Questions About Centaur Culture

[cunning_spirit]

No: HPFGUIDX 119470


To All:

I've been enjoying  the current chapter discussions unfolding here. The points comparing 
parallels and differences between Delores Umbridge and Hermoine's interactions with the 
centaurs has been fascinating.

Which brings up some questions for me about the centaurs themselves.  

Is it just me, or do most of the centaurs sound like a bunch of religious dogmatics to any 
of you? For that matter, why is it that while we have seen a herd of fifty centaurs (which 
FBAWTFT says is the general upper limit for herd size), and gotten to know the names of 
about a half dozen of the members, we have as yet seen no female centaurs. Do they live 
in some sort of culturally imposed seclusion, or purdah? While classical mythology has 
only male centaurs within its corpus, if Walt Disney can propose female centaurs, surely 
Rowling can too.

Where are the foals for that matter? Harry and the other Hogwarts students who venture 
into the Forest are compared to foals, so one would assume there must also be centaur 
children somewhere.

I have to be honest, but the prickly xenophobia on both sides of the dialogue between DU 
and the centaurs has reminded me a lot of levels of gauche arrogance and blind 
assumptions that have been the hallmarks of the current American administration's 
dealings with non-Western societies.