Cheonma

Lore

Cheonma (천마) literally means Heavenly Horse. The name itself highlights the creature’s sacred nature and its link to the sky. Interestingly, cheonma is also the Korean word for a perennial orchid (Gastrodia elata) whose tubers are prized in traditional medicine; the plant’s root is called “heaven’s poppy” because legend says it was a gift from the immortals.

Early sources—mainly from the Silla era—describe the Cheonma as a white horse that flies without wings. Whenever it appears, the air crackles with a strange energy, almost like static electricity. If it spots people, it immediately vanishes into the heavens. The Heavenly Horse has two main duties: (1) to deliver heaven’s will or gifts, and (2) to carry the souls of the dead skyward. Because of this, images of the Cheonma often adorn ancient tombs. In Korean culture, white represents light, the sun, and majesty, reinforcing the horse’s sacred status and its role as a herald of great events. As a holy being, it must never be harmed.

The creature’s standout trait is its ability to fly without wings, propelled by some sort of celestial energy—clearly setting it apart from winged horses like Pegasus and underscoring its divine nature.

The most famous depiction of the Cheonma is the mural found inside Cheonmachong (“Tomb of the Heavenly Horse”) in Gyeongju, dated to the early 6th century. That painting, called Cheonmado, has become key to understanding how Silla people envisioned the afterlife and the Cheonma’s role in it.