Horse brasses are fascinating objects. Historically horse brasses were used to kit out horse harnesses , but they had an alternate use as an apotropaic talisman, something to avert misfortune or bad luck. According to UK folklore, horses were particularly susceptible to being hag-ridden. The term “nightmare” refers to the dreamer being ridden by malevolent forces. Witches were thought to be attracted to horses and the beautiful, shiny horse brasses defected their “evil eye.” This perhaps dates back to a more ancestral memory of the horse as a sacred animal, kin to Epona the Celtic horse goddess.
Objects of beauty, such as horse brasses, were often thought to draw the malignant impulse to itself rather than the wearer, much in the same way a witch ball was thought to protect a house.
I offer a range of carefully sourced vintage horse brasses featuring pagan or occult motifs ready to be repurposed as decor and for creative warding. They are available in the Altar Supplies section of my shop.
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