Centaurs

In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi) are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse. In early Attic and Boeotian vase-paintings, as on the kantharos illustrated below left, they are depicted with the hindquarters of a horse attached to them; in later renderings centaurs are given the torso of a human joined at the waist to the horse's withers, where the horse's neck would be.

This half-human and half-animal composition has led many writers to treat them as liminal beings, caught between the two natures, embodied in contrasted myths, both as the embodiment of untamed nature, as in their battle with the Lapiths, or conversely as teachers, like Chiron.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur

n Greek mythology, Cheiron or Kheiron (Greek: Χείρων; "hand"^[1]) was held as the superlative centaur among his brethren. Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents, each Centaur was also wild and lusty. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind.^[2] He was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine. According to an archaic myth^[3] he was sired by Kronos (Cronus) when he had taken the form of a horse^[4] and impregnated the nymph Philyra,^[5] Chiron's lineage was different from other centaurs ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiron

In Greek mythology, Philyra was an Oceanid, a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. She was married to Nauplius and had many children. Chiron was her son by Cronus.^[1] When she gave birth to her son, she was so disgusted by how he looked that she abandoned him at birth. She was the goddess of perfume, writing, healing, beauty and paper. She also taught humanity to make paper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philyra_%28mythology%29