Dacian Horses of Bronze Age is part of the 100 words story series and is a tale inspired by the taming of the first free horses that roamed Transylvania’s lands, in Romania.
Discover more about the Dacian horses at the end of this narrative, as well as some horse-related folklore from Romania.
Dacian Horses of Bronze Age
Stories of white shadows chasing soundlessly over the land at first light were as old as hills.
Tales, never witnesses.
The morning they cut the lad’s way, the boy herding the villager’s sheep didn’t scare. He stood and stared, apple balanced mid-air. Fragrant steam and the scent of baked bread enveloped him. Then, whoosh, gone! And so was his fruit.
“‘tis true…”
“Revealed to a pure heart…”
“Bah! Believe it when I see it,” folk rumbled.
“I’ll bring one. For one night,” the child defended.
Sniggers all around.
Thus, first horse was caught. It turned to ghost by dawn.
Unspoiled.
Copyright © Patricia Furstenberg. All Rights Reserved.
What sparked this story
The domestication of horses during Bronze Age Transylvania is of great importance as it could have taken place even before the first known evidence of equine domestication in Europe, the Sintashta-Petrovka graves (approx. 2 800- 1 600 BC).
It is true that the horse husbandry of Transylvania is not as old as the Yamnaya culture from Asia dating back to the Late Copper Age, and that it might have arrived here via immigration and transhumance. Yet this first domestication of horses in Transylvania by the Bronze Age pastorals speaks of a settled and developed population.
Equine superstitions from Romanian folklore
In Romanian folklore it is said that if one sees a white horse on Epiphany Day, the 6th of January, one will have good luck all year.
If a white horse walks in front of a maiden, it is a sure sign that she will be married that year.
If you dream of horses that trot or canter, the next day will be a windy. But if s horse snorts, rain is coming.
If a horse paws in a spot, know that it tells you of something unholy located underneath.
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I have two days to find a white horse. 🙂 In any case, I’m glad we, the Romanians, were first at something… horse husbandry that is. Good for us!
Yes, I was cheering for Dacian horse breeding too 🙂
There is a white horse in my blog post, Jo 😉
😀 So the Internet fixes everything. I haven’t seen that one coming. Thank you for a good laugh.
Oh, well, virtual traveling definitely helped last year.
Great pleasure, Jo 😉
Yep, one has to have the sense of humor. Life is easier with a good laugh. 🙂
Always! 🙂
Wonderful story Pat and thanks for the background.. hugsx
My pleasure, Sally.
Thank you for taking the time to read it. xx
Thank you, Sally. Glad to hear it. 🙂
I enjoyed reading this. Happy New Year.
Ah, it makes me so happy to hear this 🙂
Thank you,Martie!
A Happy New Year to you too 🙂
Happy New Year, Patricia! Thank you for empowering my knowledgebase with this great horse story. Why i had not read this with Epiphany before? I would have had looked out for a white horse. 🙂 OK, not here in the ruraliest rurality. Have a beautiful weekend! Michael
A Happy and Blessed New Year to you too, Michael 🙂
I think we all feel the need of an extra dram of good luck this year. I would have liked to see a white horse too, on Epiphany day.
With great pleasure, and kind thanks for your visit.
Thank you very much, Patricia! Lets hope this year will become a better one. Its also so boring in lockdown. Michael
A lovely story and background to the horses 🙂
Thank you, Carol 🙂
This is fascinating, Patricia. A lovely post.
Thank you, Roberta 🙂