Bernie’s talk is called “Origin of the Mythic Centaur”
In Greek mythology, the centaur Chiron is the iconic mentor to great heroes such as Achilles, Hercules, and Theseus, among others. Siberian shamans in a parallel tradition psychologically transform into a horse through a trance dance in order to enter another dimension. This joining of human and animal beings to gain strength is not characteristic of agricultural peoples, but rather from much earlier animistic traditions. This study explores images of half men/half horses in European Upper Paleolithic cave art through the lens of animism to better understand the origins of ancient mythical centaurs, the role of the centaur on the journey of the hero, and our early psychological relationships with other animal beings.
About Bernie
Bernie Taylor is a naturalist, author, and archaeoastronomer whose research explores the origins of mankind’s creativity and awareness of the natural world. His works in these areas include Biological Time (2004) and Before Orion: Finding the Face of the Hero (2017) which explore a deep root to mankind’s creative capacity by looking at how hunter-gatherers viewed themselves through Paleolithic cave art approximately 40,000 years ago. Bernie proposes that select cave paintings are fundamental pieces in the human journey to self-realization, the foundation of astronomy, and a record of biological knowledge that irrevocably impacted some of the artistic styles, religious practices, and stories that are still with us. Bernie is widely interviewed on podcasts, presents interactive programs at high school through graduate level classes, and gives engaging talks at popular conferences and academic symposiums across a wide range of social and physical science disciplines.
To hear Bernie’s talk and many others, join us at the Mythologium!
The Mythologium is a conference and retreat for mythologists and friends of myth, held July 30 – Aug 1 via Zoom. Register here!