There are also white horses which are divinatory, who prophesy or warn of danger.Īs a rare or distinguished symbol, a white horse typically bears the hero- or god-figure in ceremonial roles or in triumph over negative forces. As part of its legendary dimension, the white horse in myth may be depicted with seven heads ( Uchaishravas) or eight feet ( Sleipnir), sometimes in groups or singly. Pegasus from Greek mythology), or having horns (the unicorn). 1765.įrom earliest times, white horses have been mythologised as possessing exceptional properties, transcending the normal world by having wings (e.g. Portrayal in myth The Hindu world saviour Kalki with his white Horse.

Both truly white horses and the more common grey horses, with completely white hair coats, were identified as 'white' by various religious and cultural traditions. They are often associated with the sun chariot, with warrior-heroes, with fertility (in both mare and stallion manifestations), or with an end-of-time saviour, but other interpretations exist as well. White horses have a special significance in the mythologies of cultures around the world. The 3,000-year-old Uffington White Horse hill figure in England. White horse in mythology and cultural traditions

Girl riding a horse sketch