Pan & Satyrs

Satyrs have a deserved reputation for assaulting nymphs, and stealing cattle. Satyrs bear on their foreheads small bony protuberances that in a goat would grow into horns. They are often depicted as intoxicated and sexually aroused.

Though Roman satire is sometimes thoughtlessly linked to the Greek satyr plays, satire's only connection to the satyric drama is through the subversive nature of the satyrs themselves, as forces in opposition to urbanity, decorum, and civilization itself.

While satyrs have been called a worthless race, satyrs teach us it is foolish to underestimate the overwhelming power that the sexual instinct possesses to create complex delusions and illusions.

Bacchic dance: Plato tells us there was a specific dance done by the characters in a Dionysian ritual: Nymphs, Pans, Silenoi, and Satyrs The Satyr and Silenoi dance had several steps and aspects. Like the Mænads, they would bend deeply forward and backward, but they would also leap --- crouching on one leg, then launching themselves to fall upon the other one. They capered with the Mænads, and would sway their hips accompanied by angular arm movements. Beyond the 'joined hand' gesture and the animal imitations, we do not know specifically what these gestures were. It is likely that the dance steps, like orisha and voudon dances, had strong symbolic aspects but this is lost to us.

Pan god of woods and fields, of flocks and shepherds, Pan is known as "The Pasturer," "the Feeder of Flocks." God of herds, fertility and male sexuality, Pan amuses himself with the chase or in leading the dances of the nymphs.

Pan has the horns and legs of a goat and plays a syrinx, a pipe with seven reeds. An ancient god, he has no moral or social aspect whatsoever, and is simply the embodiment of pure, basic instinct. Some said that Pan taught Apollo the art of prophecy. Pan especially loves mountains and wild country. Pan has a dark aspect as well, causing men and animals to go suddenly mad with terror in distant, lonely places or because your superstitious fears have got the best of you. His name is therefore the root word of "panic."

Pan was fond of music, and known as the inventor of the syrinx, or shepherd's pipe, which he himself played in a such a masterly manner he once competed against Apollo himself.

Pan and Syrinx.

One day Pan saw the nymph Syrinx returning to her home. Immediately he started after her and she ran until she came to a river. Syrinx turned into a reed that lined the bank of the river so Pan could not recognize her. Pan grabbed a hand full of reeds in hopes that he could capture Syrinx, but he was unable to locate her. Pan sat down beside the river and started tying the reeds together that he had gathered and soon he came up with a contraption that is known today as the "Pipes of Pan."

Here is the original version translated to English

English poet John Keats (1795-1821), tells the story of Pan and Syrinx best:

So did he feel who pulled the bough aside,
That we might look into a forest wide,
Telling us how fair trembling Syrinx fled
Arcadian Pan, with such a fearful dread.
Poor nymph- poor Pan- how he did weep to find
Nought but a lovely sighing of the wind
Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain,
Full of sweet desolation, balmy pain.

Selene the moon goddess is known for her countless love affairs including the shepherd Endymion. Pan's seduction began with a gift of a herd of white oxen. Pan accomplished the seduction of Selene by disguising his hairy black goatishness with white fleece. Selene consented to ride on his back, unaware of who he was, and Pan proceeded to ravish her.

Titans: Pan was present at the great battle between the Olympian gods and the Titans and claimed that it has his yelling that caused the Titans to flee.

Marsyas was a satyr who challenged Apollo to a contest of music.

The deal was, that the winner could treat the defeated party any way he wanted. Since the contest was judged by the Muses, Marsyas naturally lost and was flayed alive in a cave near Calaenae in Phrygia for his hubris to challenge a god. His blood turned into the river Marsyas.

There are several versions of the contest; according to some Marsyas was departing as victor when Apollo, turning his lyre upside down, played the same tune. This was something that Marsyas could not do with his flute. According to another version Marsyas was defeated when Apollo added his voice to the sound of the lyre. Marsyas protested, arguing that the skill with the instrument was to be compared, and not the voice. However, Apollo replied that when Marsyas blew into the pipes, he was doing almost the same thing as himself. The Muses found Apollo's claim to be the most just, leading to his victory

Midas with Asses' Ears

Midas let it be known that he though Marsyas was the better musician. Apollo punished Midas making his ears grow like those of a donkey.

Pan and Echo. The nymph ran from him. Pan instilled "panic" in local shepherds and they killed her, destroying her body. Only her voice remains.

He was the god of green fields and the guardian of the shepherds associated with the worship of Dionysus, and as a mountain deity with that of Cybele. He is at home in any wild place but, is favorite is Arcady, where he was born. He was fond of sportive dances, singing with woodland nymphs and playing on pipes. He is always in pursuit of a nymph, but, is rarely successful.