Sagittarius constellation lies in the southern sky. The Sagittarius Myth. Chiron grew quite bored of such attraction and instead, focused his time on practicing musical instruments and singing, reading and studying the human body, and learning how to shoot arrows from the great bows he created by hand or found along his journey. Chiron was a hero in his way but indeed received less attention than the colossal Hercules, who had now defeated a lion, a Hydra, and an enormous deer! Near the western border of Once upon a time in the ancient lands of Greece, long before horses galloped under the weight of humans, there lived the great Chiron, the centaur. Riding low in the summer sky is the constellation Sagittarius, looking like a teapot and containing some of the finest deep sky objects. Unfortunately, a lot of the respect for Chiron came solely from a fascination surrounding the horse-like qualities of his body. Yet, Chiron was also unique because he was an excellent mentor of many men; he was independent and sometimes even playful. Chiron however differed from all of the other centaurs for for a number of reasons. Chiron set to work making him more arrows while he continued the other things he enjoyed. Although Chiron dreaded the idea of being on the battlefield, he chose to do this favor for his mentee. And because centaurs were such large creatures, they found themselves to be the target of many dangers around them. But as Chiron observed, Hercules return marked a look of great distress in the young hero’s eyes. One such man, Prometheus, was cursed to have his heart eaten by an eagle every day, only to have it grow back to be eaten again once more. It is one of the constellations of the zodiac. His third task had gone so swiftly. The constellation Sagittarius is where Chiron is now. As he ran to grapple an incoming centaur, Hercules shot an arrow in unison. He studies us all from the night sky, playfully twinkling in the warm summer sky, and shooting stars that even Hercules found epic. Visit KidZone for elementary school activities! Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur pulling back a bow. With new arrows crafted and an again journeying Hercules, Chiron trained a man named Jason and two curious twins in the arts, crafts, studies, and skills of all that he knew. Chiron, despite all the healing practices he had learned and was continuing to learn, could not heal himself of the first Hydra poison that now coursed his veins. Hercules was holding his quiver close, and his bow was in his right hand. When Hercules arrived at the amphitheater that Chiron spent many of his days, Chiron had already heard of Hercules’ greatness—as stories of the young, fearless Hercules and his abilities to battle even the most horrifying beasts were also spreading far and wide. Most of the centaurs were regarded in myth as bestial--they were, after all, half horse. Sagittarius or Chiron, son of the Titan Cronos was one of the many centaurs in Greek mythology. Chiron was graced with immortality and was free to work and learn and study and heal for eternity. He knew he was destined to live in immense pain and saw in Hercules a similar shock as he bid farewell to the now guilty young hero who had to continue 8 more tasks still. While Hercules was absent, Chiron continued his life as it was, playing music and games, remaining studious, and practicing his abilities. Contact Us  â€¢   He studies us all from the night sky, playfully twinkling in the warm summer sky, and shooting stars that even Hercules found epic. Now, over the ages, centaurs acquired the reputation for being big and scary beasts—with whom they were not to be bothered. The constellation Sagittarius is where Chiron is now. The Sagittarius constellation has an interesting history, and also contains some of the most popular deep-sky objects in the night sky. Its name is Latin for "archer", and its symbol is (Unicode ♐), a stylized arrow. By the time Hercules arrived from his second and third tasks, his three new students were well-equipped to join Hercules on his adventures. Chiron was testing a new arrow design he had recently engineered as Hercules came into the amphitheater’s ring. But at a party to celebrate their success, they were ambushed by a group of rogue centaurs, who became weary of humans and their ideas of them. Full Story. Printable version of this story . The arrow pierced Chiron’s thigh. He also knew that Prometheus could gain freedom this way. He had dropped his quiver earlier and picked it up before his return to the King and encounter with the deer. Privacy Policy  â€¢   However, the ancient Greeks had a great deal of respect for the horse, and so were reluctant to make the centaurs entirely bad. Most interpretations conclude that the mythology of Sagittarius refers to the centaur Chiron, who was accidentally shot by Hercules (Greek mythology) with a poison arrow. The zodiacal constellation Sagittarius represents the centaur Chiron. Chiron’s exceptional speed meant that he could scramble at the same pace as the attacking centaurs. Together, Chiron and Hercules survived the successful defeat of the monumental Erymanthian Boar! The centre of the Milky Way Galaxy lies in the radio source Sagittarius A*. Being a kind and gentle person, Chiron grew to understand the agony of a man much like Hercules, who Chiron had studied in books and on the battlefield for ages. Half-human/ half-horse, Chiron was like other centaurs and could move quickly, think deeply, and act patiently. His newfound empathy for the man allowed him to reason that if he were already going to be in pain for eternity, he should sacrifice himself for another’s freedom. Other than Virgo, the Sagittarius myth is probably the most commonly misinterpreted of all of the constellation myths.. The Mythology of Sagittarius. Copyright © 1998-2020 DLTK's Sites - All Rights Reserved. After his first expedition, Hercules returned with the hide from a mighty lion, all weapons intact, but no more arrows. Target practice was Chiron’s specialty. Chiron became the stars in the sky. Chiron could feel the young man’s intense energy, and so, he turned from Hercules so he could calculate the number of arrows to make on his own. One main reason was that Chiron was born half man and half horse, whereas the other centaurs were born of the sun and rain clouds. Chiron shrieked in agony. Hercules was finally sent on his twelve great tasks by King Eurystheus, and Chiron playfully vowed to stand alongside him from afar. Zeus had also been observing. Hercules successfully warded off the danger and took Chiron back to the amphitheater. Sagittarius is one of the 88 modern constellations, and one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. He offered him healing upon return and even crafted a bow and arrow for Hercules to take with him. Over time, Chiron’s uniqueness and love for all things enabled him to work alongside great people—including the well-known Hercules! It lies between Scorpius and Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus and Microscopium to the east. Terms of Service  â€¢   It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. And so, Zeus freed Prometheus and granted Chiron a great gift of even greater immortal status. Chiron was a faithful and honorable archer; his teachings were sought out by everyone far and wide; and he became a voice of equal parts greatness and gentleness and, yes, silliness. Fortunately, many Greeks and gods grew to respect centaurs like Chiron. It is commonly depicted as a centaur pulling back a bow, but many amateur astronomers in the northern hemisphere view Sagittarius as a more recognizable “teapot” asterism. Sagittarius is the ninth sign in the Zodiac and represents those born between Nov. 22 and Dec. 21.. Sagittarius is the centaur, Chiron.