NR AVXY
AU Papakostas,Y.G.; Daras,M.D.; Liappas,I.A.; Markianos,M.
TI Horse madness (hippomania) and hippophobia
QU History of Psychiatry 2005 Dec; 16(4 (no 64)): 467-71
PT historical article; journal article
AB Anthropophagic horses have been described in classical mythology. From a current perspective, two such instances are worth mentioning and describing: Glaucus of Potniae, King of Efyra, and Diomedes, King of Thrace, who were both devoured by their horses. In both cases, the horses' extreme aggression and their subsequent anthropophagic behaviour were attributed to their madness (hippomania) induced by the custom of feeding them with flesh. The current problem of 'mad cow' disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is apparently related to a similar feed pattern. Aggressive behaviour in horses can be triggered by both biological and psychological factors. In the cases cited here, it is rather unlikely that the former were the cause. On the other hand, the multiple abuses imposed on the horses, coupled with people's fantasies and largely unconscious fears (hippophobia), may possibly explain these mythological descriptions of 'horse-monsters'.
MH Ancient Lands; Animals; Cattle; History, Ancient; Horse Diseases/*history; Horses; Humans; *Mythology
AD Athens University Medical School.
SP englisch
PO England