We
have seen, in previous episodes, that for an Arab fighter to be a skilled
horseman, he was required to be adept in turning his horse quickly and
and to be able to pull up short when in full speed; to reach down from
his saddle and pick up objects from the ground with lightning speed. Hence,
Arabian horses were specifically bred for skirmishing and speed, in addition
to maintaining agility in turning quickly. These tactics were exploited
skillfully to their fullest by the Arab cavalry against the Visigoths at
the decisive battle of Shiduwnyah.
As the
Arabs excelled in expertise in raiding tactics, they bred their horses
especially for this style of warfare. Soon, the Arabian horses became the
ultimate symbol of power and were avidly coveted by the ruling class in
Europe. We have seen previously, the Normans eagerly adopting the Arabian
horse and Arabian equestrian implements.
"DRESSAGE"
IN EQUESTRIAN RIDDING SCHOOL
During
the Renaissance, in Europe, when the Hapsburg family controlled both Spain
and Austria, the art of Arab riding was very much in vogue. There
was a need for light, fast horses for the military use. The Arab/Spanish
horses, "the Andalusian "Jennets", which were bred during the Moorish
rule by crossing Arab stallions with Iberian mares, were eagerly sought
out as the epitome of excellence in horsemanship. The Jennets (Arab/Spanish
horses), endowed with extremely dense bone structure, and had well shaped
hooves, were considered the most suitable mount of exceptional sturdiness,
beauty, and intelligence.
In 1562,
Maximillian II brought Arab/Spanish Jennet
horses, along with Saracens trainers, from Sicily to Austria, and founded
the court stud at Kladrub. As a rare and exclusive breed, the genes of
the Arab Andalusian horses of Spain, recreated the phenotype of the courageous
horse that had originally thundered across the battlefields of the Middle
East and Europe.
In 1580,
Maximillian II's brother, Archduke Charles, established a similar
private imperial stud farm with Arabian Andalusian stock at Lippiza,
near the Adriatic Sea.
Here,
on the Karst plateau near Trieste, the type of horse which
was bred in Lippiza was called the Lippizaner.
Along
with the Arabian/Andalusian horses, a special Arab riding style
was also introduced. This style of riding soon became the hallmark of mounted
knights during the medieval and Renaissance periods. This style
was called "dressage" (dress+age) Old French : "DRESS"
"to
train, drill". Middle English had "dress" (v.), in
the sense of "to train or break in" a horse or other animal
(c.1400).
"DRESS", as a term, referred
to the style of training a horse. A style
that soon decisively impacted the equestrian culture of the Middle Ages
and Renaissance.
This
crucial equestrian term was derived from Classical Arabic. Can
you guess the original Arabic term from which we got the word "dress?"
Make
no mistake, therein lies the answer, staring at you, hidden in the eye
of the sun.
Contestants
are invited to send their answers to this e-mail address:
The
correct answer to this riddle will be posted on Friday October 21, 2005.
Meanwhile
the name of the winners will appear on this board, as soon as they score
the right answer.
Ishinan
© Ishinan 2005
|
