Noble Steeds V: Literature and Legend Quiz

Answer: Xanthos, Podargos, Aithos, Lampos

According to Hector, when he urged his team on, his wife Andromache not only fed them sweet grain and wine (whenever they desired), she cared for them more solicitously than she cared for Hector himself. (Each of the wrong answers contains a human character from the Iliad; Nestor and Patroclus are each important characters, for example. Admetus is not such an important character, but I didn't want to make that wrong answer so easy to eliminate, since I noticed some misinformation out there on the web, listing 'Galathe' and 'Ethon' as Hector's horses.)

Answer: Xanthos

Xanthos, an immortal horse, was the offspring of the west wind (Zephyros) and of a harpy (Podarge). Balios, his brother, was likewise immortal, but did not get a speaking role in the 'Iliad'.

Answer: Odysseus

The whole stratagem was Odysseus' idea, so it was only fitting that Odysseus got out of the hollow wooden horse first. Sinon was the man who convinced the Trojans he had been kicked out by the Akhaians, and that the horse was safe; Palamedes was a man Sinon claimed had been slain by the Akhaians for being against continuation of the siege of Troy; Neoptolemos was Achilles' son.

Answer: Abatos

Abatos (inaccessible) was one of the horses that drew the chariot of Hades. Helios' son Phaethon died as a result of driving his father's sun-chariot and being unable to control the horses.

Answer: Hrimfaxi

Hrimfaxi means 'rime-mane' or 'frost-mane.' Dagr, personification of 'Day,' rode Skinfaxi, or 'shine-mane.'

Answer: Kanthaka

Siddhartha Gautama, often called 'the Buddha,' renounced his life of riches and set out with his servant and his horse from Kapilavatthu until he had crossed the Anoma River. Then he sent the horse and servant back to his father and became a wandering ascetic.

Answer: Grey of Macha

The Grey is called, in some translations, the Roan of {Macha;} Cuchulainn's second horse was Black Sainglend. In any event, the animal was said to have had a 'human' spirit, and remained by the hero's side until the bitter end. Indeed, the Grey was intimately bound up in the prophecies that foretold the hero's death. One of the prophecies was that his three javelins would each slay a king. Exhausted and wounded, Cuchulainn cast the first of the javelins and with it slew ten men.

It was then returned, slaying Laeg, King of Charioteers.

The second javelin was thrown, slaying ten men, and returned, mortally wounding the Grey, King of Horses. Finally the third javelin was cast, slaying ten, and when it was returned it slew Cuchulainn, King of Champions. Black Sainglend took off, but the Grey remained, and defended the hero's body from his enemies until the Battle-goddess Morrigan came to claim him.

The Grey then went to find Conall of the victories, and led him to his master's corpse, where the noble beast finally expired.

Answer: Rakush

The huge spotted horse Rakush was characterized as the strongest war-horse in the world. The horse was an important character in its own right; as just one example: The episode where Rustam unwittingly slept in a lion's den. When the lion returned, Rakush had a long battle with it, eventually killing it.

Then Rustam woke up, and berated his steed for fighting the lion without waking him first.

Answer: Haiz'um

Gabriel rode Haiz'um when he led a squadron of 3,000 angels in the Battle of Badr, said to have been the first important battle in the 'history' of Islam.

Answer: Babieca

According to legend, Ruy Diaz (El Cid) was given the gift of the horse of his choosing from his godfather's stables. The future hero selected an ugly, immature beast, prompting his godfather to expostulate 'Babieca' or 'Simpleton.' The youth selected the insult as the name of his mount, which bore him faithfully until his own death in 1099 at Valencia.

After El Cid's death, pursuant to his final instructions, he was placed upon Babieca's back and his corpse sent charging at the Moors with sword upraised, prompting a mass retreat by the Moors, who thought the hero returned from the dead.

Answer: Grani

(Wagner called Grani 'Grane.') Sigurd had Grani from King Hjalprek. Sigurd's foster-father goaded Sigurd into requesting a horse, which he did. When the request was granted, Odin came disguised to Sigurd and counseled him on how to choose a horse. The method selected was to drive the king's herd into a deep river, so that all but one panicked and returned to shore. Sigurd chose that one untamed horse, after which Odin revealed himself, and told Sigurd that his mount was of the blood of Sleipnir, his own faithful steed.

Answer: Gryngolet

Gryngolet also appeared in other Arthurian legends. For example, the 'Prose Merlin' related how Gawain acquired the magnificent beast from a Saxon foe in a tourney.

Answer: Brigliadoro

The name Brigliadoro means 'golden bridle.' The horse was reputed to be swifter than any nonmagical horse in France. Brigliadoro bore Orlando through countless adventures, as related in 'Orlando Furioso' and other legends of Charlemagne and his court.

Answer: Shadowfax

Shadowfax was a reluctant gift of Theoden of the Rohirrim, broken by Gandalf himself. According to hints in Tolkien's collected and published letters, Shadowfax most likely accompanied Gandalf into the West on the White Ship when the ring-bearers left Middle-Earth, bringing an end to the Third Age.

Answer: Asfaloth

Asfaloth was the steed of Glorfindel, and was lent to Frodo just for the leg of his long journey that led him to Elrond's home at Rivendell.

Answer: Bree

Bree, or, more properly, Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah, was the Narnian (talking) horse who escaped back to Narnia from Calormen (and enslavement to a Tarkaan lord) with the youth Shasta (who turned out to be an Archenlander prince). Hwin-Hwin was another Narnian horse enslaved to a Tarkaan, but she was the companion and mount of Aravis, a Tarkaan princess. Clover was from 'Animal Farm' and Houyhnhnm was the race of talking horses encountered by Gulliver.

Answer: Rocinante

Rocinante, a gaunt, skeletal, barely animate horse, was the perfect match for her master.

Answer: Dapple

Sancho's donkey Dapple bore him faithfully, if ludicrously, throughout Cervantes' sprawling 'Don Quixote de la Mancha'.

Answer: Jolly Jumper

From the world-renowned comic book by Morris (Maurice de Bevere). Jolly Jumper is not just the fastest horse in the West, he is also the smartest. Luke would be nowhere without him.

Answer: Conquest (white horse), War (fire-red horse), Famine (black horse), Death (pale horse)

The Greek word usually translated in this context into English as 'pale' is 'chloras.' The Horsemen and their steeds are described in Revelation 6:1-8 of the New Testament or Christian bible.