Centaur_Kramer

=__** Centaur **__=


 * Origin:** Illustrations of Centaurs date back to Assyria in 2000 BC and India in 3000 BC. In the Greek tradition, there are two types of Centaurs-those born of the union of Ixion, King of the Lapithae and a cloud which Zeus disguised as his own wife, Hera, whom Ixion had bragged of having relations with. Centaurs lived in herds on Mt. Pelion in Thessaly, Greece, and were a plague to the people around them. They went around drunk, eating raw flesh, trampling crops, and raping women. The intellectual parts they inherited from humans left them very ignorant. The Centaurs were creatures that were sometimes very hostile towards humans. They were always involved in brawls and battles. Often times Zeus would send the Centaurs to punish gods and humans who had offended him.


 * Appearance:** A Centaur has the head, arms, and chest of a human and the rest of its body, including four legs, hindquarters, and a tail is like that of a horse.


 * Mythological Stories:** The most well known Centaur named Chiron is known for his goodness and wisdom. In his lifetime he tutored many famous Greek heroes such as Achilles, Aesculapius, and Actaeon. Chiron was the only immortal Centaur but actually ended up dying. One day Hercules stopped to visit Pholus, during his visit, he became thirsty. He decided to open a bottle of wine that was the common property of the Centaurs. When the Centaurs smelled the wine they immediately followed the smell. A fight broke out between Hercules and the many Centaurs that wanted their wine. Chiron, being the perfect Centaur that he was, decided to take no part in the fight but was accidentally wounded by Hercules. Being immortal, Chiron didn’t die, but lived in terrible pain instead. Because Chiron is such a good centaur, he traded his life for the release of Prometheus.


 * Importance:** Centaurs are known for doing crazy things. They don’t tame their instincts, they allow their instincts to rule them. They symbolize violent lust, adultery, brutality, vengefulness, heretics, and the Devil. They represent moderation and excess, forgiveness and retaliation, belief and disbelief, god and beast. They are becoming more common in modern movies and books.


 * Modern References:** Centaurs have appeared many times and in many places in modern literature for example, in Fantasia, the Narnia books, and Harry Potter.

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