Dance with Death: Interpreting the symbolism of Arya and the pale horse

Arya is drawn to the horse, carefully approaching.

The pale horse is nervous, gently stamping, legs coated with blood, but …

… the horse beckons her. As a white horse, pale/ashen horse or white horse covered in ashes, it’s arrival opens a lot of doors for symbolic interpretation! White horses are powerful mythical symbols, often associated with sun chariots, heroic warriors, fertility and end-of-time saviors.

It’s easy to link Arya’s character to many legendary figures (often solar deities) through the symbol of the white horse and/or the sun chariot. The sun goddess Sol‘s chariot is drawn by the horses Arvak and Alsvid (old Nordic), while Helios (ancient Greek), Sol Invictus (Roman) and Surya (Vedic) are also associated with their equine companions.