Epona, The Celtic Goddess Of The Horse

The Celtic horse goddess, Epona, is a symbol of mobility, freedom, power, speed, prowess, strength, endurance, support and courage. The five aspects of the Celts, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit are all represented in this lead pencil drawing. Earth with nature, water with the stream. Air in the sky. Smoke curls from a chimney, there is a fire within. Spirit comes in the form of two standing stones topped with a horizontal stone. A gate, perhaps, leading to? The horse under the tree is a Connemara Pony. It is the closest living relative of the horses of the ancient Celts, which may have been a kind of Steppe Tarpan, and later the Forest Tarpan, mixed with Przewalski Horse. Tarpans have been extinct for centuries. The Przewalski only exists in captivity. Along with the common black-brown-beige tabby cat, the Przewalski is the only other animal to have tri-color fur on a single strand of hair. Most Connemara Ponies are no longer the ancestral color or even the ancient mousy dun shade. Judging from the surviving artwork, the horses of the Celts were ponies. Celts had no need for larger horses, as they did not wear heavy armor for battles. In fact, they fought in the nude. The Celts invented the chain bit. The reins were fastened to the lower end of the sidepieces of the snaffle bit and a chain, which fitted into the horse's chin groove, was fastened to the upper end. When the rider pulled on the reins the grip of the chain made the small rod work on the horse's lower jaw bone, not, as previously, on the corner of the horse's mouth, which pushed the head downwards (as with the curb bit) so that the animal was unable to avoid the effect of the reins. Around the edge of the drawing, I created a two and a half inch border of Celtic knotwork and figures inspired by ancient Celtic art. The scenery was inspired by several photographs of the English countryside from the book, “James Herriot's Yorkshire”. by James Herriot, (Remember the book and television series, “All Creatures Great And Small”?), photographed by Derry Brabbs. The Celtic knotwork and art border was isnpired by the many Celtic designs in the book “ Celtic Art, the Methods of Construction” by George Bain. You can't see them on this small sample, but, on a rock in the river, are three Celtic Runes. One looks close to the Icelandic Þ, but the round part is angled. This is Wynn, the symbol for joy, the magick of inspiration, the satisfaction of self-evolutionary thought processes. The next is <. This is Keno, symbolising the rune of openings, new beginnings, new images of life, new ways of communicating one’s Self to the world. The last resembles a lightning bolt, like a mirror image Z. This is Eoh, the rune of new perspectives, bringing thoughts and ideas into sharper focus, bringing new inspirations and power. The chalk horse on the hill is based on the White Horse Of Kilburn on the face of Roulston Scar, in England. This is an eighteen by twenty-four inch lead pencil drawing on Canson 55LB Bright White paper, medium tooth. The price is $1500, which includes, mat, mount and frame. Shipping is extra.

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