| War | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Book of Revelation |
|
Created by |
John of Patmos |
Origin[]
"When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from Earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him."
— Revelation 6:3–4 NASB
The rider of the second horse is often taken to represent War (he is often pictured holding a sword upwards as though ready for battle) or mass slaughter. His horse's color is red, and in some translations, the color is specifically a "fiery" red. The color red, as well as the rider's possession of a great sword, suggests blood that is to be spilled.
As seen in heraldry, the sword held upward by the second Horseman may represent war or a declaration of war. In military symbolism, swords held upward, especially crossed swords held upward, signify war and entering into battle (see, for example, the historical and modern images and the coat of arms of Joan of Arc).
The second Horseman represents civil war as opposed to the war of conquest that the first Horseman is said to bring. Other commentators have suggested that it might also represent the persecution of Christians.
According to the interpretatio graeca, he is Ares, god of war.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Public Domain Novels[]
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1916)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Uncle Sam Quarterly #5
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921 film)