Today we still call the ridge of the roof a ridge, although few modern craftsmen carve a wooden horse figurine on it. "Konikami" is one of the traditional patterns of folk embroidery. And how many figures of horses are in the Mezen painting, widespread in the Russian North. Why is the importance of the horse in the life and culture of the Slavs so great?
The point is not only that in the old days in the rich economy there were certainly horses, helpers in all work. Myths about the sun tell about magic horses. Let us recall them today.
Slavic myth about the sun: the chariot of Khors
Horses have long been revered as symbols of Horse, the God of the Sun Disc. They say that every morning he goes out in a solar chariot and carries a shining disc across the sky until the evening. This is not an easy job. The Sun God does not know days free from labor, because otherwise that terrible moment will come when the sun does not rise over the horizon at its appointed time.
Here's what the Slavic myths tell about it:
Solar horses in traditional Mezen painting.
The value of amulets with the image of horses
So the myths about the sun suggest that the image of horses is associated with the Slavic God Khors. The Slavs honor him as a hardworking God, responsible, capable of reasonably doing business. They also remember that sunlight is able to drive away all bad things. That is why carved bunks adorn the roofs of houses and baby cradles.
Wooden amulet for the house in the form of Khors' chariot.
In the old days, Khors' amulets were especially often given to boys in order to protect the child from evil and teach him to be industrious and responsible. Noisy pendants with bunks are made by Slavic craftsmen even today
Bring the sun into your home
Now that you know that the images of horses are not just a beautiful object, but the guardian of God Khors, will you call the sun into your house?
For the good!