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THE ZODIAC AND MYTHOLOGY - SAGITTARIUS

INFLUENCE OF MYTHOLOGY ON THE NAMES OF THE ZODIAC



SAGITTARIUS - The Archer
(November 23 - December 21)


Sagittarius by KAGAYA
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The constellation of Sagittarius (the Archer), depicts a creature called a Centaur, which has the body and head of a man and the hindquarters of a horse. He is named after Cheiron, the leader of the centaurs and the most famous among them.

He was semi-divine (a demi-god), as he was the son of the sea god Poseidon. He was taught by god Apollo and his sister, goddess Artemis, and from them he learned both wisdom and spirituality, as well as how to hunt masterfully.

He dwelt in a cave high up in the rocky, snowy sides of Mount Pelion. He was the oldest and wisest of all the centaurs and very strong. In fact, he was so famous, that many kings had trusted their sons and heirs to tutor under Cheiron.

Among the most famous of his students were Hercules, and Jason, who grew up to became the leader of the Argonauts.

Popular mythology tells us that the centaur Cheiron was destined to suffer a gruesome death: When Hercules was returning home to Tiryns after killing the Erymanthian Boar, one of his twelve labors, he had a violent encounter with some drunken centaurs, who stupidly (and fatally for them) attacked the hero.

Hercules managed to kill many of his attackers, and drove them away near the place where Cheiron lived. By accident, however, one of the poisonous arrows that Hercules used to defend himself from his attackers, went astray and hit his old teacher.

Cheiron, being semi-divine, would not die, having to suffer an excruciating pain, because of the poison. He was in such an agony, that Zeus himself felt sorry for the poor centaur and permitted him to give up his divine status and offer it to the Titan called Prometheus, the creator of the human race.

Prometheus was chained to a rock and daily an eagle would devour his liver. When Cheiron finally was let to die, relieved from the intolerable pain that was inflicted on him from the wound, Prometheus attained immortality.

In gratitude for the Centaur king's countless contributions to the ancient Greeks, Zeus placed his image in the sky, as the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer.


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