Ye Olde Red Horse

Ye Olde Red Horse is a respectable public house in the Worcestershire town of Evesham. A timber-framed, black and white building from the 15th century, the quintessence of traditional England. It certainly suits Evesham, and is located across the road from the old Almonary and former abbey buildings. It bears a peculiar name, which may just have referred to a reddish horse which came to town one day, but this seems unlikely. I think it alludes to that fell creature described in the book of Revelation in chapter 6 and verse 4:

And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The second of the four horsemen of the apocalypse rides a red-coloured charger, perhaps bespeaking the bloodshed its deadly rider bestows. Many will see this character as preparing to launch in the light of today’s bloody conflicts and simmering tensions. Yet I suspect he has been about his business these past few millennia, inspiring hatred and violence among the rebellious and godless tribes of Adam. That a pub should bear such a name in town dominated by a medieval abbey should not surprise us. Additionally, troops of Prince Edward and the Earl of Leicester fought each other a mile or so to the north at the great battle in 1265; locals would have feared the great mass of armed men camping on their doorsteps; truly, the apocalypse, or something very near resembling it, was upon them.

Praying for world peace is a foolish business in light of the promised run-up to Christ’s return. Yet praying that this old red horse and its devilish rider’s activities be tempered and restrained by the Living God, that war’s evil effects might be limited and curtailed, is a good and proper thing to do. 

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Micah 4:3