Introduction to Magical Horses

By Nicole Avery

   Magical horses can take you to those magical places one can only dream about! There are many different types of magical horses; all are able to do various magical things. There are magical horses that can fly, or even talk! There are magical horses that can swim underwater for long periods of time like fish; some of these beautiful magical creatures even live forever. Some magical horses have magical powers, like they have the ability to become invisible. In my collection of stories I want to show you how some of the beautiful magical horses helped people and how some of these magical creatures did much more harm than good.

    Pegasus is a beautiful, white, winged horse that is known in Greek mythology. The meaning of Pegasus comes from the root word in Greek called “pege” which means running water. Pegasus got his name because he stomped the ground which created a fountain. This fountain was called Hippocrene. Pegasus was created when the hero Perseus cut off the head of a monster Medusa. The blood from Medusa ran off into the ocean and mixed with the foam of the sea-god Poseidon. This is how Pegasus was created from the combination of the two. When reading my storybook you will learn how Pegasus let the hero Bellerophon ride on his back. They fight against a monster called the Chimera during their great adventures!

    Kelpie is a magical water horse in Celtic folklore. The stories tell of Kelpies haunting the rivers of Scotland and Ireland. There are different stories that they tell about Kelpies. There are multiple Kelpies; some have black coats and some have white coats. The Kelpies lure mortal, and they prey on women and children. Finally, they drown them and eat them. The Kelpie convinces the children to get on its back, and once the children are on the horse's back, they stick, and then the Kelpie drags them to the bottom of the river and eats them. The Kelpies have the strength of ten normal horses. The local farmers will try to enslave the Kelpies and make them work on the farms. One might be surprised to learn that although the Kelpie looked like horses and have fur like horses, they are ice cold to the touch! Through the story I will tell of the Kelpies, I will reveal a few tricky schemes that they pull in order to fool people!

      Thirdly, Sleipnir is a magical, eight legged horse. Sleipnir has a gray colored coat. Sleipnir is extremely muscular, this makes him incredibly strong. Sleipnir is not only strong, he is also super fast. Sleipnir is described in many texts as the best of all horses. Sleipnir is Odin's horse; Odin is a god in Norse mythology. Odin is known for many things, such as wisdom, war and magic! Odin also has the ability to change into different animals. Odin rides Sleipnir all over, Odin even rides Sleipnir to Hell. However, Sleipnir is not always with Odin, sometimes he has time to play with his horse friends.

     Now, just so you know I will not be the one telling the stories!  Let me introduce you to Granny and let her get started! Hello children, my name, is Granny! I am eighty-five years old and I will be telling you all sorts of wonderful stories about magical horses! These are the stories that my grandmother told me, and her grandmother told her. You see children, these stories have been passed down through my family for many years!

     I love to sit out here on my long southern-style pouch with the nice breeze in my hair and listen to the sounds of the world around me; this is how I remember all of the adventures that I was told as a young girl.  I will be telling you the stories that I tell my grandchildren and they are very exciting stories! By listening to these magical stories, it is like you are part of my family now. Once you children grow up and become grandparents, you must tell these stories to your grandchildren!

    I do not know if you all will be able to contain yourselves! These stories will let your imaginations run crazy wild. Just so you know some of the stories are a little scary. You will be so tired from imagining the stories I tell that you will go right to sleep once you get home for supper. I can't wait to get started telling all of you children the first story! Pull up a rocking chair so we can begin our mystical adventures together!