Centaurs, a Sphinx, Unicorns, and a Phoenix… How in the world did the Greeks think these mythological creatures up?
Interesting question. Many of us know the characters but not the story behind those. As it is almost always the case in mythology., the exact origin or creation of these remains a mystery. These “tales” were first passed orally, generation after generation. The important aspect of this is that those narrations were not only considered tales, but became the source of beliefs and spirituality for the Greek people. “The Greeks’ mythology has changed over time to accommodate the evolution of their own culture. The earlier inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula were an agricultural people who assigned a spirit to every aspect of nature. Eventually, these vague spirits assumed human shape and entered the local mythology as gods and goddesses. When tribes from the north of the Balkan Peninsula invaded, they brought with them a new pantheon of gods, based on conquest, force, prowess in battle, and violent heroism. Other older deities of the agricultural world fused with those of the more powerful
