Morris tribune., 1888-07-25
FANCIES ABOUT HORSES.
FOLK LORE CONCERNING THE WELL
KNOWN DOMESTIC ANIMAL.

Ano NURSE IL W@UeS SPxAso SS~oss@AsA
water Keipy--Horses Ridden by Witches
and Fairies Various Otnens and Be
iiefs--As an ssmblem.
In folk lore the horse figures most as
water sprite. Neptune having tradition
ally crsated the animal. we should not be
sstoaished to find him powerful at sea-
"Mystic water horses. water bulls, or
cows, are to be found In the religious sys-
TENS Of many nations of old. and they
still haunt the imagination Of living men
In the shape of dapple gray stations and
brown steers that still rise from some
German lake"
These water horses appear In many
lands In Iceland. Nick. or Hnickur. also
called by other names. appears as gray
horse with hoofs turned backward When
the Ice splits open In the winter IL In said
10 be the. water horse coming up: One
was said to have eight feet and ten heads.
This steed sometimes induces young per
sons TO mount his back when he PUSHES
into the water, and II h said that he can
be tanned. but his birdie mast never DO
taken of
In the Orkney islands the water sprits
comes % . handsome little horse, with
bis mane covered with weeds In the
shetland islands. Shoopultie Is the name
given to him. ~ well O. Njuggle or Nick.
An old historical. chronicle asserts one
was tanned and worked during the day.
Popular accounts represent him as having
chievous. stopping mills. carrying persons
into the sea. etc $751;.
THE WATER KELPY.
Nearly every Scotch lake or stream had
It's water kelpy. He would decoy travellers
10 mount him. and rush into the water
with them. He could be caught by fling.
ing over bis head o bride marked with
the sign Of the cross A blacksmith, sus-
p,eious of one of these water sprites,
thrust a hot iron into It's side. reducing 1t
to heap OF starch
Water horses are called Phookie and
Aughlsky in ireland and are said to come
up out OF the lakes. some Of them being
carnivorous Uue had serpent's body,
with horses head In north Germany
Jagowd Is the name applied to the water
horse One Is said to have come out Of o
lake. harnsssed himself to a harrow. and
worried the other horses to death.
Mosquito Indians say WiLwin. demon,
appears In the shape of a horse. Eastern
lore In not without it's stories Of water
horses. FL Kazwini. a medieval Arab
writer. says sea horses are larger than
those Of the land. and have cloven hoofs
and small name and tail
Throughout England and Scotland 1t
was formerly supposed that horses were
at times ridden by witches and fairies.
It was said that if the names and tails Of
the horses were found to be plated and
knotted together it was sure sign the
fairies had been riding the steeds. To
prevent this. as well as to guard against
the unwelcome visits Of witches, it was
the custom to hang about the doors Of the
stables and In the stalls and hangers
branches Of ash or yew. hazel or broom.
The horseshoe. nailed up over the door,
mates Of the stables were found covered
with cold sweat or moisture In the
morning 1t was deemed sure sign that
witches had ridden them during the
night.
Nor were these beldames satisfied with
the chargers thus surreptitiously pro
cured It was wildly believed, here and
on the continent, that witches were able
to transform persons into horses, and
that such steeds were ridden to the night
~ rendezvous Of these hays.
VARIOUS oMENs
There are few omens connected with
the horse. In Yorkshire, England, 1t Is
thought unlucky to see white horse.
Probably here Is a key to the connection
between the white steed and the Ill
omened red haired girl In many parts
Of England it is believed that any person
siding piebald horse is able to cure the
whooping cough.
Around the<neck Of a horse In York
shire. some years since, was found Q
string tied to q bag made of the thumb Of
m old glove, containing the Lords prayer
written ON parchment. This was thought
TO preserve the animal from evil In The
Same district. II horse became ''foul" or
''fellen, the owner cured 1t by going into
the orchard at midnight. cutting into q
turf from the foot Of an apple tree and
hanging Il In tho branches Of the tree.
A fhs turf decayed 1t was said the horse
would recover In Ireland It Ia thought
that you may subdue an unruly horse by
whispering In his ear the Greed.
T. issad that Darius, king Of Persia,
was chosen ruler by the neighing Of his
horse, It having been left by lot to decide
who should hold the reins Of power by
choosing the noble whose steed neighed
6rsk saeF s-.74rla.s
The horse Is wen known emblem in
heraldry and in art. It is frequently fg-
ured on the tombs In the catacombs,
whese It Is the emblem of the swiftness
Of life. In early Christian art 1t typifed
courage and generosity. and st. Martin,
st Maurice. St George. st. Victor and
st. Leon arean represented on horseback
In Aryan mythology the swift flying
clouds were said to be horses. Gothic and
0ermanic tribes sometimes sacrificed
horses on the funeral piles Of their chief
tains.-F. g. Bassett In Globe Democrat.