Female Centaurs, Kentaurides

Kentaurides, or Centaurides, are female centaurs, and aren’t actually a part of th major centaur mythology. They didn’t really show up in Greco-Roman mythos until much later, and were rarely present in art until around 400 BC. They do eventually appear in literature, however. One particulalry romantic story is of Hylonome and Cyllarus. Hylonome was one of the first mention female centaurs, or Kentaurides, as is the proper name for them. In the infamous, and long war with the Lapith tribes of Thessaly, many centaurs fought, –they were symbols of barbarism against organized society, and civilized behaviour.

Hylonome’s husband, Cyllarus, the male centaur, fought against the Lapith tribes and died. His wife was present when he was fatally wounded by a spear, and he died in her arms. Out of grief, Hylonome took her own life. Philostratus the Elder claimed that centaurides/Kentaurides were the mothers, sisters, and wives of the centaurs living on Mount Plion. He has also described female centaurs thus:

“How beautiful the Centaurides are, even where they are horses; for some grow out of white mares, others are attached to chestnut mares, and the coats of others are dappled, but they glisten like those of horses that are well cared for. There is also a white female Centaur that grows out of a black mare, and the very opposition of the colours helps to produce the united beauty of the whole.”

Though Disney is not exactly known for historical accuracy, female centaurs appear in the film “Fantasia” though they are instead called “Centaurettes”, which is much more easily identified with, misogynistically speaking.