< Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
BUCENTAUR, a mythical monster, half man and half ox. The splendid galley in which the Doge of Venice annually wedded the Adriatic bore this name, doubtless because of the figure of a bucentaur on her bow. Three ships were built for this ceremony, enjoined by Pope Alexander III., and all bore a bucentaur figure-head; and the last one was destroyed by the French in 1798.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.