Movie - Fehérlófia (The Son of the White Mare) (1981)

Incredible (and incredibly surreal) animated Hungarian film tells an ancient Hungarian folk tale. If you don't see the subtitles, click the CC button!

Curated by The Sadnesses

Total Runtime: 1:21:16

Fehérlófia (The Son of the White Mare) is a Hungarian animated movie made in 1981. It is the second animated feature-length film of Marcell Jankovics, and Pannónia Film.

Based on the work of László Arany and ancient Hunnic and Avaric legends, Fehérlófia is a tribute to the old steppe peoples. There are slight differences between Arany's work and the movie - for example, in the movie, Fehérlófia (Son of the White Mare, main protagonist) and Fanyűvő (Treetearer) are the same person. There are also references to ancient origin legends: Ősanya (Progenitrix), Ősapa (Forefather), and the Világfa (World tree).

The story's main character is Fehérlófia (Son of the White Mare), who is a man with superhuman power. He is born as the third son of a horse, and he gains his power by suckling the horse's milk. He listens to old tales, mostly about the Forefather and the end of his reign, caused by evil dragons. After the horse's death, Fehérlófia decided to search and destroy the dragons, who seized power over the world. He met his two brothers, Kőmorzsoló (Stonecrumbler) and Vasgyúró (Ironkneader), who also have superhuman abilities. In search of the Underworld's entrance (home of the dragons), they accommodate themselves in a tree hollow. One of them stays there every day, in order to cook mush and make rope while the other two search for the entrance. An ancient and mischievous creature, Hétszűnyű Kapanyányi Monyók keeps asking them to give him some mush. Kőmorzsoló and Vasgyúró refuse to give him food, so Hétszűnyű attacks them and eats the mush from their belly. Fehérlófia, however, stops him by trapping his beard in the tree hollow. Trying to escape, Hétszűnyű fells the tree, and the heroes find the entrance of the Underworld under its roots.

Only Fehérlófia dares to go down there, where he finds the three dragons and three princesses. After the victory, Kőmorzsoló and Vasgyúró rescue the princesses but leave Fehérlófia down in the Underworld. The desperate Fehérlófia finds a griffin's nest. A snake tries to eat the griffin chicks, but Fehérlófia stops it. To show his gratitude, the Griffin Father takes Fehérlófia to the upper world. The trip is very long so the griffin has to get some food in order to survive. Finally, Fehérlófia has to cut off his own legs to give something to the griffin to eat.

After the arrival, the griffin chicks restore Fehérlófia's legs, which gives him more power. He is very angry at his brothers, but finally forgives them. All three marry with one of the princesses, and the Forefather restores the power which he lost by the dragon's arrival.

Beneath the movie's surreal imagery, there are many indirect references. For example, the White Mare is the Progenitrix, who was one of the rulers of the world before the dragon's arrival. The Hétszűnyű was once the king of the world, the Forefather. The character also appears as the mysterious old man who advises Fehérlófia to suckle his mother's milk in order to gain power.

The Three Headed Dragon is a symbol of the Stone Age people, and his wife, the Red Princess, is the representation of sexuality. The Seven Headed Dragon is appearing as a World War tank, symbolising all the war and terror in the world. His wife is a bit hysterical which is a direct reference to Sigmund Freud. The Twelve Headed Dragon displays nothing but a modern metropolis and the computerised world.

Evil unleashed by the fault (usually of curiosity) of human beings is a recurring motif in legends and tales all over the world. This appears in Fehérlófia, when three princesses, despite a prohibition, opens a locked door at the bottom of a castle to see what is behind it. The ancient evil escapes in the form of the three dragons.

Movie - Fehérlófia (The Son of the White Mare) (1981)

◀ PREVNEXT ▶

THIS VIDEO:

MORE INFO ABOUT THIS SHOW »

Our Curators Recommend:

Movie - Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

Earns its tagline as "the Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told"

Beavis and Butt-head - Sign Here & Scientific Stuff

Introducing Daria x2

Collection: Scanimate

Collection of animations from the incredible analog computer animation system, Scanimate used from the 60s to the 80s! Don't miss it!

Street Frogs: Keep On Rappin'

Rap, rap! Who's there? Who can do hip hop better than a frog can? Street Frogs!

Network Awesome Originals:

Rubber Monsters & Giant Heroes Weekend

More action and forced perspective camera work than you can shake a giant lizard at!

Godzilla Day

All hail the King Of The Monsters: Godzilla!

Electronic Music Week

Horror-Punk Weekend

A spooky and chilling collection of the best and bloodiest punk and splatter! Wear a raincoat!

Previously This Week:

Thu, Sep 21

The Films of Malcolm Le Grice

Children of the Stones (complete series)

Collection - Menstruation

Talk Show - Richard Burton (1965-83)

Doc - The Way of All Flesh (Adam Curtis, 1997)

Movie - Wish You Were Here (David Leland, 1987)

Wed, Sep 20

Collection - Daphne Oram

The Buck Owens Show - March 15, 1966

Doc - Pierre Henry: The Art of Sounds (2007)

Art - The Eye and The Ear (Franciszka & Stefan Themerson, 1945)

Collection - The Film Music of Ennio Morricone

Movie - The Decameron (Pasolini, 1971)

Tue, Sep 19

120 Megabytes - Episode 58

Oneohtrix Point Never - Memory Vague (2009)

Doc - Neo Geo: The Rise and Fall of SNK

Art - Jeu (Georges Schwizgebel, 2006)

Collection-The Learning Company Computer Programs

Movie - Fist of the North Star (1986)

Mon, Sep 18

Live Music Show - Le Tigre at Rice University, 2000

Collection - Vintage Surfing

Doc - The Sound and the Story (1956, RCA Victor)

Talk Show - Angie Bowie

Trailer Trash - Summer of '82

Movie - The Brave Little Toaster

Sun, Sep 17

120 Megabytes - Episode 107

The Starlost Ep 15 - Beehive

Doc - Museum of Television presents Science Fiction

Collection - Unarius Academy of Science 2

De BVHaastshow (Jaap Drupsteen & Willem Breuker Kollektief, 1977)

Movie - Lathe of Heaven (1980)

Sat, Sep 16

Live Music Show - Roberta Flack With The Edmonton Symphony, 1975

Arise! The Church Of Subgenius (1992)

Manga! (BBC TV Special, 1994)

Doc - William Gibson: No Maps for these Territories (2000)