Temenos Interview

Interview with a Centaur

Hercules: Greetings Argon, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Argon: I enjoy reading, designing web sites, enjoying movies with friends and being with my lovely wife. I am an amateur astronomer and occasionally get to see the shuttles launch and land. Sorry to say, but there's really nothing outstanding or notable about me. I'm just a regular guy trying to get by in life.

Hercules: How did you first become interested in Centaurs?

Argon: I found an old issue of a magazine called Creepy that had an illustrated story in it about centaurs. Although the old Grecian versions were interesting, the drawings in the magazine seemed to catch my eye. The centaurs were rendered in what seemed the proper proportion of human to equine aspects. The artist was named Wally Wood and as far as I've found these were the only centaur drawings he had published. After finding this magazine I found myself discovering many other centaur stories and images in books, comics and magazines which I began collecting.

Hercules: How did your identification with Centaurs develop?

Argon: The idea of the strength, poise, balance, grace and size of a horse being controlled by a human mind was interesting to me. I thought that such a being would have the advantages of its equine attributes and those of a human being. A rational mind, its knowledge restraint and reason, in control of the 'whole' of the centaur form hit home with me. I found the idea of having that form attractive. Although, of course in the modern world, highly inconvenient.

I might add that I found Cheiron, who was a healer and teacher a good role model. As he was the opposite of the stereotypical centaur who raped, pillaged and drank, he was constructive rather than destructive. As the Greeks saw the centaurs representing man's human mind being controlled by its animal nature, Chiron represented the human mind overcoming and controlling the animal instincts deep inside every human being.

Hercules: I enjoyed your Centaursite a lot, what inspired you to create it?

Argon: When I got a computer and started looking through the Internet, I did a search for centaurs. Although there was a lot of information, I found very little about the images, stories and books that I liked. I continued collecting material, some through the Internet, and after a while decided to share what I had with others who were interested in centaurs.

Hercules: Can you give us a brief descriptive tour of Centaursite? What can a visitor expect to find while exploring?

Argon: Centaursite has evolved through the years just as computers and the Internet itself have. The site is separated into sections. There are photomorph images, where separate images of human and equine portions are combined through computer graphics programs to create centaurs. Drawings of centaurs, books concerning them, comic books, some stories, thoughts and theories, links to other sites concerning centaurs and images of centaurs by Boris Vallejo. The site gets updated off and on.

Be aware that although there is no sexual material on the site, there is nudity. Of the human aspects.... the equine aspects being nude seems to go without saying.

Hercules: What is today's Centaur community like?

Argon: I'm not sure there's a real 'community'. There are on-line bulletin boards, IM chats, and e-mail lists. These are visited and contributed to by folks who share an interest in centaurs. But I suppose the 'Centaur State of Mind' that you've referred to is something these folks share. I believe that just like any group of folks with like interests, the Internet has allowed these folks to connect. There doesn't seem to be a huge number of them involved in sharing information, but there are a lot of folks who visit sites and read the boards who don't contribute. That's fine, as the more interest in centaurs there is, the more folks will see them as 'good guys' rather than the monsters that so many movies and other media portray them as.

Hercules: Is it an on-line phenomenon or are there get actual Centaur gatherings?

Argon: Interest in centaurs seems to be more an on-line phenomenon than anything else. Occasionally some of the folks on the boards or IM will meet, but these are usually small percentages of the group as a whole and just for a dinner or such. There are no regular get-togethers that I'm aware of.

Hercules: Centaurs seem to be creative folk. There are Centaur tales, art and polymorph images on Centaursite and in many of the Links provided.Aside from the artists, some Centaurs appear to be gamers. Does gaming play a major role in Centaur interactions?

Argon: I don't think the percentage of gamers in the centaur 'community' is any higher or lower than any other group. As my experience has been with others on-line, I'd have to say that as they are computer literate at the least, some play computer games. I'm not sure the label 'gamer' would fit any of them though.

Hercules: What are some of the other sub cultures within the greater Centaur community?

Argon: I'd have to say the interest in centaurs by itself is a sub culture of our lives. Most of us seem to find any ideas and information about centaurs of interest. I don't believe there is enough information about centaurs to support the idea of separating ourselves into groups.

Hercules: In the tales, images and links on your website there seems to be a yearning for transformation into one's true Centaur self. Can you explain that yearning?

Argon: As I explained earlier the idea of having control of all that power and size seems attractive. There is, of course, a great difference between a horse and a centaur. Although there is a physical similarity between the body of a horse and the equine aspect of a centaur, they are two completely different species. A horse is an animal, controlled as much by instinct and yearning as anything else, and like the centaurs of myth unrestrained by 'civilization'. A centaur, as characterized by Cheiron, and some centaur characters in modern media can have the size and strength a horse has, yet be restrained and civilized. I like the idea of having that strength and speed yet holding it in check until needed.

I think anyone who imagines themselves a centaur has different reasons and expectations. These can be based on any number of ideas. I don't think there is any hard and fast rule as to the 'why' of wanting to be a centaur. And the Centaur State of Mind only refers to those wanting to be centaurs. Although the basic premises of it can refer to anyone, it was written to reflect what I thought a centaur should be.

Hercules: How can folks learn more about modern day Centaurs. Aside from Centaursite, where would you direct them for more information?

Argon: I'd suggest doing as I did by looking over the Internet. There are books and other stories concerning centaurs in comics and bookstores. Movies also are a good place to see centaurs characterized. The Harry Potter books and movies have centaurs in small roles, The Narnia film, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, show centaurs in a good light. The old Hercules and Xena shows portrayed centaurs as neutral, and more human and sympathetic than say, the old frame by frame animation of the centaur by Ray Harryhausen,the old Sinbad movie.

I must note that like the ancient centaurs, contact with modern centaurs is quite difficult. Although social with one another, they rarely interact with those they don't know can be trusted and are next to impossible to photograph. Learning about modern centaurs is something that must be done through research.

Hercules: Thank you Argon, I am honored by your agreeing to this interview. I welcome you and any other Centaurs that may wish to join us in our Temenos.