 Fantasy: December 08, 2021 Issue [#11107] |
This week: Centaurs R Us? Edited by: eyestar~*  
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 Happy December readers! I am happy to be back as a guest editor this month. Last month we chatted about the magical unicorns. This month in honour of our Sagittarian friends who celebrate birthdays, let's check in on Centaurs, the half man, half beast creature of legend and literature. 
Centaurs are us!
“Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"I am part-demon, part-human. What else does that make me?" She answered his question with one of her own. "I am part-centaur, part-human. Does that make me a mutant?" "It makes you a miracle." She held his gaze. "Exactly. "
-P. C. Cast
"Man's being is made of such strange stuff as to be partly akin to nature and partly not, at once natural and extranatural, a kind of ontological centaur, half immersed in nature, half transcending it.
--Jose Ortega y Gasset
"Have you ever, looking up, seen a cloud like to a Centaur, a Part, or a Wolf, or a Bull?"
-Aristophenes
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Centaurs are us? Though not as openly popular and merchandized as unicorns, centaurs have shown up in many stories, movies, games and poems since ancient times. These half man, half horse characters encapsulate a dual nature: the wild beast and the human with intelligence. I wonder if it reflects our own struggle with our own inner divine higher selves versus our human physical and emotional qualities. We can be the light or act on the dark. Centaurs have been known for bestial behaviour, fighting, partying or as kind wise and even prophetic teachers.
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Origins
The origin story that is most familiar comes from ancient Greek mythology. The image of a creature with the upper body of a man and lower legs of a horse running wild, born in Magnesia, Mount Pelion in Thessaly and Laconia. The Thessalonians were known horse breeders. Many theories there are about how they came to be.
In Greece they say centaurs were born from the union of the Lapithian Ixion and Nephele, who came as a cloud in the form of Hera. It was a plot to trick Ixion into revealing his lust for Hera to her husband Zeus. She was seduced and centaurs were created. It is thought that centaurs fought in a great battle with their Lapithian cousins and gained the reputation of being fierce in battle.
In Cyprus, it is said that centaurs were also fathered by Zeus after Aphrodite eluded him. His seed spilled on the earth and Centaurs resulted.
Another theory is that they came from the children of Centaurus who mated with Magnesian mares. A more logical idea is that centaurs were created from a reaction of non-riding cultures first witnessing horse and rider. They appeared to them as half man and beast. In Indian culture there was a similar creature called Kinveras and in Russia the Polkan.
The word Kentauros also has an obscure origin that means "piercing bull"! 
Where ever they came from, it is agreed that they could be fierce, wild, ill mannered, not caring for human kind, enjoying parties and freedom to do what they will. OR they could be wise, kind, intelligent teachers with a higher vision. Chiron is the most famous of this nature and is a character well known in literature. Higher traits and skills associated with Centaurs are astrology, healing arts, prophecy, archery, teaching and bravery.
Centaurs as characters In Literature
The centaur seems to be a popular character in many stories, even recently. Authors show their own views of centaurs. Here are but a few favourites. 
 In Dante's Inferno, Chrion and Phollus are the centaurs guarding the 7th Gate of Hell.
In C.S. Lewis's Narnia Series, centaurs are wise and noble stargazers with gift of prophecy and healing and yet fierce, loyal and faithful to Aslan the King when the time for battle came.
Xanth by Piers Anthony has many centaur characters with talents, though not as magical as some portray.
In Percy Jackson and the Olympians Chiron is featured as the wise teacher and bow master training the young heros, revealing the more humane behaviours. Most of the other centaurs are seen as free party goers. 
In Harry Potter, Centaurs are shown as wild beasts, a tribe of wild barbarian creatures living in the Forbidden Forest and preferring to avoid human kind. They are fierce to protect their freedom and lands.
Firenze, who is not appreciated by his tribe for his caring nature and willingness to share with humans, is prophetic in his warnings and taught as a professor at Hogwarts. The story gives honour to both sides of the creature of myth.
Brandon Mull's Fablehaven shows centaurs as living in Grunhold as proud, elitist superior beings.
In Eons Coffer's Artemis Fowl one of the heros is Foaly, the most intelligent creature on or below the Earth.
"He threw his head back and sang, "'I am a centaur, yes, a centaur is what I am.' It's not like you to wax, Artemis" "Foaly is singing," said Holly. "Surely that's illegal? "
R.A.Salvatore gives a unique vision of a bagpipe playing centaur Brandwarden, as a supporting character in his Demon Wars Saga. 
Centaurs have appeared in many films, cartoons, and games as well down through modern times.
Even in Astrology the centaur is a vital symbol for Sagittarius the Archer. Traits include wisdom from experience of travelling and learning as people born under the archer like freedom and storytelling, sharing what they have learned and even changing their philosophies as they gather more knowledge. The truth sayer and sooth sayer. Like Chiron they can be prophetic and ahead of their time yet outspoken. They can be teachers, rule followers or rule breakers and like a good time. Chiron, centaurs and Sagittarius are associated with the planet Jupiter, which represents a wider and wise perspective every changing as we grow, giving us hope of rising above those lower natures.
 Chiron is also the name of an asteroid and where it appears in your chart is where your childhood wound might be. Chiron in the myth, was outcast from his tribe as he was a more consciously evolved centaur. He went into hiding and learned healing arts, thus healing himself and eventually took his role as wise teacher and healer. When we heal our inner wound we are freer to embrace our own truth. The old adage: Know Thyself applies here!
So, there you have it! Now your turn?
Do you have a favourite story featuring these interesting centaurs?
Thanks for reading and happy December. Also, happy birthday to Sagittarians every where! Keep on being the freedom seekers and straight shooting arrows you are! 
eyestar
Some cool Sources!
https://harryalbuspotter.fandom.com/wiki/Firenze
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Centaur
https://ultimatepopculture.fandom.com/wiki/
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Enjoy! Not a lot of centaur stories. 
Hey maybe you could a centaur or Sagittarian in here somehow!
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 What say you of centaurs? Can you relate to their nature? Would you use one in a tale or two?
 Yay Unicorn lovers! Thanks for your cool responses to my last newsletter! You are now in print.
"Fantasy Newsletter (November 10, 2021)"
brom21 
"Hey, Eyestar! Glad to see you're still up and about on WdC! This was appealing. I am generally not a unicorn person. One time I wrote of an evil unicorn which is probably quite weird and deviating from the essence of a pure unicorn. Anyway, I had never thought of the realism of unicorns until now. Very tantalizing subject! Thank you!"
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