Resumen

MORA QUEIPO, Ernesto; GONZALEZ QUEIPO, Jean  y  RICHARD DE MORA, Dianora. The Centaur of the Plains: Its Myths and Symbols in Venezuelan National Identity. Opcion [online]. 2007, vol.23, n.53, pp.91-111. ISSN 1012-1587.

The centaur of Greek mythology and the biographical summary of General Páez’s warlike feats contributed to an analogical interpretation of the symbolism of the Centaur of the Plains. Results show the use of this metaphor and that of the Iberian Lion to split the population into Americans and Spaniards and give the war for independence the character of an international war, when the American nation (Gran Colombia) did not yet exist. The metaphor of the centaur of the plains combined the foundational myths of western culture with the symbolic codes of the plainsmen and converted it into a foundational symbol for the Venezuelan nation.

Palabras clave : General José Antonio Páez; Venezuelan plainsmen; war for independence.