THE HORSE AS AN EPIC CHARACTER 



before he was firm in the saddle, he was across the 

 stream. Quickly he seized the beautiful Magdalena and 

 raised her upon his little horse. Ali Aga saw Marko ; but 

 before he realized what had taken place, Marko was in 

 the middle of the stream. Hardly had he started in pur- 

 suit, when Marko was on the other side of the Danube. 



In addition to his abiUty to speak, Sharatz can fly. 

 It so happens that one of Marko's dearest friends is 

 killed by a Vila maiden. Marko embraces and kisses 

 Sharatz and says to him: "Oh, thou, my right wing, 

 take me to the Vila, and I will shoe you with silver and 

 pure gold. I will cover you with silk to your knees, and 

 the tassels will hang down to your hoofs. I will adorn 

 your mane with seed pearls. You shall eat cakes and 

 drink three-year-old wine. ' ' Sharatz answered : ' ' Mount 

 upon me quickly, for I see the Vila maid hastening, 

 hiding behind the sun. Cover your eyes, that your head 

 may not swim.'' 



One of the bribes here is three-year-old wine. This 

 may seem incongruous, but we find the same thing else- 

 where. The Russian horses drink mead; the steeds of 

 Hector were given sweet wine by Andromache, as he 

 reminds them when he bids them serve him well. Still, 

 it is a fact that, just as Marko drinks more wine than 

 any other epic hero, so Sharatz surpasses other epic 

 horses in this respect. Certainly, in all Homer you will 

 not find a passage like the following. One day Marko 

 rode forth to visit Philip the Magyar. Over the walls 

 he leaped and entered the castle on horseback; with a 



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