The mere mention of Horsemen of the Apocalypse and its names, can cause terror in more than one person; since, according to the bible, the arrival of these will bring terrible things for humanity. Today here we will talk about them and their stories.
The Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Year after year, generation after generation, people have reflected in mythological tales their way of thinking, acting and, much more importantly, their deepest desires; behind that torrent of words, they are beyond simple fables, then, mythology hides a large number of symbolic representations.
It really doesn't matter if the protagonist of these stories is a normal human, a magician, a monster or a powerful god; since, regardless of whether they belonged to the earth or to another place, all the protagonists face the same problems, desires and fears.
Despite the fact that these stories have been told for many years, they function as a kind of prophecy, in addition, in these words we can find great reflections on social norms, the limits of the law, the origin of the world, as well as also, the meaning of life and death.
Likewise, these texts allow us to know in depth what is considered unworthy, sadistic and immoral, as well as power, shame, the uncertainty of the future, and even how to save a corrupt soul.
The bible is not an exception for this type of stories, since, in its pages, you can also find the reflection of the same desires, desires and fears that have persecuted human beings for many years.
The names of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse
In the bible, the best known book is that of the Apocalypse, within which three primitive horrors are described, which have greatly influenced the development of our lives; They are three constant reminders that any day can come to us, a painful end full of destruction.
In Christianity, they were given the name Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but the essence of these beings goes much further. Regardless of the name given to them, they represent destruction and death; even, in the XXI century, we fear its arrival.
Now, we are going to proceed to talk about each of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, their names, stories and much more; but first, we want to recommend this article, which talks about the end times, has the apocalypse arrived?
The Black Horse: Hunger
“I saw, and look! a black horse; and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. And I heard a voice as it were in the midst of the four living creatures say: 'A pint of wheat for a denarius, and three pints of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine” (Revelation 6:5, 6).
Over the years, there have been places where famines have been infrequent or short-lived; On the other hand, in others, the fate was different, suffering from long and indefinite famines, mostly as a result of heavy snowfalls, but also, these could be due to the existence of disputes between the tribes or, because they were located in hostile territories.
The result of these situations of extreme need led people to satisfy hunger at any cost, even committing the act of cannibalism; This activity was committed in various places, such is the case of the natives of Papua New Guinea, the Shuar of the Amazon or the Kanak tribes of New Caledonia, where it became a custom, was normalized and became part of their culture.
On more than one occasion, these events became stories, since they were considered heinous acts, typical of animal behavior, but not of a human. In this way, various terrible creatures were created, with a walk similar to that of humans; such is the case of the beings presented in mythologies narrated by the Amerindians or the Algonquians.
For these, if a person dared to consume human flesh, it would transform into a being called wendigo, a huge and bony creature, humanoid in appearance; This legend had the purpose of preventing people from incurring in cannibalism.
In this way, in various parts of the world, different creatures with similar characteristics were also made known, such is the case of the ghoul, a ghoul known in the Middle East; the rougarou France or, the werewolves and vampires, known mainly in Europe.
Likewise, in England there was an animal known as a kelpie, which attracted people to lakes, and then drowned and devoured them; this behavior was similar to that described by the South American Guarani, in their stories about the Yaguareté-Avá.
As we can see, all these beings may have completely different names and characteristics, but they are all a clear example of the passage of the black horse through the earth, over the years; but, as much as we refuse to believe it, even today, it continues to spread suffering.
The Red Horse: The War
“Another came out, a fiery-colored horse; and it was granted to him who sat on it to take peace from the earth so that they might slaughter one another; and a great sword was given to him” (Revelation 6:4).
War has been present in all chapters of human history. Starting with the original struggles present in the Theogony, through which the gods of Olympus disputed control, against the titans; passing through the events that we could read in the Iliad, reaching the great and epic Assyrian-Babylonian battles, such is the case of the Gilgamesh epic.
The latter, together with the constant brawls between the Dives and the Peris, were highly influential in later histories. The great wars mentioned here, along with many others, serve to exemplify that war is the central axis of these myths, surpassing justice, friendship, and even love.
These confrontations were largely associated with pain and glory, which led to endless revenge or, that the protagonists of these stories, went into a search for redemption; Likewise, these arguments were used to defend and justify wars and confrontations.
A good example of these defenders of war were the Romans, but, over time, this thinking spread throughout Europe; For their part, the Norse turned war into a lifestyle, since there are many such stories in the Eddas for nothing.
On the other hand, in the old world, the red rider was very well identified in various legends; as is the case with Chi You or Hachiman, Asian warrior gods, Ogoun in Africa and Tali-Al-Tubo in Hawaii. For his part, in South America, in the Tlaxcalan pantheon, Camaxtli had a privileged position.
The amount of blood that has been spilled over the centuries, due to the presence of the red horseman, is more than evident.
The bay horse: Death
“I saw, and, look! a pale horse; and he who sat on him had the name Death. and Hades was following close behind. And authority was given them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with a long sword and with scarcity of food and with deadly plague and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8).
Because there is no person who manages to evade death, he himself was considered one of the most powerful gods. Throughout the years and, depending on the culture, various names and forms were given to him, but he was always respected and revered; Until now, the image inspired by Charon, the ferryman in charge of transporting the souls of the deceased, through the Egyptian lagoon, has been the one that has predominated.
Likewise, in all mythologies we can find "the other world", the beyond or the underworld; among which it is possible to name hell, Hades, Mictlan, Irkalla, Helheim, and many others.
In mythology, some of these terrible destinies could be divided into various sections or rooms, which were occupied by very varied audiences, as a consequence of moral reflections; But, in the beginning, there was no such distinction between the good and bad, the brave or the timid, much less between the rich and the poor.
On the other hand, the bay horseman has been seen differently depending on the culture, since there are cultures where it causes pain and fear, while in others, it is synonymous with courage and joy; likewise, there are places where their presence is more neutral, and is taken as a step to another lifestyle.
In the Bible, the names of the horsemen of the Apocalypse are mentioned many times, but it is the horseman of the black horse, who is considered one of the most powerful; even so, there is still one last horseman, one that has caused a lot of mystery and has sparked various controversies, but also a very powerful one, perhaps more than death.
The mysterious rider of the white horse
“I saw, and, look! a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to complete his victory” (Revelation 6:2).
The names of the rest of the horsemen of the Apocalypse have always been very clear, but, in the case of the horseman of the white horse, this has given rise to various debates, since, it has been given various purposes, coming to be considered that this is a symbol of the Gospel, and even that it is Jesus Christ himself.
Likewise, it has been speculated whether this may be the personification of different religions, which are capable of judging, hurting and instilling, either courage or fear, in the various regions.
On the other hand, there is a universal interpretation, which at all times has been linked to the presence of the three horsemen mentioned above and, moreover, has been successful in adversity; without a doubt, this is the rider of hope.
Certainly, hope, as the Greeks warned with the myth of Pandora's Jar, turns out to be both a good and an evil, since it stays alive, although there is no reason for it; but always, it must be considered that this rider is the winner in each of the battles.
Precisely, this was the message preached by Jesus Christ, besides being, the feeling and desire that has lasted me in the history of humanity; since, when we believe that all is lost, hope is all that we have left.
Although the previous three horsemen have been the living image of fear, destruction and death; the rider of the white horse, turns out to be that friendly hand that will always stay by our side and will never abandon us, giving us that last breath to reach our goal.
We hope that both the meaning of the names of the horsemen of the apocalypse, as well as their stories, have been of interest to you; likewise, here we are going to leave you a short but concise video, where we talk a little more about them.