![]() ![]() On their agile ponies they could move in swiftly and make their attacks, confident in the knowledge that they would then be able to make off quickly to unknown destinations. Moreover, they were excellent horsemen and archers. The whole system of the Chinese defense mechanism was always vulnerable to attacks by these nomadic Barbarians who were used to the harsh conditions of the steppes. Aurora, Leningrad, reproduced from the Hermitage Museum.) We might even go so far as to say that the Great Wall was built against the horse, since the country lived under the constant threat of invasion. The Great Wall was erected against the apocalyptic vision of the Barbarian warriors on horseback, who came from the north. If we consider how much protection the Great Wall gave to the eighteen provinces of ancient China which lay to the south of it, we can understand just how great was the threat from the steppes to the north. Historically, the horse had such a profound influence on the Middle Kingdom that it might be suggested that it caused the creation of the greatest monument on earth, the Great Wall. Light-footed, well-proportioned, capable of soaring like the wind, these horses were named Tien Ma, 'Celestial Horses'. The exquisite Eastern Han bronze statue of the 'Flying Horse' pays homage to this breed. Once they had acquired this large group of horses, they were able to cross-breed them with higher quality horses from Western kingdoms to the satisfaction of emperor and aristocrat alike. (4) The Chinese managed to seize their capital and capture all the best horses which were stabled there. In the reign of Emperor Wu Ti (141-87BC), at a point when the Chinese had already attained a great deal of expertise in their cavalry, an expedition was led against the Hsiung-nu barbarians. The Chinese dedicated themselves for centuries to improving the horse both in terms of breed and numbers. To his left, also sitting above the trough which served as an alter, there was the God of the Oxen. His image, that of an ogre with multiple arms bearing weapons and with a tiny horse at his feet, was to be found on 'lucky papers' stuck in temples and stables to ward off illness and evil spirits. For centuries the God of Horses was worshipped by Chinese and Barbarians alike. ![]() (3) It is worth noting that in this case the horse appears in conjunction with the ox. Several sources confirm that horses were recognised in the time of the Three August Sovereigns and that Ch'in shih Huang Ti "also invented carts and ordered that oxen and horses be captured for domestication". The history of the horse in China dates back over many centuries. ![]() ![]() It is one of the twelve symbols of the Chinese Zodiac. It is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism and comes seventh in the Twelve Earthly Branches. It corresponds to the element 'fire' and to the Sun. A horse at the peak of its physical and intellectual development is described as a 'thousand-league colt'. On a popular level, it is still a symbol of speed, perseverance, imagination and youthful energy. Later, the horse came to be confused with the dragon and was finally substituted by the dragon as China's complex symbology emerged. It symbolises pure male strength (Yang) and at first was regarded as being even more potent than the dragon. With the exception of the dragon, which is a mythical animal, the horse is the most recurrent animal in the Chinese world, having been present from the dawn of Chinese culture, both on a mythical and symbolic level. The horse has always played an important role in the traditions and history of mankind and no less so in the case of China. THE GREAT WALL: A BARRIER AGAINST THE HORSE ![]()
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