Discovery of Horse-heads. By Dr. E. C. Robertson. 519 



rises, but brought back by the sun the following morning. This 

 is found in the mythology of all nations, receiving a local colour- 

 ing according to the climate of the country. In the north, before 

 the dawn or summer child can be won, there must be a battle 

 with the powers of frost and snow, and the sun must be aided by 

 birds, which denote the clouds — the bright light-tinted clouds 

 assuming the forms and names of birds, to remove the rocks of 

 ice and snow. 



On the coin we have the sun bringing back the dawn, and the 

 head of a bird is given to the horse (sun) as with the break of day 

 the birds take their first flight, and specially earliest welcomers 

 of the morn, the long-billed cranes and storks. The ball held in 

 the bird's mouth may be considered as an additional symbolic 

 expression. 



" Storks are unmolested in all Moslem countries, and protected 

 in Switzerland, Western Germany, and Holland. The Dutch re- 

 gard them as birds of good omen, and happy is the roof where 

 they make their domicile. A stork's nest is the crown of the 

 house. The transformation of storks into men is a popular be- 

 lief in Friesland and Prussia. The stork is known in Holland as 

 a fire (sun) fowl. In Hesse, a waggon- wheel — emblem of the sun 

 — is laid upon the roof, for the stork to built his nest upon. The 

 house on which he builds is safe from fire, and his nest must 

 not be disturbed, lest the house should be struck by lightning." 

 (Past in the Present). 



The design on the coin, figure 2., is seen on several British 

 coins — in one instance, with the crescent moon. 



The silhouette of the head and neck of the Berkshire white 

 horse, taken from the engraving in Hughes' interesting volume, 

 gives us the head and neck of a bird, with the ears of a horse. 



2n 



