Myth ProjectThe Mythology Chiron: the Wounded Healer

By Mrs. Johnson

Characters

http://www.chiron-communications.com/images/chiron02.gif

Chiron – a centaur (half man and half horse) who was a wise teacher, healer, and prophet.

Kronus – father of the gods/goddess; known to be cruel.

Philyra – a nymph (nature or woodland spirits) who values nature.

Hercules – Greek hero known for extreme strength

Prometheus – chained to a rock as punishment for giving fire to the humans.

Zeus – chief Olympian god

Plot

Chiron’s creation and birth

Chiron’s adoption & Powerful mentor

Hercules and Chiron’s wound

Prometheus’ story and Chiron

constellation

Introduction

Kronus was in search of his son, Zeus. Kronus saw a beautiful nymph, Philyra, and chased after her. She wasn’t interested in Kronus so to escape him, she turned into a mare (horse). Kronus transformed into a stallion and mated with Philyra. Philyra wasn’t happy about this. When Chiron was born, Philyra rejected him and abandoned him.

Rising Action

Apollo ,the Greek sun god, adopted him.

Chiron grows up and becomes a powerful mentor to many famous Greek heroes.

Hercules was one of those heroes. Hercules usually had trouble with centaurs; fights often occurred.

Climax

In one of those fights, Hercules wounded Chiron in the knee with an arrow by accident. The arrow had been coated with a Hydra’s blood and because of this, the wound would never heal. Chiron was an immortal (he would never die) and he was suffering (in constant pain) from a wound that wouldn’t heal.

Chiron wanted to die.

http://www.filmeducation.org/images/film_library/hercules.jpg

Falling action

Prometheus had done something to upset the gods and as punishment, he was chained to a rock by Zeus. Each day an eagle would eat Prometheus’ liver. This was his punishment forever.

Prometheus could only be released if an immortal took his place. Chiron agreed to take Prometheus’ place. Zeus felt sorry for him and allowed Chiron to die.

Resolution

Chiron was honored with the constellation of Centaurus.

Top picture http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Chiron+constellation&hl=en&safe=active&client=firefox-a&hs=7oj&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=980&bih=578&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=9jTqV1Y5O9JwiM:&imgrefurl=http://www.seasky.org/constellations/constellations-may.html&docid=MhlLTBpy-COaBM&imgurl=http://www.seasky.org/constellations/assets/images/centaurus.gif&w=280&h=280&ei=1ah0ULaZAYi29QT-_IDYAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=489&sig=106502449634642459632&page=1&tbnh=117&tbnw=131&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:98&tx=36&ty=59

Bottom picture http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2004/10/10_229495c009fca33ec67cb53f830d8a202.jpg

Message or theme

I think that people today are similar to the people in myths.

People still act on impulses (like Kronus)

People can be careless (Hercules with an arrow)

People can complete many acts for others/ help out other people (Chiron helped Prometheus)

There is good and bad in all people. Our challenge is to always strive to bring out the good.

Requirements of a mythA myth 

a story that tries to explain a mystery (perhaps why the stars in the sky look like a centar) 

is often sacred and includes gods and goddesses (included Kronus and Zeus)

includes some type of heroes or other super-human and inhuman characters (Hercules, a hero, was included in this myth and Chiron is not human)

takes place many years ago (this myth took place many years ago)

is/was considered truth by at least one group of people but does not have a way to be proven (the ancient Greeks believed this story enough that it has survived many generations of story telling and was finally able to be recorded.

 

Value of ancient Greece

This story helps to explain how the stars in the sky came to be.

Impact on our current society

Today there is a Chiron Corporation which is a company that has a connection to blood.

Chiron Astrology seems to be a religion or belief.