The horse features widely in Irish folklore, as it does in Celtic mythology worldwide. In Irish folklore, this horse can either be a white or grey mare.
The tale of Oisín and Niamh of the Golden Hair (Queen of Tír na nÓg, the Land of Eternal Youth), recounts how Niamh arrives from the ‘Otherworld’ on the back of a white horse. She declares her love for Oisín, and temps him to leave the Fianna and return with her to Tír na nÓg. Finally, he is tempted and supposedly leaps up onto the horse, which gallops off to the ‘Otherworld’.
The white horse belonging to the Sea-God Manannán, who is reputed to be Niamh’s father is often referred to Aonbhar (Enbarr) of the Flowing Mane. This horse could allegedly run across water, as if running on solid ground and could not be killed by either God or man. It is believed that this horse provided JRR Tolkien, with his inspiration for the white horse Shadowfax “the Lord of all horses” in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series.
Niamh is not the only individual in Irish folklore, said to have emerged from the sea on the back of a magical white horse. When Cliodhna fell in love with Ciabhán, she appeared on a white horse from the sea. Whilst, Cuchulainn’s two magnificent chariot horses are said to have emerged to him from lakes.
Today, a white horse is said to rise from the lake at Kylemore Abbey, County Galway, every 7 years.
