Debunking The Myth Of The Horse Statue Code

[Andrade Demaris]

I remember being advised, many years ago, about equestrian statues and the way there was a ‘code’ that sculptors and designers adopted. Simply put, if the horse has all 4 hooves on the ground then the rider died of pure causes. One hoof raised means because of injuries in battle. Both hooves raised means the rider died straight in battle. As I was being advised this I used to be looking at a statue of Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere while I was in Chester. Astonishingly, I do not know how Viscount Combermere died, be it in battle, at home or tickled to his demise by nematodes. The statue confirmed him on a horse that had one hoof raised. Google tells me he died at dwelling… This clearly requires larger analysis - luckily, others have accomplished it for me. It appears that evidently the code is a fabrication, picked up on by guide books (and, can I additionally say, local guides in Chester) to add to our normal confusion.

It was at the tip of the English Civil War, true, but the beheading was not performed in battle. There may be one other facet which brings the code into question - the statue of Charles I was created in 1638, he died in 1649. That might be extra conclusive than the ‘in battle/result of battle’ bit. Either way, there may be a nice story hooked up. The sculpture had not been erected when the English Civil War began so it was bought to a brazier known as John Rivet. Rivet had the statue melted down and changed into knives and forks, which he bought. These relics have been readily bought by supporters of Charles as a memorial - and by opponents of the king as an indication of victory. However, following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, it was discovered that Rivet had lied and the sculpture had been hidden away. It was retrieved from Rivet’s backyard and offered to Charles II (the imaginatively named son of Charles I). What occurred to Rivet I'm not sure, neither am I sure simply how massive his backyard was, but we should assume it was spacious. After all, the code might need been introduced after the English Civil War, but that might have ruined the chance to share an amusing tale. So, I feel we are left with the conclusion that all hooves on the ground means the sculptor will not be highly expert in the underside of hooves while two within the air suggest higher talent within the sculpting of not simply hooves but the forward abdomen of a horse.

Take a look in some guide books and sometimes you'll discover the code mentioned. It additionally seems to be more prevalent in North America than it's in Europe. It has been advised that the code holds true for all six equestrian statues in the Gettysburg National Military Park. Interestingly, the statue of General Reynolds (who died in battle) has two hooves raised, but not the front two, as you may see from the photo. Another person will need to check this for me however it may very well be coincidence or this could possibly be the place the code began. A quick look at a number of the more well-known equestrian statues in London allows me to debunk the myth further. In giant stuffed animal bear fact, it was pretty quick work. The first I considered was Charles I (Whitehall), which shows him atop a horse with one leg raised off the ground. Charles I used to be beheaded (he certainly died as a result of this) but that was not in battle.

Little did they realise that the enemy military had not set sail for far away Greece. Instead, they'd only taken their ships to the opposite side of the island, known as Tenedos; and there they were lurking, out of sight, however still not far away. It was all a cunning trick thought up by the wiliest of the Greeks, the pink haired Odysseus (ode-iss-see-us), who was never in need of a plan. The Trojans noticed that the Greeks had left behind a wierd providing. It was a large picket horse with ribs made from the planks of fir bushes. The folks marvelled on the large statue, however there have been different opinions about what they should do with it. Some clever old men noticed there was one thing not fairly right concerning the horse, and advised that they need to set fireplace to it right away. Others warned that , the gods would be offended with them if they didn't honour the statue. In any case, the picket horse was devoted to gray-eyed Athena, the nice goddess of knowledge, and nobody wished to feel her wrath.