Page:The Buddhism of Tibet or Lamaism.djvu/443

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PRAYER AND LUCK-FLAGS.
411

horse," seems to me to be clearly based upon and also bearing the same name as "The Horse-dragon" of the Chinese.

This Horse-dragon or "Long-horse" is one of the four great mythic animals of China, and it is the symbol for grandeur. It is represented, as in the figure on the opposite page, as a dragon-headed horse, carrying on its back the civilizing Book of the Law.

The Tibetan LUNG-Horse.

Now this is practically the same figure as "The Lung-horse" (literally "Wind-horse") of the Lāmaist flag, which also is used for the expressed purpose of increasing the grandeur of the votary; indeed, this is the sole purpose for which the flag is used by the Tibetan laity, with whom these flags are extremely popular.

And the conversion of "The Horse-dragon" of the Chinese into

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