Son of the White Mare

Son of the White Mare
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marcell Jankovics
Produced by	Román Kunz
Starring	György Cserhalmi Vera Pap Mari Szemes Gyula Szabó Ferenc Szalma Szabolcs Tóth
Music by	István Vajda
Cinematography	Zoltán Bacsó
Edited by	Magda Hap
Production company	PannóniaFilm
Release dates	22 October 1981
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Hungary
Language	Hungarian

Son of the White Mare (Hungarian: Fehérlófia) is a 1981 Hungarian animated adventure film directed by Marcell Jankovics.^[1] The story's main character is Fehérlófia (Son of the White Mare), who is a man with superhuman power. 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, 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 film was made from 1979 to 1981.^[2] It is the second animated feature-length film of Jankovics and Pannónia Filmmstúdió.^[3]

Synopsis

Fehérlófia (Son of the White Mare) 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, Fehérlófia puts apples, each containing a castle, into the cauldron, and although both brothers and the princesses try to lift it, it is too heavy for them. The opening closes and Fehérlófia is left 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, for he believes they left him behind on purpose, but finally, he forgives them. All three marry with one of the princesses and move into castles, and the Forefather restores the power which he lost by the dragon's arrival.

References

External links

• Son of the White Mare at the Internet Movie Database
• Fehérlófia at PORT.hu
• Fehérlófia – the original tale by László Arany (in Hungarian)
• Son of the White Mare at The Big Cartoon DataBase