Minstrel: A medieval term for a person who entertains with songs, poetry or buffoonery.
In last week’s Monday Minstrel I showed a photo of a very well decorated pony at the Temple of Angkor Wat. He was the only such pony or horse I saw while we were in Cambodia. However, there have been horses in the history of Cambodia. As we travelled down the Mekong River I saw this statue at a Buddhist temple.
Unfortunately I could not get any information about the date of this statue. Judging by his uniform the man looks military. The horse is a grey just like the little pony at Angkor Wat.
In Phnom Penh we visited the Royal Palace.
Here there was more evidence of horses. One statue would not have been out of place in Europe. It is the classic representation of a ruler, in this case King Norodom, mounted on a noble steed. In many places the world over military leaders, kings, rulers are often depicted on such majestic horses to show nobility, strength and power.
But my favourite was a mural on one of the walls depicting a colorful procession with horses in front of marching soldiers and in the background an elephant! I learned in Cambodia that when the trunk of the elephant is up, as it is in this mural, it is a sign of prosperity.
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