THE HORSE AS AN EPIC CHARACTER 



his last hour has come and that Sharatz weeps at the 

 thought of parting from his old friend. " Part from 

 me! " cries Marko. '^ Shall I give up my faithful steed 

 that has borne me over many a long road and through 

 many a dark place ? Never while my head is upon my 

 shoulders! " '^ No one will take Sharatz from you," 

 says the Vila, " but the enemy who spares no living 

 being will come for you, Marko. Look at your face in 

 the spring, and you will see the face of a dead man." 

 Marko looked and saw that he must surely die. Then 

 he drew his sword, went towards his horse, and cut off 

 his head, unwilling that he should fall into the hands of 

 his enemies and have to serve them. 



Let us now conclude with a heroic horse described in 

 Tatar songs, particularly those which come from the 

 Minussinsk district. In these he is sometimes the chief 

 actor, and we almost have what might be called a horse 

 epic. There is good reason for this, for the horse plays 

 an even more important role in the life of the Siberian 

 nomads than among European peoples. Not only is 

 the Tatars' favorite drink fermented mare's milk, but 

 their favorite meat is the flesh of the horse, and they 

 make use of his hair and hide after his death. This seems 

 quite utilitarian; but the Tatars also have a better op- 

 portunity to study him in a natural state than had the 

 medieval Frenchmen. Radloff, who edited the Siberian 

 songs, makes this statement: "The stallion is the ruler 

 and protector of the herd. Should the latter be attacked 



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