Throughout history, an important feature of any culture is the people's relationship to animals. Whether it be the thousands of cat mummies from the ancient Egyptians or the sacrifices from Greek temples, animals play an integral part in interpreting a culture and the mindsets of its citizens. Often these animals were more than just staples of domestic life, but also served as sacred creatures that connected humans to the spiritual world. When it comes to the Vikings, several species played important roles in day-to-day life, but none more so than the horse. Sure, they were used as transportation and played a key part in battle, but they were more than just a means to an end, much like the ancient Celtic peoples several centuries before. Beyond …show more content…
From the Viking saga of Grettir the Outlaw, the main character plays a “trick” on his father by taking his prized horse and “shaving all the skin on her back down to her flank” (Hight Chapter 14) before placing the skin back on her so that it falls off when his father goes to visit the horse. This makes his father angry enough to “become very abusive” and for his mother to jokingly remark “my son’s watching of the horses must have prospered well.” (Hight) In Scandinavian texts such as the Laxdoela saga, which claim that “horses and horse meat were the preferred sacrificial animals and meat at funeral feasts” (Lourmond 131) and Snorri Sturluson even references horse burial practices in the forward to Heimskringla, where he describes how “the Danish King was buried… together with his horse, fully saddled.” (Shenk 76) Finally, in several 11th century texts including Adam of Bremen, sacrifices of animals both humans and animals are done every nine years every nine days. The most common animals are “horses and dogs” with “99 people and an equal number of horses” (Lucas and McGovern 17) sacrificed over the course of the nine days. Though these texts were all secondhand accounts written by either Christians or Muslims, and therefore subject to bias and inaccuracy, they share enough similarities with the horse head burials that they can’t be completely ignored. All of this points to a connection within Viking literature between horses and death, and how horses are an important part of funerary and religious
The horse is a spirit animal that can be used to describe many characteristics in the book Bless Me Ultima. The horse symbolizes many things, some being personal drive, passion, and an appetite for freedom. An appetite for freedom is the symbol that sticks out the most from the many. In the novel Bless Me Ultima many of the males spoke of freedom. Antonio’s brothers all wanted freedom. As soon as they arrived home from the war their parents were telling them what they would do from then on. Their father hassled them with plans of moving. His dream was for him and his boys to move to California. It’s all he’s dreamed about ever since they went to war. This is where his driving force comes from. As soon as they arrived he pulled out a bottle
It is recorded that human sacrifice was common at least 5000 years ago. Danish farmers, used to deposit their farming utensils in pots along with human sacrifices and place them in peat bogs, much like the bogs the bog bodies were found in. The earliest documentation of human sacrifice is of two teenage girls found in Copenhagen. The girls aged between 16 and 18 were killed around 3500 BC.
When we hears the term Viking an immediate image of bloodthirsty men with long beards and horned helmets is conjured up in our minds. This is the image the historical sources have given us, and it is partly true. Vikings were merciless when raiding, but they were peaceful when they traded. Their navigational technology was exceptional, and the ones who settled in foreign lands contributed greatly to the lands’ culture.
In prehistoric America horse remains have been found that show they covered our great plains and were evolved to be able to eat the harsh vegetation of the area. The evidence of horses go back 54 million years. Without reason it seems this creature vanished from the area and not to be seen or have signs for the last ten thousand years. There are many theories as to what happened to them. One of the theories is that the horse died out due to disease. Another
Domesticated animals were a way of life to the Europeans. As well as meat, animals could be used for their milk, ...
...orite horse died unexpectedly which frightened Ivan terribly and he fled Pskov. (Haney, 76) Using the horse as a form of superstition allowed the horse to be revered as a sacred animal while still giving room for the saints and Jesus.
This book is a very important primary source for historians because it contains the only primary source concerning the Vikings before they converted to Islam, and many other accounts of important information including Viking raids. The book shows how the Eastern Vikings lived and how the Muslim world interacted with them. It also gives insight into the state of Islam in the tenth through twelfth century. Almost all of the information is this book is relevant to historians and the eye witness accounts are very useful concerning the people and places in this time period.
In any classic story about heroes and villains, the monsters involved are often characterized as the evil ones and, consequently, receive no justice under the law. Throughout the epic story Beowulf, the hero of the story encounters three monsters that are threats to society: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. The monsters in Beowulf are quickly targeted and destroyed because of the harm they cause to society. However, upon further examination of the monsters and the motives for their actions, the reader can view the monsters not as the cutthroat villains they may initially appear to be, but perhaps as victims of society. In today’s society, murderers and robbers are also portrayed as “monsters” because of the atrocious crimes they commit. While it is undeniably wrong to commit any kind of crime and I do not wish to condone murder or theft in any way, there may also be an ulterior explanation for why these modern “monsters” cause harm to society. In comparing and contrasting the monsters of Germanic epic with criminals of today, perhaps we can gain some insight into the motivation of both.
The knights’ way of transportation connects to how today we have tanks and other military transportation. Horses are the most commonly used animal as a means of transportation. They were extremely important for battle grounds. Horses give people an advantage of speed and height. “No other animal has been employed so widely and continuously and was at times so comprehensively protected as the horse,” says the Met Museum.
As the ancient civilizations of the west grew their empires, they encountered something so powerful, beastly, and strong that no man could hold down with his own two bare hands, nor could they be tamed. As centuries go on, men learned the ways of the horse and learned to ride upon their backs. They found them to be a key component in transportation, carrying goods, and warfare. As time went on, for every footprint of a human left behind in the wet mud, there was a hoof print not far from the footprint. Ancient Greeks believed that the horse was a gift from the gods, and they were greatly valued in their society.
The equus horse’s original habitat was in North America about 4 million years ago where they crossed the Bering land bridge to Eurasia 2 or 3 million years ago (Jay F. Kirkpatrick). They were then brought back to their homeland years later by the Europeans. Christopher Columbus was one of the first recorded people from the Old World that brought horses along with him on his voyage. His voyage was originally to India, but he infamously found his way to the New World. However, Christopher Columbus’ voyage was not where the official exchange of the horse took place. Hernán Cortez provided the horses more exposure to the Aztecs in 1519. The Old World’s main form of transportation was the horse. During the 1450’s to 1750’s there was no such thing as a car, train or bus. Great distances could not be traveled due to a lack of transportation in South America. Society was blocked off because the landscape was difficult to travel by foot. Horses were a quick, efficient form of transportation that enabled the Native Americans to cover greater distances as well as terrains that could not...
...bject of divination. The horse to the Germans is the most trusted species of augury and at public expense they have white horses kept in sacred groves for the taking of auspices which is conducted by noting the horse's various snorts and neighs.
In the earliest years of the Vikings, there was little history recorded due to the polytheistic views that they followed. After the Vikings converted to Christianity, there were eventually written documents created pertaining to their existence. In Viking Warfare, I.P. Stephenson states that the Vikings “first described attack took place in AD 789”(11). The Vikings were also known as Norsemen. They were great storytellers, and that is perhaps how society knows so much about them today. The stories that the Norsemen told were called Sagas. Today, Vikings are often depicted as murderous savages, but while they were not pillaging villages they were actually quite a peaceful civilization. There were three countries that Vikings evolved from; Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Although it may seem that all Vikings were on the same side, they quarreled with each other as well. Despite the fact that Viking battles were bloody and gruesome they were also known to be the most hygienic out of many of the earlier civilizations. There was not a huge percentage of Vikings that went out and raided but when they did they made a huge impact on what Vikings are now known for. The success of Viking warfare and raids relied primarily on the uses of armor, weapons, long ships, and battle tactics.
... Neptune and his Horses By E. K. Birce, 1880. Ancient sailors and warriors would pray and offer tributes to the great Poseidon prior to undertaking a sea journey. In turn, Poseidon could be cruel and hostile to those who displeased him, such as the hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus, who suffered great tribulations at the hands of Poseidon while embarked on his Odyssey back home. Both the bull and the horse are associated with Poseidon, but the bull is associated with many other gods as well, so the horse can be considered his animal.
In conclusion, horses mean more to me than many other things. They are part of my friends and family, but I also have great respect for them. Horses are surrounded by benefits that make us feel exceptional. Their colors are all attractive. Their breeds are marvelous and unique. Their history with us is quite a beneficial relationship. Their behavior is different from ours, but is an easy language to learn. Showing horses is exhilarating! Caring for them can seem like a chore, but is actually an overall fun and propitious experience. Riding horses is fun and meaningful, not just something to learn or do just because. And, no matter what people say, I believe there is something truly special about my dear friend the horse.