Hair whirls on the head and neck of the horses were one of the characteristics of a horse then and now. In Iceland, the hair whirlss got names and it was believed certain whirls would refer to certain characteristics of a horse.
Flugfjaðrir (translated, flying whirl) = whirls that ran along the mane-comb. It was believed that horses, each with three whirls per neck side, would have more stamina than other horses.
Pétursstingir (translated, Peter’s whirl) = hair whirls which are to be found at the lower neck (in the vein area) right and left. Horses with three Pétursstingir were considered lucky charms because it was believed that this was the fingerprint of Saint Peter. Anyone who touched the vortex should supposedly only experience good things.
Straumfjaðrir (translated, whirl of the drift) This was the name given to hair swirls that were located in the chest area. When in waters, one had more confidence in horses with Straumfjaðrir.
The text originates from the book “Hestar” by Theodór Arnbjörnsson, p. 132, publisher Búnaðarfélag Íslands (2nd edition, 1975)
