Asgard was divided into 12 or more realms in which each principal god had his own luxurious mansion of gold or silver. Oaks, L. S. (1986), "The goddess Epona", in M. Henig and A. [14] The cult of Epona was spread over much of the Roman Empire by the auxiliary cavalry, alae, especially the Imperial Horse Guard or equites singulares augustii recruited from Gaul, Lower Germany, and Pannonia. Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Vishnu and final world saviour, is predicted to appear riding a white horse, or in the form of a white horse. 7. In the Equestrian type, common in Gaul, she is depicted sitting side-saddle on a horse or (rarely) lying on one; in the Imperial type (more common outside Gaul) she sits on a throne flanked by two or more horses or foals. Had seen their sunrise pass, Loki was the trickster god, a shapeshifter who blurred the line behind good and evil. King, Simón, Francisco Marco, "Religion and Religious Practices of the Ancient Celts of the Iberian Peninsula" in, Thevenot, Emile 1949. A euhemeristic account of Epona's origin occurs in the Parallela Minora, which were traditionally attributed to Plutarch (but are now classed as "Pseudo-Plutarch"): Fulvius Stellus hated women and used to consort with a mare and in due time the mare gave birth to a beautiful girl and they named her Epona. Was cut out of the grass. The pantomime horse is thought to be a related survival. [9] That suggestion has not been generally taken up. Additionally, Heimdallr owns the unique golden horse Gulltoppr, and he is known by many names. According to tradition, Abraham lived with one wife (Sarah) in Syria, but Al-Buraq would transport him in the morning to Makkah to see his family there, and then take him back to his Syrian wife in the evening. In the Marvel … Norse God Heimdall Guarding the Bifröst Bridge. At the moment of her child loss the lord discovers a supernatural human boy who grows up with a natural affinity for horses to become the great knight Pryderi later revealed to be Rhiannon's son. We’ve assembled a complete list of Norse-viking horse names that honor this unique heritage while celebrating your pet’s personality. The White Horse of the White Horse Vale [21] However, the Greek word chloros, translated as pale, is often interpreted as sickly green or ashen grey rather than white. [6] In an episode preserved in a remark of Pausanias,[7] an archaic Demeter Erinys (Vengeful Demeter) too had also been a Great Mare, who was mounted by Poseidon in the form of a stallion and foaled Arion and the Daughter who was unnamed outside the Arcadian mysteries. Baldur’s name generally inspires a sense of bravery, happiness, and light in Norse mythology. [14], Kanthaka was a white horse that was a royal servant and favourite horse of Prince Siddhartha, who later became Gautama Buddha. Indra is depicted as having a liking for white horses in several legends – he often steals the sacrificial horse to the consternation of all involved, such as in the story of Sagara,[17] or the story of King Prithu.[18]. She was incorporated into the imperial cult by being invoked on behalf of the Emperor, as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina. [30] The "Feast of Epona" involves the blessing of horses and other animals by a local churchman. When he grew up, he united six warring states. But, just in case a customer boost is needed, his friend can help. In popular video game series The Legend of Zelda, the main character's horse is named "Epona" after the goddess. As a rare or distinguished symbol, a white horse typically bears the hero- or god-figure in ceremonial roles or in triumph over negative forces. Names derived from *Dyeus generally belonged to the most ancient and powerful gods. She is the goddess that is concerned with the protection of horses. From earliest times, white horses have been mythologised as possessing exceptional properties, transcending the normal world by having wings (e.g. Al-Buraq was also said to transport Abraham (Ibrâhîm) when he visited his wife Hagar (Hājar) and son Ishmael (Ismâ'îl). In the Puranas, one of the precious objects that emerged while the devas and demons were churning the milky ocean was Uchaishravas, a snow-white horse with seven heads. A series of their dedications to Epona and other Celtic, Roman and German deities was found in Rome, at the Lateran. A secondary pair of twins fathered by Zeus, Amphion and Zethus, the legendary founders of Thebes, are called "Dioskouroi, riders of white horses" (λευκόπωλος) by Euripedes in his play The Phoenician Women (the same epithet is used in Heracles and in the lost play Antiope). In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. "The Ancestors of Epona." This, in itself, wasn’t an unusual belief in terms of other religions. In Norse Mythology the original inhabitants of Valhalla were the Æsir (gods) and Ásynjur (goddesses), but they were not the first divinities the Nordic races worshiped because they also recognize the power of the gods of the sea, the wind, the forests and the forces of nature, known as the Vanir. "Epona" Dissertation, Bonn 1994 (Sonderdruck aus: Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 74.1993.). In Book I, "The Vision of the King," he writes of earliest England, invoking the white horse hill figure and the gods: Before the gods that made the gods [4] Herodotus reported that white horses were held as sacred animals in the Achaemenid court of Xerxes the Great (ruled 486–465 BC),[2] while in other traditions the reverse happens when it was sacrificed to the gods. Aside from his infectious smile, boundless wisdom and kindness, he is most known for dying from a mischievous trick cooked up by Loki, the trickster god in Norse mythology. Nótt is the goddess of night in Norse mythology.She was the daughter of Norvi.. She married thrice. 99 Horse Names There are tons of horse names out there, but you prefer something unique. [22], Two Christian saints are associated with white steeds: Saint James, as patron saint of Spain, rides a white horse in his martial aspect. [3] Because of this, she has been linked to the Romano-Celtic fertility horse goddess Epona and other instances of the veneration of horses in early Indo-European culture. [5][6][7], In Norse mythology, Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir, "the best horse among gods and men", is described as grey. On the other hand, even Herodotus mentions in his Histories an Eastern custom, where sending a white horse as payment in exchange for land means casus belli. Hildisvini is the boar of the Goddess Freya, Hildisvini was made by the dwarves Dain and Nabbi. Le migliori offerte per Eccellente condizione Norreno Horse "God of War" T-Shirt Taglia L sono su eBay Confronta prezzi e caratteristiche di prodotti nuovi e usati Molti articoli con consegna gratis! The first mention comes from the 15th stanza of the Grímnismál, one of the poems in the Poetic Edda. It was believed that he was in an unhappy marriage with Skade (Skaði), the goddess of hunting, mountains and skiing. [15] As Epane she is attested in Cantabria, northern Spain, on Mount Bernorio, Palencia,[16] as Iccona Loiminna[dubious – discuss] in Portugal on the Lusitanian inscription of Cabeço das Fráguas. The second clan, Vanir, contains the fertility gods and count Njord, Freyr, and Freyja as their most notable members. NERTHUS: She was the Norse goddess of peace, happiness and wealth. [10], One of the titles of God in Hungarian mythology was Hadúr, who, according to an unconfirmed source, wears pure copper and is a metalsmith. In the New Testament, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse include one seated on a white horse[20] and one on a pale horse – the "white" horse carried the rider Conquest (traditionally, Pestilence) while the "pale" horse carried the rider Death. One god, however, exists outside of this typical representation. As Gaul was Romanized under the early Empire, Epona’s sovereign role evolved into a protector of cavalry. He also happened to be blind, and appears a few times in the Norse … [8] Sleipnir is also the ancestor of another grey horse, Grani, who is owned by the hero Sigurd. A local sports bar with a viking theme; rotating 16 beers on tap including Iowa craft brews. Epona is mentioned in The Golden Ass by Apuleius, where an aedicular niche with her image on a pillar in a stable has been garlanded with freshly picked roses. The second set of horses are referred to as "the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world." For the video game character, see. For example, the heroic prince or white knight of fairy tales often rides a white horse. For the Norse and Germanic societies, much like many other ancient cultures, the deities were a part of daily life, not merely something to be chatted with in times of need. Pegasus from Greek mythology), or having horns (the unicorn). Forseti (pronounced “for-SET-ee;” Old Norse Forseti, “Chairman”[1]) is an obscure pre-Christian Norse god. Historians believe, however, that this may not have always been the case. [citation needed] However, Olmsted's interpretation has not been generally accepted by other scholars; Meid interprets the same inscription as an invocation of Dibona in vulgar Greek for aid in a romantic dispute.[11]. He was the greatest of all Norse gods and the ruler of Valhalla, where brave warriors went when they died. Day – Son of Night and Delling. Phyllis Fray Bober, reviewing Réne Magnen, Miriam Robbins Dexter, "Horse Goddess," in, Theo Brown, "Tertullian and Horse-Cults in Britain", Herbert Kille, "West Country hobby-horses and cognate customs", Wiltshire is believable, but was added to the provenance, merely ". The female gods in Norse mythology are called Asynja. When the people gathered to pray for a king, the horse emerged from a bolt of lightning, bowing to a shining egg. In this latter tale (Yasht 8.21–29), which appears in the Avesta's hymns dedicated to Tishtrya, the divinity is opposed by Apaosha, the demon of drought, which appears as a black stallion.[12]. [21] In distant Dacia, she is represented on a stela (now at the Szépmüvézeti Museum, Budapest) in the format of Cybele, seated frontally on a throne with her hands on the necks of her paired animals: her horses are substitutions for Cybele's lions. Most often, they appear only as fully-grown adults. [8] Demeter was venerated as a mare in Lycosoura in Arcadia into historical times. He generated with jotun Angrboða, Hela, the wolf Fenrir and the serpent Jörmungandr. [35], New Testament: Book of Revelation, Ch 6:2 (NIV), New Testament: Book of Revelation, Ch 6:8 (NIV), New Testament: Book of Revelation, Ch 19:11-6 (NIV), "Reflexes of Ancient Ideas about Divine Twins in the Images of Saints George and Nicholas in Belarusian Folklore", "Apollodorus, Library, book 3, chapter 5, section 5", The Religion of Ossetia: Uastyrdzhi and Nart Batraz in Ossetian mythology, "1995 article with images by Barbara Cohen", Audio recording of a White Horse legend from Newfoundland, Canada, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=White_horses_in_mythology&oldid=994248331, Mythologies of the indigenous peoples of North America, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2008, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 19:58. The city of Hanoi honours a white horse as its patron saint with a temple dedicated to this revered spirit, the White Horse or Bach Ma Temple ( "bach" means white and "ma" is horse). Baldur was the Norse god of light and the most beloved of the Aesir gods. However, unlike in the movies, Thor is usually depicted with red hair and a full beard. Later in the Book of Revelation, Christ rides a white horse out of heaven at the head of the armies of heaven to judge and make war upon the earth. Benoît compared the rider with most of the riders imaged around the Mediterranean shores. It appears in The Violet Fairy Book and attributes more than usual magical powers to the ancient Roman poet Virgil (see also Virgil#Mysticism and hidden meanings). Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 36 (2016): 231-40. Freyr is a Norse god of weather and fertility; brother of Freya. In more than one tradition, the white horse carries patron saints or the world saviour in the end times (as in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), is associated with the sun or sun chariot (Ossetia) or bursts into existence in a fantastic way, emerging from the sea or a lightning bolt. Fernand Benoît found the earliest attestations of a cult of Epona in the Danubian provinces and asserted that she had been introduced in the limes of Gaul by horsemen from the east. [citation needed] The ancient Magyars sacrificed white stallions to him before a battle. Epona's feast day in the Roman calendar was given as December 18 on a rustic calendar from Guidizzolo, Italy,[12] although this may have been only a local celebration. On Mackinac Island, Michigan, Epona is celebrated each June with stable tours, a blessing of the animals and the Epona and Barkus Parade. Odin. [11] This custom roots in the ancient Eastern belief that stolen land would lose its fertility. 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