Plural of horseman; people who ride horses, especially skilled riders or soldiers on horseback.
From Old English 'hors' and 'man,' literally 'horse man.' Referenced in apocalyptic literature as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse representing plague, war, famine, and death.
The Four Horsemen became such a powerful metaphor in Western culture that we still use 'horsemen' to describe calamities—medieval people didn't know these would represent abstract concepts thousands of years later.
Traditional use assumes male riders (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse); gendered metaphor defaults to masculine even in abstract contexts.
Use 'riders' or 'figures' for inclusive language, or specify gender where relevant.
["riders","figures","prophets"]
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