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Christmas in Venezuela for Gustavo Mirabal

Series Article #80:

GUSTAVO MIRABAL IN VENEZUELA

Christmas in Venezuela

The holiday season is approaching where Christmas is celebrated in most countries. Of course the unique Christmas in Venezuela has its charm in each of its celebrations. This is a time of reconciliation, of spending it with family, sharing with friends, in order to enjoy the most beautiful time of the year.

On the other hand, there are mixed feelings because it is the end of a year people evaluate the goals that were set for this period. On many occasions they achieve the objectives in others they achieve only some.

Throughout the country Christmas is celebrated, where the enthusiasm and excitement of the people is the order of the day.

Christmas in Venezuela is celebrated as in most countries in the region. The Christmas season is special since family gatherings, “aguinaldos” and “Venezuelan gaitas”, exchange of gifts among others.

The gastronomy is one of the most outstanding with all the delicacies that are prepared for the occasion.

In this installment we will address a little more about Christmas in Venezuela.

History of Christmas in Venezuela

In relation to the history of Christmas in Venezuela is based on the birth of baby Jesus, and all commemorations in the country are based on this fact of great relevance to Venezuelan culture.

The historical narratives that exist of Christmas in Venezuela relate that it is a tradition of Spanish culture, which came to the country as part of all the methods and traditions that were reached in the region in the colonial period.

In general, Christmas in Venezuela was formed as part of the religious orders imposed by the conquerors within the framework of the Christianization of all aboriginal peoples.

In relation to the birth of the Child Jesus, it begins in Europe and through cultural assimilation was assumed as a tradition in Venezuela.

Traditional Christmas holidays in Venezuela

Venezuela is characterized by having a very wide cultural diversity, due to the mixture of Spaniards, Africans, and aborigines. In addition to this, many European immigrants, and later South American immigrants, arrived in Venezuela in search of better living conditions. All these immigrants also brought their own customs that were incorporated into the miscegenation of Christmas in Venezuela.

This element is mentioned a lot, since the customs are taking other nuances and are enriched. Of course, these customs have the touch and the typical Venezuelan essence.

Christmas in Venezuela usually rotates according to religious celebrations. Since in Venezuela the arrival of the birth of the baby Jesus is the main reason for this celebration. The Venezuelan population is essentially Catholic Christian.

Later it is also celebrated on New Year’s Eve, December 31. The New Year’s celebration also has some very unique customs.

This essence is maintained throughout Venezuela…

All these celebrations begin the first days of December and extend for forty days until the celebration of the feast of Candlemas, when the Purification of the Virgin is evoked.

It should be noted that during the first days of January the paraduras of children in the Venezuelan Andes (Táchira, Mérida and Trujillo) are carried out.

This is how Venezuelan Christmas extends to the first days of January. In this way, elements such as the celebration of the 3 wise men, among others, are incorporated.

Start of Christmas in Venezuela

In general, Christmas in Venezuela starts shortly before the start of December. However, because it is a fundamentally religious celebration, its formal beginning is marked by the Christmas Masses.

Christmas Masses are celebrated from December 15 until Mass on December 24 on Christmas Easter.

Throughout the national territory different celebrations are carried out among which we can mention the following:

• “San Benito”, “Los Pastores”, “Las Locainas”, “La Burriquita”, among others.
• The main celebration is Christmas Eve on December 24 and Christmas Day on December 25.
• To close the cycle of the year with a flourish, New Year’s Eve is celebrated on December 31 and the New Year on January 1.
• the Epiphany of the Lord or On January 6 the celebration of the Magi takes place
• In the Venezuelan Andes the traditional “Paraduras del Niño” are held that extend until February 2 where the Day of the Virgin of Candelaria is celebrated.
• In the case of Zulian people, Christmas begins on November 18 with the adoration of the “Virgen de la Chinita”.
• Christmas in Venezuela is celebrated to the sound of Venezuelan Christmas music, composed mainly of the Zulian Gaitas and the aguinaldos.

Christmas Gastronomy in Venezuela

One of the most outstanding aspects of Christmas in Venezuela is the gastronomy. For example, for Christmas dinner is shared with the family where they eat the typical hallacas, ham bread, chicken salad.

It should be noted that the elaboration of the hallacas will vary depending on the region of the country. Since in some areas they add other additional ingredients. Or also the way of cooking is different.

Among the drinks or you may miss the popular cream punch. In addition, desserts such as “dulce de lechosa” or papaya sweet among others are served.

On this website we have a very detailed article about Christmas gastronomy in Venezuela that you can visit to learn more.

For the New Year’s Eve celebration, pig leg, chicken salad and bread are usually served. In addition, in most cases the hallaca returns to be the protagonist of the New Year’s dinner.

Also, a table is served with grapes, tangerines, almonds, black cake among other delicacies

Although the most important thing about these dates is to share in harmony with the family and enjoy good health.

Christmas in Venezuela, a time of joy, food and loved ones

We can see the importance of Christmas in Venezuela, being considered one of the most relevant celebrations for Venezuelan culture.

In Venezuela, Christmas is considered as the season of the year that begins from the first days of December. It is from there when you see the streets and the ornate shopping centers alluding to the occasion.

In addition to the birth of baby Jesus, Venezuelans have a great diversity of festivities during all these dates. So, it is very common to listen to Christmas music like “Venezuelan Gaitas” and “aguinaldos”.

Without a doubt, Christmas is a time of reconciliation, forgiveness, encounters and rethinking the way we perceive our environment.

On the other hand, it is time to consider the real goals for next year.

Halloween is a holiday that began in English-speaking countries and has spread to the rest of the world. The idea of dressing up and enjoying terror, or scaring other people, has become tradition. Everyone can enjoy Halloween, including horses. So today we will tell you what activities you can do on horseback on Halloween, days of ghost riders and without heads.

Typical Halloween activities often include getting scared, decorating, trick-or-treating, and dressing up. If we exclude the scary, they are all activities suitable for a horse. And we emphasize this because horses are especially sensitive beings and a scare can traumatize them … That is why it is better for our horses to scare others and not to scare them. But we’ll talk about this a little later.

One of the things we can do with our horses is to disguise them, either alone, or disguise them to match ourselves.

We can decorate your stable or do something together where the horse is part of the decoration. The horse can become a monster of the underworld or be part of a decoration in the style of the headless rider. Without a doubt a very interesting touch.

We can also choose to go and ask for sweets on the back of our horse, which could be especially original for these dates. We will certainly be the attraction of the day.

Finally, what we decide to do including our horse will always be interesting. However, we must take certain precautions to prevent our horse from being affected by the experience. Next, we will tell you how we can address this situation. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Precautions for horseback riding on Halloween.

As we indicated in the introduction, horses are sensitive animals. We must take this into account to use them as part of our participation in Halloween. Choose a horse that is familiar with people and that is very docile and calm. We must avoid scares that will traumatize the horse.

With this we should be aware that children who approach should be warned not to scare the horse. It would be convenient for the horse to be put in contact with decorative elements and Halloween style and even with costumes. This would make it possible to desensitize the horse to the stimuli of the festivities of Halloween.

Finally, it would be advisable to keep a safe distance from people and children. As long as we see that our horse remains calm we can relax. We will also be counting on a choice of a docile horse to be more flexible.

In addition, the more terrifying the disguise of our horse it may be easier to keep the curious at a safe distance. This is a plus to participate in Halloween with our horse.

Taking precautions to go horseback riding on Halloween is essential. In this way, we will be protecting our horse and the people who enjoy the celebrations.

And now we ask ourselves, how to make this effort worthwhile. Well, then we will see the many activities that we can enjoy riding a horse on Halloween. Our horse will be an integral part of these activities and we will enjoy them together.

Thanks to this our horse will not stay aside while we enjoy Halloween. Even our horse will help us find a new way to enjoy these holidays. Let’s find out.

Costumes for our horse

Halloween is fundamentally a day dedicated to the dead, witches and terror. However, many people choose to wear less terrifying and more pleasant costumes, as if they were carnivals.

The celebration of Halloween, as well as carnival, is an opportunity to enjoy and unleash our creativity. Next, we will see some more or less pleasant costume options. In addition, we will give you some terrifying options for horror lovers.

Without more to add, let’s start with the most interesting options of costumes suitable for everyone.

Costumes for all ages and tastes

Dog costume: If our horse is white, you can paint some spots and put a dog collar … It will be the biggest Dalmatian we’ve ever seen.

Unicorn costume: This costume can be as simple as putting a horn on the horse, as if we want to put some colored lines to resemble a rainbow in the fur

Pegasus: A very original costume that can help us stand out. Looking for beautiful wings we can turn our horse into one of the important representatives of Greek mythology, the pegasus.

Zebra costume: If our horse is white, we can paint some lines, or if it is colored, we could paint it with a white base and then draw the stripes. The truth is that it is an ideal costume for white horses, and not so much for the others.

Dragon Horse: This is a costume that requires a very elaborate drawing. We must choose a base color for our dragon that could be green, red or black. Then with some other color we would draw the scales. It is recommended some additional detail to highlight the skewers of the dragons.

Next, we will tell you about the most terrifying costumes.

Horseback on Halloween to terrorize everyone.

Skeleton Horse: This costume is ideal for black horses. To these we can paint on the sides the figure of the bones of the horse. This way it will give a very good impression in the dark.

Zombie Horse: We can draw or make up on the head, tail and sides some “wounds” as torn skin. This will allow us to give the impression that our horse is rotting. It’s a good idea to dress up to match our horse, that is, as a zombie.

Ghost Horse Costume: By placing large sheets we can have our own ghost horse. We must be careful when placing it so as not to affect the vision of the horse and so that it will not get tangled when walking or running. It is suggested that the sheets do not touch the floor when the horse walks.

The headless horseman’s horse: This is necessarily a costume for two. In this case we should try to give some demonic touches to our horses. We can use horn or some detail that makes it look terrifying. But this disguise requires us to disguise ourselves as a headless horseman. For this we must wear a long suit whose neck we can put on our head, resembling that we are decapitated. It’s a costume that will create a lot of impact. We must be careful to have good visibility inside the suit to avoid accidents.

The horse of death: This costume is like the previous one. The burden of the costume is at our expense and some details for our horse. Disguising ourselves as death and riding the horse may be enough. But without a doubt a terrifying decoration for our horse will be the perfect complement.

Decorations for your block

Decorating Halloween is always a pleasure. You can enjoy making terrifying decorations. What we must avoid is trying to turn the stable or the stable of our horse into a house of scares. Children’s cries can cause disturbances in horses and traumatize them.

Some of the suggested decorations include webs of spiders, insects, spiders, bats and other typical Halloween things. We can also choose to use ghosts, vampires, or skeletons to decorate the corridors of the horse stable.

In addition, if we use our horses with their costumes, it can be an experience to share with our visitors. Without a doubt an unforgettable experience.

We can also take a tour leaving sweets for our visitors, large and small, and who can enjoy the decoration and costumes of the horses.

You must avoid using loud sounds. We recommend placing at the entrance some instructions on the behavior to keep during the stay in the block. In this way people will know how to enjoy the decoration without disturbing the horses unnecessarily.

If we are going to take pictures, try to avoid strong flashes that can disturb the horses. We must always preserve the tranquility of the horses so that it is an enjoyment for all humans, animals, monsters and ghosts.

Tell us on social networks what theme would you like to decorate your block on Halloween? How would you disguise your horse? We read you on our social networks.

Trick or treat on horseback on Halloween.

Complementing the theme of decoration, a well-decorated block is the perfect place to maintain the tradition of the trick or treat. Sweets can be both for humans or for children and adults. It’s an opportunity to connect with your community and even for our neighbors’ horses to befriend each other.

There could be a horse candy contest and a horse costume contest. Anything you can take advantage of to involve your horse will be welcomed by him.

In addition, you can take the opportunity to pamper your horse with some sweets for horses. It is a great opportunity to put into practice the recipes of sweets for horses.

Can we take our horse to get candy on horseback on Halloween? Of course, we do, that’s why we disguise our horse. What we must be attentive to that our neighbors are aware of the care with our horse, and we be aware of not damaging the lawn of our neighbors. We must know which of them have sweets suitable for our horse or failing to prepare sweets for it.

We must not forget that the horse is not just another Halloween decoration, but we must make them part of the enjoyment of the date. In this way, next year our horse will be our best ally in the search for the trick or treat.

Some interesting activities on horseback on Halloween.

There are people who prepare walks through dark forests on horseback on Halloween, to transmit the fear of the season. Also, these walks can be nocturnal to give it a style of the “curse of the Blair witch”.

With this we can take some good scares or at least the tension necessary to celebrate Halloween.

Some walks go further by making the journey on horseback to spend a night camping. One night in the middle of the forest on Halloween night with our horse. Very tender and creepy at the same time. Only the horror stories in the middle of the night are missing to have the perfect cocktail for a night of terror.

But yes, we cannot forget the Halloween decoration for camping and the sweets to exchange. These sweets will serve us as we huddle in the tent scared to spend the night awake when listening to the sounds of the forest… Quite a Halloween experience.

Can I enjoy the company of my horse on Halloween?

Definitely yes… Our horse can be a great companion and comfort us when we are too scared. Whether you want a night of costumes, a trick-or-treat a night of scares in the middle of the forest, your horse will be your best company.

Trademarks were born to differentiate one product from another. In the beginning they were a symbol of quality. Brands have been evolving to incorporate other elements that give it greater depth. That is why we will talk about famous brands whose logo is a horse and the symbology of it.

A product that wanted to be identified with the quality of its manufacture needed something that would differentiate it from the rest. This is how trademarks were born.

Over time they have evolved, not only to represent quality and help customers trust their manufacturing. Brands now seek to represent quality of elaboration, support, guarantee and most importantly, a personality.

Brands have developed a system that seeks to associate under one identity their values, their mission, their vision, and the trust of the public.

Companies constantly forget that the basis is to represent the quality and value of the product and focus solely on “one personality”. However, in modern times none of these aspects can be neglected.

The horse is a universal animal and has also accompanied the human being since the beginning of civilization. In addition, it does not represent a pet but something more powerful. That is why many brands have wanted to associate their brands with the horse.

Today we will know some of those famous marches whose logo is a horse. But first we will discover a little more about the commercial brands and the symbology of the horse.

What does a trademark mean?

In modern markets, where competition and hypercompetence is the norm, companies seek to distinguish their products from other products.

This is especially true when you have a good product and want to be recognized for it. In addition, a good product requires an effort in production, product design and administrative processes.

The additional costs are often reflected in the product and therefore companies need to let buyers know.

Therefore, companies developed mechanisms to identify their products. This allows them to know that a higher cost is associated with the series of benefits that the brand represents.

The brand in short is a symbol that represents in a simplified way the attributes of the product and that distinguishes the products and services of a particular company from the rest.

In many cases the products are very similar, but the commercial brand allows us to differentiate them and know that we have the support of a serious and responsible company.

When the company has years in the market, the brand becomes a sign of quality assurance. This is why brand development is important.

The personality of the brand, the logo, and the colors

Together with this, and as we mentioned earlier, brands today also represent the values, mission and vision of the company. That is why it is increasingly common to talk about the personality of the brand.

The personality of the brand defines our relationship with it and abstractly its vision of the world. To help represent this personality, an aesthetic development has been given with the use of logos and colors that seek to transmit this personality.

That is why it is so important that the horse is recurrently present in several market sectors and in many brands.

What is so powerful about the symbology of the horse that leads it to be part of the logos of trademarks again and again? Next, we’ll find out.

What is the symbology of the horse?

The horse is an animal that has been accompanying humanity since its inception. In addition, it has been part of its growth and civilization.

That is why the horse has fulfilled various roles in society. The horse has served as an agricultural tool, warfare technology and playful animal. This according to your time and place in which you are investigated.

It has even had a place in the mythologies of ancient civilizations.

And it is that the horse represents two extremes of the same message because the horse is meek and wild at the same time. That is why the symbology of the horse is very complex, rich, and positive.

His size, energy, but at the same time his docility has led the horse to be a symbol of endurance, strength, speed, nobility, freedom, magnificence, elegance, and persistence. In addition, he has been given other more ethereal attributes such as wisdom, courage, devotion, loyalty, spirit, and even a little mysticism.

Being the connection for many civilizations between the physical and spiritual plane, we can consider it as a guide.

In this way it represents the best of the physical and metaphysical plane. Given the horse extremely positive symbology, it’s no wonder that brands have adopted it as one of their favorite animals.

Next, we will know what values and personality the horse brings to the brands in their logo and in their identity, like a horse.

What does it bring to brands to put a horse in the logo?

The horse can represent each of the elements that it reflects in its symbology.

However, the specific representation and use of colors is what will lead to associate the most actionable or the most spiritual values.

On the one hand, the logo can represent strength, power and endurance. This is the case of the use of horse logos in trademarks dedicated to machinery, automobiles or speed. Without a doubt, the horse is an excellent representative of these values.

In addition, it comes with the addition that the horse represents meekness and nobility. With which it also seeks to represent that it is the human being who is in control of the situation. To some extent it may seek to represent “power under control.” Power under the control of the human being, easy driving among other things.

Moreover, we can also see that the horse is elegant and beautiful. In this way vehicle and machinery brands can benefit from the image of elegance of the horse. In addition to transmitting a mystical element at speed.

Undoubtedly, the beauty of the horse, its nobility, elegance together with the strength and power seem to be elements that would make it perfect for luxury vehicle brands. However, is the horse really one of the predominant symbols in this market segment? We’ll find out later.

Best known and most famous brands whose logo is a horse

• Mustang
• Ferrari
• Porsche
• Baojun
• Hateng Cars
• Iran Khodro
• Carlsson Automobile
• Burberry
• Hermes
• Levis
• Polo by Ralph Laurent

Horse Racing is one of the most popular sports related to horses. As in any horse sport, the rider and the horse must be one to become winners. That is why today we will talk about the most winning jockeys of all time in world equestrian.

There are certainly many horse-related sports around the world, such as equestrian jumping. However, none reach the popularity of horse racing. An exciting world that anyone can understand. This is a sport in which horse and jockey give everything they have to be the first to reach the goal.

Betting on horse racing is admitted in most countries. However, some forbid it and only leave the spectacle factor.

Horse racing generates the money needed to sustain the sport for jockeys, horses, and their breeders. However, it is not the only income. A lot of money is also earned by using the horses as stallions. Later we will see the reasons why a good jockey is so important for the sport and for the sustainability of this equestrian sport.

But first let’s meet some of the most winning jockeys of all time. The jockeys will be organized from the lowest to the most wins. Start.

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Puerto Rican Irad Ortiz Jr. with his 3,257 wins is among the winningest jockeys in history. It is still active so its chances of continuing to climb in this table are very important.

Irad Ortiz Jr. started running at the age of 19 in 2011. He is currently only 29 years old, which augurs well for him to improve significantly in these future standings. Since 2015 it has not fallen below 300 annual victories and 20 million dollars of profits.

This jockey comes from a family of horse racing jockeys. It is named after his grandfather, Irad Ortiz who was also a racing jockey. Ivan Ortiz, his uncle, was also a jockey in Puerto Rico.

In addition to this, José Ortiz, his younger brother, decided to follow in his footsteps and is a jockey in New York. He has become in the top 10 of the jockeys with the highest income for 8 years in a row.

Without a doubt, Irad Ortiz Jr. has horse racing in his blood and is one of the most winning jockeys of all time.

Edgar Prado

Edgar Prado is a Peruvian-born U.S. jockey. He was born on the tenth of June 97 in Lima, Peru. Thanks to his sports career he moved to the United States and became a national.

This prominent jockey remains active, but his career is already beginning to enter the decline. With his impressive 7,113 wins, he is a long way from defeated.

This jockey achieved a great feat in the Kentucky Derby in 2006, thanks to which he remained in the minds of sports fans.

In the 132nd Kentucky Derby in 2006 he won with a 6 and a half-body lead. This feat has only been achieved on one previous occasion in Kentucky Derby history. He walked the track in two minutes for a second, which gave him the support of invincible.

Prado has also won the Belmont Stakes twice. He is undoubtedly one of the most winning jockeys of all time.

Perry Wayne Ouzts

American rider Perry Wayne Ouzts is a rider born in Arkansas in 1954. He achieved part of his record on March 30, 2020 by reaching 7,065 horse racing victories at the age of 66 years old. This secured seventh place in the ranking of the most race wins in North America.

Later his record rose to 7,150 victories in his entire career.

Ouzts began his career in 1973 at Beulah Park Racetrack in Columbia, Ohio. That same year he won his first victory demonstrating what he would do as a rider.

The career of this fabulous rider was captured in the documentary called “Ironman Perry Ouzts” (the iron man Perry Ouzts). The documentary won an Eclipse award in 2015.

Without a doubt, Perry Oustz is one of the most winning riders of all time.

This list of jockeys will continue to be fed with riders who have marked time and history in their respective moments. For Gustavo Mirabal Castro it is important to show the contribution of horses in human civilization. But it is also important to highlight the contribution of all those people who contribute to the inclusion and care of horses in our society.

The importance of winning jockeys in the sport.

Horse owners can profit from both racing prizes, sponsorships, and the subsequent horse breeding process.

The best horses become stallions that can be used to breed new horses with better genetics or even to create new horse breeds.

Races are the opportunity to show the potential of horses, and that in this way they can become stallions in the future. This source of income can become one of the most important for horse owners and breeders.

And although the horse is the one who brings the power and speed, the jockey brings the technique and strategy. The connection between horse and rider is as important as that which exists in any other equestrian sport.

That is why a jockey who can get the full potential of a horse helps the horse have a chance to become a stallion. Despite the good genetics, if the horse is not able to prove it will not be considered. This is how the jockey is a key component for owners and breeders. That is why good riders are valued and have great importance in the sport.

But let’s briefly talk about strategy in horse racing and then look at the most winning jockeys of all time.

Strategies of the most winning riders of all time.

The first key for riders or jockeys to become winners is to achieve connection with the horse. If the horse connects with the rider, he will trust him and effectively attend to his orders during the race. This ensures that the horse is concerned with performing and the rider with driving and stimulating him.

On the other hand, the rider must know the perfect balance to be able to extract the best from a horse.

If a rider forces a horse too much, he can cause him to get injured or stumble in the race. If you don’t push it hard enough, then you won’t perform at your full potential. Only a rider well connected with his horse can extract his best performance without injuring him.

The most winning jockeys of all time, the heart of the excitement of the sport.

Thanks to these great winners, the sport continues to show the best of horses. Thanks to this, hundreds of horses become stallions. This supports horse breeding and new generations of more powerful horses.

That is why it is good to highlight the work of the riders both to make the races more exciting and to boost the image of the horses.

We have all seen how in a race a horse that goes to the bottom of the race manages to climb and win it. This was the case with Sonny Leon’s thrilling victory with Rich Strikes in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. This Venezuelan showed his potential and that of Rich Strikes. Thanks to this Rich Strikes can become a great stallion, breeding with the best of this horse.

According to Gustavo Mirabal, the rider can make the horse look thanks to his connection and the trust that the horse places in him to let himself be led.

It is amazing how precisely the jockeys are low in height and light to improve the speed of the set and yet they lead such a powerful animal. This is thanks to the trust and synergy they achieve. No doubt in the union is strength, and that is known by the most winning riders of all time.

Centaur, a combination of the human and the equine

The centaur is a very important creature in Greek mythology. The authors agree that their form and behavior is the metaphor for the struggle between reason and instincts. In the same way the centaur is the representation of the struggle between civilization and barbarism. That is why today we will talk about the centaur, its definition, meaning and the different representations that ancient and modern art have made of this wonderful creature. Without further ado, let’s continue.

The centaur is a being that combines the body and psyche of an animal with that of a man. Specifically, this hybrid between human being and horse drags characteristics of both beings, in their physiognomy as in their psychology. Let’s move on to give a physiological description of centaurs.

Physical description of the Centaur, mythological creature

The centaur is an obvious mixture between a horse and a human being. On the one hand it has the upper half of a human being from the waist (head, arms and torso). Moreover, the lower half is composed of the body and legs of a horse. The human body is attached at the waist to the body of the horse at the point where the neck of the latter would be, thus forming a centaur.

The female genus of centaurs is called centauurids. Although not very common in mythology, the few depictions and descriptions of centauurids portray them as exceptionally beautiful beings.

In the words of the Greek philosopher Philostratus the Elder the description of the Centaurides would be as follows:

“How beautiful are the centaurids, even though they have the body of a mare. They grow from white, brown or spotted mares and are distinct. But they all have something in common, they shine like well-kept mares. They are the white centauids that grow from black mares, the most beautiful, because by contrast of colors it produces a unique being of great beauty”.

Psychological description of the Centaur

Centaurs are described as barbarian beings with little or no self-control. Although they sometimes have proper behaviors, alcohol intake easily unleashes their animal instincts.

That is why it is said that centaurs represent the chaos and barbarism of humanity when they attend to their most primitive instincts. We can see this in his literary and plastic artistic representations.

They were not only violent but lustful as we will see later in some of the myths of the Centaurs.

Somehow the Centaur is the representation of the man who forgets his humanity and indulges in lust, violence, and barbarism, either by instincts or by the consumption of alcohol. This being is the warning of what the human being can become when he leaves civilization.

Myths of the Centaurs.

According to mythology, centaurs are beings that inhabited the mountains of Thessaly. The father of this race of mythological beings gave them a name, because the father of all centaurs is called Centaurus, as we mentioned earlier.

According to the author, Centaurus, the first of them, is the son of Ixion and Nephele, and some magnesian mares. In other origins of the myth of the centaurs, Centaurus is the son of Apollo and Hebe.

The Centaur’s Fight

The centaurs are well known for the struggle they had with the people of Thessaly. Provoked by his attempt to kidnap Hippodamia (beautiful woman) on the day of his wedding to Pyritoo, king of the Lapitas and also son of Ixion. The dispute between these cousins is a metaphor for the conflict between low instincts and civilized behavior in humanity.

In this order of ideas, Theseus is a hero and founder of cities who was present, tipped the scales on the side of the correct order of things, helping Pyritus. The centaurs fled.  It should be noted that many scenes of the battle between the tombstones and the centaurs were sculpted in bas-reliefs in the frieze of the Parthenon, which was dedicated to the wise Athena.

To keep in mind

The general character of centaurs is that of wild beings. Without laws or hospitality, slaves to animal passions. However, there are two exceptions to this rule: Pholus and Chiron, who expressed good nature, being wise and kind centaurs.

Centaurs in art

In ancient Attic painted vessels centaurs were depicted as human beings head-on. With the body and hind legs of a horse attached to the back. Later, they were men only up to the waist. The battle with the pencils and the adventure of Heracles with Pholus are favorite themes of Greek art.

Origin of the Centaur

Regarding this point, the anthropologist and writer Robert Graves speculated that the centaurs of Greek mythology were an evocation of a pre-Hellenic sect that considered the horse a totem (iconic symbol of a tribe). Let’s not forget that a similar theory appears in Mary Renault’s The Sea Bull.

Another of the origins that are taken as a hypothesis is related to the idea that centaurs come from the first reaction of a culture that did not know horsemanship. Like the Minoan Aegean world, towards the nomads who did ride horses.

Centaurides

As we mentioned earlier, the Greek orator Philostratus the Elder states that they are beautiful creatures, despite being horses, sisters and wives of the male centaurs who inhabited Mount Pelion with their children. Others describe them as beautiful white mares, while others say they are chestnuts.

Finally, several legends about centaurs claim that they are very fickle creatures. They regularly look to the sky to determine their destinies. In turn, they are great astrologers and very inclined towards divination.

Gustavo Mirabal Castro fell in love with Greek and Roman mythology by studying its culture during his law studies. The Romans and Greeks were the forerunners of the legal system as we know it today. If you want to know more about his fascination with mythology, horses and laws you can follow him on his social networks.