One of the most outstanding qualities of the horse is its mobility. In many cultures, it serves not just as a physical vehicle used for transportation, but also as a spiritual vessel to travel between the world of the living and the world of the spirits. From funeral stones, we can tell that Greek mythology used horse figures as psychopomps – creatures whose function is to escort the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.
Horses are particularly prominent in Siberian shamanic traditions and rituals where they function as a means to travel between different realms: the Earth, the Sky, and the Realm of the Dead. During his ecstatic trance, the shaman sometimes mounts a horse-stick while tambourines emulate the sound of galloping hooves. Thanks to the sacred power of the horse, he could reach the underground universe, talk with his people’s ancestors, and bring back important messages to the living.
Bird-Horse Cup
wood carving and paint, ca.2009, region of Arkhangelsk, Russia
This bird-shaped cup was handcrafted in the region of Mezen, not far from Arkhangelsk, in the north-west of Russia. Traditionally painted with black soot and red clay, the Mezen production possesses a rich vocabulary of symbols and geometric ornaments. Amongst them, birds and horses are prominent, and probably tied to old shamanic traditions: birds represent the souls of dead ancestors and horses the means to travel between the world of the living and the realm of the dead.
Green Moon, Blue Horse
Ivan Prykhodko
wood carving and painting, ca. 2012, Kyiv, Ukraine
Red Spots, Blue Horse
Ivan Prykhodko
wood carving and painting, ca. 2012, Kyiv, Ukraine