The image of the centaur came to the modern world from ancient Greek myths. An unusual supernatural being was struck by its savagery and violent disposition. These heroes of myths lived in dense impassable forests and high mountains. Because of their belligerence, the centaurs symbolize the animal side of man.
Centaur - who is this?
Unrestrained and unprecedented cruelty - this is the main difference of the centaur, being huge in size, this creature was the embodiment of power and mighty power. Centaur - this is a great mythical, fabulous creation of a half-man-half-horse. Living in a herd, they constantly fought with those who lived in the neighborhood, denied all manifestations of civilization and culture . In pictures, centaurs can be seen with the gods of winemaking Dionysus and love Eros. This once again speaks of their licentiousness in love and their propensity for alcohol.
Did the centaurs exist?
Considering whether such creatures could exist in the real world, it is difficult to come to a common opinion. Plutarch, the philosopher of ancient Greece, once described the story of how the shepherd handed him the colt that the horse had just given birth. It was unusual that the cub was with the head and hands of a man. It turns out that centaurs existed, because Plutarch is a serious philosopher, but at the same time, he very much liked to joke. So this story can be a good draw for descendants. Were the centaurs really? This question remains a mystery, like the secret of the Egyptian pyramids.
What does a centaur look like?
In many sources the description of this unusual creation differs somewhat from each other. Centaur - a mythical creature that accommodates itself in two different types simultaneously - man and horse. A resemblance to a person is noted in the head and body to the waist, the centaur has human hands, the horse has a body, muscular strong limbs, there are hooves and a tail. On the face of a centaur, rudeness peculiar only to animals is written, they have long hair and a dense beard, their ears are visible, like a horse's.
There is no contrast between the human body and the horse, since the centaurs were considered to be the horses of bay suits, and their human body was sunburnt in the sun. It is commonly believed that the centaurs were only male representatives. And ancient images show that they had genitalia of both man and stallion. About centaurs of the female practically nothing is known.
How did the centaurs appear?
Mythology tells us that these unusual creatures lead their ancestry from the king of the lapiths of Ixion and his mistress to the goddess Nephela. As a result of this love, the first representatives of this species appeared in the Pelefroni cave. On Mount Pelion, they were brought up by nymphs, and after reaching maturity, the young centaurs made contact with the mare. So the centaur in mythology began his story.
Types of Centaurs
In addition to the classical appearance, there are other variations of these creatures. But there are always human features in common with any animal.
- The Onoconavr . There is a centaur, a species of which is not so well known - the one-centaur, the half-man-half-osola. In mythology is the personification of the inner conflict of man, it combines and sublime and low-quality qualities. This centaur is endowed with a strong character and a great love of freedom.
- A bucentaur is a person with a bull's body. Such a centaur is just as powerful and powerful, only as the personification of the dualism of human nature. In it two principles are struggling for the right of existence, both spiritual and animal.
- Kerastes - the only difference between the kerasts and ordinary centaurs, is the presence of horns.
- Ichthyocoenus - are marine creatures. These are people with a fish or dolphin tail, and there are front legs, like a horse or a lion.
- Leontoktentavr - is a kind of half-man-semilva.
- Centaurids are female centaurs, almost nothing is known about mythology about them, but if they do, they are described as unearthly beings who were beautiful not only in body but in soul.