The symbolic significance of horses in folk culture
The symbolic significance of horses in folk culture. To a certain extent, the character of animals can be compared to the quality and character of adults. Therefore, many times we are accustomed to using animals to express certain cultural symbols and meanings. Let’s share with you the symbolic meaning of horses in folk culture. The symbolic meaning of horses in folk culture 1
Horses in folk customs
Horses are animals that are gods in heaven and friends on earth. In folk oral literature, they are closely related to people’s clothing and food. It is related to people, residence and transportation, forming a rich and colorful "horse" cultural phenomenon, which is loved by people from all walks of life in the world. In ancient times, the clothes worn by the riding and shooting people were called "Hufu". Since the Qing Dynasty, they have been called "horse jackets". They are still the representative style of Chinese men's clothing. People in the Silkworm Area regard the Silkworm God as the "Horse King Bodhisattva". During festivals, shops sell sacred horses, including the Horse-headed Empress. In "The Book of Mountains and Seas", there is a silkworm girl who "kneels down on the tree". Later, in Jin Qianbao's "Sou Shen Ji", a complete story about the horse-headed empress was formed. The horse-headed empress was a village girl who broke her contract with a horse and was wrapped in horse skin. And the story of silkworms.
In the "Traditional Chinese Auspicious Illustration", because the horse is a representative of vitality and has the implication of divine power, it has become a decorative theme in architecture and color paintings. A single horse is called "Hualiu Clears the Way", a group of horses is called "Hundred Horses Picture" and so on. Traveling on horseback was a way of life for ancient people. With the development of society, the economic status of horses as a means of transportation is getting lower and lower, while the status of recreational activities in the form of horseback riding is getting higher and higher. Polo, circus, equestrianism and horse racing are all relatively elegant recreational activities that are still loved today. However, bamboo horses, lanterns and horse dances with horses as their content are still active on the stage and in festival activities.
For thousands of years, people have expressed their love and admiration for horses through poetry, painting, music, dance and other art forms. Horses have a profound complex in the Chinese nation. With its historical and cultural connotation, it can be said to have a long history and a long history. It is deeply rooted in the hearts of the Chinese people and has become the most splendid treasure of traditional culture.
1. The dragon-horse spirit is the enterprising and progressive national spirit of ceaseless struggle, self-improvement, and advocating by the Chinese nation since ancient times.
The ancestors believed that the dragon horse was the benevolent horse, the spirit of the Yellow River, the incarnation of the descendants of Yan and Huang, and represented the main spirit and the highest morality of the Chinese nation. It is eight feet five inches tall and has a long neck, making it look extremely majestic. The skeleton has wings, and there is a circle of colorful hair on the edge of the wings. It makes a long roar and makes a beautiful and harmonious sound. This is such a splendid image, such a free and high-spirited figure.
2. Horse is also a symbol of ability, sage, talent and achievement. The ancients often compared it to a thousand-mile horse. A thousand-mile horse is an excellent horse that can travel thousands of miles a day. According to legend, King Mu of Zhou had eight horses and often rode him around the world.
The names of the eight horses: one is called Jedi, which can fly in the air without touching the ground or touching the ground; one is called Fanyu, which can run faster than flying birds; one is called Benjing, which can travel thousands of miles at night ; One is called Chaoying, who can run after the sun; the other is called Yuhui, the color of the horse hair is extremely brilliant and radiant.
One is called Chaoguang, a horse with ten shadows; one is called Tengwu, flying on the clouds; the other is called Qiyiyi, with wings on its body, soaring ninety thousand miles like a roc. .
Some ancient books imagine the "Eight Horses" as eight kinds of coats with different colors, each with a nice name: Chiji, Pirates, Baiyi, Yuolun, Shanzi, Quhuang, Hualiu, Green ears. In fact, the magical legends about horses all describe virtuous talents, and should not be truly believed in as myths. King Zhou Mu's eight horses actually symbolize his group of people, with outstanding talents and extraordinary abilities.
3. The horse symbolizes unrestrained, unrestrained, vitality and enthusiasm. This is the most basic and basic symbol of the horse. By extension, it can symbolize prosperity, development, bravery, and conquest. If we extend it further, it may also symbolize the king, father, authority, or health.
Precisely because the horse's vitality and energy are so strong, it usually symbolizes male power, masculine power, king, authority, or masculinity.
4. Riding a horse not only symbolizes controlling and taming a certain power, but it may also symbolize sex. Freud believed that a child sees the horse as a symbol of his father and, of course, of his father's sexuality - for his mother.
5. Symbolizes news or messenger.
In ancient times, the fastest means of transportation was the horse. Therefore, in addition to the so-called "Hongyan Chuan Shu", the most reliable and common way for ancient people to deliver letters was through various post stations. Book. It is equivalent to what we call a postman now. He works very hard, has a pavilion every ten miles, and a stay every five miles. This is how many important letters are delivered. Therefore, the horse can symbolize news. The symbolic meaning of horses in folk culture 2
The horse has a very high status in the culture of the Chinese nation and has a series of symbols and meanings. It is the spirit of the Yellow River, the incarnation of the descendants of Yan and Huang, and represents the Chinese nation. the subjective spirit and the highest morality. In the world view of our ancestors, dragon and horse have been equated with pure Yang Qian. The Book of Changes says that "Qian is horse", and horse has become synonymous with strong, bright, enthusiastic, high-spirited, rising, full, prosperous and developed.
1. Due to the interpretation of "The Book of Changes", the image of the horse is separated from the concrete form and elevated to an abstract spirit. It is a symbol of heaven and represents the king and father. , adults, gentlemen, ancestors, gold and jade, awe, majesty, health, kindness, lofty, primitive, endless life... This is the most popular saying that Confucius summed up in the "Book of Changes Qian Gua" that has been passed down from generation to generation by Chinese people. A resounding famous saying: "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives to constantly strive for self-improvement!" Yes, this dragon horse, born from the soul of our nation, is extremely majestic and powerful. It chases the moon and the sun, fights with stars, and rides on the wind. Rain, day and night.
2. In reality, due to the horse’s unruly and strong temperament, coupled with its vigorous posture and bravery on the battlefield, the horse became the sustenance of the heroic ambitions of ancient literati and officials. "The horse is so fast, the bow is like a thunderbolt." "I lie down at night and listen to the wind and rain, and the iron horse glacier comes to my dream." "The luminous cup of grape wine, I want to drink the pipa immediately." "Where is the home of Yunheng Qinling? The snow embraces the blue horse. A series of popular poems such as "Don't move forward" express not the cries of the boudoir, but the true feelings and heroic qualities of a husband. From these poems that have been passed down for thousands of years, we can still feel the momentum of the battle and the tragic feelings of the horse-leather shroud.
3. The horse also represents an independent and uninhibited image and is the sustenance of people's free spirit. Horses and horses flying in the air, walking alone, are the realms that people aspire to; the spirit of horse and dragon is a kind of spirit that Chinese people admire. Because of this, horses have become people's favorite animal to depict. Ancient people often painted horses as dragons. Zhang Yanyuan of the Tang Dynasty said in "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties": "The horses painted by the ancients... all have the body of a chiropod, and the arrows are galloping, and they are not like horses." Guo Ruoxu's "Pictures and Knowledge" of the Song Dynasty also said that the horses painted by the ancients were "unconventional and strange in shape. The poet Du Fu loved to praise horses. He also compared a good horse to a dragon. There is a famous saying: "When a nine-layered dragon emerges, all the horses will be wiped out." The Symbolic Meaning of the Horse in Folk Culture 3
The meaning of the horse symbol can be traced back to prehistoric times, with the first civilizations of the horse being recognized in writing from the third millennium BC, which historians found on the Elamite Tablets piece (now Iraq and Iran), it references this noble, beast.
Due to its natural friendliness with humans in both work and art, this horse could easily earn a special place in history, ranking high in honor, reverence and symbolism. Serving man in warfare, mobility, productivity, agriculture, all kinds of development, the horse is by far one of the greatest contributors to the enhancement of civilization. With such recognition and achievement, a wide and diverse range of symbolic meanings are sure to follow the rich history of horses and humans.
The symbolism of the horse is common in most cultures and is associated with the symbol of life force. Many cultures assign to the horse the attributes of four elements: earth, fire, air and water.
As a Celtic symbol, the horse was associated with war. Along with the attributes of war, victory, conquest, longevity and the acquisition of territory and other spoils of victory in battle. All of these brave aspects are associated with the horse in animal symbolism. In fact, the Celts referred to the horse as a beast belonging to the sun god and assigned it the position of the goddess Epona (for more information on Epona, see Celtic Gods and Goddesses ). The Greeks and Romans also associated the trophy horse and attributed to it a symbol of power, victory, honor, dominance and masculinity. In Greco-Roman mythology, the horse was said to have been created by Poseidon (Neptune) specifically for Hades (Pluto) and Ares (Mars).
The Romans also believed that the horse was a symbol of the continuation of life and would sacrifice a horse to the god Mars every October, keeping its tail up throughout the winter as a A symbol of fertility and rebirth. Whether in war or peace, the horse remains a steady winner as a champion symbol of strength in countless cultures. Buddha is said to have left this physical plane carrying a white horse. Also in Buddhism, a winged horse is often depicted carrying a book of law.
As one of the symbols in the Chinese zodiac, the horse in Chinese culture is equivalent to Gemini, representing practicality, love, endurance, dedication and stability. As a Native American symbol, the symbolism of the horse combines the grounding power of the earth with the whispers of wisdom in the spirit winds. The horse has long been aided by Native Americans, messengers and pioneers of spiritual knowledge. Considered a symbol of wildness and freedom, Native Americans saw much potential in the symbolic nature of this noble creature. Another aspect of Native American symbolism is the understanding of the horse, whose wild freedom could be harnessed and used for the tribe's benefit. This understanding can only arise when man and beast enter into a silent contract - acknowledging mutual respect and mutual responsibility. Click this link to access other Native American symbols on this website.
Horse symbolism is just as strong in dreams as it was in ancient cultures. Carl Jung believed that the horse represented the intuitive aspect of human nature and believed that it was a symbol of the human body in certain dreams. Seeing yourself riding a horse in a dream may indicate that you will see a project or event come to a successful conclusion. Falling off your horse in your dream indicates that you are nervous about a project or event you are planning. Dreaming about horse bridles, holding carriages, tying ropes, etc., indicates that you feel restricted and long for more freedom in life. Horses in your dream indicate the need to break old habits.
For more symbolic meanings of animals in dreams, check out more "Animals in Dreams" I hope you enjoyed this summary of horse symbols. I believe it is clear that as a symbol, the horse is a powerful balance of power and a profound place in many cultures as well as any human perspective.