The Origin of "The Centaur"
                               


           Centaur Origins - What is a centaur, anyway? 

	he centaur probably began as a horse totem of a tribe of early 
Greeks in prehistory. The earliest drawings of hippocentaurs (a kind of
demon given human form, or kallikantzaroi, in ancient Greek myth) show 
men wearing fetishes of hindquarters of horses joined to their waists. 
These hobby-horse fetishes, common (in varying form) to European crop
and fertility rituals, only later became depictions of human torsos 
joined to actual horse bodies. The hypothesis that the centaur 
represents a terrified tribal reinterpretation of a horse and rider is
probably without merit. 

	The Greek love for the horse led to the ennoblement of 
the centaur in myth and legend (the only version of the kallikantzaroi
to be so honored). The Centaur Chiron was known for his wisdom and 
healing abilities. Other centaurs did not fare so well in myth: Nessus 
was killed by Hercules for trying to rape (variously) his wife or a woman
under his charge, and other centaurs were renowned for their weakness 
for drink. The centauromachy - the depiction of one or more of the fights
between humans and centaurs in myth - became a popular feature of Greek 
art. The centaur was also used by some writers to symbolize man's dual 
nature as an intellectual creature (the human half) which was also an
 physical animal (the horse half). 

	In the Medieval period, the centaur fared more poorly, often
becoming a demonic image. Nevertheless, the centaur remained a popular
character in art, no doubt due to the vast influence of Greek art and 
literature on Western culture. 

	In modern times, the centaur has reappeared in art and literature,
especially in the genre of fantasy. C.S. Lewis' The Narnian Chronicles and
Piers Anthony's Xanth series have prominent centaur characters. Science 
fiction has used the character as well; John Varley's Titan, Wizard, Demon
series, Jack Chalker's Wellworld series, Walter Jon William's Knight Moves,
Elf Sternberg's The Journal Entries series, homo centauris all feature
prominent centaur characters. 









Copywrited by Colt-1997
By Anthony Francis













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