Magic horses. Magic Horse: Fairy Tale

Sacred animals since ancient times - horses are associated with fertility, magic, clairvoyance, signs, sorcerers and pagan deities. Angel horses, ghost horses or demons, horses of the sun, moon, sea, night, as well as centaurs, hippogriffs and unicorns - they all embodied on the pages of this book. You will learn about wedding and funeral rites associated with a horse, about the symbolism of a horseshoe, about gods and saints who patronize horses, about a Trojan horse and Valkyries.

Magic horses

All of us with early childhood are familiar with the wonderful horses that inhabit a certain fairy-tale country, but I am sure that many will be surprised to learn how many different legends are connected with such creatures. Here are the most typical examples; many of them are truly breathtaking and quite dramatic.

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

Among the works of Scottish minstrels (Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border) we find the following story about a magic horse and its rider.

“Osbert, a brave and powerful baron, visited a noble family who lived near Wandlebury in the Diocese of Ely. Among the stories that were passed from mouth to mouth in the circle of his friends, who were entertained by the recollection of ancient tales and legends, the guest also heard this: if an unaccompanied knight leaves in the moonlight on a nearby plain and challenges an opponent, the spirit of a certain knight.

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

Osbert, who challenged him, was immediately attacked by his opponent, who was immediately knocked out of the saddle and grabbed the reins of his horse. At this time, the ghost knight jumped to his feet and threw his spear at Osbert, wounding the latter in the thigh. Osbert returned victorious, leading a horse, which he entrusted to the care of his servants. The horse was black, like all his harness, frisky and very beautiful. He stayed with the new owner until the first roosters, and then his eyes flashed with fire, he hit the ground with his hoof and disappeared.

Taking off his battle dress, Osbert finally realized that he was wounded and that one of his metal boots was full of blood ... After that, until the knight's death, the wound on his thigh opened on the anniversary of the duel with a ghostly rival.

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

The knight, despite the attempts of his comrade to hold him back, rushed forward to fight with the brave warrior who was out of order of strange creatures. The knight and his horse were very quickly defeated by the enemy to the ground. The knight's companion managed to escape, and the next morning, returning, he found the mutilated bodies of a friend and his horse on the ground.

The ancient Scottish family of MacLeans of Lochbury was warned of impending death by the spirit of an ancestor slain in battle. They say that he galloped along the rocky shore, and then circled the family residence three times; at the same time, his magic bridle made a strange sound - this is how he notified about the approaching death. Perhaps his faithful stallion carried him to the last battle and fell on the battlefield along with his rider, although the magic bridle, mentioned quite definitely, rather connects its owner with the country of the elves. Therefore, we made the decision to include the story in this category, and not in the section on ghosts. Probably, the horse and its rider after death were admitted to a magical land.

There are many stories about such tolerances even during his lifetime. The door between the two worlds is by no means always closed, although mortal beings who enter it very rarely have the desire to return back. For them, time ceases to exist and life becomes a constant joy. Although those who loved in their world cannot completely forget about it, and the death of loved ones often turns out to be such a powerful spell that it calls mortals even from a magical land.

The following story is told by Dr. Graham.

“One day a young man, walking in the woods, noticed certain subjects, dressed in green, appearing from one of the round hills, which are usually called magical hills. Each of them successively addressed someone else by name with a request to bring a horse. Soon a saddled horse appeared, they all sat on it and rushed somewhere up. The young man ventured to pronounce the same name and asked to bring his horse, which at the same moment appeared. He mounted and joined the magical riders. The young man stayed with them for a year, attending fairs and weddings. Once the groom sneezed, and the young man, according to custom, said: "The Lord blesses you." The wizards got angry because he mentioned God out loud. When he committed the same offense a third time, they threw him off a cliff. The young man remained alive and well and returned to the society of mortals.

Here we see an example of the mentioned open door. The story also illustrates the fact that wizards have a preference for horses that have the ability to fly.

Nearly two centuries ago, Mount Southerfell in the Cumberland was haunted by ghostly horses and their riders. The first human beings to witness this terrible invasion were a shepherd named John Wren of Wilton Hill and his servant Daniel Stricket. On a warm summer evening in 1743, the two of them, sitting on the porch of their house, suddenly noticed a man with a dog chasing several horses on the steep and slippery slopes of Mount Southerfell. Although horses could hardly stand on a steep slope at all, these creatures rushed at an unusually high speed and disappeared at the foot of the mountain. Highly intrigued, Wren and Stricket set off for the mountain the next morning, expecting to find the dead body of the reckless pursuer and the wrecked horses, or at least their tracks. But they found no indication that there had been a dramatic chase there the day before. Not wanting to be ridiculed by their neighbors, they did not tell anyone about what they saw for a long time, but when they finally decided, they were really ridiculed. Nothing else of interest happened until June 23 (St. John's Day) the following year. By this time, Stricket had changed hands and was now employed by Mr. Lancaster of Blake Hill, near Wilton Hill. He was taking a walk in the morning when he chanced to glance towards Southerfell and saw a group of horsemen moving rather quickly up the steep slope. Stricket stared dumbfounded at the unusual picture for some time, but nevertheless managed to pull himself together and decided to call someone to witness. Of course, he was afraid of ridicule, but the picture was so real that he still ventured to ask the owner to go outside, explaining that he wanted to show him something. Mr. Lancaster went out expecting to see the fires that the shepherds used to kindle on St. John's Eve, but, to his no small amazement, he saw the scene just described. After making sure that both see the same thing, the men called the rest of the servants, and everyone was able to observe the unusual phenomenon. Groups of riders seemed to emerge from the swampy lowlands and become visible to the inhabitants of the town at a place called Noth. From there, they moved in marching formation in a winding line along the mountainside. Once opposite Blake Hill, the riders began to hide behind the mountain. The penultimate rider from each squad galloped forward, after which he began to adhere to the same speed as his comrades. By comparing their observations, the inhabitants of Blake Hill found that they all saw relative changes in position in the same way and at the same time. This phenomenon was observed not only by the witnesses we mentioned, but also by all the inhabitants within a radius of a mile. The procession moved for two and a half hours, counting from the moment when Stricket noticed it, after which the thickening darkness prevented further observations. Blake Hills was half a mile from the procession.

The incident was observed on June 23 on the side of a mountain located between Penrith and Keswick. Mr. Lancaster's story was written down and its veracity was witnessed by himself and Daniel Stricket. It is given by Clark in his work on the lakes (Survey of the Lakes, 1789).

Mr. Clark suggested that the vision might have been prophetic, foreshadowing the uprising that took place a year later.

One more similar example can be given. Lord Lindsay described how his friend and companion Mr. William Wardlow Ramsey, crossing the Arabian Desert, noticed large group horses and riders moving along the dunes. According to accurate information subsequently obtained, there could not have been any horsemen in the vicinity at that time. Mr. Lindsay speaks of his friend's experience as a prime example of "that exalted state which the imagination naturally assumes in scenes not too pleasing to the ordinary senses of men," but this gives us no clue. Obviously, he means that his friend simply imagined the riders. He goes on to describe Mr. Rumsey as "a man of 'excellent, sharp eyesight, not disposed to undue gullibility and prejudice'." To top it off, he adds that he was never able to get rid of the conviction that he clearly saw the horsemen in reality. For the Arabs, however, such explanations are completely superfluous. For those who spend their whole lives in the hot silence of the desert, such fleeting encounters with the inhabitants of another world are quite common. But they are treated without lightness, on the contrary, with reverent fear, and they believe that they portend the death of the one who saw them. By the way, this was also confirmed in the case described. A few weeks after meeting with the riders, Mr. Ramsey died in Damascus.

It may well be that the reason Strange Riders are the ones who are close to the last line is not at all because they want to warn of imminent death. It's just that people who have come to the end of their life's journey sharpen their spiritual perception, and they notice the inhabitants of other worlds - interpenetrating astral regions that are usually invisible.

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

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

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

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

There is a curious and very interesting legend in Cheshire about the adventures in which a local farmer was involved in the possession of a white horse. According to legend, in the 12th or 13th century, a certain farmer lived in Mobberley, who had a beautiful white horse, which he decided to sell at the fair in Macclesfield. On the opening day of the fair, he went there on horseback. It was an early morning. The road ran past the moorland around Alderley Edge. On the way, he bent down to tidy up the horse's mane, and then he sensed that she was worried. Raising his head, he was surprised to see a tall, imposing figure dressed in a monastic robe blocking his path with a black wooden staff. The vision made it clear to the farmer that his idea was hopeless, because Providence had destined for his horse a much more important mission. Having ordered the farmer to wait for him (together with the horse) at the same place in the evening, when the sun had set, the ghost disappeared.

The farmer doubted the words of the strange monk and decided to continue on his way to the fair. However, all his efforts to sell the horse were in vain. He halved the price, but still no one wanted to buy the horse, although many admired its beauty. Then he decided that he must face the danger and meet the strange monk at the appointed place. Calling on all his courage to help, he went to the moorland. The monk was punctual. Seeing the farmer, he told him to follow him and led him past Golden Stone and Stormy Point to Saddle Bowl. When they arrived at the place, the neighing of horses became audible, and the sound clearly came from under their feet. The monk waved his black staff, the earth parted, and a heavy iron gate appeared to the gaze of the astonished farmer. The farmer's horse darted away in fright and threw off the rider, who, no less frightened, collapsed at the feet of his ghostly companion and begged for mercy. The monk urged the man to be courageous and enter the cave, where he would see something that no mortal had ever seen. Entering the gate, the farmer found himself in a spacious cave, on both sides of which stood horses, the color and size of which were an exact copy of his horse. Near them lay soldiers in the armor of bygone times, and in the rocky recesses were piles of weapons, as well as gold and silver in ancient coins. The monk took some coins and gave them to the farmer in payment for the horse, and when asked about the meaning of the strange sight, he answered the following:

“These warriors imprisoned in a cave are preserved by the good genius of England until that momentous day when, mad with internal turmoil, England will be thrice conquered and lost from dawn to dusk. Then we will awaken from our sleep and rise to change the fate of Britain. This will happen when George, son of George, reigns, when the forests of Delamere rumble over the slain sons of Albion. Then the eagle will drink the blood of princes from decapitated bodies. Now hurry home, because all this will not happen at your time. Cheshire (Chester) will speak of it and be heard."

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

A sign for a small inn on Monk's Heath near Macclesfield ("Iron Gate") commemorates this event. It depicts a heavy gate opening in obedience to the gesture of a figure in a cassock, before which a yeoman knelt. In the background is a beautiful white horse, and in the distance a view of Alderley Edge.

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

“Thomas of Ersildown, having retired, was believed to have collected some forces from time to time to take part in hostilities at times of crisis for the country. The story has often been told of a merchant who sold a black horse to a man of respectable and old-fashioned appearance, who designated a little hill in the Eildon Hills region called Laken Har as the place where the seller would receive his money at exactly 12 o'clock in the morning. He came, received the price of the horse in old coins, after which the buyer invited him to inspect his home. The seller, in the deepest astonishment, proceeded past long rows of stalls in which horses stood motionless, and at the feet of each lay an armed warrior. The wizard explained in a whisper that all these people would awaken during the Battle of Sheriffmuir. At the end of this unusual vault, a sword and a horn hung on the wall. The prophet pointed them out as a means to remove the spell. The man, without thinking twice, picked up the horn and blew. And then the horses in the stalls became restless, the warriors stood up, there was a rattling of armor. The mortal, frightened by what he had done, dropped the horn. And a voice that resounded around like the voice of a giant spoke the following words:

Damn the coward for what he could do, For he did not take the sword before he blew on the horn.

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

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

It is said that a horse trader once, when the count made his next trip, found the cave open and illuminated. He was so shocked by what he saw that he dropped the bridle he was carrying in his hands. The sound of her fall, which seemed surprisingly loud in the huge cave, woke the sleeping warrior nearby. He raised his head and asked: “What, is it time already?” The uninvited visitor guessed to answer: "Not yet, but soon."

The warrior put his head down on the table again, and all was quiet, and the horse-dealer wasted no time in fleeing.

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

One day, while returning to France after a successful military campaign in the east, his ship crashed against the rocks and all his companions died. The prince set off along the coast and came across a magical castle, invisible by day, but shining brightly with lights at night. Here he was met by the magical horse Papillon, known for his wisdom and magical powers. The next day, when the prince was walking in a flowering meadow, Morgana herself appeared to him. She gave him a magic ring that restored his lost youth, and put on his head a crown of oblivion that erased the past from his memory. For two hundred years he lived in a magical land with King Arthur, Lancelot, Oberon and Tristan, spending time in constant entertainment, but the day came when the crown of oblivion fell from his head and the memory of the past returned. The prince immediately wished to go to France, and his mistress, the beautiful horse Papillon, soon fulfilled his wish. There he helped defend Paris from the Norman invasion. When the Prince completed his mission, Morgana took him back to the Isle of Avalon, where he would stay with his friends and the magical horse until his country needed it again.

In Serbia, they believe that Prince Marko and his horse Sharac sleep in a cave on Mount Urvina. And while they rest, the king's sword slowly rises from the top of the mountain, as if from a scabbard. When he becomes fully visible, Marko will again be in the saddle of Sharats and free his country from enemies. From time to time he wakes up to look at the sword and see if his time has come. Sharats chews hay in anticipation, but his stocks are already coming to an end, so the momentous hour is about to come.

But even during such a long wait, it seems that Marco and his horse sometimes come out of their secluded hiding place to help their country. The most striking example of their deeds can be found in the International Newspaper Physicist of May 1913, which contains an article entitled "How a 14th-century Serbian prince won a miraculous victory in the last war." The author of the article was present at a banquet where General Misic spoke of an incident that had taken place just a few days earlier. The Serbian infantry was ordered to wait at the foot of Mount Prilip (near which the castle of Marko still stands) for the approach of their artillery, which was significantly superior to the Turkish. The troops were specifically warned that the assault on the fort should not begin until a special order was received. All morning the infantry calmly waited, when the first cannon shots rang out, the commanders noticed excitement in the troops, then frantic screams were heard, and people ran with all their might to Marco's castle. The general heard the captain's voice ordering to stop, but no one paid any attention to him. Other commanders also tried to keep the soldiers, urging them to reasonable caution and explaining that the fort could not be taken without artillery support. Everything was in vain! People fled under enemy fire and fell dead in dozens. The general closed his eyes. He felt the blood run cold in his veins. Everything was going horribly. A catastrophic defeat and indelible shame awaited him. The approaching Serbian artillery ceased fire so as not to shoot at their own comrades, who grappled with the Turks. A few minutes later, the Serbian flag was hoisted on the main tower of Marko's castle. The Turks fled in disorder. The Serbian victory was complete.

When General Misic arrived at the castle, it turned out that the losses of the Serbs were insignificant. He praised the soldiers for their bravery, but could not help but rebuke them for disobeying orders. To this, the general received a chorus answer that the soldier was led into the attack by Prince Marko: “How, didn’t you notice him riding on Sharatsa?”

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

Although Marko and Šarac are semi-historical figures and occupy approximately the same position in Serbian history as King Arthur in English history, according to some legends, they had a magical origin. Marco is said to be the son of Vila, the fairy queen, and a dragon. Sharats - a wonderful piebald stallion - was a gift to Marco from the same sorceress, who also endowed the horse with magical powers. But according to another legend, Marko bought Sharac as a colt suffering from leprosy, cured him, taught him to drink wine and eventually raised him into a magnificent horse. There is another legend, according to which Marco served his master for three years for the right to choose a horse from those that grazed in a certain meadow. The selection method he employed highlights his magical origins, as he lifted each horse by the tail and twirled it overhead. Finally, he approached a piebald colt, which, despite his supernatural strength, he could not even move. There is hardly any doubt that he chose this foal. The prince named the colt Sharats, which means "piebald", and for the next 160 years they were the closest friends. Marco was often said to be "a dragon sitting on the back of a dragon." The king's son loved the horse more than his brother, fed from his plate and gave wine to drink from his cup. And Sharats was worthy of his master's love. The horse was so swift that it could even catch up with a flying sorceress. He struck sparks with his hooves, and blue flames escaped from his nostrils. Under his feet, the ground cracked and stones flew in all directions. But he treated the owner with such tenderness and attention that Marco could feel completely safe and sleep peacefully in the saddle while the horse made his way along the steep mountain paths. Yes, and on the battlefield, Sharats always knew exactly when to kneel down to protect the owner from the enemy's spear, and when to rear up to hit the enemy's horse with his front legs. He could trample Turkish soldiers with his hooves and bite off the ears of their horses. In addition, he was able to jump up three lengths of a spear, and forward four lengths.

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

According to one of them, a blacksmith was cutting the grass in his meadow when a stranger suddenly appeared and suggested that he stop working and follow him. The guide led the blacksmith into the bowels of the mountain. There, to his surprise, he saw sleeping warriors. Each of them sat on a horse, leaning forward and burying his head in her neck. The stranger asked the blacksmith to shoe the horses and provided all the necessary tools for this, but warned that the blacksmith must be careful not to hurt any sleeping warrior in the process. The blacksmith skillfully completed the work entrusted to him, but when he was shoeing the last horse, he accidentally touched the rider, who started up and asked: “What, is it time already?” The stranger, making a sign to the blacksmith to keep quiet, calmly replied: "Not yet." Silence reigned in the cave again.

The blacksmith shod all the horses, received old horseshoes as a reward for his work, and set off home. At home, he found that he had been absent for a whole year, and the old horseshoes that he had in his bag were made of pure gold.

Another legend tells how a servant was leading two horses through Blahnik and suddenly heard the snorting of horses and the sounds of military music. They were the knights of King Venzelius, returning from military exercises. The horses led by the man became completely uncontrollable, rushed somewhere deep into the mountain, and he was forced to follow them. When he finally got home, it turned out that ten years had passed, although, according to his calculations, only ten days had passed. The curious diversion of time or loss of sense of time noted in this and the previous case is a common experience among those who have been among wizards, if, of course, their stories can be trusted. The turning into gold of completely useless gifts, which occurred after the return of a person who visited a magical country to mortal life, is also a very characteristic method of magicians, which helped the author to decide to place the mentioned traditions in this particular chapter.

Grohman has preserved for us another version of the Blanik mountain legend. According to her, the knight Stoymir is a hero, bewitched by a spell, under the influence of which he will be until the appointed day of deliverance. The mountain was the site of his last battle, in which both he and his entire squad perished. After the end of the battle, when the enemies withdrew, the knight's friends came to bury the dead and help the wounded, but did not find a single body. They assumed that the enemy took them with him to demand a ransom. When night fell, the people living in the neighborhood were awakened by a strange noise. It looked like an army was walking by. Coming out of the houses, they saw the slain knights practicing on their horses. Then they took the animals to the river to get drunk and returned to the bowels of the mountain.

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

The Valkyries, strikingly beautiful girls from Scandinavian mythology, ride no less beautiful and surprisingly swift white horses. Their mission is to select the bravest warriors who died in battle to be transported to Valhalla, where the great Odin rules and where the heroes meet again at a merry festival, during which Odin's maidens pour sweet honey into bowls.

J. C. Dollman has depicted fantastic horses and their lovely riders for us in Flight of the Valkyries, which shows them flying through a stormy sky. No less expressive is the painting by K. Dilits “The Chosen One of the Slain”, depicting one of the Valkyries on a magnificent horse, rising into the sky with the body of a slain warrior thrown over the pommel of the saddle. Thus, some of the dead were chosen by the Valkyries and delivered on their horses over the rainbow bridge - Bivrest (Bilrest) - to Valhalla. There they were met by the sons of Odin Hermod and Bragi and escorted to the foot of the throne of their father. According to some sources, there were nine Valkyries, others give different numbers - from three to sixteen. Their mission involved not only those who fell in battle on land, but also those who died at sea, and they often flew over the waves and snatched dying Vikings from sinking ships. Sometimes they stood on the shore and beckoned them to them. It was an unmistakable sign that the approaching battle would be the last for those who saw them, and great was the joy of the latter.

Mrs. Hemans described the scene very beautifully.

They moved slowly towards the seashore;

As they approached, it became clear

That each sits on a high light horse

With fluttering lush mane.

They beckoned with pale hands

From the dark rocky shore

Showing a shimmering spear.

And then peace of mind descended upon him

And he looked without fear at the unearthly inhabitants,

For he knew well that the daughters of Valhalla

The dead are chosen.

Song of the Valkyrie

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

Matthew Arnold describes their actions as follows:

Across the battlefield, where warriors fell one by one,

Their horses galloped, drowning their hooves in blood.

They took the bravest warriors from death

Which at night they took with them to better world,

To please the gods and feast in Odin's hall.

Wagner did not take into account the generally accepted notion that Valkyries' horses are always white, and mentions gray and bay colors. “My gray will gladly graze next to your bay,” one of the girls in his opera Valkyrie tells her sister.

Nightmare is a mythical unicorn with a blazing fire instead of a mane. The nightmar's coat is black with a bluish tint, the eyes are yellow or orange, without pupils. They are afraid of sunlight. They live in forests and near mountain meadows. The hooves of these unicorns are charged with great negative energy. Nightmare blood is used by black mages to prepare the strongest poisons. These creatures are dangerous to approach, capable of breathing fire and tearing flesh with a single bite. Even a self-rescuer will not save you from Nightmares. A plant with dark poisonous berries grows at the site of the nightmar's death. Unbroken Nightmares serve only their own lust and anger. Unlike normal horses, Nightmares are intelligent and only use their horse form to deceive others. These black unicorns know your worst fears, and if you fall asleep in a place where they live, they will appear to you in a dream in the form of your fear.

Leber is a horse with swan wings. Lebers usually live in small herds, and most often fly to the coast of Loch Ness. Leber is distinguished not only by a specific swan appearance, but also by the so-called swan fidelity ... This horse will be with you until death, and will never betray you.

Continued under the cut. A lot of!

Kirin is a Japanese unicorn mythical creature, personifying the desire for a generous harvest and personal security. It is said that he is a fierce follower of justice and law, and that he sometimes appeared in court, killed the guilty and saved the innocent. Kirin is the most important animal deity. The Japanese Kirin, in contrast to the Chinese Qilin, has acquired much more "aggressive" features. So, for example, the property was attributed to him to demand sacrifice for the gift of power.
The Japanese kirin has many descriptions, but is most often depicted with a scaly body resembling that of a sika deer, a single horn, and a bushy tail. His body was often enveloped in flames, in addition, the creature can breathe fire. According to mythology, he came out of the He Tu River, and on his back was a numerological chart, which was called "He Tu". This amazing animal does not step on plants and does not eat animal food. It is believed that Kirin is a messenger of auspicious events, a symbol of prosperity and good luck. This celestial being lives for two thousand years, and can only be seen once in a millennium, at the beginning of a new era - it is said to appear at the birth of a great leader. Supposedly, Confucius' mother met Kirin before the child was born.
If the name is literally translated, "ki" and "rin" mean the male and female principles of the animal, and associate it with the philosophy of yin-yang. In modern Japanese, "kirin" is translated as "giraffe".

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

Amistr. A variety of magical horses. Amisters are one of the most unusual mystical creatures. Despite their intimidating appearance, Amystras are kind and devoted companions, although it is not so easy to tame them, let alone find them, they are very rare and, as a rule, in the most unexpected places. Amisters are immortal animals, it is impossible to kill them, since they, in fact, do not represent a completely living matter, they are, as it were, woven from magic, fire and night. Graceful, black as night itself, the Amisters are deadly dangerous in battle, incredibly fast, and their devotion is legendary. The black skin of these magical horses shimmers with all shades of black and crimson, the tail and mane seem to be woven from tongues of magical flame, which does not burn only those whom the horse trusts. Amister's eyes burn with hellish flames, their breath is burning, their hooves are red-hot to the limit, and stones melt under their steps. Many have tried to find Amisters, but so far not a single mortal has succeeded, although rumors often circulate that they sometimes saw a fiery horse in the night and heard its heart-rending roar.

Tersan. No one knows for sure about their origin, but there is a legend. Once Neptune fell in love with a beautiful mermaid. There was no better place than her. They saw each other every day, but one day the mermaid did not appear. Neptune was excited. His servant sailed and informed Neptune that evil people had caught his beloved and wanted to show her around the world, but they took her to the other side of the world. Then Neptune summoned the forces of the oceans and seas and created a hundred Tersans. Faster than the speed of the wind, he rushed to the mermaid, but found that she was dead. The mermaid resisted and the people killed her. Neptune grieved for a long time and ordered the Tersans to go ashore every night and leave bloody footprints in memory of the mermaid. They live exclusively in water, but at night they go ashore for only a couple of minutes and use their hooves to knock out blood from sand or stones. No one knows where they get the scarlet blood from. And why they come ashore at all also remains a mystery, because their environment is water and they feed, live and breed in water. Their bodies are made of their water. They are as strong as a tsunami, as fast as a hurricane, and as beautiful as the ocean. Their bodies boil like boiling water. Their eyes are pearls of extraordinary beauty. Their blood is water from the purest waters on earth. When they come ashore, their bodies transform with the speed of a wave, and they become snow-white horses. But it lasts a few minutes.

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

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

K'yaard is a very complex and difficult companion, which not every rider can handle. Moreover, k'yaard chooses his rider himself, as a rule, once and for all his life, and remains faithful to him to the end. Forced to tame and enslave k'yaard is impossible. Equal to a medium or tall horse, its features are graceful but strong Breeds in places located on islands Can run on the surface of the water and through the air Differing from the usual only in the presence of huge fangs Vampires usually use them to get from the island to the continent.

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

Gurriya. A variety of magical horses, the most unusual and rare of all known.
Gurria is the rarest creature in all of Avalor. Traditions and legends are composed about them, songs and ballads are sung about them.
Few people have seen this mysterious creature, many consider the existence of Gurrii a myth, but only the ancients know that this is not the fruit of Fontasia, they know that Gurrii exist to this day.
Little remains of the description of these magical creatures, it is known that outwardly the Gurrii resemble Frestals, but also differ greatly from them.
Gurrias are majestic, proud creatures, dexterous and graceful, loyal and loyal, kind and at the same time ruthless to enemies. The color of these horses is completely different but at the same time unusual, the wings are huge and miraculously resemble the huge wings of the ancient metamorphs who once lived in these lands. According to the legend, the Gurrii descended from the Metomorphs, who left their lands and took on the appearance of wonderful horses.
The magic of Gurrii is unique, but not fully understood, and is hidden behind many secrets and mysteries. There have been many hypotheses that the Gurrias have human speech and are able to communicate with each other at a distance using telepathy, but this is just one of many other assumptions and conjectures...
During the great battle with dragons, Gurrii was destroyed in multitudes for devotion and mutual assistance to the enemy. Now, they have gone down in history just like the completely exterminated metamorphs, defeated in the battle for their faith and freedom...

Noggle. In the folklore of the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands, a water horse. As a rule, the noggle appears on land under the guise of a wonderful bay horse, saddled and bridled. Noggle is not as dangerous as the kelpie, but he never refuses to play one or the other of his two favorite jokes. If at night he sees that work is in full swing at the water mill, then he grabs the wheel and stops it. You can drive it away by showing a knife or sticking a burning branch out the window. He also likes to pester travelers. As soon as someone sits on it, the Noggle rushes into the water. However, apart from swimming, nothing threatens the rider: once in the water, the noggle disappears with a flash of blue flame. In order not to confuse the Noggle with a horse, you should look at the tail: the Noggle has a tail that curls over its back.

eh-eschka. In Scottish folklore, there are two water horses, gray in color, treacherous and dangerous. Sometimes they turn into beautiful young men or giant birds. Eh-ear in human form can be recognized by the algae in the hair. Posing as a horse, the eh-ushka seems to invite you to sit on yourself, but those who dare to do so will face a tragic end: the horses jump into the water and devour their rider, and then the waves throw the victim's liver ashore. Unlike kelpies, which live in running water, eh-ears live in seas and lakes.

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

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

Fasfer.
Phaspher is a demonic horse that fell victim to human cruelty. They caught him and chained him, tightened him very hard and tied the bridle so that the rusty snaffle tore his mouth. They stuck a chain in the back so that it came out of the stomach. After all the suffering he endured, he became angry with people. And kills everyone who gets in his way. There is a legend that k "yaard is the son of Fasfer.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived an old man and an old woman, and for all their existence they had no children. It occurred to them that their ancient years were about to die, but the Lord did not give an heir, and they began to pray to God that he would create for them an offspring for the memory of their souls. The old man made a covenant: if the old woman gives birth to a child, at that time whoever comes across first, I will take him as a godfather. After some time, the old woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. The old man was delighted, got ready and went to look for his godfather; just outside the gate, and a carriage is rolling towards him, harnessed by four; the emperor is sitting in a carriage.

The old man did not know the sovereign, mistook him for a boyar, stopped and began to bow.

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

Yes, I beg your mercy, do not be angry to say: baptize my newborn son.

Al you don't have anyone in the village you know?

I have many acquaintances, many friends, but it’s not good to take godfathers, because such a covenant is laid: whoever meets him first, ask him.

Well, - says the sovereign, - here's a hundred rubles for your christening; tomorrow I'll be on my own.

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

Ten years have passed, he has grown big and sensed exorbitant strength in himself. At that very time, the sovereign thought of him, I have a godson, but I don’t know what he is; wished to see him personally and immediately sent an order that Ivan the peasant's son, without any delay, appeared before his bright eyes. The old man began to collect it for the journey, took out the money and said:

Give you a hundred rubles, go to the city on horseback, buy yourself a horse; and then the path is long - you won’t leave on foot.

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

Hello, Ivan peasant son! Where are you heading?

The good fellow answers:

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

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

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

Are you selling a horse?

What are you asking?

Yes, without bargaining one hundred rubles.

Ivan the peasant's son took out a hundred rubles, gave them to the peasant, took the horse and led him to the court. Brings home, the father looked and waved his hand:

Lost money!

Wait, father! Perhaps for my happiness the horse will recover.
Ivan began to lead his horse every morning and every evening into the green meadows in the pasture, and this is how the twelve dawns of the morning and the twelve dawns of the evening passed - his horse became so strong, strong and beautiful that you can’t think of it, or guess, except in a fairy tale to say, and so reasonable - that only Ivan would think in his mind, and she already knows. Then Ivan the peasant son straightened out his heroic harness, saddled his good horse, said goodbye to his father and mother, and went to the capital city to the tsar-sovereign.

Whether he rode close, far, or soon, or short, he found himself at the sovereign's palace, jumped off to the ground, tied heroic horse behind the ring to the oak pillar and ordered to report to the king about his arrival. The king ordered him not to detain him, to let him into the wards without any bullying. Ivan entered the royal chambers, prayed to the holy icons, bowed to the king and said:

Hello, Your Majesty!

Hello godson! - answered the sovereign, seated him at the table, began to treat him with all sorts of drinks and snacks, and he himself looks at him, marvels: a glorious fellow - and handsome in face, and smart in mind, and tall; no one will think that he is ten years old, everyone will give twenty, and even with a ponytail! “Everything shows,” the king thinks, “that in this godson the Lord gave me not a simple warrior, but a very powerful hero.” And the king granted him an officer rank and ordered him to serve with him.

Ivan the peasant son took up the service with all his heart, he does not refuse any work, he stands for the truth with his chest; for this the sovereign loved him more than all his generals and ministers, and did not trust any of them as much as his godson. The generals and ministers became angry with Ivan and began to hold advice, as if to slander him before the sovereign himself. One day the tsar summoned noble and close people to dinner; when everyone sat down at the table, he said:

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

What can I say, Your Majesty! We have seen neither good nor bad from him; one thing is bad - painfully boastful was born. More than once they heard from him that in such and such a kingdom, far away, a large marble palace was built, and a high fence was erected around - neither foot nor horse could get through! Nastasya the beautiful princess lives in that palace. No one can get her, but he, Ivan, boasts of getting her, marrying him.

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

Why are you boasting to the generals and ministers that you can get Nastasya the princess, but you don’t report anything to me about it?

Have mercy, your majesty! - answers Ivan the peasant son. - I never dreamed about it.

Now it's too late to deny; if you boasted with me, do the same thing; if you don’t, then my sword, your head off your shoulders!

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

What, master, are you twisting around, but you don’t tell me the truth?

Ah, my good horse! Why should I be cheerful? The authorities slandered me before the sovereign himself, as if I could get and marry Nastasya the beautiful princess. The king ordered me to do this work, otherwise he wants to chop off his head.

Don't worry, master! Pray to God and go to sleep; The morning is wiser than the evening. We will handle this matter; just ask the king for more money so that we don’t get bored on the road, it would be enough to eat and drink whatever you want.

Ivan spent the night, got up in the morning, appeared to the sovereign and began to ask for a gold treasury on a campaign. The king ordered to give him as much as he needed. So the good fellow took the treasury, put on his horse a heroic harness, sat on horseback and rode on the road.

Is it close, is it far, is it soon, is it short, did he drive to faraway lands, to the farthest kingdom, and stopped at the marble palace; around the palace the walls are high, no gates or doors are visible; how to get over the fence? His good horse says to Ivan:

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

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

It's time for us to do our thing; look don't give up!

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

The good fellow went to the wards, looks - everywhere is quiet, all the servants are sleeping in a deep sleep; he went to the bedroom - Nastasya the beautiful princess was lying on the bed, scattering her rich covers in her sleep, sable blankets. The good fellow stared at her indescribable beauty, at her white body, his hot love clouded him, could not stand it and kissed the princess on her sugary lips. From this, the red maiden woke up and screamed with a loud voice in fright; Faithful servants rose to her voice, ran up, caught Ivan the peasant son and tied his hands and feet tightly. The princess ordered him to be imprisoned and given him a glass of water and a pound of black bread a day.

Ivan sits in a strong dungeon and thinks a gloomy thought: “That’s right, I’ll put my violent head here!” And his good heroic horse hit the ground and became a small bird, flew into his broken window and said:

Well, master, listen: tomorrow I will break down the doors and weaken you; you hide in the garden behind such and such a bush; Nastasya the beautiful princess will walk there, and I will turn into a poor old man and begin to ask her for alms; look, do not yawn, it will not be bad.

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

What, beautiful princess, now you will not lock me up in a dungeon?

The beautiful princess answers:

It can be seen that I am destined to be yours, do with me what you yourself know!

Here they go along the way; Is it close, is it far, is it soon, is it short, do they come to a large green meadow. Two giants stand in that meadow, they treat each other with their fists; beaten, beaten to the point of blood, and no one else can overpower; next to them lie pomelo and cranberries on the grass.

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

The giants stopped fighting and said to him:

We are both brothers; our father died, and what was left after him was only the estate - this is a pomelo and a cranberry; We began to share, and even quarreled: everyone, you see, wants to take everything for himself! Well, we decided to fight not to the stomach, to the death, whoever remains alive will receive both things.

How long have you been arguing?

Yes, for three years we have been beating each other, but we will not achieve any sense!

Oh you! There is something to fight for in mortal combat. Is self-interest great - a pomelo and a stick?

Don't say, brother, what you don't know! With this broomstick and with a stick, you can defeat any force. No matter how many troops the enemy puts up, boldly go out to meet you: where you wave your broom, there will be a street, and if you swing it, so it is with a lane. A stick is also needed: no matter how many troops you capture with it, you will take everything prisoner!

“Yes, things are good! Ivan thinks. “Perhaps they would be useful to me.”

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

Share, good man!

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

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

The giants rushed to collect sand, and meanwhile Ivan grabbed both a stick and a broomstick, mounted his horse - and remember your name!

How long, how short, he drives up to his state and sees that a considerable misfortune has befallen his godfather: the whole kingdom has been fought, an innumerable army stands near the capital city, threatens to burn everything with fire, betray the king himself to an evil death.

Ivan the peasant's son left the princess in the nearby forest, and he himself flew to the enemy's army; where he swings a broom - there is a street, where he swings - there is a lane! In a short time he killed whole hundreds, whole thousands; and what survived from death, he hooked it with a stick and dragged it alive to the capital city.

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

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

Here you will find some types of magic horses that I was able to find.

Thestral:

One of the varieties of magical horses.

Thestral is a large, wonderfully built lean horse - a harbinger of troubles and misfortunes. Despite its intimidating appearance, Thestral cannot cause harm, it is attracted by the smell of blood and raw meat, which is used by warlocks and necromancers to attract these horses to their service. Thestrals are bloodthirsty towards their enemies, but also very loyal to their masters.

Thestrals have whip-like tails, huge membranous wings, shiny, as if wet, skin, luminous eyes. Thestrals also have small pointed horns behind their ears and fangs. Thestrals feed on meat and carrion, hunt small animals, there has never been a case of Thestrals attacking other intelligent races.

Thestrals live in mountainous areas, on battlefields where death blows, near volcanoes and geysers, and you can also see them soaring high in the sky and traveling through the darkest places and back streets.

Thestrals are huge skeletal horses. Not dangerous to humans. They hunt birds and small mammals.

They can only be seen by those who have seen death. Perfectly oriented in space.

Most likely the word Thestral comes from the English Thester - darkness, gloom, dark. The word is rare and is not found in all dictionaries.

Nightmare (Nightmare):

The coat is usually black with a bluish sheen. The eyes are bright yellow or orange, without a pupil. Mane is a blazing fire. They were bred a long time ago, but later they began to spread naturally, which is why they became the most common after the British and Indian. They are more common in forests and near mountain meadows, but only at night, during the day they can be seen in dark places, away from sunlight, since it is not very pleasant for them. Nightmare's hooves are charged with great negative energy, as soon as a small part of the hoof gets into the blood of any living creature, it ceases to control itself. The blood of this unicorn is used in black magic, for example, to prepare the strongest poisons. If the nightmar dies, then a plant with dark poisonous berries grows in that place.

Untamed Nightmares serve only their own lust and anger. Unlike normal horses, Nightmares are intelligent and only use their horse form to deceive others. These black unicorns know your worst fears, and if you fall asleep in a place where they live, they will appear to you in a dream in the form of your fear. These black unicorns are capable of breathing fire and tearing through flesh with a single bite, and the Nightmares should not be approached unprepared.

Unicorn:

Unicorn, a mythical animal found in many mythological systems (in early traditions with the body of a bull, in later traditions with the body of a horse, sometimes a goat), named for the most characteristic feature - the presence of one long straight horn on the forehead.
Unicorn - Symbolizes chastity, and also serves as the emblem of the sword. Tradition usually represents him in the form of a white horse with one horn coming out of his forehead; however, according to esoteric beliefs, it has a white torso, a red head, and blue eyes. Legends say that he is insatiable when pursued, but dutifully lie down on the ground if a virgin approaches him. In general, it is impossible to catch a unicorn, but if you succeed, you can only keep it with a golden bridle.
The earliest images of the Unicorn (as a one-horned bull) are found in cultural monuments of the 3rd millennium BC. e., in particular on seals from the ancient cities of the Indus Valley - Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, representing one of the most significant sacred images. The symbol of the Unicorn is reflected both in the Atharvaveda (in the myth of the flood, during which Manu tied the ship to the horn of the Unicorn), and in the Mahabharata. With the influence of this later Indian tradition, researchers associate the appearance of the image of the Unicorn in Western Asian (Middle Eastern) and early European mythological systems. Greek (Ctesias, Aristotle) ​​and Roman (Pliny the Elder) traditions considered the Unicorn as a real-life beast and associated its origin with India (or Africa). In translations of the Old Testament, the Unicorn was identified with the beast ram (Heb., "fierce beast"). The symbolism of the Unicorn plays a significant role in medieval Christian writings, dating back to the Greek text of the "Physiologist" (2-3 centuries AD); The unicorn is seen as a symbol of purity and virginity. According to the "Physiologist", the Unicorn can only be tamed by a pure maiden; hence the later Christian tradition linking the Unicorn with the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.
Plots associated with the Unicorn are found in both Eastern (including Chinese and Muslim) and Western European (the German tale of the tailor and the seven flies) folklore. In Russian "alphabet books" of the 16th-17th centuries. The unicorn is described as a terrible and invincible beast, like a horse, all the strength of which lies in its horn.
The equatorial constellation (lat. Monoceros) is named after the Unicorn. The symbol of the Unicorn occupies a significant place in heraldry: it was depicted both on dynastic and state (for example, Scottish, and later British), and personal coats of arms, including in the 18th century. on the coats of arms of some Russian noble families, in particular Count P.I. the custom to call "inrogs" ("unicorns") artillery pieces (with the image of E.). The horn of the Unicorn, under the guise of which the tusks of narwhal whales (also called unicorns) were distributed in medieval Europe, was attributed healing properties in the treatment of various diseases, snake bites (according to folklore, the Unicorn purifies water poisoned by a snake with its horn), etc.

The Unicorn symbol, widely represented in the mystical writings and fine arts of the European Middle Ages (the scene of the taming of the Unicorn by a virgin was reflected in the plastic decoration of the Freiburg and Erfurt cathedrals, in book miniatures, on tapestries, in particular on the late 15th century tapestry "The Virgin and the Unicorn" from Cluny Museum in Paris) is resurrected by those writers of the 20th century who relied on this mythopoetic tradition.
Unicorns feed on flowers, they especially love rosehip flowers, and well-fed honey, and they drink morning dew. They also look for small lakes in the depths of the forest, in which they bathe and drink from there, and the water in these lakes usually becomes very clear and has the properties of living water. In Russian "alphabet books" of the 16th-17th centuries. the unicorn is described as a terrible and invincible beast, like a horse, all the strength of which lies in the horn. Healing properties were attributed to the horn of the unicorn (according to folklore, the unicorn purifies water poisoned by a snake with its horn). The unicorn is a creature of another world and most often portends happiness.

Symbolism - The white coloration of the unicorn has made it a natural symbol of purity, chastity and virginity. The horn of the unicorn was the weapon of the believer and of Christ.

The mythological unicorn was a symbol of chivalry with qualities befitting that status, proud and indomitable.

The legend of the hunter and the virgin bait became an allegory for the Incarnation of Christ and was later banned by the Council of Trent because they could not confirm the reality of unicorns in the existing world.

The unicorn is a creation of human fantasy - its secret triumph. The most famous representative of the fantastic zoo. "the innermost string of European culture"; “A unicorn-beast is a beast to all beasts,” as it was sung in an old Russian song ... But where such success came from, what predetermined it, is a mystery. Victory won effortlessly, " little blood". Always wasteful, generous with different wings, heads, mouths, from which it bursts with fire and brimstone, with immortality and other miracles - the imagination in the case of the unicorn was clearly stingy.
The formula is amazingly simple: one famous beast (horse, goat or donkey) one horn in the middle of the forehead = thousands of years of lively interest among many peoples. Why, then, did such a simple fantasy survive hundreds of other inventions and successfully compete with many truly sophisticated inventions: a dragon, a basilisk, a werewolf, a manticore?
For the first time, it was mentioned in writing 25 centuries ago by the Greek historian Ctesias. In his manuscript on India we read:
“There are wild donkeys out there! taller than a horse. Their body is white, their head is dark red, and their eyes are blue. Horn on the forehead. The powder scraped from this horn is used as a medicine against deadly poisons. The base of the horn is pure white, the tip is bright red, and the middle part is black. However, long before this description, the fabulous beast already lived in the imagination of the inhabitants of the East.
Perhaps the most bizarre unicorn was among the ancient Persians. Three-legged, six-eyed, nine-mouthed, with a golden hollow horn; he stands in the middle of the ocean and ... with a miraculous horn cleans the waves of all sorts of pollution (in our modern ocean, yes, such a three-legged one!).

The glory of the unicorn was supported not only by poetry: since ancient times, medicinal properties(in particular, it was believed that this is the best remedy for poisons). Charlatans briskly traded in the magic horn, passing off as such a rhinoceros horn, a tooth-horn of a narwhal whale, and even a mammoth tusk. They traded cups, salt shakers made of horn, supposedly removing poison from food. (As for France, only the French Revolution abolished the ceremony of testing for poison royal food - along with the "cancellation" of the king himself ...) Buying a whole horn was within the power of either the cathedral or the royal house. Elizabeth I of England, such an acquisition cost 10 thousand pounds (by the way, the unicorn was the emblem of this virgin queen).
One 15th-century miniature depicts Saint Benedict throwing away a piece of bread served to him. Nearby is a figure of a unicorn as a generally accepted hieroglyph: without explanation, the medieval reader understood that the bread was poisoned, and the saint, with the help of God, guessed it.
During the Renaissance, a unicorn figurine often flaunted over pharmacies. And on the coats of arms of many illustrious knights, this symbol did not mean their nobility or loneliness, but the usual metaphorical interpretation for that time: enemies flee from a brave husband like poison from a wonderful horn.
Psychoanalysts, who know everything about everyone, believe that the reason for the longevity of the unicorn is the symbolism that Rabelais made fun of. Less self-confident psychologists focus our attention on the special poetry of the image, on our predilection for the archetypes of resigned evil and proud loneliness... But the image eludes the final interpretation of specialists. Would it be a great heresy to assert that its great charm lies in the very "escape" from explanations?
When a poet, an artist speaks of a unicorn, he introduces a mystery into his work. For neither the bestiaries nor the legends of East and West have fully explained the unicorn to us. Dragon, griffon, basilisk - they sometimes evoke contrasting, but very specific associations. And the unicorn awakens in the soul something indefinite, unsteady, a feeling of incompleteness of knowledge ... "We do not know what a unicorn is."
Other explanations? Please. common sense imagining and admitting the reality of a unicorn is easier than believing in a dragon, a sea maiden, an amphisbaena, a sphinx. A horse with a horn - how simple. Why shouldn't she exist?
And the last. Over the centuries, all sorts of good qualities have been stubbornly attributed to the unicorn: they correlated it with a just ruler and the birth of wise men, they painted it as a child-loving lover of unity, a gentle admirer of purity, humble and pious. Nothing bad stuck to his fur. The imagination of a person seems to be tired of werewolves, basilisks, dragons full of heat, insidious sirens. And now, among all the evil spirits and undead hostile to man, the charming image of the beast shone, which is wild and violent, but capable of becoming submissive and affectionate. There should be a fairy next to the evil witch. Next to the werewolf is a unicorn, so to speak, an anti-werewolf: evil that turns into good, lust that turns into reverence for chastity.

Pegasus:

Winged magic horses (horses) are found in many fairy tales ancient world. There are two versions of the origin of Pegasus:

1. Pegasus, in ancient times Greek mythology a horse that appeared from the head of the Gorgon Medusa cut off by Perseus. (In other sources from the torso or neck).

2. According to another legend, Pegasus is the fruit of Medusa's connection with the god of the sea, Poseidon, who, according to Greek legends, created the horses.

Pegasus is a winged horse. It flies over the highest mountains at a speed that exceeds the speed of the wind. In appearance, Pegasus looks like an ordinary snow-white horse, its only difference is that it has large beautiful white wings and is slightly larger than ordinary horses. In terms of body structure, Pegasus is very similar to a unicorn, he is even sometimes depicted with a horn on his head. Also, the pegasus, just like the unicorn, is very freedom-loving, and you can catch it, too, only with the Golden Bridle.

Emerging from the head of the Gorgon Medusa, killed by Perseus, Pegasus soared above the highest mountains, to the very throne of Zeus on Olympus. He served Zeus for a long time, finding and bringing lightning and thunder on his magical wings.

The hero Bellerophon tamed the frantic creature with the help of a golden bridle, which the goddess Athena gave him, and, riding on it, defeated the terrible Chimera:

“Iobat instructed Bellerophon to kill the formidable monster Chimera. She was born by the terrible Typhon and the gigantic Echidna. In front, a lion was a Chimera, in the middle, a mountain wild goat, and behind, a dragon. She spewed fire from three mouths. No one was saved from the formidable Chimera. One approach brought death with it. Bellerophon was not stopped by the danger of this feat - the mighty hero boldly undertook to carry it out. He knew that only he could defeat the Chimera who owns the winged horse Pegasus, which flew out of the body of the Gorgon Medusa killed by Perseus, he knew where to find this wonderful horse. Pegasus often descended to the top of Acrocorinth, and drank water from the Pyrene spring there. This is where Bellerophon went. He came to the source just at the time when Pegasus, descending from behind the clouds, quenched his thirst with the cold, crystal-clear water of the Pyrene spring. Bellerophon wanted to catch Pegasus right away. He pursued him day and night, but all in vain, no tricks helped. Pegasus was not given to Bellerophon. As soon as the young hero approached the winged horse, as, flapping his mighty wings, the horse flew away over the clouds with the speed of the wind and soared in them, like an eagle. Finally, on the advice of the soothsayer Polyid, Bellerophon went to bed at the source of the Pyrene, near the altar of Pallas Athena, in the place where he first saw Pegasus. Bellerophon wanted to receive the revelation of the gods in a dream. Indeed, in a dream, the beloved daughter of the Thunderer Zeus, Athena, appeared to him, taught him how to catch Pegasus, gave him a golden bridle and ordered him to sacrifice to the god of the sea, Poseidon. Bellerophon woke up. He was surprised to see that the golden bridle was lying next to him. In fervent prayer, Bellerophon thanked the great goddess. He knew now that he would take possession of Pegasus. Soon a marvelous horse flew to the source of the Pyrenees on its snow-white wings. Bellerophon boldly jumped on him and threw a golden bridle over his head. For a long time, faster than the wind, Pegasus carried the hero through the air, finally reconciled and since then faithfully served Bellerophon. The hero quickly rushed on Pegasus to the mountains of Lycia, where the monstrous Chimera lived. Chimera sensed the approach of the enemy and crawled out of the dark cave, mighty, formidable. Scorching fire flew out of its three mouths, clouds of smoke clouded everything around. Pegasus flew high with Bellerophon, and from the height of Bellerophon, one after another, sent his arrows to the Chimera. In rage she beat against the rocks and overturned them; furious, she rushed through the mountains. Everything around her was destroyed by her flames. Bellerophon followed her everywhere on his winged horse. The chimera could not hide anywhere from the small arrows of the hero, deadly arrows overtook her everywhere. Bellerophon killed the formidable monster and returned with great glory to King Jobat.

Symbolically, it combines the vitality and strength of a horse with a bird-like liberation from earthly gravity, which begs the association with the violent, overcoming earthly obstacles spirit of the poet. The image of Pegasus illustrates the positive aspect of the horse (horse), whose image, on the other hand, could also take on sinister features.

From the blow of the hoof of Pegasus on Mount Helikon, the source of Hypocrene (the source of the muses) arose, the water of which, according to late antique ideas, inspired poets. Hence the expression "to ride Pegasus" - to receive poetic inspiration - to become a poet.

The graceful pegasus was chosen as an emblem by the Templars. He symbolized glory, eloquence and contemplation. In European heraldry, it was depicted on the coats of arms of "thinkers". During World War II, the Pegasus, along with Bellerophon on its back, was approved as the distinctive badge of the British Airborne Forces; nowadays used for air transport and speed.

Amister:

A variety of magical horses. Amisters are one of the most unusual mystical creatures. Despite their intimidating appearance, Amystras are kind and devoted companions, although it is not so easy to tame them, let alone find them, they are very rare and, as a rule, in the most unexpected places. Amisters are immortal animals, it is impossible to kill them, since they, in fact, do not represent a completely living matter, they are, as it were, woven from magic, fire and night.

Graceful, black as night itself, the Amisters are deadly dangerous in battle, incredibly fast, and their devotion is legendary.

The black skin of these magical horses shimmers with all shades of black and crimson, the tail and mane seem to be woven from tongues of magical flame, which does not burn only those whom the horse trusts. Amistra's eyes burn with hellish flames, their breath is burning, their hooves are split to the limit, stones melt under their steps. Many have tried to find Amisters, but so far not a single mortal has succeeded, although rumors often circulate that they sometimes saw a fiery horse in the night and heard its heartbreaking roar...

Houri:

A variety of magical horses, the most unusual and rare of all known.

Gurria is the rarest creature in the whole world. Legends and traditions are composed about them, songs and ballads are sung about them.

Few people have seen this mysterious creature, many consider the existence of Gurria a myth, but only the ancients know that this is not a fantasy, they know that Gurria exist to this day.

Little remains of the description of these creatures, it is known that outwardly the Gurrii resemble Thestrals, but they are also very different about them.

Gurrias are majestic, proud creatures, dexterous and graceful, loyal and loyal, kind and at the same time ruthless to the enemy. The color of these creatures is different, but at the same time not common, the wings are huge and miraculously resemble the wings of the ancient metamorphs that once lived here. According to legend, the Gurrii descended from metamorphs who left their lands and took the form of wonderful horses.

The magic of Gurriya is unique, but not fully understood, and is hidden behind many secrets and mysteries. There have been many hypotheses that the Gurrii have human speech and are able to communicate with each other at a distance with the help of telepathy, but this is only one of many assumptions and conjectures.

During the great battle with the dragons, Gurrii were destroyed in droves for their loyalty and mutual aid to the enemy. Now they have gone down in history just like the completely exterminated metamorphs, defeated in the battle for their faith and freedom...

There are not so many survivors of the battle who still tell about the beauty of Gurria, whose skins shimmered in the light of the sun, moon and stars, whose manes developed like silk threads in the wind, and their voices were heard with magical melodies ...

Hippogriff:

Hippogriff - in the mythology of the European Middle Ages, wanting to indicate the impossibility or inconsistency, Virgil speaks of an attempt to cross a horse and a vulture. Four centuries later, his commentator Servius states that vultures or griffins are animals in which the front part of the body is eagle and the back is lion. To support his assertion, he adds that they hate horses. Over time, the expression "Jungentur jam grypes eguis" ("to cross vultures with horses") became a proverb; at the beginning of the sixteenth century, Ludovico Ariosto remembered him and invented the hippogriff. Pietro Michelli notes that the hippogriff is a more harmonious creature, even than the winged Pegasus.

In Furious Roland (IV, 18) a detailed description of the hippogriff is given, as if intended for a textbook of fantastic zoology:

Not a ghostly horse-mare under the magician

Born into the world, his father was a vulture;

In his father, he was a wide-winged bird, -

In the father was in front, like that, zealous;

Everything else, like the uterus, was

And that horse called himself a hippogriff.

The limits of the Riphean mountains are glorious for them,

Far beyond the icy seas.

It is interesting what kind of Riphean mountains are meant, if not the Riphean mountains in the mythology of the Slavs, where the bright Iriy was located, because those mountains, as you know, were guarded by the Griffin.
The first mention of this strange animal is deceptively accidental (II, 37): “At the Rhone I saw a knight, a winged horse stopped.”
In other octaves, amazement at the sight of a flying horse is described:

Looks - the host family, in an instant

Running away - who is at the door, who is at the window -

Like a comet or an eclipse

Looks at the sky, amazed.

And the maiden sees judgment

And she believes only with difficulty her eyes:

The horse, he sees, is flying winged in the air;

They are ruled by a rider dressed in armor.

Hippocampus:

Hippocampus (Hippocampus) (from the Greek hippos-horse), also called hydripuss (from the Greek kamrus-water) - in Greek mythology, a sea horse with a fish tail. The hippocampus was harnessed to the chariot of the Greek god of the seas, Poseidon. The hippocampus is considered the king of fish. Sea deities in Ancient Greece and Rome were often depicted in a chariot drawn by the Hippocampus.

Sleipnir:

Sleipnir (lit. "sliding"), in Skashdinavian mythology, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin. He was born from Svadilfari (the horse of the builder of the dwelling-Asgard) and (turned into a mare) the god Loki. Alone on Sleipnir in an equestrian competition with the giant Hrungnir. Odin's son Hermod rides Sleipnir to the realm of the dead Hel to bring back his brother Baldr. In Sleipnir, chthonic features associated with shamanism are evident.

On his head Odin has a winged golden helmet, and in right hand he holds the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target and strikes to death anyone it hits. The horse of the father of the gods, the eight-legged gray stallion Sleipnir, can ride not only on the ground, but also in the air. The ruler of the world often travels around the earth on it or, invisible to people, takes part in their battles, helping the most worthy to win.

Bony:

A variety of magical horses.

Bonius itself is not a full-fledged horse, it is rather a corpse of a horse raised from the grave by means of black magic. The character of the Bonievs is absolutely different from each other and from the place of raising and from the variety of the dead horse. As a rule, Bonievs are very easy to recognize, since parts of an already rotten and decomposed body emit a very specific smell, bones are exposed in places under the dead flesh, while others are completely a skeleton.

Often they can be seen on the battlefields, abandoned cemeteries.

Kelpie:

In Scottish lower mythology, a water spirit that lives in many rivers in lakes. Kelpies are generally hostile to humans. They appear in the form of a horse grazing by the water, offering its back to the traveler and then dragging him into the water.

This werewolf is able to turn into animals and into a person (as a rule, Kelpie spreads into a young man with disheveled hair). He has a bad habit of frightening travelers - he jumps out from behind, then suddenly jumps on his shoulders. Before a storm, many hear the Kelpie howl. Much more often than human, Kelpie takes the form of a horse, most often black, but white wool is sometimes mentioned; it happens that two long horns grow on his forehead, and then he looks like a cross between a horse and a bull. It is sometimes said that his eyes glow, or they are full of tears, and his gaze causes chills or attracts like a magnet. A more whimsical description of Kelpie is given in the Aberdeen Bestiary: supposedly his mane consists of small fiery snakes, winding among themselves and spewing fire and brimstone.

With all his appearance, Kelpie, as it were, invites the passerby to sit on himself, and when he succumbs to the trick, he jumps into the river with the rider. The person instantly gets wet to the skin, and Kelpie disappears, and his disappearance is accompanied by a roar and a blinding flash. But sometimes, when Kelpie is angry with something, he tears his victim to pieces and devours.

The ancient Scots called these creatures water Kelpies, horses, bulls, or simply spirits, and mothers from time immemorial forbade babies to play close to the shore of a river or lake: a monster, or whatever happens there, can take the form of a galloping horse, grab a baby, put it on its back and then with the helpless little rider plunge into the abyss.

Kelpie tracks are easy to recognize, his hooves are set back to front. Kelpie is able to stretch in length as much as he wants, and a person seems to stick to his body.

With the help of a magical bridle, Kelpie can be tamed for a while, but when the spell ends, he will become even more dangerous.

Kelpie can also appear in the image beautiful girl in a green dress inside out, sitting on the shore and luring travelers; or appear in the guise of a handsome prince and seduce girls. You can recognize it by wet hair with shells or algae.

The name Kelpie is most likely related to Irish calpach, "bull", "foal", another variant of the etymology of the word: probably from "kelp" - seaweed, possibly from the Gaelic cailpcach (cowhide, cowhide).

Ferri:

Butterfly horse. The body of a horse, and the wings of a butterfly. There is nothing more about them.

Noggle:

Noggle (Noggle, Nuggle or Nygel) is a water horse from the Orkney Islands. As a rule, the Noggle appears on land under the guise of a wonderful bay horse with a bridle and saddle, saddled and bridled. The Noggle is not as dangerous as the Kelpie, but he never refuses to play one or the other of his two favorite jokes. If at night he sees that work is in full swing at the water mill, then he grabs the wheel and stops it. You can drive it away by showing a knife or sticking a burning branch out the window. He also likes to pester travelers. As soon as someone sits on it, the Noggle rushes into the water. However, apart from swimming, nothing threatens the rider: once in the water, the noggle disappears with a flash of blue flame. Nogle looks like a normal horse, but his tail is curled up.

According to later legends, only Finmen "s - men from a tribe of sorcerers and shifters, unsurpassed masters of rowing boats, could ride Noggles.

Lebers:

Leber is a horse with swan wings. Lebers usually live in small herds, and most often fly to the coast of Loch Ness. Leber is distinguished not only by a specific swan appearance, but also by the so-called swan fidelity. He will be with a friend until his death and will never give. They admire the human ability to dream.

Keffil Durf:

Keffil Durf is a Welsh water horse, a close relative of Eh Ushge.

Description
Keffil Durf usually takes the form of a beautiful little pony that grazes on the banks of rivers or near springs. He seduces tired travelers to climb on his back, after which he rises into the air and flying over a river or mountain suddenly disappears, and the unlucky rider crashes, falling to the ground with high altitude. According to some legends, a strange light emanates from Keffil.
Keffil is more common in fresh waters, but sometimes it is noticed near the sea. Often they are dapple gray or nightingale (sandy brown) color. Keffila can be recognized by the hooves turned in the opposite direction.
Once a man caught Keffil on the shores of Cardigan Bay and wanted to harness him to a cart. With the help of a skillfully made bridle, the man brought the animal to his home and began to harness it to carry the cart. But one day the bridle unfastened and Keffil, feeling free, rushed to the sea along with the cart and the rider. After that, no one saw them.
Keffil, in the form of a huge and clumsy horse, was often seen diving into the sea when a storm began. His suit reflected weather conditions from the purest white of sea foam to the dark gray of thunderclouds.
One day, before a storm, he was seen in St. Bride's Bay. A local farmer managed to catch him and harness him to a plow. Keffil worked on the farm for several weeks, until one day, obeying some inner instinct, he dragged the plow and plowman with him into the sea.

magical powers
In the county of Gwynedd, the local breed of small horses, the Merlinod, was believed to have descended from the Keffils and mountain ponies. Also, according to legend, Keffil could turn into other creatures from nightmares. He often turned into a goad and drove his victims, causing them great pain.
In County Clwyd, it was believed that Keffil could transform into a frog and jump on their backs, trapping them in a devilish embrace.
In the Ronda Valley at the beginning of the 19th century, a man on his way to Pontyprid was attacked by Keffil in the form of a squirrel, who choked and beat him so hard that the next day the man fell ill with a mysterious illness, but never recovered, having suffered for two years.

Stories
Keffil is said to live in the valley of Glen Nedd in the North. Once a traveler half a long way decided to rest in the shade of a huge stone next to the waterfall. Keffil slowly came out of the flowing jets of water, shaking off the foam from his snow-white mane and began to descend to the stone, near which the tired traveler was sitting. Bathing in the rays of the summer sun, the animal fervently neighed and shook its head, attracting attention to itself.
Seeing this magnificent creature, the traveler wanted to ride it. He began to approach the horse and she also moved towards him and allowed herself to be caught. Soon the traveler mounted a small horse. Even without a saddle and bridle, the traveler felt safe and the horse seemed to him the kindest creature. However, when the surrounding world began to merge into one whirlwind of colors, he realized that the horse was rushing at a wild speed, and his hooves did not even touch the ground.
For some time the traveler enjoyed the journey, but soon he realized that the horse was not going to slow down, and was frightened. When the full moon rose, the horse simply disappeared from under him and the man fell to the ground. The blow from the fall was very strong, and the traveler lay wounded on the ground for a long time. At dawn he arose and came to the town of Landevi Buffy in the county of Ceredigion, which was many miles from the place where he had begun his journey.
Another story about Keffil is told in Abertrau, Morgannoug. In the first half of the 19th century, an old man wandered through the swamps near Abertau. It was a cold night in the middle of winter. Low dark clouds covered the moon and the old man hurried home, fearing that it would snow.
Halfway home, he saw at arm's length a lanky man with long legs on a small horse. A dull glow emanated from the rider and his horse. He tried to catch up with the traveler, but no matter how fast the old man ran, he eluded him. But as soon as he reached the house, the rider and his horse slowly melted into the air.
When the old man told his family about the amazing incident, they told him that it was Keffil. That same night, the valley through which the old man was wandering was flooded by an unusual full moon tide, and the old man realized that his salvation came from a shimmering rider and his little horse.

Oh Ushge:

In the folklore of the Germanic and Celtic peoples, wonderful animals that live in the water, and when they go ashore, take the form of a Horse. Water horses have different names among different peoples and differ in character - kelpies and shellfish, kabil-ushti and eh-ushge, avanks and brags ... Each horse has its own temper, but one thing unites them - the habit of luring people and jumping with riders into water. These jumps end for people in different ways: who gets off with a swim, and who is eaten.

"This water horse of the Scottish Highlands is probably the most ferocious and dangerous of all water horses, although Cabil-Ushti is not far behind him. It differs from the kelpie in that it lives in the sea and in suckers, while the kelpie - only in running water "Ekh-ushge also, apparently, turns more willingly. His most common appearance is a slender and beautiful horse, which itself seems to be asking to ride a person, but if he has the mind to saddle him, eh-ushge headlong carries him into the water, where he devours ". From a person, he leaves only the liver, which floats to the surface. They say that his skin is sticky, and a person cannot unhook from it. Sometimes the eh-ushge appears in the form of a giant bird, and sometimes - in the form of a young handsome young man.

J.F. Campbell devotes several pages to eh-ushga in Popular Tales of the West of Scotland. If you talk about eh-ushga in the form of a horse, it is difficult to choose one of the many stories about him. Everywhere they tell a tale about him, originally, perhaps, serving as a warning, about how the eh-ushge takes away several little girls. One version tells of a small lohan near Eberfeldy. Seven girls and a boy went for a walk on Sunday morning, and suddenly they saw a pretty little Pony. One of the girls climbed onto his back, then another, and all seven girls were on ponies. The boy turned out to be more big-eyed, and he noticed that the pony's back was getting longer with each new rider. The boy hid between high stones on the shore of the lake. Suddenly the pony turned its head and noticed him. "Come on, little beggar," he growled, "get on my back!" The boy did not come out of his hiding place, and the pony rushed after him, and the girls on his back squealed in fear, but could not take their hands off the pony's skin. The pony chased the boy between the stones for a long time, but finally got tired and threw himself into the water along with his prey. The next morning, the livers of seven children washed ashore in a wave.
McKay's "Other Tales of the West of Scotland" tells how a water horse was killed. Once upon a time there was a blacksmith in Raasay. He had a herd and his family took care of it themselves. One night, his daughter did not return home, and the next morning her heart and lungs were found on the bank of a sucker, in which, as everyone knew, eh-ushge was found. The blacksmith grieved for a long time and finally decided to destroy the monster. He set up a smithy on the bank of the sucker, and he and his son began to forge large iron hooks on it, red-hot them in the fire. They roasted a sheep, and the smell of roasted meat floated over the water. Mist rose, and a water horse emerged from the lake, looking like a shaggy, ugly foal. He attacked the sheep and then the blacksmith and his son attacked him with their hooks and killed him. But in the morning they did not find any bones or skins on the shore, but only a bunch of starlight (Starlight in those places is called slime, which sometimes comes across on the shore - most likely the remains of jellyfish washed ashore; but the Scots believe that this is all what remains of a fallen star.). Thus came the end of the Water Horse of Raasea.

Agishki:

Irish Agishki is the same as Scottish Eh-Ushge. Yeats in Irish Fairy and folk tales"tells us that Agishki were once widespread, came out of the water - especially, it seems, in November - and galloped over the dunes and across the fields, and if people managed to drive such a horse from the field, saddle and bridle him, then he became the best of horses. But it was necessary to ride it only on the mainland, because as soon as he saw the salt water, he rushed headlong to it, taking the rider with him, lured him into the sea and devoured him there. They also said that wild Agishki often regales human cattle." "Usually they take the form of foals with a lush mane."

Agishki are found most often in the calm water of lakes, although they are also found on the sea shores, prancing along the edge of the surf at the threshold time of Samhain. Outwardly, it is almost indistinguishable from ordinary horse: a magnificent strong stallion of a motley or black color with a flowing mane and a beautiful long tail, sometimes a shaggy pony, but also dark in color. The only thing that betrays his supernatural nature in agishki is his excessive friendliness and friendliness towards a stranger. With all his appearance, he definitely invites a person to ride on his powerful horse back. But as soon as the unlucky rider succumbs to temptation, he will instantly be captured by a bloodthirsty werewolf. The legs and arms of the rider will definitely grow to the shiny velvety skin of the horse, and he will rush headlong into his native element of water and tear the rider apart, greedily devouring human flesh.

However, if his natural form of a horse turns out to be not seductive and suitable enough, there are many other guises in the arsenal of an agishka, and not even necessarily living and spiritual ones. So, he can take the form of a lonely ship moored to the shore or a sailboat, a piece of woolen yarn or a wedding ring. In human form, he prefers the image of a beautiful and seductive young man, in which he seduces young girls, also luring them to death. And, sometimes, the only thing that gives out in him a turned agishka is shreds of sea grasses tangled in his hair.

However, it is possible to tame the wayward water horse agishki. If a brave man
will be able to throw on the face magic horse a special bridle that will restrain
her indomitable temper and magical power - agishki will become a faithful tame animal and no one in the entire district will have a riding stallion as hardy and graceful. But only until the bridled werewolf gets close enough to his native reservoir that he can smell it. If this happens, no force will be able to hold the agishki, like an arrow it will rush into the abyss of water, dragging the former owner with it to its inexorable fate. And only the heart and liver of the one who once owned this wonderful horse will float on the waves, reminding people of the formidable nature of the water horse.

Agishki can feed in a more harmless way: it happens that he simply steals livestock from peasants or rips up graves in a cemetery, devouring freshly buried corpses. However, this behavior of a carnivorous underwater resident also does not please the inhabitants of the Irish villages, and therefore from time to time there are brave men who undertake to put an end to the annoying neighborhood. The body of the killed agishka remains lying on the shore only until sunrise, after which it turns into a gelatinous mass, which the locals consider to be the light of a fallen star.

In the gallery section you can see more pictures of these horses.