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Before Buddhism spread across the plateau, the wind horse was already an ancient bearer of good fortune. Depicted running and bearing the flaming jewel that fulfils all wishes, from personal aspirations to the attainment of ultimate knowledge or enlightenment, the wind horse rides the air.
His image appears everywhere, painted on monastery murals and printed on prayer flags, or more recently, on little square papers thrown to the wind.
Tibetans believe that wind is a positive energy, a strong and exuberant force that can yield great power. This wind can be ridden, like a horse, and harnessed through renunciation. When giving up possessions and power, one attains the freedom of riding the wind horse. Norlha Atelier is set within the Amdo region, the land of horses.
He is evoked at laptses, a local deity celebrating ritual that takes place on top of hills or mountains, where the men of various clans plant their clan arrows to mark their allegiance to the gods and request their protection. The Wind Horse has woven his way into common expression; ‘Today, my wind horse is running’ or ‘is not running’, is used to measure one’s luck. He is air, wind.
From the tops of mountains to the banks of the most beautiful lakes, nomads call for the victory of the gods by scattering countless paper wind horses to the sky. We wish that your “wind horse” may soar and good fortune await you.
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