Muon McHippus is the name I chose for Mumu. Muon because this is a name physicists have given to one of the types of “charmed particles” they have measured in accelerators, like CERN and Fermi Lab – that always seem to be exactly where they are looking – regardless of any other circumstance, as though the particle has somehow ‘sensed’ their intention in looking and thus IS there. Plus when you shorten it, it becomes “Mu” which is the sound a Holstein (black and white) cow makes so when I go wandering out in the field looking for him, I can moo like a cow.
Mu is also a word the people of Japan use to express “no self,” “no ego,” “no holiness,” and “no permanence” which are very equine lessons indeed. McHippus = Mc for the Irish familial lineage, and Hippus – for the Latin ‘hippo’ which means horse. (Hippopotumus = water horse, for your information). He is a registered American Paint of the quarter horse variety. I met Mu’s father as a student at the Kentucky Horse Park in their Equine Management Program I took one very interesting six month period during my transition into the Kentucky landscape.
Mu's younger brother, Iota McHippus
One day, my birthday, Mu gave me a message which was “Highest purpose found within truest nature” which I then added to a painting I made of him. I take it to mean it is only when we come to know and accept who we are that we are then best prepared to accomplish our main reason for being here on earth. It means there is meaning in weakness, and strength – and we don’t need to disparage ourselves for our faults but find ways to push through and turn those into our best strengths. For me it is to create and express, intuit and emote. Like on this blog and elsewhere throughout my life.
Mu has a younger brother who is studying to be a therapy pet. His name is Iota McHippus. He has his own Facebook fan club. He also tweets: @iotamchippus
Look out – he’s a snarkster!
Anna
/ April 9, 2011Hi Marti,
I have two comments! First, I love your art, and as I introduce tons of people to Parelli I am putting together a small, concise card of the Principles, Keys of Success, Games, Zones, Horsenalities and Games I came across your page and was hoping to ask permission to use your Zone and Horsenality drawings (very small, printed by me, not for any profit just for a teaching aid for my friends and to keep on my wall). Also I wanted to tell you that “Hippo” is Greek, not Latin – Classical Latin for horse is Equus, ecclesiastical Latin is Caballo (which started out as the vulgar, or common, form for “nag”), but “Hippo” is Greek. and yes, potamus is river, but that too is Greek! I promise, I am a Classical Studies major and my goal in life is to begin the field of “Hippology” (from hippo + logos, the story/study/word/idea, it has multiple translations) in the academic world, which will take me my lifetime but is very important to me. I want to write down the important role the horse has played for human life in the past 10,000 years from food to transport and religion to war and industry to self-actualization and passion. All in a several volume work.
I hope to hear back from you! Thank you for your passionate and fun art, it made me so happy to see!
~Anna Wirth, from Montana
martimu
/ April 10, 2011Anna
thanks for asking! And if your students want their own with their own horses pictured send ‘em my way. Have a beautiful day though that you’re in Montana pretty much guarantees that.
Thank you for the illumination on the etymology of the word hippos. Much appreciated! And yes you are most welcome to use those paintings as illustrations for your own teachings.
Marti