Heavenly Horses

In nomadic tradition, horse is one of the mythological animals, embodying the connection with the other world, with the supernatural.

The horse, exceptionally white, has always been associated with the sun, with daytime clarity, with fire, air, sky, water, solar heroes, as an expression of good human aspirations in his daily work and struggle against difficulties. The white sun horse is an attribute of divine forces constantly fighting against evil, an opposition to death.

In the beliefs and rites of nomads, firstly, the horse itself, secondly, its separate parts — the skull, cervical vertebrae, skin, hair, thirdly, objects associated with it — bridle, clamp, sweat, reins, whip, fallen horseshoe, image, etc. act as the patroness and protector of people. The horse had the ability to drive out evil forces from the human body.

A vivid evidence of such a cult is an artifact found in the early twentieth century in the North part of China, which was finished in the form of a horse. Dating of the top showed that the artifact refers to the period between the IV-I century BC.

Heavenly horse 天马. Chinese ancient ceremonial bronze finial with standing horse, 4th-1st century BC

It is the only one in the world that was found in the entire territory of the Eurasian steppes, a bronze top with the image of a horse, which was used in rituals dedicated to the cult of Heavenly horses. According to the unanimous conclusion of experts, this find is a ritual tip, which was also a symbol of the ruler’s power. The Heavenly Horse of the nomads corresponded to the image of Pegasus in ancient Greek mythology. The discovery of the tip is difficult to overestimate as nothing of the kind was found.

It represents the rarest cult object and corresponds in value to Royal Standards of Egypt and Babylon. When the rulers were moving, placing his bet, holding certain festivals and rituals, the use of the tip in this kind of various ceremonies was undoubted. Such regalia, like power, were most likely inherited and could only belong to the king.

The horse breed on the bronze top is very similar to the horses of Fergana, one of the centers of horse breeding in the Ancient East. These horses were highly valued because they had elegant and graceful appearance, and were much faster and more durable than those breeds that were common at that time in China and Mongolia.

Fergana ‘Heavenly’ horses belong to one of the world’s earliest known cultural racehorse breeds of fast and light eastern type. They were the ancestors of all the best Asian horse breeds: Arab, Turkmen (Akhalteke) and modern Kyrgyz.

Modern and ancient Akhal-Teke. Heavenly horse, 天马, tianma, golden horse, blood-sweating horse.

The first major difference between the two artifacts found in Northern China is how the image of the heavenly horse was perceived in the eyes of both cultures. Nomadic tribes perceived heavenly horses as spiritual value and the rulers of China as material goods. These two artefacts express this difference vividly. The second difference is the different significance of the two artifacts, the Ordos horse served as a cult object for nomadic tribes, and the galloping horse reflected the philosophical and aesthetic preferences of the Chinese people in ancient times.

                                            Heavenly horses, different cultural interpretations of the same image…

To date, there are only two significant artifacts in the world dedicated to heavenly horses. One of them is a bronze horse galloping and a bird found in the Gansu province, which is kept in a museum in Lanzhou, China. The second is a bronze top horse from Ordos, which was found in the early twentieth century in the North part of China. Dating of the top showed that the artifact refers to the period between the IV-I century BC. The artifact is kept in a private collection.

It is quite possible that a bronze top horse would also be included in the list of significant historical artifacts prohibited for export to exhibitions outside China because of its high historical importance for the history of modern China.

According to historical documents, the Han Dynasty government later ordered the establishment of horse breeding centers in Gansu province in the hope of introducing the best genes of “heavenly horses” to Chinese breeds.

Thus, the role of horses in the development of Chinese civilization is huge. By understanding the strategic importance of horse breeding, breeding the best varieties of horses, the Han Empire was able to continue the development of its civilization. With the use of elite breeds of horses, the art of warfare was modernized, which made it possible to give a decent response to the raids of nomadic civilizations neighboring the empire. International trade received a new impulse in development — the Great Silk Road was laid.

The importance of the role of the horse is clearly reflected in the works of art of the Han period. The figure of the horse belongs to those times when Han began to spread its influence in the territory of the Gansu and Ordos, where the nomadic civilization challenged. It was necessary to obtain an important military and strategic resource — the best horses ready to compete with the cavalry of nomads. The Han Empire accepted the challenge. China was on the verge of new civilizational transformations brought to it by Heavenly Horses.

References

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