Celtic Horse and Celestial Horseman

The Celtic Horse plays deeply in Celtic mythology. The Sky or Celestial Horseman of the Cult of Sky and Sun is a god with clear ties to horses. It is believed that this god represents the dominion of life over death and venerated as the deity of both the sky and sun and perceived as a warrior, conqueror of evil and of darkness and death.

The Celestial Horseman is often depicted as the sky god on horseback or on a galloping horse with a thunderbolt as a weapon and a solar wheel as a shield. The Horseman cult was made up of equestrian warriors who were important to Celts in both Gaul and Britain.

Another Celtic Horse legend speaks of Enbarr of Manannan, whose name means “imagination.” Often described as a pure white horse with a flowing mane, Enbarr is said to have risen from the lake of Kylemore Abby in Ireland.

The mare was a gift to Niamh by her father Manannan (God of the Sea). Enbarr could run across sea and land without touching water or ground, and she could not be killed by man or god. It is believed that JRR Tolkein based the horse named Shadowfax in the Lord of the Rings books on Enbarr.