breeds - the Arabian. And from German mares. Symbolic, isn't it?
The horse Dobrynya has big eyes, a big forehead, which speaks of an extraordinary mind. But is this horse ready for the upcoming trials in Russia in the 20th century? Unfortunately no. A real Oryol trotter - a horse "both in a cart and under a governor" - in Vasnetsov's time looked like this:

Krepysh - world record holder, horse of the century

But what about the horse depicted by Vasnetsov? Short, narrow-chested, small nostrils, small head, small joints. There are signs of degeneration.

You will say that training can improve nature. But feet that are too dry betray that this horse has never known hard enough work. And poorly developed muscles and excess fat do not speak of regular training, but of regular abundant feeding and rest in the stable. Yes, this horse is efficient and trained. A tail set aside, a head raised, a bold look at the enemy personifies energy and readiness. But the ears in different directions, the slightly lowered lower lip and the empty expression of the eyes betray the fact that what lies ahead for him is just a routine, even boring, work. To make it clearer, remember, for example, the images of naval officers, so colorful and accurately shown in the film "Sannikov Land".

But maybe Ilya's horse was just weak from birth, ate little, was tortured by work? Or, for example, just stupid? Nothing like this. Yes, he is not purebred, but he has a wide chest, large nostrils, strong legs, well-developed muscles. It can be seen that good nature is perfectly complemented by hardening in everyday hard work. The black suit, most likely, was chosen by Vasnetsov because the black ones are hotter than other horses. That is, the suit here personifies the ardent heart of the Russian people. At the same time, Vasnetsov portrays the black as kind and very smart: a big head, big smart eyes, nostrils with a large but elegant comma. These horses think a lot. He will seek cooperation if the rider shows confidence and calmness. This is a real heroic horse, one of those that are in the cart, and under the governor. He will not let you down either in work or in battle.

And what, in the opinion of the great artist, are the spiritual leaders of Russia, the clergy, so necessary on the eve of World War II?
About this in .

Seeing horses is an increase in wealth, the joy of life in all its manifestations;
riding a white horse or seeing it is a wonderful sign;

The strength of friendships, the joy of meeting with comrades in spirit, the loyalty of women;

Your horse is dirty and skinny - deceit and envy on the part of those you trust;

Riding a black horse - you will succeed in business for a long time and unexpectedly discover the vanity and futility of your studies;

For a woman - riding a black horse - her husband's infidelity;

Watching the run of brown horses is favorable circumstances that will suddenly change for the worse or fleeting and superficial hobbies;

Seeing horses in apples (spotted) is a future benefit in business;

Riding on a beautiful bay horse - exaltation, satisfaction of desires;

For a woman - riding a beautiful bay horse - determination to refuse an annoying admirer, material gain in the near future;

Your horse runs away, joining the wild herd - news of someone's illness;

You are sitting on a horse and it carried you - trouble from a friend or employer;

A herd of mares - closeness and lack of jealousy towards their beloved;

Seeing beautiful horses is success and prosperity;

Riding across a clear stream or river is good luck and pleasure, but if the water is dark or restless, the joy will be overshadowed by something;

Crossing clear water on a horse is the fulfillment of many dreams and gaining benefits in business;

Wounded horse - trouble with friends;

Dead horse - disappointments, sad news;

Riding a kicking horse - various difficulties on the way to good luck;

The horse pulls you down - opponents or illness;

Lies you - to be rejected by your beloved;

To grab a horse by the bridle and subdue it to your will is a sharp favorable change in life;

It was not possible to subordinate the horse to your will - fate will turn its back on you;

To admire a well-shod horse - your success in the near future will amaze even your own imagination; for a woman, such a dream promises a reliable friend for life;

Participate in horse racing - a prosperous life;

Shoe your horse - to acquire property in a dubious way;

Deftly riding a bareback horse - you will be able to gain prosperity and comfort in a difficult struggle, reliable help from friends is also possible;

Riding in a female environment - uncertainty in future desires,

Addiction; your object of passion is a woman of free conduct;

Watching a horse being cleaned, or brushing it yourself with a comb - great trials, hard work on the way to honors and a firm position in life;

For business people, peasants, writers - decorating the mane and tail of a horse is a very auspicious dream;

Harnessed in a cart or carriage - well-being limited by obligations, love and happiness with obstacles;

Climbing on horseback along a narrow path to a high mountain is the achievement of a very strong life position;

With such an ascent, the horse does not stand up and you climb the rest of the way on foot - a strong position will be won at the cost of great efforts;

For a girl - to see herself as a rider on a black horse is an unexpected event that will help the fulfillment of her desires, communication with wise respectful interlocutors;

Riding down a hill - to failure;

For a woman - to see that her lover is riding a horse behind her - success with interesting successful fans;

To be a frightened rider is the anxiety and jealousy of a loved one;

For a girl - to jump off a horse and she instantly turns into a pig - a reckless rejection of profitable offers of a hand and heart, after which her preferred freedom will soon seem hateful to her;

The girl dreams that she is riding a white horse over a hilly area and, looking around, constantly sees a rider on a black horse behind her - an alternation of successes and failures and constant anxiety in her soul for the fate of an important business for her;

A horse that fell from heaven and turned into a stranger who throws something at you is a serious failure, unfulfilled hopes and for some time the failure of your attempts to master the situation;

Horses grazing in the meadow are a well-established business and coordinated actions of your partners;

Barren pasture, dry land - poor but devoted friends. For a young person, this is a harbinger of a happy marriage;

Horse trader - material gain, but risky ventures;

Buying a horse and realizing in a dream that the merchant is deceiving you is a loss;

Not much to sell good horse, leaving himself a thoroughbred - to great luck;

To kill a horse is to hurt one of your friends with your selfishness;
to climb a horse - the successful completion of a difficult struggle;

Ride bareback in the company of men - honest people will come to your aid;

Also see Stable, Grapes, Ride, Stallion, Jockey, River, Stream, Horseshoe, Woman, Embankment, Wound, Ride.

Interpretation of dreams from Miller's Dream Interpretation

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Bulletin of the Chelyabinsk State University. 2013. No. 35 (326). Philology. Art history. Issue. 85. S. 99-103.

IMAGE OF A WAR-HORSE IN RUSSIAN BOGATYR EPICS

The question of the formation environment of the Russian heroic epic is considered. On the example of how a heroic warhorse is shown in epics, arguments are given in favor of the professional military affiliation of their creators.

Key words: heroic epics, protective complex, warhorse, information, information dominant, information trace, social environment, weaponry.

The question of the origin of the Russian heroic epic is one of the most difficult in Russian folklore. Its context also includes the problem of the environment for the formation of heroic epics. The dispute, which has been going on for a century and a half, has revealed two main options for its solution: supporters of the first consider the epics of the Kiev cycle as a product of the work of retinue and court singers (aristocratic theory), their opponents insist on the version of the peasant origin of the heroic epic. At the same time, for the latter, one of the most weighty arguments is the fact that the epics were recorded precisely in the peasant environment, moreover, geographically cut off, and even isolated from the territories on which Kievan Rus arose and developed and where princely and heroic squads. However, it is important to note that the environment of the existence of a folklore work and the environment of its formation do not always coincide. Folklore knows many examples when a text reflecting the attitude of one social group became popular in an environment that had nothing to do with its creation. And here is the time to recall the well-known thesis of V. G. Belinsky that not everything is popular, what exists among the people.

When deciding the issue of the origin of a folklore work, it turns out to be much more important not from whom it was recorded, but whose worldview and attitude expresses, what kind of life experience is reflected in it. And in this respect, heroic epics do not fit the definition of peasant creativity. Their informational dominant clearly indicates that the peasantry could not be the creator of these works. Russian heroic epics demonstrate the amazing awareness of their creators in

everything related to the training of an equestrian warrior, that is, a representative of that kind of troops, which in medieval society was staffed exclusively by professionals. The heroic epic contains information about the strategy and tactics of defensive and offensive combat of cavalry units, features different types duel (between heavily armed knights, between lightly armed knights, between a knight and a steppe). Its creators accurately describe the weapons and protective complex of an equestrian warrior. If we take into account that the epics in question were created in the 11th-13th centuries, that is, in that historical period when the social lower classes ceased to play any military role in the state and, therefore, were no longer trained in military art, then such awareness in military affairs causes surprise, but only if we consider the heroic epic as a product of peasant creativity. But if you see squad singers as its creators, then everything falls into place.

Consider all of the above on the example of how the epics of the Kyiv cycle describe the most important component of heroic weapons - a war horse. It is interesting that the epics tell a lot and in detail about the process of saddling a horse, but they do not say anything about its protection, about horse battle armor. In this regard, it is important to note that some researchers in the history of Russian weapons (for example, M.V. Gorelik1) express doubts that horse armor was generally used in Russia, while others (A.F. Medvedev2, A.N. Kirpichnikov, E. V. Chernenko3) speak of their limited use in the fight against nomads and their active use in clashes with European chivalry. It seems that the supporters of horse armor are still right. Both the Pechenegs and the Polovtsians protected their horses,

therefore, it is unlikely that Russian horsemen went out to fight with them without proper protection of their horses. This meant making them an easy target for enemy arrows and darts and thereby dooming themselves to defeat in advance. Another thing is that heavy armor protection was unsuitable here. This was due not only to the high maneuverability of the Pecheneg and Polovtsian detachments (heavy protection of the Russian horse would make it inactive), but also to the natural and climatic factor: many campaigns of Russian princes in the steppe lasted several days, or even weeks, while horses even they did not unsaddle, because in the event of a sudden attack by nomads, it was always necessary to be able to jump into the saddle and join the battle. Obviously, this is precisely what explains the fact that in the epics the hero saddles a horse only when he leaves home for the “open field”, but if the hero is talking about the stay of the knight in the border area or the territory of the enemy (in the field), then there is no saddle we are no longer talking: the hero, even after a long sleep, simply jumps on “his good horse”, which means that the horse is already saddled and ready for battle, as we see in the epic “The Battle of Dobrynya with the Danube”:

Our Dobrynya woke up from a sound sleep, He easily, soon galloped and on frisky legs, He shouted, roared in a loud voice: Oh, my horse, good horse and horse! You better run, horse, from the open field ... ”I heard his good horse in the open field. He ran to him and soon, hastily. Here Dobrynya galloped on a good horse, Yes, the heroes went to three fields ...

(Grigoriev4, II, No. 21)

Therefore, it is easy to imagine what it would be like in the steppe in the summer heat with animals dressed in heavy plate armor of the European type, how much sweat would accumulate under them, what irritation on the skin and what wounds it would cause, and how it would all affect the state of the horse. . Consequently, if horse armor was used in the steppe campaign, then, obviously, it was extremely lightweight, like those used by the nomads themselves.

All this gives reason to assume that if the heroes in the steppe do not have horses saddled, this means their demonstrative unwillingness to fight, as we see in the epic “Ilya Muromets and Kalin-Tsar”, where the heroes, led by Samson Samoylovich, at first refuse -

rush to beat the filthy together with Ilya Muromets, and then, having previously saddled the horses, come to his aid.

In general, judging by existing research, Rus' was not the birthplace of horse armor. Combat kits developed both in the East (steppe version) and in the West (European version) were used here. The question arises: did the epic heroes use horse armor, if epic songs do not give any description of it, as well as a description of the process of dressing a war horse in it? Obviously, they still used it, and traces of this in the epics that have come down to us are still preserved, although their informational trace is extremely weak and vague. This is probably due to the fact that the epics have been preserved for us by a social environment that is extremely far from the one in which the heroic epic took shape. For a peasant who, at best, harnessed his horse to a cart or a plow and lived centuries after the events described, the process of preparing a war horse was, of course, absolutely incomprehensible, so the information associated with it was transmitted mechanically, meaninglessly and, as a result, was subjected to active diffusion. Ultimately, this led to a full-blown information failure. Therefore, epics have practically lost information about horse armor. But since information cannot completely disappear, let's try to find traces of it in the epic songs that have come down to us.

Firstly, although vague, there is still a mention of horse armor in epics. So, in the epic "Bogatyr Outpost" Ilya Muromets says:

Oh, oh, you are, Russian heroes! You saddle, bridle and a good horse, You put all the harness and the horse, Put all the heroic seasoning.

(Onchukov5, No. 1)

Obviously, the “heroic seasoning” mentioned here is horse armor, which, indeed, was put on last. We find another similar example in the epic “Dobrynya Nikitich and Vasily Kazimirovich”:

As from far away, far away, from a pure field Two horses run, but two mighty ones With all the harness of a hero.

(Gulyaev6, No. 10)

Another indirect evidence of the presence of horse armor among Russian heroes is the description of the process of saddling a war horse. As a rule, in the epic it looks like this:

He began to saddle the horse for good: He puts a sweatshirt on the horse, And puts felt on the sweatshirt... And he put the sweatshirt on the sweatshirt, He put the Cherkasy saddle on the saddle... And tightened twelve girths

silk, And he pulled in damask hairpins, And put damask stepladders, He put red gold buckles ...

(Hilferding7, II, No. 75)

Bourka was saddled in a Cherkassy saddle... He put felts on his sweatpants, He put a Cherkassy saddle on felts, All the time tightening twelve tight girths. He laid the thirteenth and for the sake of strength ... The girths were silk, And the pegs at the girths were all damask ...

(Hilferding, II, No. 148)

As you can see, the process of saddling a heroic horse in such an image causes only bewilderment. First of all, a rather strange saddle attracts attention, in which there are either 12 or 13 girths, while the usual (including peasant) saddle has only one or two, and only the so-called cowboy saddles intended for rodeo , the number of girths can be up to four. Secondly, under the saddle we see some kind of puff cake made of sweatshirts, sweatshirts and felts, which also does not correspond to the saddle technology. It turns out that the performers of epics (peasants!) had no idea how to saddle a horse, if in the end they painted such a fantastic picture. This is hardly the case: after all, in those places where epics were recorded, horses were used in peasant farms, and horseback riding was also practiced there.

Then what's the matter? And most likely that the process of saddling a war horse in pre-Mongolian Rus' was so complicated and so different from the simple peasant version of the New Age that another information failure occurred. As a result, peasant performers tried to reduce his description to a process that was more understandable to them, and unfamiliar details of equipment were either discarded,

or "adapted" according to their own understanding. In fact, of course, there was no “layer cake” under the heroic (knightly) saddle: first, a sweatshirt was placed on the horse’s back, and then the saddle was installed. True, sometimes, in the case of using heavy protection of a warrior, when the mass of the latter increased significantly, in order not to knock down the horse's back, it was necessary to use an additional shock absorber placed between the sweatshirt and the saddle. Obviously, he is meant when the epic text speaks of "podpot-niche". By the way, this additional shock absorber is most often mentioned in connection with Ilya Muromets - the most powerful and, therefore, the heaviest of the Russian heroes.

As for the felts mentioned in the epics, they were not placed under the saddle, but were placed on it so that the warrior would be more comfortable and, accordingly, softer to sit. This was called lining. Most often, it was felt that was used for it, less often a leather pillow filled with wool or down acted in this role. In the pre-Mongolian period, the convenience of landing and greater stability was also provided to the rider by the "live bait" - a leather strip stretched between the bows of the saddle. Most likely, the thirteenth additional girth, often mentioned in epics, is the mentioned “bait live bait”:

Yes, I fastened twelve tight girths,

Yes, the thirteenth pulled through the ridge

Yes, not for the sake of the bass, but for the sake of the fortress,

Still for the sake of the support of the heroic.

(Grigoriev, II, No. 233)

At the same time, the question remains: what then is meant by the remaining ten girths? It is clear that in such numbers they could not have had anything to do with fixing the saddle, and only peasant fantasy attributed this appointment to them. Obviously, we are talking about horse armor, which was a complex of several parts with individual mounts. Unfortunately, in ancient Russian written sources there is no description of horse armor, but with a high degree of certainty it can be said that the armor used in battles with nomads differed little from the traditional oriental protective set, the description of which gives,

for example, Giovanni del Plano Carpini8: “They divide the covering of the horse into five parts: on the one hand one, and on the other hand the other, which extend from the tail to the head and are tied at the saddle and behind the saddle on the back and also on the neck; also on the sacrum they lay the other side where the bonds of the two sides join; in this piece they make a hole through which the tail is inserted, and the other side is also placed on the chest. All parts extend to the knees or to the ligaments of the shins; and in front of the forehead they put an iron strip, which on both sides of the neck connects with the above-named sides. Thus, the eastern horse armor was a system of two sidewalls with a breastplate, the lower edge of which fell below the horse’s knees, a breastplate, collar and a solid horse mask that covered the entire head of the animal, except for the eyes and mouth. A total of five parts with a pair of fasteners each, that is, in total we get the desired ten girths (and in this context, fastening belts). So, 10 armor straps plus 2 saddle straps and give the same 12 (belt) girths, which are constantly mentioned in epics (plus "live bait" - the thirteenth girth).

Another confirmation that Russian epic heroes use light horse armor in the steppe is their use of a whip as a means of horse riding. Heavy armor protection made the whip completely useless, and it was replaced by spurs. By the way, another reason for using the whip lay in the features of the saddle used in the steppe battle. In order for the rider to be more mobile in the conditions of a fleeting maneuverable battle and to be able to easily turn in the saddle and shoot from a bow or strike, it was equipped with low bows, which in turn determined short but wide stirrups. This made it possible for the warrior, having risen on them and held only by the shanks (the shankel is the inner part of the leg facing the horse from the knee to the ankle), to balance the body and, shock-absorbing with the legs, conduct aimed archery in any direction. The convenience was that the warrior got rid of shaking during the race: standing on short stirrups, he kept the body relatively calm even at fast gaits. But with such a landing, it was dangerous to use spurs, since they could seriously injure the horse, so the riders used

whether a whip. Obviously, therefore, heroic epics do not say anything about spurs, but at the same time they do not forget to mention stirrups and a whip:

And he takes a silk whip in his white hands,

And he beats the horse on the steep ribs ...

(Hilferding, II, No. 75)

Ilya beat the horse along the steep ribs ...

(Onchukov, No. 26)

The good fellows took the horses for a silken occasion,

And they got up in golyash stirrups ...

(Gulyaev, No. 10)

He stood in a stirrup valshchaty ...

(Kirsha Danilov10, No. 26)

Incidentally, the golden buckles and the golyash, wavy (that is, chiseled, carved, beautifully finished) stirrups are not a big exaggeration. Their luxury and price are not so much epic hyperbole as they reflect the real state of affairs. Expensive harness and expensive protective kit, which were used by both princes and boyars, and the highest warriors, indeed, were high examples of medieval decorated weapons, which were decorated with both precious metals and artistic forging.

In the epics, attention is also drawn to the fact that the heroes themselves often harness their horses and dress them in battle armor themselves. This is no coincidence. The chivalric code ordered the warrior to prepare the horse himself before the battle (“to delve into everything yourself,” as Vladimir Monomakh wrote in his “Instruction”), in order to be sure that at the crucial moment your horse will not let you down. Therefore, we see how in the epics Dobrynya Nikitich saddles his horse before the battle with the Serpent, Ilya Muromets - before the battle with Tsar Kalin, Potap Artamonovich - before the battle with the army of the Skurla Tsar. But at the same time, Konstantin Leonidovich, going on a long trip (that is, not intending to fight), does not saddle his horse himself. This less responsible task was always entrusted to servants:

Went out on the porch on the red:

“Grooms, henchmen!

Saddle me a good horse soon ... "

(Kirsha Danilov, No. 26)

Thus, even under the conditions of the strongest information failure caused by the long-term storage of epics in a social environment that was originally alien to them, epic texts still retained traces of information reflecting the life and professional experience of the retinue-knight class, which clearly indicates him as the most likely creator of these works.

Notes

1 Gorelik, M.V. Weapons of the Ancient East. M., 1993.

2 Medvedev, A.F. On the history of lamellar armor in Rus' // Council. archeology. 1959. No. 2. S.119-134.

3 Kirpichnikov A.N. Horse fighting headgear of the first half of the 13th century. from the South Kiev region / A. N. Kirpichnikov, E. V. Chernenko // Slavs and Rus'. M., 1968.

4 Arkhangelsk epics and historical songs collected by A. D. Grigoriev in 1899-1901. T. II. Prague, 1939.

5 Pechora epics. SPb., 1904.

6 Epics and songs of southern Siberia. Novosibirsk, 1952.

7 Onega epics recorded by A.F. Gilferding in the summer of 1871. Vols. I-III. M.-L., 1949-1951.

8 Giovanni del Plano Carpini, a member of the Order of the Minorites (one of the divisions of the Franciscan order), together with the Franciscans Benedict from Poland and Stephen from the Czech Republic, was sent by Pope Innocent IV to the Great Khan Guyuk. The formal purpose of this trip is an attempt to convert the Mongols to Christianity, but in fact it was a well-prepared reconnaissance mission.

9 Giovanni del Plano Caripini. History of the Mongols. M., 1997.

10 Ancient Russian poems collected by Kirshe Danilov. M.; L., 1958.

The horse (komon, plying, tarpan) is one of the most revered animals among the Slavs. White and red horses were considered messengers of warmth and sunlight, of all good. The Slavs believed that a chariot, drawn by three horses, carried the solar disk across the firmament. The proverbs and sayings reflected the patience, endurance and immoderate appetite of horses. Images of skates protected the dwellings of the Slavs from harmful spirits and hostile navia. (jcomments on)

Since time immemorial, the horse has been an indispensable helper and friend for man. The horse was required everywhere and everywhere: on the battlefield and on peaceful arable land, hunting and traveling: She was dressed in armor, harnessed to royal carriages and wretched peasant droshky, for a horse they ‘gave half their kingdom’ (sometimes in the literal sense of the word).

The legendary horse of Alexander - Macedonian - Bucephalus - was buried with royal honors, and the tyrant-emperor Caligula even made his favorite a member of the Roman Senate. The horse was the breadwinner of the poor and the pride of the powerful. You can talk about horses endlessly, but: All this was, was, was. The interest in the horse has not faded in the world, but at the present time, basically, 'live horses have been replaced by steel cavalry'. The equestrian business in Russia in recent years has had a particularly hard time - many stud farms have closed or vegetate in poverty, breeding work is in a deplorable state, hope is only for enthusiasts, whose number is slowly but still growing over the years. First of all, these are athletes, and then those who care about their health, and then those who care about their health, the health of their children, and, finally, just lovers of beauty.

First of all, especially for the townspeople, communication with a horse is associated with riding. Man has been doing it for more than five millennia. Images of horsemen were found on Persian engravings dated around 3000 BC. The charm and beneficial power of riding was conveyed by M. Yu. Lermontov in The Tale of the Mountain of Our Time: ‘: I sat on horseback and galloped into the steppe; I love to ride on a hot horse: Whatever sorrow lies on the heart, whatever anxiety torments the thought, everything will dissipate in a minute; the soul will become light, the fatigue of the body will overcome the anxiety of the mind. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, in his invaluable work ‘Experiences’, states: ‘I am reluctant to get off the horse, since I have sat on it, because I am healthy or sick, I feel best riding’.

HORSE - one of the most mythologized sacred animals; attribute of higher pagan gods; chthonic creature associated with the cult of fertility and death, the afterlife; guide to the next world. In ancient times, the horse was considered the brainchild of both Belbog (the elements of light) and Chernobog (the elements of darkness); at the same time, a white horse was usually dedicated to the light god, and a black one to the dark one.

All these manifestations of the element of fire are often embodied in mythological horses, which, apparently, are the emanations of this more ancient and meaningful symbol.

Serbian songs call the horse fire-bearing, and the toy horses of the Western Slavs are painted red.

The legend ascribes to the horse properties inherent in the unconscious person, which is expressed in the very metaphor of the Centaur. The torso of a person is his consciousness, the lower part (the croup and legs of the horse) is the unconscious. The horse has the gift of clairvoyance and supernatural hearing, the gift of a guide, leads those who are lost on the right path. Inherent in the horse and the gift of divination. In the Iliad, a horse makes an ominous speech, voicing the words of the dead to people when they are being taken to bury. A horse with human legs predicts to Caesar that he will conquer the world.

Since ancient times, Rus' has identified itself with the image of a horse: “Where are you rushing, Rus'?”.

The brightest and most colorful horse in Russian tales is Sivko-Burko. In one version of the tale, he is described as a horse with "one hair is gold, the other is silver." In another version of the tale, an equally impressive picture is drawn: “Sivko runs, only the earth trembles, flames burst from his eyes, and smoke from his nostrils.” In fact, there are about 60 Russian versions of the tale about Sivka-Burka, but these two are the most characteristic.

Speaking of Sivka-Burka and, in general, about heroic horses, Russian folk tales resort to expressions that are repeated word for word every time: “the horse runs - the earth trembles, sparks pour from the eyes, a column of smoke comes from the nostrils, firebrands fall from the back ..” And when a mighty hero mounts a horse and beats him on steep hips: “... a good horse becomes angry, separates from the damp earth, rises above the standing forest, which is lower than the walking cloud; fire blazes from the nostrils, a column of smoke from the ears, hot firebrands follow; passes mountains and valleys between legs, covers small rivers with its tail, jumps over wide rivers.

Look - after all, the heroic horse has been given all the properties of a thundercloud: brown color, extraordinary speed, flight through the sky, the ability to jump over seas, mountains and abysses, exhalation of a burning flame and an all-terrific stomp, from which the very earth trembles: “The horse runs - the earth trembles! »

The description of how Ivan the Fool became the owner of Sivka Burka also differs. In one legend, he receives a horse as a gift from his late father for doing his will and spending the night on the grave of an old man. In another, Sivko faithfully serves Ivan in return for the fact that he, having caught a horse when he trampled a field of wheat, lets him go. But in both versions of the tale, the main character becomes handsome after "he climbed into one ear of Sivka and crawled out into the other." Then Ivan the Fool rides a horse to the palace. There, Sivko-Burko jumps to the princess's window, which no ordinary horse can do, and Ivan takes out an embroidered portrait (or ring) of the princess. Sivko-Burko became the prototype of the Humpbacked Horse from the fairy tale of the same name by Ershov.

The mysterious images of fairy-tale horses have been disturbing the imagination of people for many centuries and serve as a source of inspiration. .

In the form of wonderful horses, all the significant phenomena of nature were represented - winds, clouds and thunderclouds, a quick flash of lightning.

For example, the Morning Dawn (Dennitsa) leads the bridles of shining white horses (dawn clouds), driving away all harmful creatures with fiery arrows (beams of the rising sun). During the day, the horses turn red (red), in the evening - gray (dark gray) and the Evening Dawn takes them away from the sky. Night is a black (black) horse. At this time, the Hors solar disk illuminates the underworld. Stars and constellations were also compared with horses, and the Milky Way with the milk of a heavenly mare. Noteworthy is the connection of horses with dew - healing water with strong magical properties. With the advent of the Sun, the dew disappears, and the heavenly horses drink it.

Horses were compared to swift-winged birds, the embodiment of everything dynamic, violent, restless and at the same time wise. The natural power of a horse is difficult to tame, it can only be controlled by a strong and confident rider. To tame a wild horse in a metaphorical language means to tame nature itself, to force it to give up part of its limitless possibilities. For many nations, such a test was part of the initiation rite, which every man must go through.

The rider on a horse is a multifaceted symbol. It brings with it rapid change, often leading to death and destruction. If the light horse personifies the joy of sunlight, then the black horse carries Death itself on its back. Hordes of nomads came from the far south of the steppe, and the clatter of horses' hooves brought bad news. Since then, the black fire-breathing horse has been an image of every misfortune, a demon serving the dark force. Prophetic Oleg died from the bite of a snake that crawled out of the skull of the prince's beloved horse.

Brownies and other yard spirits like to ride horses. They caress and preen their favorites, and if they want to annoy the owner, then roll them to death. Sacred horses were at every major pagan sanctuary. Many proverbs and signs are associated with horses. Attributes horse harness, horseshoes, bells, horse skulls - all this was considered powerful amulets, protection from troubles, a guarantee of good luck and prosperity.

Horse time is the end of spring. Colors - white, red, gray, black

Proverbs and signs:

The horse stumbled on the threshold - to trouble

The warrior's horse sniffs - to death

The patient raves about horses - he will die soon

The neighing of a horse is for good, but when parting - for a long separation

Not in horse food

Kingdom without a thunderstorm, like a horse without a bridle

Happiness on a horse, misfortune under a horse

The pig did not leave the horse with its snout and tail

They do not look at a given horse's teeth

Who went on horseback to carry water

Living, beautiful and noble,
Eternally subject, eternally free,
Passionate, ardent and rebellious,
Terrible in anger, somewhat absurd.
Warm, gentle, forever desired,
Bold, kind, somewhat strange,
Quiet, meek and careful,
Externally simple, internally complex.
Sweet-cheerful and good-natured,
Cunningly stubborn, yet obedient,
Sethe heart is hot, incomprehensible to us.
Strong, fast, often playful,
Languid, nervous, proudly obstinate,
Smart, loyal, very vulnerable,
Forever and everywhere dearly loved.
Only subject to the wind and time,
Free born, eternally beautiful.

Yesterday I was traveling with the Drozdiv Cossack Prokop Yarmolenko from Drozdovka to Perekhodovka on the road, we somehow talked about horses, and I told him that I had seen six or seven years ago in Chernigov at the Zemstvo stables a very good Karabakh stallion, that because of that stallion six thousand rubles were paid, and as they once led him from Nosovka to Chernigov, he was held on ropes by two soldiers and ten men.
- Do you know where the horse is now? .
“His God,” I say, “knows: those Zemstvo stables are now empty, and the horses are either sold out or something.
- So I know where the horse is, - says Yarmolenko, smiling somehow wisely, - he found the owner.
- What owner? .
- Yes, not that, - says Yarmolenko, - when you say that it was such a horse that they kept it with difficulty at twelve, then it was a vague horse, not simple, but heroic. And such a horse will never be held by a simple person, and when he comes he’s uremia - he will certainly run away and find a hero-owner. Here we have a Muscovite Retired, so he went to work in the Black Sea region and told a thing about this “Kosylo,” he says, “the owner has twenty of us, and maybe more And he was between us, only God knows where, how many people didn’t ask - the Man doesn’t say, like all people: and he mowed like everyone else, only it was how we occupy you, he will never sit down with people, but will enter his bread there and everything and he sits at a distance and eats. Here we are oblique, - says that soldier, - for three weeks, that, somehow, a horse even runs against us, and such a soldier says, - the whole world went down, but I didn’t see such a good horse. Here is the ataman and says: “ Well, guys, catch this Congo horse, then, apparently, it will be from someone for a serving. you won’t catch this horse, he won’t let anyone near him except me. ”We were in laughter and to the horse We surrounded him with about twenty people, let’s approach, and he gnashed his teeth like a zarzhe - like a thunder swept, and We are scattered on us, and he flew over us like a bird, and Odbyr stood a little, as if rooted to the spot. “And what, brothers,” this man says, “have you caught?” - "Will you catch it?" - The ataman asks "I'll catch it!" - "Look, - says the ataman, feed."
And the ataman, and us too, is annoyed, which means that we all did not catch the horse, but he is taken. That man goes to the horse - he stands like a lamb; he came up completely, took him by the mane, stroked his neck, stroked his head, standing The horse stood up Stroked it like that and said: “Great, comrade. I have been waiting for you for a long time and still waiting, now,” he says, “we won’t part” The horse is like a zarzhe! But to us, and the horse is standing “Well,” he says to the owner, “now we need to grove and say goodbye.” And he, therefore, has not yet taken a penny for work. - he says, - my time has come, I have to go where God sends me. Send you, - he says to the owner, - buy one and a half buckets of vodka for my money, let's drink goodbye goodbye!
Here he took two kegs: one was half a bucket, the second was viderkovy, sat on the master's horse - he arrived in an instant with vodka. That man took a pivviderkovy keg: “Here I am,” he says, “brothers, a portion, and this is for you.” And he gives we saw a keg, and having opened the funnel, he put the keg in his mouth, threw back his head and so with the spirit of half a bucket and blew out “But I won’t have a snack,” he says, “I don’t want to offend you, because according to the CNU, after these portions, I won’t have a snack all that bread, the owner has prepared for you "So he took a cap of bread and threw it into his mouth" Well, now, - he says, - goodbye! Still, I give you a portion! "But he came to the horse, took him by the mane, and so without a saddle and bridle, and sat down. The horse, as if he jumped, so with all four legs on the toe and knocked out the knees on his knees. Here we are, - says that soldier, - we went on the trail, right up to everywhere you know: where the horse steps with his foot, so the kopeck on his knees went on wings, because the heroic horses are winged wings!
- What does it mean? .
- What does it mean? he did, like all people. But his time came, his horse found him, he was allotted, so he went to his city, to the service.
- What is their service, and where do they live, these heroes?
- God their saint knows! .