Chiron was a Centaur. A Chyron is on your TV.

What is a Centaur?

“A centaur is a mythological creature from ancient Greek folklore with the human head, arms, and torso (down to the waist) joined to the body and four legs of a horse.“ An important Greek myth tells the story of The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs (known in Greek mythology as the Centauromachy). This legendary conflict disrupted the wedding feast of Pirithous, King of the Lapiths, and the princess Hippodamia (also called Hippodaseia) in Thessaly. (source: Wikipedia)

A centaur in battle from the sculptures of the Parthenon, now in the British Museum in London.
Seeing these sculptures on a recent trip to London satisfied a dream that I’ve had for decades.

The Centaur Named Chiron

“In Greek mythology, the most famous centaur is Chiron. Unlike the rest of his wild and unruly brethren, Chiron was renowned for his exceptional wisdom, kindness, and mastery of medicine, music, and archery. He served as a revered mentor and tutor to some of ancient Greece’s greatest heroes, including Achilles, Jason, and Hercules.” (source: google search)

Chiron, a legendary Centaur, on a Greek vase.

Chiron with animals he has hunted.

Definition of Chyron (not Chiron) — Webster’s Dictionary Says:

What's a chyron?

It's that thing at the bottom of your TV screen

Whether to promote other programs, give some backstory, or get viewers involved on social media, graphics and text show up more and more frequently on top of the shows on our TV screens. There’s a word for them: chyron. Although it's often used generically, it actually comes from the name of the company whose software allows television producers to add those crawling words, phrases, and images to their broadcasts. (Source: Webster’s Online Dictionary)

The Chyron Corporation is named for the famous Centaur of Greek myth. (source)

What made me think of this? At the fitness center while working out on a boring exercise machine, I was surrounded by TV screens playing the various news channels with their multiplicity of chyrons along with the subtitles for the speakers. I also see it on the screen in my living room. Chyrons are everywhere1

The Most Famous Modern Centaurs

The best-known centaurs in recent memory appear in the Harry Potter books, where they live in the Forbidden Forest. Their names are Firenze, Ronan, and Magorian (not Chiron). Their most famous action was seizing Delores Umbridge, the tyrannical and petty head of Hogwarts school.

Dolores Umbridge, who deserved to be abducted by Centaurs.
Delightfully portrayed by Imelda Staunton.