The Monroe Park library at Virginia Commonwealth University is named for James Branch Cabell (1879-1958), a prolific writer who combined social commentary with a love of marvelous realms, chivalric heroes, and classic mythologies, to create witty and satirical tales. Cabell was a prose stylist and a great fan of puzzles, word-play, and waggishly erudite jokes, well-placed for discovery by savvy readers.

Horses galloped freely in James Branch Cabell's imagination. The name Cabell comes from the Latin “caballus,” meaning horse. A rampant stallion was Cabell's heraldic emblem. His 1926 work, The Silver Stallion, concerns (among other things) a group of lords known as the Fellowship of The Silver Stallion.

Among the items in Cabell’s collection at VCU Libraries is a group of more than 50 horse statuettes with elaborate accompanying labels. Each horse is identified by number, name, “gift of…” information, and often a citation of one of Cabell’s books. The horses’ naming follows closely the list of legendary horses in the author's well-worn copy of Brewer's A Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.

In keeping with his love for tales of adventure, Cabell gave many of his figurines the names of shining war horses—noble actors in myth and chivalric romance, embodying strength and character. There is Philogeia, Horse of the Sun; Alsvidur, horse of the Norse Moon god; Ethon and Xanthos, ridden by Hector and Achilles; Bucephalus, beloved by Alexander the Great; and the magical mare Chetiya, tamed by Prince Pandukabhaya of Sri Lanka.

Read more and see images James Branch Cabell Horse Figurine Collection by VCU Libraries - Exposure