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Centaurs - Greece

Done by: Vanshika , Samiksha Mariam, Mukta,Mehek, Rashi, Ushmi, Siddhita, Mishty

WHAT ARE MYTHS AND LEGENDS?

A legend is a semi-true story, which has been passed on from person-to-person and has important meaning or symbolism for the culture in which it originates. A legend usually includes an element of truth, but with 'mythical qualities'. Legends usually involve heroic characters or fantastic places and often encompass the spiritual beliefs of the culture in which they originate.

A myth is a story based on tradition or legend, which has a deep symbolic meaning. A myth 'conveys a truth' rather than necessarily recording a true event. Although some myths can be accounts of actual events, they have become transformed by symbolic meaning or shifted in time or place. Myths are often used to explain universal and local beginnings and involve supernatural beings. .

How are they different from written stories with an oral tradition?• Oral tradition says that origin of centaurs are half-human, half-

horse creatures in Greek mythology. They have the body of a horse and the torso, head and arms of a man. They were considered to be the children ofI xion, king of the Lapiths, and Nephele, a cloud made in the image of Hera. According to a different myth, however, they were all born from the union of a single Centaurus with the Magnesian mares.

Whereas as the written stories state that centaurs where all born from the union of all of a single Centaurs with the Magnesian mares.There were many Greek writers and historians who mentioned the Centaurs in their myths. The most known one was Pindar, who described this tribe in details, giving us information about the origins of the centaurs. Other authors and poets such as Homer referred to similar monsters and creatures, but they never used the term Centaur to name them.

• Centaurs had a really bad reputation in Greek myths and mythology. They were mostly famous because they were extremely violent towards women and other people. One of these stories refers to centaur Nesus who tried to rape Heracles’ wife, Deianeira.• One such exception given in written stories was Chiron, who became a

teacher of medicine, music, hunting, and archery.

How do the traits of a legendary hero exemplify the values of the culture from which the legend originated?

Societies throughout history and from all over the globe have lifted up exemplary individuals from folklore and legend as the embodiments of the qualities valued by their cultures. Heroes vary with the qualities of their cultures. Likewise, every hero undergoes a quest from which he achieves a place in the literary pantheon of his homeland. The fact remains that the hero is the personification of his culture’s morality and value system.

How do the traits of a legendary hero exemplify the values of the culture from which the legend originated?

In what ways do myths illustrate the belief systems and customs of the culture that create them?

The ancient Greek spiritual beliefs, religion, and oral tradition are all reflected and formulated through rich myths and legends that besides entertainment provided an articulation of the moral fiber of the Greek culture as it evolved through at least two thousand years.What we call "mythology" today, was a big part of ancient Greek culture

Character pictures and their symbolsThe centaurs symbolize violent lust, adultery, brutality, vengefulness, heretics, and the Devil. They represent the struggle within each heart between good and evil, moderation and excess, passion and propriety, forgiveness and retaliation, belief and unbelief, god and beast.

Mythology is both the link to our past as well as the spark that inspires the flames of inspiration for modern day storytellers. The everlasting power of myth is all around us, informing our lives and personal experiences without us even knowing it. Once you begin to learn more about mythology, folklore, and ancient legends, you will begin seeing their influence everywhere.

•YES!!! MYTHOLOGY IS ALL AROUND US

In modern times, the centaurs have appeared again in arts and literature, especially in the genre of fantasy. There are some sci-fi and magical stories like the ones of Harry Potter and The Narnian Chronicles, as well as the Piers Anthony’s Xanth series that have major characters who are actually centaurs.• Science fiction has used the characters as well; John Varley’s Titan,

Wizard, Demon series, Jack Chalker’s Wellworld series, Walter Jon William’s Knight Moves and Elf Sternberg’s The Journal Entries series feature some very important centaurs as their main characters.

• Atlas had to carry the world on his shoulders just as an atlas carries maps of the world.

• The iris in your eye allows you to see color as Iris is the goddess of the rainbow. References to ancient myths are everywhere, from science to pop culture, and knowing about them will help you understand more about the world we live in.