Man’s long, colorful relationship with the horse is revealed in one of humanity’s oldest creative impulses: Art.  The equine image has adorned virtually every medium of artistic conception throughout history, from prehistoric caves and pottery to paintings, sculpture, music, and literature. Even in our modern automated age, horses have made the successful leap to electronic “new media” of teevee, film and video games.

From a historical perspective, it is fascinating to realize how much retained knowledge of our past is owed to art. The consciousness of a culture is embedded in the art it leaves behind, and artwork is painstakingly preserved for posterity. Horses have stirred human imagination since before recorded history, so art tells the story of horsemanship—and civilization—in a comprehensive visual thread.

The earliest art is the cave painting, and horses are a predominate theme. These prehistoric images give bright glimpses into the shadows of humankind’s veiled beginnings—surviving samples date back over 30,000 years. “Rock art” is famous for depictions of horses and other animals central to the world of primitive man, and some of the prehistoric images reveal genuine artistic quality. The purpose for these drawings is unknown, but various possibilities include the recording or transmission of information, religious ceremonies or superstitious “magical” rites. Whatever the explanation, cave art represent first rays of creative light peering out before the dawn of civilization.

Most cave paintings are crude, but there exist works that rise above mundane scratchings. The most sophisticated and “sublime” cave paintings transcend time, revealing an artistic spirit already intact in pre-historic man. It is as if art truly does touch upon some indefinable and ageless spark of the cosmos. As Pablo Picasso himself said upon viewing the famous Lascaux caves, “We have discovered nothing.”

Copyright © 2008 John Allen Royce, Jr.

The theme of my new trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, is the depth of man’s partnership with horses and the animal’s foundational importance to civilization. When discussing the influence of horses it is almost impossible to throw too wide a net, and the legend of a winged horse is an example.

Pegasii

Early Christianity was combined with the Sun-worshipping belief that the Emperor departed earth upon his death in a chariot pulled by winged immortal horses, and various beliefs herald the Second Coming of Christ upon the winged horse Avatar. Islam records the gift to Adam of the winged horse Mamoun. Hindus honored Vivasvat, the Seven-Headed Sun Horse that symbolized the workings of the Seven Chakras. Buddha was said to have flown across the heavens as a white horse, and both Norse and Celtic religions had a stableful of supernatural mounts.

In modern times, mythology is remembered as a group of fantasy stories involving the gods of Olympus and exotic animals like the Chimera, Basilisk, Hydra, along with soaring Pegasus. But in the time of their practice, the “mythology” of the Greeks was their religion: a complex, inter-woven, often conflicting world enmeshed with the natural. The gods lived upon Mt. Olympus: their home could be seen by Greek villagers carrying on their daily lives.

Today’s popular conception of mythology is a pale summary of the original. We may have learned that Pegasus was a gift from the gods, or that the flying horse was the mount of Zeus with hoofbeats which caused thunder. But it is less remembered that the first gift of a horse was rejected by the people of Athens in favor of Athena’s offering of an olive tree, one of antiquity’s great examples of the wisdom of choosing butter (olive oil) instead of guns (cavalry). It is forgotten in popular imagination that that Pegasus sired a race of immortal winged horses, the Pegasii; or that Pegasus had a brother named Celeris, the mount of one of the Geminii twins (Castor, “The Horseman”) who were honored as a cult by the legions of Rome, and given placement, as was Pegasus, in his own constellation: The Colt.

The immortal Pegasii were of many colors, not only white, and they had varying powers of transport and appearance and purpose. The Pegasii were associated with dreams and inspiration, and all were benefactors of mankind or agents of the natural world.

The “legend” of Eclipsed by Shadow and the rest of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy concerns the strangely universal idea that horses were gifted to man by the Creator. The “Great Horses” of history are descended from this first horse. Promise, the Great Horse belonging to the book’s main character, Meagan, shares the essential characteristics of the Pegasii.

Leonardo da Vinci's "Rearing Horse"

Authors from Saki to Mark Twain have written stories about horses, a tradition continued in contemporary works such as Farley’s “The Black Stallion” and Hillenbrand’s “Seabiscuit.”

It is difficult to find expressive terms to describe how close and longstanding is mankind’s partnership with the horse: We can talk of horses in very bold terms. The depth and universality of man’s relationship with horses is illustrated through one of our oldest creative impulses: Art.  And it seems horses inhabit all the arts.

Besides mankind itself, no living creature is so celebrated in art as our ancient partner. Horses have adorned virtually every medium of artistic conception, which makes horsemanship one of the most well-documented historical activities of mankind.

The idea that horses are a source of human inspiration is a theme running through history. The Muses of Greek mythology–a sisterhood of divine beings who inspired creative art–were entrusted with the care of Pegasus and held the winged horse sacred. The history of the world moves to the sound of hoof beats … and art records it.

In the Beginning, Man so angered the Lord he was cast from the Garden. In the midst of the Lord’s wrath an Angel came onto Him. The Angel asked permission to lead Mankind back again to Paradise, and wished to be given a shape to best serve Man in his exile.

This love stayed the Lord’s wrath. The Four Winds swirled into a shape of beauty that moved to thunder … the Angel took form and became the first Horse.

(excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow)

So begins “the legend” from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy. Legends and myth shape the world of our imagination, and none is more universal than the belief that the horse is associated with the supernatural.

This idea is seen in Western Civilization’s own Greek myths of the winged horse Pegasus.

It is also found in Islam, where Mohammed’s horse Buraq made a great leap into Heaven which left a hoofprint still to be seen in Jerusalem … according to legend, that is.

ARTIST MARTI ADRIAN PRODUCES ARTWORK FOR “ECLIPSED BY SHADOW”

May 16, 2008 | Micron Press is excited to present the final version of the book cover art for Eclipsed by Shadow. Popular Canadian artist Marti Adrian has delivered a stunning piece of original artwork that captures the themes of this unique and engaging story.

The central motif of the richly imagined work is based on an ancient Greek coin featuring Pegasus, the flying horse of mythology. “Eclipsing” this shining Pegasus is the Great Horse Promise, the main equine character of the book. Accurately rendered colorful scenes from the story surround the central coin, placed in rotation around an arc to symbolize the book’s underlying theme of progress in horsemanship and the advance of civilized life.

Marti Adrian is an artist based in Canada with a special talent for horses. One current project by Adrian is gaining world-wide recognition, Lewis Lavoie’s mural mosaic entitled, Le Cadeau du Cheval (The Horse Gift), in which each mosaic panel is a separate painting by individual artists from all over the world. Another current mosaic project for Adrian is The Glory of Horses, a fundraiser for the rescue and support of unwanted horses. Adrian’s attitudes are noted on her website (www.MartiAdrian.com): “Nothing brings me more pleasure than to portray an animal, especially those magnificent horses … if one of my pieces brings some emotion to your heart, then I have done my job.”

Marti Adrian’s artwork will be displayed on both the upcoming Summer 2008 softcover edition of Eclipsed by Shadow, and also a hardcover gift edition to be published later in the year.

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Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of a new trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, arriving this Summer 2008 with a fresh and original look at the colorful role of horses in civilization. The book is available for review upon request.

Anthony Jones
A_Jones@MicronPress.com
Micron Press | Marketing Director

Further information about this unique and imaginative novel can be found at www.TheGreatHorse.com.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the author, please contact:

Anthony Jones
A_Jones@MicronPress.com
Micron Press | Marketing Director