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Days in Horse Country – The Legend of Bayard
Fantastical
horses have always made their presence known throughout the ages, appearing in
the folklore of just about every culture in the world. For the French, a magical horse named Bayard
grew from French epic poems and became a legend in his own right. He was known throughout Europe, with Italians
calling him Baiardo and the Dutch referring to him as Beiaard.
Bayard first appeared in a twelfth century French fictional work as the horse hero Renaud de Montauban. Because he was a magical horse, Bayard could carry Renaud and his three brothers all at once. He could also understand human language.
Renaud forced to give Bayard to Charlemagne, who punished the horse by tying a large rock around his neck and forcing him into a river. Instead of drowning, Bayard breaks free by smashing the stone with his hooves. He escapes from the river into the woods, where he goes on the live wild for eternity.
A monument to Bayard can be seen in Belgium, outside the city of Dinant. Called “Bayard Rock”, it’s a huge rock formation with a natural cleft. According to legend, Bayard created the cleft when he struck the rock with his powerful hooves.
Michael