Why centaurs died out. Centaur: description of the legend of the horse and pictures

Centaurs are creatures of Greek mythology, mixanthropic and powerful. Their human head and torso are connected to the body of a horse. Centaurs live in mountains and forest thickets, often, together with nymphs and satyrs, they enter the retinue of Dionysus.

In the article:

Centaurs and their origin

home distinguishing feature- violent temper and intemperance. According to some reports, initially centaurs appeared as the embodiment of turbulent mountain rivers and swift streams. Heroic myths divide centaurs into two types - benevolent sages, educators of heroes, and hostile savages.

The word "centaur" itself, or its Latinized counterpart "centaur" is divided into two Greek roots - "ken", that is, "cut", And "tauros" - "bull". Many peoples have the image of such a creature. It probably appeared after the clash of sedentary civilizations, which had no riding traditions, with nomadic ones, where horse riders were an integral part of the culture. Such were the northern nomadic tribes: Scythians, Kassites, Tauris. Hence the common feature of all centaurs - their ferocity, as well as a traceable connection with bulls, since cattle breeding is the basis of the nomadic economy.

The euhemerical interpretation of ancient times attributes the appearance of the centaurs to two settlements. In the first of them, the village of Tucha, lived young men who saddled horses for the first time. They became skilled riders and exterminated all the wild bulls that lived nearby. In the second city, Pelephronia, people learned to tame horses earlier than the inhabitants of the surrounding settlements.

Another interpretation ascribes even greater antiquity to the centaurs: supposedly their appearance occurred during the period of the Indo-European language and the collapse of the unity of the Greek-Aryan dialect. According to this theory, the word "centaur" is a modified "gandharv". Vedic mythology speaks of the Gandharvas as minor gods, drivers of the solar chariot. The theory is partly confirmed by the findings of archaeologists: two figurines of centaurs were discovered during excavations in Ugarit among Mycenaean ceramics. This suggests at least that centaurs were known as early as the Bronze Age. The "hero's grave" in Lefkandi is decorated with a terracotta centaur - this is also a well-known monument with a similar mythical creature.

Greek mythology and centaurs

The half-humans, half-horses in Greek legends have varied origins. Not that they gave birth cloud with the appearance of Hera, with which merged King Ixion of Thessaly, son of Ares, not that Kronos and Filira, not that Apollo from one of the nymphs. Could spawn this tribe and Poseidon, the first creator of horses in the Greek pantheon - his animalistic attribute was a horse. In addition, parents were also considered Ixion with Nephele.

A number of legends indicate the progenitor of this tribe first centaur from which the Magnesian mares suffered. In this case, it is believed that the Pelions were engaged in their upbringing. When the centaurs matured, they covered the mares, who later gave birth to the second generation of half-humans, half-horses.

The origin of the wisest representative of the semi-animal tribe is known for certain. - Centaur Chiron. He was born by the titan Kronos from the daughter of the chthonic Ocean - Filira. The titan and the sea goddess, secretly from Rhea, held a marriage. The lawful wife of Kronos Rhea caught her husband with his mistress in a moment of passion. Frightened, Kronos took on the appearance of a stallion. The son was born half-horse, half-man.

Education of Achilles (Chiron the Centaur). Gottlieb Schick

Chiron was immortal, unlike his brothers. He studied medicine, music, loved and knew how to hunt, skillfully shot from a bow, was known as an expert in military affairs, but he was kind and merciful. Apollo, the god of art, was his friend, and the most famous Greek heroes like Achilles, Hercules, Theseus and Jason were his pupils. Asclepius learned the art of healing from Chiron.

The death of a good centaur was terrible: Hercules accidentally wounded him with an arrow with poison. Chiron was immortal, and therefore his torment lasted indefinitely. An incurable wound drove the centaur crazy, he wanted to die. Chiron refused eternal life with one condition - Zeus will free Prometheus from the shackles of the titan. The Thunderer agreed to fulfill this request - he freed the titan, and turned Chiron himself into the constellation of the Centaur.

One way or another, but they were distinguished by violent temper, love of meat, drunkenness and debauchery. They were constantly at enmity with the Lapiths, since there are no women among the centaurs, and the Lapiths had wives. Half-human, half-horse constantly tried to kidnap them. When Hercules defeated and dispersed them, the centaurs dispersed throughout Greece.

A slightly different look at centaurs

They are often called the most harmonious creatures of mythical zoology. Ovid's "Metamorphoses" called the centaurs "two-form." Despite the heterogeneous (twofold) nature, along with the archetypes of the horse, man and rider, there is the archetype of the centaur. Primitive images more resembled naked people with horse croup. The temple of Zeus at Olympia on its western pediment boasts centaurs of a more familiar form: below the torso, a man flows into the body of a horse.

Sculptures of the pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia (5th century BC)

In the era of the famous Homer, horse riding was not common among the Greeks - one might say, it did not exist at all. The first travelers who came to Greece on horseback seemed to them one with their horses. A similar theory is confirmed by the not so distant first clash of the conquistadors with the Indian tribes. Pissarro and Hernan Cortes with their soldiers they appeared to the redskins as real centaurs, one with horses. In one of the clashes, superstition and horror played a key role: after the first shots, one of the conquistadors fell out of the saddle - and then the Indians, confident that there was one creature in front of them, considered the division of the whole in two as nothing more than a terrible miracle. The Indians fled.

But the Greeks had horses, unlike the Indian tribes, who knew only bison. A more plausible version seems to be that the centaurs are a specially created mythical image. They reflected one of the facets of reality as the ancient Greeks saw it.

The most famous myths about centaurs

The most popular is centauromachy- the myth of the battle of centaurs and lapiths at the wedding. The Lapiths, wishing to find peace with long-standing enemies, invited a tribe of centaurs to the wedding of Hippodamia (Hippodamia) and Perifoy. But there was no peace: the tipsy guests began to insult the bride, tried to kidnap her, and then overturned the tables and started a fight. This scene inspired Rubens to create The Rape of Hippodamia. Before Rubens, Ovid described this scene in the seventh book of Metamorphoses. It is believed that the Lapiths defeated and expelled the centaurs from Thessaly. In another version of the myths, the centaurs were less fortunate: Hercules shot everyone with a bow.

Plutarch did not bypass these creatures. The "Supper of the Seven Wise Men" contains a humorous story about the Corinthian despot Periander, who was brought a newborn mare cub - up to the navel the cub was just like a man, and below it had the body of a horse. The cub let out a cry like a human baby, and the courtiers saw this as an ominous sign. But when Periander turned to the sage Thales, he examined the cub and laughingly told the ruler that he did not approve of the behavior of the shepherds.

The poet Lucretius spoke of the impossibility of the existence of such creatures. He considered the proof of his theory that horses mature before people, and a three-year-old centaur would have the body of an adult horse and the body of a babbling child. In addition, the horse part would have died half a century earlier than the human part. The Greeks objected to him that centaurs could grow like people - with both of their parts. The people held fast to their belief in myths and mystical creatures.

The main reason why centaurs are not shown to people was their small number after the massacre at the wedding of the Lapiths. Then most of the tribe died, and when the survivors began to look for a new place to live, they met. They killed them with sweet-sounding singing. The god of the seas, Poseidon, nevertheless saved some, hiding them in Eleusis, in the mountains.

The history of the most famous hero of the Greeks, Hercules, is closely connected with the centaurs. He was taught by Chiron, Hercules entered into a confrontation with Ankii, Agria, Orey and Giray. The centaur Pilenor was wounded by Hercules. He washed his wound in the waters of the river, which made it smell disgusting. Foul became an accidental victim of the poisoned arrows of Hercules. Alcyone became the object of harassment by Homad, also a centaur, and was killed by the hero.

The life path of Hercules ended with the indirect participation of the centaur. A certain Ness kidnapped the wife of Hercules, but he shot him. When Nessus was dying, he advised the maiden to collect his blood, and when, over the years, Hercules cools down to his wife, use it as a love potion. This is exactly what happened: years later, the hero took a mistress and turned away from his wife. Then Dejanira soaked her husband's clothes with poisonous blood. Hercules died in terrible agony.

The constellation Sagittarius is the half-brother of the Muses. His abode was Helikon, and his name was Krotos. His parents were Pan and Euthema. He had a classic half-human, half-horse appearance, but instead of a horse's tail, he had a satyr's tail - inherited from his father. He shot a bow no worse than Chiron - it is Krotos who is credited with the invention of the bow and arrows, as well as the first successful hunt for wild animals with a bow. Applause is also his invention, which has become an analogue of prayer to the muses. For the invention of applause, Krotos was raised to the sky, where he took the form of Sagittarius.

The famous Chiron and Phol were portrayed in a special way, emphasizing their attitude towards civilized people. Their front legs were made human, and the croup was made horse. Chiron had more to do with people - he wore clothes, his ears were human. And Fol did not wear clothes, he had horse ears.

Despite the fact that centaurs are exclusively male, in some legends there are still women, centaurs. This is not the most common point of view in myths. They do not have heavy weight in mythology. Often they are confused with nymphs - they are beautiful in body and soul. The most famous centaurid is Gilonoma, the wife of Zillar. Zillar and Gilonoma were invited to the wedding of the Lapiths. When the massacre began, Hercules killed the wife of Gilonoma. She grieved for a long time and eventually committed suicide.

Since most of the information about the Centaurs is contained in ancient Greek myths, it is in them that you can find the story of the extermination of the most famous representatives. King Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring a live boar of enormous size, which terrified the inhabitants of the city of Profis and destroyed its surroundings. On the way, Hercules visited his friend the centaur Foul. He treated the protagonist with fried meat, and he himself preferred the raw form.

Hercules asked for wine, but Foul refused to open a barrel belonging to the entire flock. The hero did it on his own and then the centaurs heard the smell, running to protect the property. Anchius and Agrias were defeated by burning brands, while others died from arrows that Hercules dipped in the poison of the Gorgon jellyfish. He pursued them to the city of Methea, where all creatures retreated to the famous centaur Chiron. During the shooting, Chiron was wounded in the knee, but did not die, so he gained immortality.

This wound turned into terrible pain for the half-horse. It is noteworthy that the boar hunt itself is described in several lines, and the legend devotes most of its time to the extermination of now mythical creatures.

Who are centaurs

For some reason, it is generally accepted that centaurs existed only in Ancient Greece. Meanwhile, Russian myths preserved the memory of Maris, a half-man, half-horse who lived for 123 years and came back to life twice. On one of the mirrors, he was depicted as a wise old man with three maces - a symbol of the three ages of a person: youth, maturity and old age.

Centaurs are the fruit of the union of heavenly horses and goddesses. Having lost the divine ability to take on any form, they seem to have frozen in the middle of the process: they are no longer horses, not yet people.

Everything for the gods physical forms were achievable, and all carnal creatures are equal: from their point of view, man is no better than an animal, although more intelligent than the latter. It is known that the Indian goddess Saranyu ran away from her husband, turning into a mare.

He, turning into a horse, found his wife in the herd and reconciled with her, achieving love and harmony. The insidious Scandinavian god Loki took on the form of a mare to seduce a heavy truck that helped its giant master build Asgard. The ancient Akkadian goddess Ishtar, the patroness of fertility and carnal pleasures, was reproached by the hero Gilgamesh for excessive sympathy for the horse. For these and many other sins, the gods sent Ishtar to the underworld. The result of this exile turned out to be deplorable - love ceased on earth: no children were born, animals died out, plants dried up. Therefore, they begged her to return and, turning a blind eye to past sins, from now on they called her the “mistress of the gods”, the “queen of kings” and even the “fierce lioness”.

There was also a Russian centaur named Kitovras. The researcher of Slavic folklore G.S. wrote about him. Belyakova: “The word kitovras is of Greek origin, but the origins of the image itself should be sought in the East, in ancient india. There, the same mythical creature was called Gandarvu, from which, most likely, the second name of Kitovras appeared - the Centaur.

In the apocryphal legends of "Palea" of the 15th century, it is told about the sage king Solomon and Kitovras, who helped build the Temple: "Seven years Kitovras remained in his kingdom. Proud of his wisdom, Solomon called him to him and said: “Here, although I am a man, I managed to cope with you, a powerful beast.” Kitovras was offended and replied: “Solomon, you have not yet seen my strength. If you want to know her, take off the bridle from me and give me the ring from your hand.

Not knowing trouble, Solomon did just that. And Kitovras, having swallowed the ring, spread his wings and threw Solomon to the very end of the earth.

This scene is depicted on the Vasilyev Gates of the Trinity Cathedral in the city of Alexandrov. Vladimir region. mythical creature holds a small figure of the king by the legs, and a highly raised wing is ready to deal a crushing blow.

G.S. writes about his further fate. Belyakova: “Introducing the horse-man among their heroes, they endowed the hero with their own virtues: having lost wings and evil strength, he became courageous and noble, strong and courageous ... Even his name Centaur-Kitovras changed in Rus' to the name Polkan, which is closer to a Russian person ( "half-horse").

To this I would like to add that Polkan, nevertheless, is not a half-horse, but a half-dog, and this is how Russian fairy tales draw him: each leap is seven versts."

Yet the most famous Greek centaurs- Chiron, Ness, Foul and others. Chiron is the fruit of a secret marriage between Kronos and the Oceanid Filira. Taken by surprise by his wife Rhea, Kronos took the form of a horse. The son was born half-human, but his physical originality was compensated by extraordinary wisdom and benevolence. It was hard to find a better teacher for young heroes. Therefore, he was entrusted with the education of Theseus, Jason and the Dioscuri. The very god of healing, Asclepius, Chiron instructed in the knowledge of the secrets of his future profession.

The centaur Chiron, who lived inhumanly for a long time, nursed the future destroyer of Troy Achilles. He also taught the grown-up boy to swim, play the harp, ran a race with him and brought up a true athlete - not only a strong body, but also a noble soul.

Chiron was also friends with another legendary strongman, Hercules, who accidentally wounded him with an arrow in the side. The trouble was that the tip was smeared with the blood of the Lernean hydra. An ordinary person from this poison almost immediately died. The immortal, and this is exactly what turned out to be the shaky son of the god Kronos, was awarded eternal torment. Hellish pain, which did not subside for a moment, tormented the powerful body of the centaur. Chiron begged the Olympic gods to deprive him of the gift of immortality, but they were in no hurry, because Chiron in exchange asked to release Prometheus, who gave fire to people ...

The granddaughter of the centaur Chiron, Melanippe, is known, which translates as “black mare”. She had an affair with the lord of horses and waters, Poseidon. Nine months later, Melanippe gave birth to the twins Beoth and Aeolus. Her father was not happy about the addition of the family: he ordered his daughter to be imprisoned for life, and the bastards to be thrown out of the house - let them die under the rays of the scorching sun. However, the brothers did not die, but were picked up and raised by shepherds. Having matured, they returned to their native nest and rescued the ill-fated mother from imprisonment.

The tribesmen of Chiron did not differ either in his wisdom or benevolence towards people. Many complained that the horsemen were violent, they were also known for their deceit. Having drunk Hercules, whom they lured to visit, the centaurs attacked him en masse, but were defeated by the mighty son of Zeus. So horsemen disappeared from the face of the earth.

And from Ixion the Titan gave birth to Nephele a wonder: not a man, not a horse, not a tree, not a titan, not a god and not a beast, but both, and another, and the third: he was a horse, and a man, and a tree - a piece of the beast , god and titan. He was mortal and he was immortal."

It was precisely from the moment of my puberty that one problem began to worry me - why did all my girls I know go to the cavalry in a crowd?

They took care of the horses, took out the manure, cleaned them with a brush. And only occasionally did they manage to climb onto the horse! And at that moment I saw happiness in their eyes! But what interior… The gaze was directed deep into oneself, to the very bottom of the body ... But now women will start scolding me - don't invent it! We also love cats and dogs! Yes, not so!

But I'd rather talk about centaurs. Such a man-horse ... Why did people believe in this myth for thousands of years? Not for the same reason? We live now among myths.

The Greeks created two myths: Amazons are for men, and Centaurs are for women. And for thousands of years people believe! In them, in vampires, zombies, goblin, ghouls... They believe!

The centaur has horse ears, his face is rough and bearded. Typically a centaur naked and armed with a log, stone or bow. In especially ancient images, the centaur is endowed with both human and equine genitalia. Could this be the reason?

Centaurs were very lustful and often pursued and kidnapped women. Dream of many women

Philosophers from ancient times have been thinking about what needs to be instilled in a person so that he takes a deliberate lie at face value? How to make a myth true? Now they have come up with "crowd induction", NLP, mass consciousness control generators ...

What attribute should be given to a non-existent something in order for them to recognize it as existing? If you like, you can formulate the problem as follows: how to deceive people so that they think that something exists?

I'm not talking about the magnificent independent Ukraine now! About simple - about centaurs.

And for thousands of years people have been looking for evidence of their existence. Along with sensations about flying saucers, the results of excavations by archaeologists are published. They dug up giant skeletons... And the people believe! Here are similar to the Amazons dug up skeletons! A little bit more! And a miracle will be revealed to us! The myth will become true .... There are noticeably fewer sensations about centaurs - some half cattle. By the way...

The famous Kapitsa was called a centaur, since a centaur is a half-man, half-cattle. And Kapitsa, as those who knew him closely say, was man in relation to his own, and cattle in relation to strangers ....

Such a handsome man! .. Continue?

A little scientific.

Also in the Odyssey, Homer describes baby centaurs. The question of how the cubs of the centaurs were fed - breast or udder - is not described.

Starting from the 19th century, interest in the image of the centaur began to increase both among writers and poets, and among artists. In the 21st century, centaurs become characters not only in myths and literary works (especially in the fantasy genre), but also in computer games.

Letter

How bitter is the taste of earthly laurel...
Rodin chained forever
In the semi-mad gesture of the Centaur
Incompatibility of two principles.
Wringing your hands in madness,
He beats in hopeless torment,
The earth groans and hums
Under a heavy spasm of hooves.
But I understand the infinity
I know only wholeness in the world,
In me, the mirror of quiet waters,
My soul is like a starry sky
All around the native abyss sings, -
I'm all neighing and flying!

M. Voloshin

Rodin, Centaur. Sculpture straight from Voloshin's verse))

(Alternate title: "Soul and Body, or Centaressa")

Any girl dreams of a wedding.... And with a horse?!!

But the men are not a miss!

Is this the product of mare rape?

And here the right man of the Centaur stomps:

No need to seduce our women ...

Are you talking about Amazon skeletons? And here is the skeleton of a centaur!

Don't believe? It's in the museum...

Or maybe there is such a centaur

Or like this

Anything can happen, comrades women! And we are handsome compared to them. It's true?))))

There was such a Soviet film - "Centaurs", a two-part film directed by V. Zhalakyavichus, filmed in the genre of socio-political drama. Starring -

Donatas Banionis
Regimantas Adomaitis
Juozas Budraitis
Evgeny Lebedev
Valentin Gaft

And what's the pick? Women were thrilled in cinema halls, because Mihai Volontir was there))
Take a look. Worth the time...

But besides centaurs, man-horses, there is also a donkey man! Onocentaur is a donkey man. The dream of a woman who knows for sure - all men kazly !!!))

Florence has this:

Sandro Botticelli
Pallas and Centaur, 1483

A beautiful fragile woman tames a wild creature with a graceful gesture. The centaur, as it were, discovers his own weakness in the face of graceful female power. The dream of a woman is embodied - the man is subdued))

A little more science.

"The image of the centaur, apparently, arose in Babylon in the 2nd millennium BC. The nomadic Kassites, who came to Mesopotamia from Iran around 1750 BC, waged a fierce struggle with Egypt and Assyria for dominion in the Middle East. By On the borders of their empire, the Kassites erected huge stone statues of the guardian gods, among them centaurs.

The Kassites, who had extensive trade relations, brought the centaur to the Mycenaean civilization, which also disappeared by the middle of the 12th century BC. From Crete he came to Ancient Greece. Depiction of Theseus' battle with a centaur on an amphora of the 8th century BC. indicates that by this time the Greeks had already managed to develop a mythology that absorbed the Mycenaean heroes.

In ancient Greek culture, the image and symbolism of the centaur underwent significant changes. The centaur Chiron (and, to a lesser extent, the centaur Foul) was considered the wise patron of mankind. He is usually depicted holding laurel branches in both hands. In the Iliad, Chiron is a doctor, a friend and teacher of heroes, a creator of ingenious devices for waging war, and, finally, "the most righteous of the centaurs."

However, in general, the centaur remained a symbol of drunkenness and violence. This duality, perhaps, goes back to the time of the Kassites, who depicted a centaur with two faces - a human and a dragon ...

One day a centaur got drunk and -

Get him out through the vestibule and disastrous copper to the centaur

The nose and ears were cut off. And he, having lost his mind,

He went away, carrying away the fruits of his blindness.

From that time on, enmity flared up between husbands and centaurs.

First of all, he hurt himself by loading himself with wine.

Homer "The Odyssey"

We, ordinary men, do not like centaurs for sure!

Disputes about the origin of the word "centaur" have never subsided. According to various versions, it could come from the Latin "centuria" - "hundred" or the Greek "centron" - "goat", "kenteo" - "hunt, pursue" and "tauros" - "bull" (248). Also "there is an assumption that the word "centaur" comes from "gandharva"; in Vedic mythology "gandharvas" are the younger gods, ruling horses Sun.

In the "Divine Comedy" by Dante, the Centaurs of the seventh circle are "guardians and stewards of eternal justice":

"Between him and steeper rushed one after another

Centaurs, as it used to be on earth,

Chasing the beast, they raced through a free meadow.
…
Their crowds along the river scurry round,

Shooting at those who, in their sins,

It will emerge excessively from the bloody wave.

The nineteenth century ... It will turn out: Chiron himself is a Centaur !!! For Goethe, Chiron is the personification of male beauty - "he is half-human and flawless in running."

Faust Goethe:

Seems like the earth is shaking

Under the pacer's gallop,

I don't believe myself

To your eyes!

What a meeting!

What will I answer?

A skillful, ardent rider rushes.

He is inextricably merged with the horse.

O horse and half-man,

Everything, everything your run told me.

Here is my ideal! Slender centaur...

Referring to the representatives of the result of mixing two different entities: a man and a horse. From the first he got a head and torso with human hands, and from the second - a strong body of a horse with muscular limbs, hooves and a horse's tail. Facial features are distinguished by animal rudeness. Often the image ends with a thick beard and horse ears. Traditionally, they belonged to the bay suit, therefore Bottom part did not contrast much in color with the tanned human torso. Initially, centaurs belonged to males. On some of the most ancient images of these creatures, two types of genitalia are simultaneously represented: both a horse and a man.

Like skilled wild hunters, centaurs were often armed with a log, bow, spear, or just a heavy stone. To their liking, these hybrids are violent, headstrong and unbridled, loving freedom. That is why the main habitat for them became mountainous expanses that were not conquered by people or deep forest thickets.

In the art of war, centaurs were significantly superior to ordinary people. They possessed powerful strength, moved very quickly, and possessed javelin throwing skills honed to the heights of mastery. Nothing hindered their movements in battle: they did not wear any clothes, let alone armor. Sometimes they just put on a cloak in order to look more decent. A shield was used to protect against the enemy. Some Greek warriors more than once turned to the centaurs for combat lessons or measured their strength with them in order to evaluate their own skills.

The attitude of the centaurs, as they are called in a Latinized manner, to rational beings was completely ambiguous. Some were so hostile that people tried their best to avoid meeting them. They became especially violent and uncontrollable in a drunken frenzy. Others could offer their help to mankind. But most often it concerned exclusively young and beautiful girls. But in most cases, no one else has ever seen these women.

One legend tells of a foolish merchant. The centaur met him wounded on the road and, showing compassion, offered his help. The fool, instead of gratitude, decided to throw a saddle on the freedom-loving creature. Angry at the offender, the centaur, without hesitation, killed the merchant.

How centaurs appeared

There are several versions of the origin of the first centaurs. Mythology suggests the presence of divine roots in the origin of these creatures. In ancient times, a tribe called the Lapiths lived in the north of Thessaly. They were ruled by King Ixion, who was the blood son of the god of war, called Ares. Ixion had the audacity to fall in love with the goddess Hera herself. And in order to settle the emerging conflict, Zeus created an exact copy of Hera from a light cloud, which he called Nephele. From this union of Ixion and the goddess Nephele came the first strange creature with four hooves, but with a human head. Unusual offspring were exiled to Mount Pelion, where they took up his upbringing.

Having matured, the half-man - half-horse entered into close relations with the breeding mares that lived in this area. The offspring were the same centaurs, but of both sexes, which made it possible to further reproduce in the traditional natural way. In addition, centaurs began to choose not only four-legged friends as companions, but also ordinary representatives of the beautiful part of humanity or nymphs. These half-animals had enough passion and fire for several wives at once.

Subsequently, the centaurs more than once engaged in battles with the Lapiths, intending to appropriate the local women. After Hercules defeated them, the remaining individuals dispersed throughout Greece.

The ancient peoples also tell a more practical approach to the origin of the myths about the legendary centaurs. We are talking about those distant times when the inhabitants of ancient Greece used horses for riding, only harnessing them to chariots. It was, above all, prestigious and showed the appropriate level of wealth. But, most importantly, in battle, this method of movement was much more efficient and safer for the soldiers. But the wild nomadic tribes have already mastered the skills of riding horses. And when such riders came close to the borders of ancient Hellas, it seemed to the locals out of ignorance that they represent the unity of a man with a horse.

Centaur Chiron

Despite some divine origin of the centaurs, they, like ordinary people and animals, were mortal. Only a few were endowed with eternal life. One of these representatives was the famous Chiron. He was an exceptionally wise centaur, who, in addition to possessing military skills, was well versed in matters of healing, and was a connoisseur of music. Unlike his brothers, he had a kind open heart. His end is sad. Hercules accidentally wounded him with an arrow, the tip of which was poisoned with a deadly poison from the Lernean hydra. The pain from the wound caused Chiron truly inhuman suffering. Eternal life in torment was foreseen for him simply unbearable. He voluntarily renounced his immortality, for which Zeus freed Prometheus, and immortalized Chiron in the sky in the form of the constellation Centaurus.

Myths and Legends * Centaurs

Centaurs (other Greek. Κένταυροι , units Κένταυρος ) in Greek mythology - wild mortal creatures with the head and torso of a man on the body of a horse, inhabitants of mountains and forest thickets, accompany Dionysus and are distinguished by their violent temper and intemperance. Presumably, centaurs were originally the embodiment of mountain rivers and turbulent streams. In heroic myths, some centaurs are the educators of heroes, others are hostile to them.

Origin of image and name

The word "centaur" (other Greek. κένταυρος , kentauros), or the Latinized version - “centaur” (Latin centaurus), is traditionally derived from a word formation consisting of two Greek roots: kenteo - to prick and tauros - bull, which can be interpreted both as a bull killer or bull hunter, and as a bull-driver or even a cowboy.
The image of centaurs presumably arose as a figment of the imagination of representatives of civilized peoples who did not yet know riding, who first encountered horse riders of some northern nomadic tribes: Scythians, Turks, Kassites or Taurians. This explains both the ferocious disposition of the centaurs and their connection with the bulls - the basis of the economy of the nomads was cattle breeding.
According to the eugemeric interpretation of ancient times, these were the youths from the village of Tucha, who invented horseback riding and slaughtered wild bulls; or people from the city of Pelephronium, where a way was found to tame horses.
According to another approach, the image of centaurs dates back to the time of the collapse of the Greek-Aryan linguistic unity, and the word itself, like other Ind. Gandharva, was borrowed into Proto-Greek from some substrate language. If this version is accepted, speculation about horsemen becomes groundless, and the accepted etymology of this word should be recognized as a later folk rethinking. In general, even semantically, the images of centaurs and gandharvas are very similar.

myths

Centaurs were considered descendants of Ixion and Nephele - either direct, or through a common ancestor of the Centaur tribe, who foaled the Magnesian mares. Some say that the centaurs were brought up on Pelion by nymphs and, having matured, entered into a relationship with mares, from which the two-natural centaurs were born.
Some centaurs were taken out of this genealogical series, probably to ennoble them. So, Chiron was considered the son of Zeus and the mare Filira, Fol - the son of Silenus. Sometimes centaurs are considered the offspring of Poseidon, which is explained in the mythological past of this deity, totemically associated with horses and having a horse as an attributive animal.

Typically, centaurs are shown as wild and unrestrained creatures, in which animal nature predominates, but wise centaurs are also known, first of all, Phol and Chiron, friends and teachers of Hercules and some other heroes.
A popular poetic plot of antiquity was the centauromachy, the battle of the Lapiths with the centaurs, which flared up because of the unbridled temper of the latter at the wedding feast of the king of the Lapiths, Pirithous.

Centaurs lived in the mountains of Thessaly until the day when Hercules scattered them throughout Hellas. Most of them were killed by Hercules (see Foul (centaur)). Those who escaped Heracles listened to the Sirens, stopped eating and starved to death. According to one story, Poseidon hid them in a mountain in Eleusis.
One of the centaurs, Nessus, played a fatal role in the death of Hercules. He tried to kidnap Hercules' wife Dejanira, but was struck down by an arrow with the poison of the Lernaean Hydra. Dying, Ness decided to take revenge on Hercules, advising Dejanira to collect his blood, as she supposedly would help her keep Hercules' love. Dejanira soaked the clothes of Hercules with the poisonous blood of Nessus, and he died in terrible agony.

Notable centaurs

* Chiron is the teacher of Achilles, Jason and other heroes.
* Ness - guilty of the death of Hercules,
* Anky - fought with Hercules during his campaign for the Erifman boar.
* Agria - fought with Hercules during his campaign for the Erymanthian boar.
* Orey - fought with Hercules during his campaign for the Erymanthian boar.
* Giley - fought with Hercules during his campaign for the Erymanthian boar
* Foul - accidentally scratched by the poisoned arrow of Hercules during the fifth feat of the latter and died.
* Homad - tried to dishonor the sister of Eurystheus Alcyone. Killed by Heracles.
* Pilenor - washed the wound from the arrow of Hercules in the river, which is why the river acquired a bad smell.
* Mole (Krotos) - half-brother of the Muses, lived on Helikon, became the constellation of Sagittarius.
* Eurytus (Eurition) - at the wedding of Hippodamia and Pirithous, he tried to kidnap the bride, because of which the war of the Lapiths with the centaurs began.

Centaur women

Centaurids (lat. Centaurides, colloquially, centaurs) were rarely seen in painting and myths, playing mainly the role of episodic characters, and were often confused with nymphs. At the same time, the few authors who mention their existence described them as physically and spiritually beautiful creatures.

The most famous centaurid is Gilonoma, the wife of Killar (Zillar). She is the only centaur woman to attend the wedding of Pirithous, where she lost her husband and then committed suicide in grief.
Also in the Odyssey, Homer describes baby centaurs. The question of how the cubs of the centaurs were fed - breast or udder - is not described.

Classic Centaur Skin

Most often, the centaur is depicted as a horse, in place of the neck of which a human torso is placed, although in the Middle Ages there were incidents: on the coats of arms, centaurs were sometimes depicted without front legs, and in the illustrations they turned into horses with a human head or even into ordinary people. The centaur has horse ears, his face is rough and bearded. As a rule, the centaur is naked and armed with a log, stone or bow. In especially ancient images, the centaur is endowed with both human and horse genitalia.

In a special way, the ancient Greeks depicted the two wisest centaurs - Chiron and Fola. Usually their front legs were human, which emphasized their civilization, while the entire back of the body remained equine. Chiron was almost always dressed, often with human ears. The foul, on the other hand, is usually naked and only with horse ears.

Centauroids

There are many variations appearance centaur. For example, it can be winged. To refer to creatures that are not similar in appearance to a horse, but retain the features of a centaur, in scientific literature the term "centauroids" is used. Here are some of them:

* Onocentaur - a donkey-man, personifying a double-minded person in medieval mythology;
* Bukentavr - a man-bull;
* Kerasts - "horned centaurs" (human-buffaloes), born from the seed of Zeus, who was vomited on the soil of Cyprus out of love for Aphrodite.
* Leontocentaur - lion man
* Ichthyocentaur - a creature that combines in its appearance the elements of fish, horse and man.