The Myth Of Chiron, The Good Healer

Unlike other myths, the Myth of Chiron tells us about a wise, noble, and capable centaur who is very different from other centaurs. You may know that in Greek mythology, centaurs were creatures with a human head and upper body, but a lower body of a horse. In general, they were impulsive and basically wild beings.

People say that the myth of Chiron is closely related to the professions of doctor and psychologist. In fact, the word “Chiron” etymologically means “skilled with the hands” or “the one who cures with the hands”. The word “operating theater” in many Latin languages ​​is derived from the name of this character.

However, he is also known as “the wounded centaur”, a symbol of someone who knows how to give help, but also how to ask for it at the right time. In the myth of Chiron we can see a lot of humanity. It emphasizes the importance of mutual recognition of our vulnerabilities as a source of compassion.

The myth of Chiron

The story of Chiron began when the titan Kronus, son of Uranus, came to earth to look for Zeus. On the journey he came across an oceanid (sea nymph) called Filiria. Kronus fell in love with her and did not want to leave her alone.

Troubled by this harassment, Filiria asked Zeus to turn her into a mare so that the troublesome titan would leave her alone. However, Kronus discovered the harbor nymph’s plans and turned into a horse to try to own her. Troubled by the situation, Filiria escaped and went into the Pelasgia Mountains.

In the remote place she gave birth to a son. It was a convoluted birth and as soon as she saw her baby, she cried in horror. Her son was half a boy and half a horse, and she immediately rejected him. Then she went back to Zeus and asked him to turn her into a tree so that she would not have to breastfeed her baby. Zeus agreed to the request and turned her into a linden tree.

A noble centaur

Chiron was abandoned next to the tree, but the god Apollo and the goddess Athena took pity on him and adopted him. Under their guidance, he grew up as a kind and wise being, interested in many different arts, but especially in medicine. It filled him with joy to be able to give relief to those who suffered and spiritual strength to those who were near death. He was very skilled in the healing arts and soon became famous. Many asked him for help and advice.

Legend has it that Chiron rescued a hero named Peleus. The latter had received a gift from the fire god Hephaestus: a magnificent sword. He then seduced the wife of a man known as Akash, who then set a trap for him to take revenge.

He persuaded him to go hunting , and while he was gone he stole the sword and left him at the mercy of the centaurs, who were generally quite violent. Chiron managed to save him and they became good friends from then on.

Peleus had a son named Achilles. His mother, Tetis, burned his entire body and then covered him with ambrosia, believing that this would make him immortal. Terrified of this ritual, Peleus snatched the son of Tetis before she had the chance to cover his heel with the elixir.

He then handed him over to Chiron to be brought up and educated. The centaur noticed that the child’s heel was burned, and the first thing he did was take the heel bone of a giant and insert it into the wound. This is how we got our famous expression “Achilles heel”.

Myth about Chiron: A Wounded Centaur

The myth of Chiron says that on one occasion he was accidentally wounded by Hercules, or Heracles, who was one of his good friends. The hero fought with other centaurs and inadvertently shot one of his arrows at him and wounded him on the knee.

The centaur began to writhe in pain. Yet he had been immortalized. Because of that he could suffer but could not die. The wound was never healed, leaving him in constant pain. As a result, he prayed to the gods to help him remove his immortality so that he could die and escape from so much suffering.

The gods listened to him and agreed. Therefore, Chiron eventually gave up his immortality to Prometheus, a titan who was saved from suffering from this significant gift. Because of his goodness and exemplary life, the gods decided to turn him into a constellation – now known as the Centaurus – so that he could shine in the sky forever.