The Complete Russian Folktale: V. 1: An Introduction to the Russian Folktale by Jack V. Haney

Author:Jack V. Haney [Haney, Jack V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781317457824
Google: xGamBgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 28022065
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1999-05-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Horse in Ancient Eurasian Ritual and the Russian Folktale

There is a ritual known to have taken place from Ireland to India that appears to be reflected ubiquitously in Russian folktales, especially the wondertales. It involves a king-to-be, a horse, the ritual mating of the horse to a royal personage, the ritual sacrifice of the horse and its communal consumption, and the proclamation of a new king. It is thus a rite for confirming the kingship. The oldest verbal text describing this peculiar rite is that of Gerald of Wales, writing at the end of the twelfth century about his journey through Ireland with the future King Henry II of England (Gerald of Wales 1982: chap. 102). Gerald mentions that they witnessed the recognition of the new Irish king and the king’s intercourse with a white mare, the sacrifice of the mare, the boiling of the mare, and the new king’s bathing in the broth, which was consumed by the populace.

There are obvious connections between the Irish rite and the ancient Indian As'vamedha, or horse sacrifice. In the latter, a white stallion was ritually killed, and the high queen simulated intercourse with him. This rite was the culmination of a long series of actions apparently designed to assure the fertility and prosperity of the society. The rite was begun in the spring. A stallion was selected as the victim and bathed in a pond. The stallion was then set free to roam, accompanied by a hundred gelded or aged horses and 400 young men to keep it from contact with mares and from further immersion in water. Toward the end of the year, a huge fire-altar was erected, and the king underwent a seven- or twelve-day initiation involving fasting. The main ritual, which lasted three days, then began. On the first day, the priests prepared a new fire for the hearth and then procured the soma (ritual drink) supply. On the second day, the king drove in a war chariot drawn by the sacrificial stallion and three other horses. The three principal victims were the stallion, a hornless ram, and a he-goat. The stallion was throttled, whereupon the chief queen symbolically cohabited with the corpse under a blanket while the entourage engaged in obscene banter. Then followed the cutting up of the victim, disposal of the parts, further blood sacrifices, ablutions, and disbursement of priestly honoraria (Puhvel 1970; 1987:269–77).

Another curious remnant of the ancient Indo-European rites associated with the confirmation of a king appears in Herodotus (History, bk. 3, nos. 84–87). It will be recalled that upon the death of Cambyses of Persia two magicians usurped the throne and ruled until they were exposed and killed. Seven of the conspirators then deliberated about the sort of government they should set up among the Persians. A monarchy was eventually decided upon. The contenders agreed that “they would ride out together next morning into the outskirts of the city, and he whose steed first neighed after the sun was up should have the kingdom.

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