WH4.“战车”和“马”表示这类事物，这在古代教会是众所周知的，因为古代教会是代表性教会，在教会成员当中，对应和代表学是最重要、最杰出的学问。“马”表示理解力的含义，就从这些教会传到周边的智者那里，甚至传到希腊。因此，当他们描述太阳时，便将智慧和聪明的神明置于其中，还把一辆战车和四匹火马归给太阳神。当他们描述海神时，由于“海”表示源于理解力的科学知识，所以他们也将马赋予海神。当他们描述来自理解力的科学知识的起源时，便用一只长有翅膀的马来代表它，飞马以蹄踏开了一个泉源，被称为“科学”的九个童女坐在泉边。他们从古代教会那里知道，“马”表示理解力；“翅膀”表示属灵真理；“马蹄”表示源于理解力的科学知识；“泉源”表示科学知识所源自的教义。“特洛伊木马”无非表示他们的理解力为攻破城墙而设计的人造装置。即使在今天，当按这些古人当中的习俗来描述理解力时，通常也是用飞马或珀伽索斯来描述它，用泉源来描述教义，用童女来描述科学知识。但几乎没有人知道，
“马”在神秘意义上表示理解力；更没有人知道这些含义从古代的代表性教会传给了外邦人。
4. It was common knowledge in the ancient churches 1that this is what chariots and horses meant, because they were representative churches; 2for the people of those churches, the knowledge of symbolism and representations 3was the primary form of knowledge. The meaning of a horse as understanding spread from these churches to the wise in surrounding lands, especially into Greece. This led to the practice of characterizing the sun, where they placed their god of wisdom and intelligence, as riding in a chariot drawn by four fiery horses. 4
Not only that, when they described the god of the sea, 5since the sea meant the store of knowledge that arises from the understanding, they gave him horses, too; and when they described the way knowledge arises from the understanding, they imagined a winged horse that broke open with its hoof a spring attended by nine virgins, who were the various types of knowledge. 6In fact, they knew from the ancient churches that a horse meant understanding, that wings meant spiritual truth, that a hoof meant something factual arising from the understanding, and that a spring meant a theological principle that gave rise to knowledge. The Trojan horse stood for a thing contrived specifically by the understanding, the purpose of which was to breach walled defenses. 7
Even today, when it comes to describing understanding, some people borrow from the accepted custom of the ancients the practice of using the image of a flying horse, Pegasus, and of describing teachings as a wellspring and the various types of knowledge as virgins. 8Hardly anyone realizes, though, that in a mystical sense a horse means understanding, let alone that these meanings have spread from the early, symbolic churches to people who were not part of those churches. 9
Footnotes:
1. On Swedenborg’s use of the term “church” for a religious era, with further references, see note 3 in New Jerusalem 4. In speaking of “churches” here in the plural, he presumably refers to the ecclesia antiquissima, an earliest (or “most ancient”) church, which occurred before the Flood, and the ecclesia antiqua, an early (or “ancient”) church, which occurred after the Flood. [GFD]
2. On the meaning of the term “representative churches,” see note 1 in New Jerusalem 247. [Editors]
3. The Latin here translated “symbolism and representations” is correspondentiarum et repraesentationum, traditionally translated “correspondences and representations.” “Correspondence” is the causal relationship between higher (spiritual) and lower (material) levels of reality; see note 12 in New Jerusalem 1. The term “representation” in Swedenborg’s use indicates the presence of an inner meaning in an object, person, name, or action, usually with specific reference to the living enactment of that meaning (especially by persons). For more on this topic, see note 15 in New Jerusalem 1. [Editors]
4. The reference is to the Greek Apollo, the god of prophecy, poetry, and healing, who was identified with the sun as early as the fifth century b.c.e. The sun god was conceived of as riding across the sky in a fiery chariot drawn by horses (The Oxford Classical Dictionary, under “Apollo” and “Helios”). [RS]
5. The reference is to the Greek Poseidon, or the Roman Neptune, who is the god of the sea, horses, and earthquakes (The Oxford Classical Dictionary, under “Poseidon”). [RS]
6. In Greek mythology, Pegasus is the immortal winged horse who carries the thunder and lightning of Zeus. He was born from the severed head of the monster Medusa, who at the time was pregnant by Poseidon. Pegasus was believed to have created various springs from the earth with his hoof print, including Hippocrene on Greece’s Mount Helicon. Hippocrene was near the groves of the nine Muses, referred to here as the “nine virgins.” While the Muses chiefly governed the arts, some were associated with intellectual pursuits such as history and astronomy (The Oxford Classical Dictionary, under “Muses” and “Pegasus”). [RS, SS]
7. In the well-known legend of the Trojan horse, the ancient Greeks besieging the city of Troy construct a hollow horse of wood, supposedly as an offering to Pallas Athena (or in her Roman guise, Minerva). This they leave in front of the city, pretending to withdraw. The Trojans, rejoicing at having finally driven away their foes, bring the horse into the city as a trophy of their victory. The horse, however, contains what would today be called a team of commandos; they unbar the city gates after nightfall and let their fellow Greeks in to sack the city (and figuratively or literally breach its walls). See Quintus Smyrnaeus Posthomerica books 12–13; Vergil Aeneid 2:13–267. Pallas Athena was commonly linked with the intellect, or at least with cunning. In some passages of Swedenborg’s works, walls are associated with falsity that protects evil; see, for example, Secrets of Heaven 8815:2; Revelation Explained (= Swedenborg 1994–1997a) §§453:12, 514:9. Compare the similar mention of the Trojan horse at Secrets of Heaven 2762:4. [RS, SS]
8. Pegasus was usually associated with poetry and poetic inspiration specifically; it was not commonly a symbol of the intellect per se. For some representative examples of the fountain or well as a symbol of religious truth in early modern Protestantism, see Lees-Jeffries 2007, especially 103–121. On the fascination that the theme of the Muses held in Sweden in 1620–1720, see Helander 2004, 553–557; for the theme in European literature generally, see Curtius 1953, 228–246. [SS]
9. The Latin here translated “people who were not part of those churches” is Gentiles, traditionally translated “Gentiles.” On the related word gentes, see note 2 in New Jerusalem 3. Swedenborg, basing his usage on that found in the Bible, employs these words as general terms for all people and nations who are not part of the core group constituting “the church” at any given time in history — on which see note 3 in New Jerusalem 4. [GFD, LSW]
4. The fact that chariots and horses signified such things was very well known in the ancient churches, since those churches were representative churches; 1and among those who were in them the knowledge of correspondences and representations was foremost among the branches of knowledge. From those churches the significance of 'horse' that is, understanding, was passed around to the wise, even into Greece. From that they had the habit, when referring to their sun, where they located the god of their wisdom and understanding, of attributing to him a chariot and four fiery horses. And when they referred to their god of the sea, because by 'the sea' were signified those branches of knowledge which come as the result of understanding, they also attributed to him horses. And when they referred to the origin of the branches of knowledge as from the understanding, they figured a winged horse, which broke open a fountain with its hoof, at which were nine virgins -- the branches of knowledge! For from the time of the ancient churches they knew that 'the horse' signified understanding, its 'wings' spiritual truth, its 'hoof' proper knowledge derived from the understanding, and 'the fountain' doctrine, which the branches of knowledge drew from. By the Trojan Horse nothing else is signified apart from a stratagem, from their own understanding, for destroying the walls. Even today, when understanding is referred to after the manner derived from those ancient folk, it is usually referred to as a flying horse, that is, Pegasus; doctrine is referred to as a fountain, and the branches of knowledge as virgins; but hardly anyone recognizes that 'horse' in its mystic sense signifies understanding, and even less that these significances were passed down from the ancient representative churches to the gentiles.
Footnotes:
1. That is, these churches recognized that particular words and expressions represented particular ideas.
4. In the Ancient Churches it was very well known that chariots and horses signified such things, since those Churches were representative Churches, and among those who were in them, the science of correspondences and representations ranked as the most distinguished science. From those Churches the signification of a horse, as being the understanding, was handed down to the wise men round about, even into Greece. Hence, it was their custom, when they were describing the sun, in which they placed the god of their wisdom and intelligence, to attribute to it a chariot and four fiery horses. And when they were describing the god of the sea, because the sciences which exist from the understanding were signified by the sea, they endowed that also with horses. And when they were describing the origin of the sciences from the understanding they conceived of a winged horse, which with its hoof caused a fountain to break forth, at which were nine virgins, who were the sciences. For from the Ancient Churches they knew that by a horse was signified the understanding, by wings spiritual truth, by a hoof something scientific derived from the understanding, and by a fountain doctrine from which come the sciences. Nor is anything else signified by the Trojan horse than a device of their understanding for destroying the walls. Indeed at the present time when the understanding is described after the accepted custom among those ancient people, it is usual to describe it as a flying horse, or Pegasus, doctrine as a fountain, and the sciences as virgins. But scarcely anyone knows that the horse, in a mystic sense, signifies the understanding, and still less that these significatives have been passed down to the Gentiles from the Ancient Representative Churches.
4. That such is the signification of "chariots" and "horses" was well known in the ancient churches; for those churches were representative churches, and with those who were in them, the science of correspondences and representations was the chief of all sciences. The signification of the horse, as being understanding, was derived by the wise round about, even to Greece, from those churches. Hence it was, when they would describe the sun, in which they placed their God of wisdom and intelligence, that they attributed to it a chariot and four horses of fire. And when they would describe the God of the sea, since by the sea were signified sciences derived from the understanding, that they also attributed horses to him. And when they would describe the origin of the sciences from the understanding, they represented it by a winged horse, which with its hoof broke open a fountain, at which sat nine virgins called the sciences. For from the ancient churches they received the knowledge that "the horse" signifies the understanding; "wings," spiritual truth; "the hoof," what is scientific from the understanding; and "a fountain," doctrine from which sciences are derived. Nor is anything else signified by "the Trojan horse," than an artificial contrivance devised by their understanding for the purpose of destroying the walls. Even at this day, when the understanding is described after the manner received from those ancients, it is usual to figure it by a flying horse or Pegasus; so, likewise, doctrine is described by a fountain, and the sciences by virgins; but scarcely anyone knows that "the horse," in the mystic sense, signifies the understanding; still less that those significatives were derived by the Gentiles from the ancient representative churches.
4. Quod Currus et Equi talia significaverint, notissimum fuit in Ecclesiis antiquis, quoniam Ecclesiae illae fuerunt Ecclesiae repraesentativae, et apud eos, qui in illis, Scientia Correspondentiarum et Repraesentationum fuit primaria scientia: ex illis Ecclesiis significatio Equi, quod sit Intellectus, derivata est ad sapientes circumcirca, etiam in Graeciam: inde habuerunt, cum describerent Solem, ubi posuerunt Sapientiae et Intelligentiae suae deum, quod ei tribuerint Currum et quatuor Equos igneos. Et cum describerent deum Maris, quia per Mare significatae sunt scientiae quae sunt ex intellectu, quod etiam illi dederint Equos. Et cum describerent ortum Scientiarum ex Intellectu, quod finxerint Equum alatum, qui ungula rupit fontem, ad quem novem Virgines quae Scientiae; ex antiquis enim Ecclesiis notum illis fuit, quod per Equum significatus sit intellectus, per Alas spirituale verum, per Ungulam scientificum ex intellectu, et per Fontem Doctrina ex qua Scientiae. Per Equum Trojanum nec aliud significatum est quam Artificiale ex intellectu eorum destruendi muros. Hodie quidem cum describitur intellectus ex recepto ab Antiquis illis more, describi solet per Equum volantem seu Pegasum, Doctrina per fontem, et Scientiae per virgines, sed vix aliquis novit, quod Equus in sensu mystico significet intellectum; minus quod significativa illa ab Ecclesiis antiquis repraesentativis ad Gentiles derivata fuerint.