Today we might think of a a taltos such as Goncol as a wise man, an inventor, a psychic medium, an herbalist, and as astronomer. He had much in common with Saint Frances of Assisi, Michelangelo, and Carlos Castaneda's Don Juan.
He is said to have communicated with animals.
He is said to have invented the horse drawn carriage including ones drawn by many horses with more horse power. However, one wonders if perhaps he was from the universe since the horse the taltos rode sounds like an old car that goes from broken down to one made of gold that could be fueled with hot cinders. Called a taltos parpa, this transformative ride is depicted as a horse with extra legs, just as he or she is depicted as having extra fingers. I wonder if this was taken literally or was an art depiction to show speed.
How fast could that "horse" go?
It would no longer be earth bound and fly. Faster than a bird. Faster than the wind. Faster than thought.
Colors of horses are associated with metallurgy if not alchemy. Yellow for Gold. Grey for Silver. Black for Iron. Red for fire. Taltos is said to have been able to move energy between opposites; sounds like creating electricity to me.
A Taltos had plant knowledge and could not only heal people physically and mentally with plant medicine but by performing rituals.
It's not lost on me that the horse is so important to the ancient Magyars that the animal would be an important "ride" into the heavens and up The World Tree. What sort of creatures or beings did he or she encounter in that travel? Ones that have answers the shaman could bring back.
Messages predictions, advice.
Since honoring the ancestors is still part of Hungarian culture, I suspect that a shaman could communicate with those already departed.
C 2021
