Behind the Mythology: Centaurs
From Savage Beasts to Benevolent Magical Creatures
The Centaurs are one of Greek mythology’s most famous beasts. Having the lower part of a horse and the upper part of a human, they are often seen as protectors of nature, wise sages, fair guardians of the innocent, or “party-animals” who love to laugh and dance all day, deep in the misty forests they call home. In our modern-day world,these magnificent creatures form an essential part of every fantasy universe. They have been depicted in films like the Harry Potter series, Disney’s “Fantasia”, the Chronicles of Narnia, and countless other books and movies.
But what does Greek mythology tells us about these bizarre creatures? Who were they and how did they first come into being? Let’s learn more, by taking a dive into the myths and tales that surround them!
Historical Origins and Etymology
For a creature so known and popular today, the Centaur has foggy origins, which go way back in time. The earliest mention of them comes from Homer, while their oldest description comes in the form of a clay figurine, dating back to 1000 BCE, which indicates that they — along with most of the Greek mythology — trace their origins to the Mycenean civilization. There are also many descriptions of them in early archaic pottery.
You will be surprised to know that these early Centaurs differed greatly from the ones we are used to today. In many depictions, they are often seen as having two front human legs and two horse ones on their back. Other times they appear with wings or long ears and six fingers. Homer confuses us even further by stating that the Centaurs were a weird race of savage, hairy humanoids, who lived on mountain Pelio, completely leaving out their half-horse bodies from his description!
These baffling descriptions of the Centaurs troubled not only us but also the ancient scholars, who tried to put some order to the different adaptations of the creature. The author Palaephatus, in his effort to trace their origins, declared that the mythical Centaurs were actually humans, who used to ride horses and thus were mistaken by the people of their time, as one single entity. This also explains the obscure origins of the name “Centaur”, or “Κένταυρος” in ancient Greek. It consists of the words “κεντώ” (“to pierce/strike”) and “ταύρος” (“bull”), which roughly translates to “the ones who pierce the bulls”. Palaephatus explains that the early Thessalian nobles used to hire experienced riders to watch over their cattle. The riders would encircle the herd and pierced the animals with long sticks, to move them towards a certain direction.
The above information served to create the hypothesis that the Centaurs were in fact members of a native Greek tribe — possibly of Pelasgian origin — that lived around mountain Pelio, in Thessaly, during the Mycenean Age (circa 1750–1050 BCE). This comes as no surprise as Thessaly is known to be the home of native proto-Greek tribes, since the neolithic age. It is also the home of at least three native horse breeds, which prefer semi mountainous environments just like the ones found in the slopes of Pelio and Pindos mountains. The Pelasgians often collided with the Mycenean invaders, who chose to reside in the Thessalian plain, therefore displacing them to the nearby mountains. Centuries later, the Thessalians, who were the cultural descendants of the Myceneans, kept campaigning against the remaining Pelasgian tribes who lived on the mountains of Pindos and caused troubles. These tribes were described as “savages” by the contemporary classical Greeks for refusing to adopt the “civilized” way of living in city-states, just like their southern cousins did.
The Thessalians themselves were known for their cavalry and their rulers used to propagandize that they were descended from the mythical Centaurs. This statement is extremely important because their Mycenean ancestors were known to possess horses but did not use to ride them. Instead, they preferred to use them as mounts for their chariots. There is only one candidate capable of horse riding, who passed down the knowledge to the Thessalians:
The Pelasgians!
We have now the full picture behind the myth of the Centaurs. There was once a native tribe of proto-Greeks living on mountain Pelio. This tribe along with the rest Pelasgians knew how to ride horses and used them to attack swiftly the Myceneans, who lived in the plain. It is possible that after the Bronze Age Collapse and the fall of the Mycenean civilization during the 12th century BCE, the remaining Thessalian Myceneans merged with the Pelasgians of Pelio into a single culture, with a strong emphasis on horse breeding and riding. This is why all the reports of savages dwelling on Pelio ceased to exist from the 12th century onwards. This also explains how Homer’s Centaurs acquired their horse bodyparts. The ancestors of this merging were transformed by the early ancient Greeks from Homer’s “savage, hairy people” to the half-horse and half-human creatures we know today!
Centaurs in Mythology
According to the most common origin myth, there was once a noble Greek tribe, living in the plain of Thessaly. These men were the Lapiths and every storyteller knew that they were not common mortals. The first of their kin were descended from Apollo — the benevolent God of Light — and the charming Nymphs of the vast forests of mountain Pelio. In their veins ran the blood of demigods, blessed with the strength of the Gods. Under a line of noble and glorious kings, they formed a mighty kingdom, stretching all over Thessaly — a safe haven from the terrors that roamed the rest of Greece. They were famous for their war prowess and bravery and were seen as the epitome of heroism. They participated in the huntings of monstrous beasts, while many of them joined Jason and the Argonauts on their mythical hourney. They also offered 40 ships to aid Agamemnon with his Trojan War.
Alas, their glorious kingdom hid inside its heart a dark, rotten secret, lurking deep beneath the sacred forests they swore to protect… For not all the Lapith kings were noble…
There was once a man named Ixion, a dark man, whose name many Lapiths tried to erase from memory… He was a handsome man with long curling hair, black as the crow’s feathers, and shiny green eyes. In contrast to his body, Ixion’s heart was filled with hatred for every living being… When he was young he tricked the princess of the Lapiths into marrying him. On their wedding day, he committed the unspeakable crime of murdering in cold blood his parents-in-law — the king and queen of the Lapiths. Thus started his reign, short-lived, yet terrible. Innocent blood was spilled to the shiny capital of the Lapiths and the kingdom was haunted by the hysterical laughs of the mad tyrant and the cries of the ones who tortured in his dungeons…
But Ixion’s acts had gathered the wrath of the Gods. For the ancient Greeks, murder was a hideous crime. But killing your parents-in-law, the parents of your own wife, was a crime so disgusting and terrible, that even the Gods could not let it go without punishment. Ixion was banished from his realm and was hunted relentlessly by the Furies for the crimes he had done. To save his life, he found shelter in the slopes of Olympus, where he begged Zeus — the father of the Cosmos — to forgive him. For unknown reasons, the Olympian pitied the mad king and perhaps as a favor for their shared blood, allowed him to visit the heavenly peaks of the mountain, where his golden palace was hidden.
A great feast was organized in the skies where Ixion was expected to serve the Gods, as a means to grant him salvation. But even the Gods were not aware of the madness that had consumed Ixion… As his tiny eyes gazed with envy at the amazing dwellings of the Gods, his heart filled with jealously and hate. He craved these luxuries for himself. Of course, he was no match for the king of the Gods. But he could do something terrible to hurt him… As the feast continued he slipped from the halls and attempted to rape Hera, the Queen of the Gods and wife of Zeus! This was the last mistake he would ever make…
Zeus was aware of his foul intentions. He took a cloud and shaped it in the form of his wife. Ixion raped a lifeless thing, thinking it was Hera. When he finished his action, Zeus delivered his terrible punishment… He chained the evil king and had Hermes whip him for days. When he finally was tired of Ixion’s screams, he chained him in a wheel made of fire and placed him in the dreadful Tartarus to spin eternally in endless torment… Thus ended the life of one of the evilest men to ever walk on earth, hated by both mortals and Gods alike…
Unfortunately, Ixion’s darkness was so great that even the fires of Tartarus were not able to completely vanish it. From the lifeless cloud that he raped emerged a terrible humanoid monster, named Centauros. This abomination, so hideous in appearance, snicked into the kingdom of the Lapiths, where he raped some horses. Soon from the seed of this terrible act of bestiality emerged a race of destructive monsters, half-horses and half-humans. The Centaurs were born…
The Centaurs shared many similarities with the glorious Lapiths, with whom they were related through Ixion. In a twisted way, they were Lapiths themselves, a fact that made both races feel sick, for they hated each other deeply. The Centaurs were seen as the alter ego of the Lapiths. They inherited their blessed blood, but the darkness of Ixion had mutated it in ways beyond repair… They had the strength of ten humans and the speed and stamina of a well-trained horse. Despite their bestial nature, they possessed human intelligence and the ability to speak. Their diet consisted of raw meat, roots, and wine, which tended to drink in gargantuan proportions. All of them were criminals, rappers, thieves, and murderers, who wished to bring only misery and destruction to the human race and especially to their noble cousins.
The Lapiths hunted them without mercy for they felt utmost disgust every time they were facing them. These creatures were in a way their responsibility — another bad seed that Ixion unleashed to their realm. The Centaurs were a corrupted image of themselves, their mere existence was a continuous reminder of the fact that even they could turn evil. But no matter how hard they tried, they were never able to wipe them out. Like a plague, they infested the once safe forests of mount Pelion, driving out the majestic Nymphs that once dwelled in its trees.
Things escalated quickly when Perithous became king of the Lapiths. Perithous was not a common man. He was the only son of Ixion, the bearer of his dark legacy and the only hope of salvation for the Lapiths. Perithous had to lift a heavy burden. He had to face his evil brothers and put an end to the terrors that his father had brought to the world.
In the beginning, the young king opposed the idea of wiping out the Centaurs. After all, if he did such a terrible act, he will be no better than his father. Instead, he allowed them to reside on Pelion, under the promise to stay there and not bother the Lapiths again. The Centaurs agreed and for a while, a ceasefire was made between the two races. Perithous even allowed them to join his wedding with the beautiful Hippodameia.
The Centaurs came to the wedding with their own king, Eurytion, as a guest in honor. This was a very important moment in Greek mythology. For the first time, men and Centaurs were sitting together in a place without fighting. Heroes like Theseus, the king of Athens, and Caeneus, the best warrior of the Lapiths, were present. It was the first step to finally bring peace to Thessaly.
Unfortunately, Fate had other plans…
At the wedding, the Centaurs were not able to resist their dark side. They started to drink large amounts of wine and insult the guests. Soon, a drunk Eurytion tried to abduct and rape Hippodameia, the beautiful bride of Perithous. Enraged, the Lapiths drew their swords and, once managing to capture him, they cut off his ears and nose. This was the final straw… The rest Centaurs, could not tolerate the humiliation of their king, and with terrible warcries attacked the Lapiths. In a matter of seconds, the wedding table was turned into a bloodbath.
The Centaurs were forced to retreat back to Pelion, but the fighting was far from over. The last chance for peace had failed, Perithous policy of tolerance was scattered to the wind. War was the only answer left.
Both races started gathering forces for what would be the greatest battle the world had seen yet.
The “Centauromachy” (“Κενταυρομαχία”), as would the final battle between Lapiths and Centaurs be known, was a favorite subject of ancient Greek writers and artists. It was the last large conflict between men and beasts, civilization and barbarism. Despite its popularity, however, we do not know its outcome! There are three surviving versions, each with a different ending:
The happy ending states that the Lapiths emerged victorious after vicious combat that lasted all day. The defeated Centaurs were massacred and their remains were forced to abandon Thessaly and fled towards southern Greece. There they formed marauding bands, which pillaged and raided villages and cities. These last Centaurs carved a bloody path finally reaching western Peloponnese. There they found shelter in the misty forest of Foloe, a beautiful fairytale land filled with Nymphs and all sorts of magical creatures. It is worth noting that near Foloe there was an old Lapith colony, which might indicate that the Centaurs sought revenge for their defeat. In Foloe, they managed to survive for few years but were not able to grow again into their large numbers prior to Centauromachy. Finally, they were forced out by the mighty hero Hercules, who hunted them down with his poison arrows after they killed a close friend of his. The last of these creatures reached the southern sea of Laconia, where they suffered a horrible death when they were charmed by a group of Sirens who happened to dwell nearby.
The bad ending states that the Centaurs actually won the Lapiths, who were forced to retreat to the mountain range of Pindos. Then, the Centaurs organized a large raiding against southern Greece, finally reaching the western Peloponnese where they were defeated by Hercules, as was already described above. Finally, the neutral ending says that the battle ended without a clear victor and the Centaurs abandoned Thessaly in order to find a more defenseless victim than the Lapiths.
From Beasts to Spirits
During the Archaic period, the ancient Greeks still believed that the Centaurs were real and few of them managed to escape Hercules’ wrath and hide in the mountains and forests. They were seen as savage and dangerous beasts, probably symbolizing the dangers that lurk in the wild. During the later centuries, most people already regarded them as a myth of old. It was at this time that the image of the famous beast started to change and took its final form that we know today.
The reason behind this transformation was the existence of two benevolent Centaurs in Greek mythology, the famous Cheiron and Folos. These two beings were usually depicted as Centaurs, but unlike their savage cousins, they were the direct sons of Gods and shared no link with Ixion and his twisted children. Instead, they were guardians of the forests and mountains (Cheiron guarded Pelio, and Folos guarded Foloe), protectors of nature, and keepers of sacred medical wisdom. They were friendly with humans and trained many known heroes such as Achilles, Jason, Theseus, and Hercules.
Because their nature was closer to that of the Gods and men than to the actual Centaurs, they were depicted by the early artists as having two human front feet and two horse ones on their backs. This symbolized that their human part was superior to their bestial one.
As time passed Cheiron’s and Folos’ characteristics were passed on to all the Centaurs. They were collectively seen less as barbaric, drunk monsters and more as benevolent forest creatures. The ferocious offsprings of Ixion were now seen as protectors of nature. They were greatly humanized, seen as wise, kind, and shy creatures, who loved to live in peace, roaming the forests with their families, and organize large parties together with Satyres and Nymphs. This romanticized image reached its peak during the Hellenistic and Roman eras when Centaurs appear in many forms of contemporary art.
During Medieval times, the Centaurs were a favorite subject of bestiary books, representing both the strength and wisdom of the church and also the savage nature of the heretics. From the Age of Enlightenment and following the Age of Romanticism, the “Roman concept” of the peaceful Centaur was rediscovered and embraced by the majority of the Western World.
Today, thousand years after, Centaurs still continue to fascinate us. Their remarkable journey is a perfect example of how human fantasy works. Originally, the historical presence of savage tribes that dwelled in ancient Thessaly gave rise to the myth of these half-horse monsters. As centuries passed the older, grim versions of these creatures softened up just like how fairytales such as Cinderella, or Snowhite were rewritten by Disney to appear more humane towards children. This new version was the one that managed to prevail and thrive, reaching finally modern audiences. Who knows what new, exciting stories will human fantasy create in order to give the Centaurs another identity in the far future.
Bibliography
Lloyd, M., (2017), An accidental centaur?, available at https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/accidental-centaur/, (last access: 28/09/2021)
GJCL Classical Art Blog, (2015), The Lefkandi Centaur, available at http://gjclarthistory.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-lefkandi-centaur.html, (last access: 28/09/2021)
Stefanos Skarmintzos Wordpress, (2017), Centaurs and Centauromachy in the Greek world, available at https://stefanosskarmintzos.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/centaurs-and-centauromachy-in-the-greek-world/, (last access: 28/09/2021)
Chaliakopoulos, A., (2021), Where Did The Centaurs Come From? A Journey Through Ancient Art, available at https://www.thecollector.com/centaur-in-greek-art/, (last access: 28/09/2021)
