μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Centaur: man-horse. Trunk and head of man, body of horse.

Animals. · Mythical animals. · Beast-men. · view the constellation · filed as B21

Filed across the traditions
  • Irish myth Cross
  • Jewish Neuman
  • Hindu Penzer I 202.
  • general **P. V. C. Baur Centaurs in Ancient Art (Berlin, 1912)
  • general *Frazer Apollodorus I 191 n. 3, 261 n. 1 → on our shelf: The Library (Bibliotheca), BOOK II, ch. V
  • general Pauli (ed. Bolte) No. 413
  • general Howey Horse in Magic and Myth 225ff.
  • general **Dumézil (G.) Le Probleme des Centaures (Paris, 1929)
Within the index

Filed under Beast-men. Combinations of bestial and human form.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Norse man-horse: "fingalkn" or "fingalp" Body and hands human, head and ears those of a horse Man with horse's mouth
Filed beside it
Army of half-animals, half-men Beast-men in the lower world Man-ass. Body of man, hoofs of ass Man-bull Satyr. Combination of man and goat Man-dog Man-tiger Man-lion. Man with lion's head Man-elephant. Man with elephant's head Other combinations of beast and man
Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)
Ghormuhas: men's bodies, horses' heads, one leg, cannibals. (Cf. B21.) Transformation: man to centaur. (Cf. B21.) Abandoned man befriended by a Centaur. (Cf. B21.)
Keeps company with — shares receipted episodes
Hound of hell. Cerberus (monstrous dog) guards the bridge to the lower world Two-headed dog Hydra: nine-headed monster. Middle head immortal Man-eating mares Hind with golden horns Transformation to animal to seduce woman Magic goblet (glass) Transportation by magic goblet. (Cf. D1171.6.2.) Immortality exchanged. Wounded Centaur immortal but cannot be cured. He gives away his immortality to Prometheus and is thus allowed to die Person with three bodies. Body of three men grown together in one at waist but parted in three from flanks and thighs Tasks imposed. A person's prowess is tested by assigning him certain tasks (usually impossible or extremely difficult) to be performed either to escape punishment or to receive a valuable reward Task: cleaning Augean stable. Stable has not been cleaned in years. Must be done in one night. River turned through it

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