Centaurs and their anatomy?

Question

I'm just wondering if centaurs have two spines, two stomachs, etc. because if you look at the picture on this site: http://www.gallerythe.org/artist/olivier/centaur.jpg you see that a centaur basiclly has a human and a horse torso...I don't know what Greeks had in mind when they came up with these creatures ;)

Answer 1

In order to answer that question one has to use their imagination, since Centaurs are mythical creatures.....ie no evidence has been uncovered that they ever existed. It has been theorized that since horses were not native to the Greecian peoples in their early history, that people who came from Asia on horseback were something the people just could not comprehend....and from a distance it might have appeared that the horse and it's rider were of the same beast.....und voilla! the birth of the centaur.

However looking at the picture you linked, it is clear to see that the artist of this pic has clearly defined a skeleton for the creature as a way of explaning his own thoughts and imagination.

Scientifically speaking, not that I am one...but I play on in Yahoo...in order for the body of any mammallian creature to exist with form, one must have a skeletal frame. and by combing the horse and the man, the skeleton would have to combine as well. I can not even speculate on the internal organs of the magical creation. It would seem senseless that nature would create redundancies, like duplicate organs....but not impossible. Perhaps there are viable reasons why the centaur would have duplicate organs....like a cow has four stomachs. But one thing is certain. for all the animals still existant on our planet today, free from genetic flaws and in their perfection and prime, all mammals have a single heart and a single set of lungs. It is possible to speculate that the centaur would also possess the same mammal characteristics, as long as the centaur would be defined as a mammal.

Artistically and imaginatively speaking....how cool would it be if it had two hearts and two seperate stomachs in which he needed to maintain. :P

Answer 2

Webster gives the name as : any of a race of creatures fabled to be half human and half horse and to live in the mountains of Thessaly . The Greeks had great imagination and gave the world many of our cultural science. They were much more advanced that their occupiers the Romans. The Greeks gave up our Christian bible with their interpretation accepted by the Roman Emperor WHO created Christianity.
I think to answer your question the Greeks were not interested in the Centaurs inside organ but his appearance as an appeasement to the Gods and their relationship with the Gods.

Answer 3

Hello Anaconda Orchid !

I've always enjoyed looking at different artists renditions of mythological creatures, but wow ! This was a first ! I've never seen this one before, it's very interesting...

Hmmnnn...I think I like it; I shall name her Clarice !

Love, light, and peace
tishy

Answer 4

I've never thought about it that way before...

I think they would have:
-one long spinal cord
-human stomach and lungs(closer to the mouth)
-horse heart(more powerful)
and- horse intestines (closer to the rear)

The rest of the organs could go anywhere, though.

Answer 5

That's the cool thing about a fantasy creature - it can be however you want it to be.

Answer 6

1 of each except for legs and arms

Answer 7

i think they have one set of internal organs which would be whatever a horse has.

Answer 8

They are a MYTHICAL creature. There is no such thing in real life.

Answer 9

yup

Answer 10

I want one!!!