N is for Nature

I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.

If you’d rather check out my book review for today, go here.

I think I heard of Pan for the first time in a Rick Riordan novel…

Folklore

The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology [1844] by William Smith

PAN (Pan), the great god of flocks and shepherds among the Greeks; his name is probably connected with the verb paô. Lat. pasco, so that his name and character are perfectly in accordance with each other. Later speculations, according to which Pan is the same as to pan, or the universe, and the god the symbol of the universe, cannot be taken into consideration here. He is described as a son of Hermes by the daughter of Dryops (Hom. Hymn. vii. 34), by Callisto (Schol. ad Theocr. i. 3), by Oeneis or Thymbris (Apollod. i. 4. § 1; Schol. ad Theocrit. l. c.), or as the son of Hermes by Penelope, whom the god visited in the shape of a ram (Herod. ii. 145; Schol. ad Theocrit. i. 123 ; Serv. ad Aen. ii. 43), or of Penelope by Odysseus, or by all her suitors in common. (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. i. 16; Schol. ad Lycoph. 766; Schol. ad Theocrit. i. 3.) Some again call him the son of Aether and Oeneis, or a Nereid, or a son of Uranus and Ge. (Schol. ad Theocrit. i. 123; Schol. ad Lycoph. l. c.) From his being a grandson or great grandson of Cronos, he is called Kronios. (Eurip. Rhes. 36.) He was from his birth perfectly developed, and had the same appearance as afterwards, that is, he had his horns, beard, puck nose, tail, goats’ feet, and was covered with hair, so that his mother ran away with fear when she saw him ; but Hermes carried him into Olympus, where all (pantes) the gods were delighted with him, and especially Dionysus. (Hom. Hymn. vii. 36, &c.; comp. Sil. Ital. xiii. 332; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 22.) He was brought up by nymphs. (Paus. viii. 30. § 2.)

The principal seat of his worship was Arcadia and from thence his name and his worship afterwards spread over other parts of Greece; and at Athens his worship was not introduced till the time of the battle of Marathon. (Paus. viii. 26. § 2; Virg. Eclog. x. 26; Pind. Frag. 63, ed. Boeckh.; Herod. ii. 145.) In Arcadia he was the god of forests, pastures, flocks, and shepherds, and dwelt in grottoes (Eurip. Ion, 501; Ov. Met. xiv. 515), wandered on the summits of mountains and rocks, and in valleys, either amusing himself with the chase, or leading the dances of the nymphs. (Aeschyl. Pers. 448; Hom. Hymn. vii. 6, 13, 20 ; Paus. viii. 42. § 2.) As the god of flocks, both of wild and tame animals, it was his province to increase them and guard them (Hom. Hymn. vii. 5; Paus. viii. 38. § 8; Ov. Fast. ii. 271, 277 ; Virg. Eclog. i. 33); but he was also a hunter, and hunters owed their success to him, who at the same time might prevent their being successful. (Hesych. s. v. Agreus.) In Arcadia hunters used to scourge the statue, if they hunted in vain (Theocrit. vii. 107); during the heat of mid day he used to slumber, and was very indignant when any one disturbed him. (Theocrit. i. 16.) As god of flocks, bees also were under his protection, as well as the coast where fishermen carried on their pursuit. (Theocrit. v. 15; Anthol. Palat. vi. 239, x. 10.) As the god of every thing connected with pastoral life, he was fond of music, and the inventor of the syrinx or shepherd’s flute, which he himself played in a masterly manner, and in which he instructed others also, such as Daphnis. (Hom. Hymn. vii. 15 ; Theocrit. i. 3; Anthol. Palat. ix. 237, x. 11; Virg. Eclog. i. 32, iv. 58; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. v. 20.) He is thus said to have loved the poet Pindar, and to have sung and danced his lyric songs, in return for which Pindar erected to him a sanctuary in front of his house. (Pind. Pyth. iii. 139, with the Schol.; Plut. Num. 4.) Pan, like other gods who dwelt in forests, was dreaded by travellers to whom he sometimes appeared, and whom he startled with a sudden awe or terror. (Eurip. Rhes. 36.) Thus when Pheidippides, the Athenian, was sent to Sparta to solicit its aid against the Persians, Pan accosted him, and promised to terrify the barbarians, if the Athenians would worship him. (Herod. vi. 105 ; Paus. viii. 54. § 5, i. 28. § 4.) He is said to have had a terrific voice (Val. Flacc. iii. 31), and by it to have frightened the Titans in their fight with the gods. (Eratosth. Catast. 27.) It seems that this feature, namely, his fondness of noise and riot, was the cause of his being considered as the minister and companion of Cybele and Dionysus. (Val. Flacc. iii. 47; Pind. Fragm. 63, ed. Boeckh; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 22.) He was at the same time believed to be possessed of prophetic powers, and to have even instructed Apollo in this art. (Apollod. i. 4. § 1.) While roaming in his forests he fell in love with Echo, by whom or by Peitho he became the father of Iynx. His love of Syrinx, after whom he named his flute, is well known from Ovid (Met. i. 691, &c.; comp. Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. ii. 31; and about his other amours see Georg. iii. 391; Macrob. Sat. v. 22). Fir-trees were sacred to him, as the nymph Pitys, whom he loved, had been metamorphosed into that tree (Propert. i. 18. 20), and the sacrifices offered to him consisted of cows, rams, lambs, milk, and honey. (Theocrit. v. 58; Anthol. Palat. ii. 630, 697, vi. 96, 239, vii. 59.) Sacrifices were also offered to him in common with Dionysus and the nymphs. (Paus. ii. 24. § 7; Anthol. Palat. vi. 154.) The various epithets which are given him by the poets refer either to his singular appearance, or are derived from the names of the places in which he was worshipped. Sanctuaries and temples of this god are frequently mentioned, especially in Arcadia, as at Heraea, on the Nomian hill near Lycosura, on mount Parthenius (Paus. viii. 26. § 2, 38. § 8, 54. § 5), at Megalopolis (viii. 30. § 2, iii. 31. § 1), near Acacesium, where a perpetual fire was burning in his temple, and where at the same time there was an ancient oracle, at which the nymph Erato had been his priestess (viii. 37. § 8, &c.), at Troezene (ii. 32. § 5), on the well of Eresinus, between Argos and Tegea (ii. 24. § 7), at Sicyon ii. 10. § 2), at Oropus (i. 34. § 2), at Athens (i. 28. § 4; Herod. vi. 105), near Marathon (i. 32. in fin.), in the island of Psyttaleia (i. 36. § 2 ; Aeschyl. Pers. 448), in the Corycian grotto near mount Parnassus (x. 32. § 5), and at Homala in Thessaly. (Theocrit. vii. 103.)

The Romans identified with Pan their own god Inuus, and sometimes also Faunus. Respecting the plural (Panes) or beings with goat’s feet, see Satyri. In works of art Pan is represented as a voluptuous and sensual being, with horns, puck-nose, and goat’s feet, sometimes in the act of dancing, and sometimes playing on the syrinx.

The Element Encyclopedia of Fairies by Lucy Cooper

Nature spirit of fields, woods, shepherds, flocks, and fertility in Greek mythology, who is usually depicted with the lower half of his body as that of a goat, representing the asperity, or roughness, of the Earth, and the upper part as that of a man, representing his dominance over the natural world. His name may derive either from the Greek pan, meaning “everything”, or paein, meaning “to pasture”.

He dwelled in Arcadia, where he sported with nymphs, and on one occasion he pursued Syrinx, who was a favourite of Apollo… Apollo transformed her into a reed, but Pan cut down the reed and made it into the instrument known as panpipes, which he is often depicted playing.

Pan was supposed to be the source of the sudden, inexplicable fear, or panic, which sometimes overcame travellers in wild and remote places, yet he was also linked with peace, wisdom and happiness.

*More can be read in the book.

The Forest in Folklore and Mythology by Alexander Porteous

Among the loves of the god Pan was the Water-Nymph or Naiad called Syrinx. She was a Nymph of Arcadia, and Pan pursued her till she reached the River Ladon, on the banks of which she implored her sister Nymphs to enable her to cross it. Pan, as he thought, had grasped her, but instead, found his arms filled with reeds, into which she had been changed. Hearing the breeze, as it passed through these reeds, make a low musical sound, the god plucked seven of them and formed his pipes, which he named Syrinx, or popularly Pan-pipes.

Arcadia, with its woods and mountains, was the favourite haunt, along with the Dryads, of the rustic god Pan. Pan was said to have been the son of Hermes… by a Nymph of Arcadia. One of the ancient writers (Servius) described him as being formed in the likeness of Nature, inasmuch as he had horns to resemble the rays of the sun and the horns of the moon; that his face was ruddy in imitation of the ether; that he wore a spotted fawn-skin resembling the stars in the sky; that his lower limbs were hairy because of trees and wild beasts; that he had feet resembling those of the goat to show the stability of the earth; that his pipe had seven reeds in accordance with the harmony of Heaven, which was said to contain seven sounds; that his pastoral staff bore a crook in reference to the year which curves back on itself; and, finally, that he was the god of nature.

The occupations of Pan were many and various; whether he was roaming on the mountains, pursuing game in the valleys, or playing on his pipes in the groves, which music was often heard by travellers through the woods. The Arcadians called him the Lord of the Woods. Often loud and incomprehensible noises were heard among the mountains which gave to the timid a kind of superstitious terror, and these being ascribed to Pan, gave rise to apprehensions which are now known as panic.

*More can be read in the book.

The Greek Myths by Robert Graves

Several powerful gods and goddesses of Greece have never been enrolled among the Olympian Twelve. Pan, for instance, a humble fellow, now dead, was content to live on earth in rural Arcadia… He is said to have been so ugly at birth, with horns, beard, tail, and goat-legs, that his mother ran away from him in fear, and Hermes carried him up to Olympus for the gods’ amusement. He lived in Arcadia, where he guarded flocks, herds, and beehives, took part in the revels of the mountain-nymphs, and helped hunters to find their quarry. He was, on the whole, easy-going and lazy, loving nothing better than his afternoon sleep, and revenged himself on those who disturbed him with a sudden loud shout from a grove, or grotto, which made the hair bristle on their heads.

The Olympian gods, while despising Pan for his simplicity and love of riot, exploited his powers. Apollo wheedled the art of prophecy from him, and Hermes copied a pipe which he had let fall, claimed it as his own invention, and sold it to Apollo.

Pan is the only god who has died in our time. The news of his death came to one Thamus, a sailor in a ship bound for Italy by way of the island of Paxi. A divine voice shouted across the sea: ‘Thamus, are you there? When you reach Palodes, take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead!’, which Thamus did; and the news was greeted from the shore with groans and laments.

*More can be read in the book.

The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism by Raymond Buckland

Greek nature and fertility deity, rustic son of Hermes and Dryops’ daughter, god of flocks and of shepherds and goatherds. He was said to be a native of Arcadia and was incorporated into the retinue of Dionysus. Pan is usually depicted as half man, half goat. He was the inventor of the Syrinx, or Pan-pipe, and was extremely musical, leading nymphs in dances.

Pan purportedly lived on the slopes of Mount Maenalus or Mount Lycaeus. He brought about good hunting and caused goats and ewes to multiply, hence his aspect as a phallic divinity. Disguising himself as a white ram, he seduced the moon goddess Selene.

*More can be read in the book.

Further Reading:

• Pan: The God of Shepherds and the Wild in Greek Mythology
• Pan (mythology)
• Pan
• Pan: The God of the Wild
• Pan
• PAN
• Pan (god)

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

Pan is the son of Hermes and a nymph, though scholars argue which one. He is half man, half goat – a satyr. He is the god of shepherds, hunters, meadows, forests and the mountain wilds. He is usually the “god of wild places”. He was mostly worshipped in rural areas.

He wasn’t known to be kind to nymphs, despite enjoying their company. When Pitys fled his advances, she was turned into a pine tree. When Syrinx escaped, she was turned into a clump of reeds – which Pan cut and turned into his famous reed pipes. And Echo, after her disastrous time with Narcissus, was cursed to only repeat sounds in the mountains. He also lusted after Selene, the personification of the moon.

Whenever someone entered a place protected by Pan, they were consumed with panic and fled. The ancient Greeks believed that the dread felt when alone in a forest is due to Pan who doesn’t like people disrupting the tranquillity of nature. Apparently he scared Persian forces with a terrifying shriek and had them flee back to their own lands.

He embodies primal instinct, which is why he is one of the most powerful gods. He represents the whimsical and the dangerous aspects of the natural world.

When a sailor misheard someone yelling across the water that “The Great Pan is Dead”, many took it to heart as this message was spread across the ancient world. As natural places had to make place for man-made fields, houses and more, people took it as a sign that Pan had given up protecting the wild places of the world.

Pan in Modern Culture

Peter Pan by JM Barrie

The first thing you think of when you hear “Pan” is Peter Pan. This makes sense as it is theorised that Peter Pan was based on the Greek god Pan. [Green, Roger Lancelyn (1954). Fifty Years of Peter Pan. Peter Davies Publishing.]

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

Peter is an exaggerated stereotype of a boastful and careless boy. He claims greatness, even when such claims are questionable (such as congratulating himself when Wendy re-attaches his shadow). In the play and book, Peter symbolises the selfishness of childhood, and is portrayed as being forgetful and self-centred.

Peter has a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude, and is fearlessly cocky when it comes to putting himself in danger. Barrie writes that when Peter thought he was going to die on Marooners’ Rock, he felt scared, yet he felt only one shudder. With this blithe attitude, he says, “To die will be an awfully big adventure.”

Peter has an effect on the whole of Neverland and its inhabitants when he is there. Barrie states that although Neverland appears different to every child, the island “wakes up” when Peter returns from his trip to London. In the chapter “The Mermaids’ Lagoon” in the book Peter and Wendy, Barrie writes that there is almost nothing that Peter cannot do. He is a skilled swordsman, rivalling even Captain Hook, whose hand he cut off in a duel. He has remarkably keen vision and hearing. He is skilled in mimicry, copying the voice of Hook and the ticking of the clock in the crocodile.

Peter has the ability to imagine things into existence and he is able to sense danger when it is near.

Learn more here.

Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan

Pan was the Greek god of the Wild, satyrs, and folk music. His Roman counterpart is Faunus (when it came to forests) and Inuus (when it came to cattle).

Pan was born to the Olympian god Hermes and the nymph Driope. He became the God of the Wild, forming close relationships with nature spirits and satyrs, who he treated as his children.

Two-thousand years before the series, Pan told Lysas to spread the word of his death in Ephesos. The announcement was accepted by most, except for the satyrs and nature spirits. Most satyrs dream of finding Pan and apply for a searcher’s license through the Council of Cloven Elders so they can go looking for Pan. No satyrs ever return from the quest because of the Golden Fleece which attracts them instead by giving out a similar natural smell and feel. Grover Underwood had lost his father, grandfather, and uncle, to the quest.

Learn more here.

SMITE video game

[Still in development] Pan: Assassin God of the Wild

Half-goat, half-god, Pan sometimes called Aegipan (although some storytellers insist these two were distinct characters)was a god of shepherds, forests, wildlife, and fertility. Pan was the son of Hermes and a fair-haired daughter of Dryops, one of Apollo’s sons. (Some storytellers, however, claim that his father was Zeus and his mother was either a nymph or a goat.)

When she first saw that her baby had the horns, ears, tail, and legs of a goat, Pan’s mother was horrified. Although even as a newborn Pan was laughing and full of life, both his mother and his nurse ran away to escape his monstrous appearance. Hermes, however, could not have been happier. Filled with joy at the birth of his son, Hermes whisked his baby to Olympus and proudly introduced him to the other immortals.

A mountain dweller, Pan roamed the ranges in the company of nymphs. He hunted mountain wildlife and pursued quite a wild life himself: Pan lived to dance, sing, play his pipes, and chase after nymphs (playful god though he was, Pan could also be lewd and lecherous).

Once while hunting, Pan spotted a beautiful nymph named Syrinx. When he attempted to seduce her, she ran away, for she admired and emulated Artemis, the virgin huntress. In her flight, she came to a river and found herself unable to cross. So Syrinx begged the river nymphs to change her into marsh reeds and they gladly accommodated her.

Just then, Pan caught up with her, but as he reached out to embrace her, he saw and felt nothing but reeds. His sigh of disappointment was echoed by a breeze blowing through the reeds. The sound enchanted Pan, who quickly tied several of the reeds together to fashion his first syrinx, or Pan pipes.
Source: http://www.infoplease.com/cig/mythology/good-time-god-pan.html

Learn more here.

The Great God Pan by Donna Jo Napoli

Pan, both goat and god, is a curious being who roams nature searching, wondering, and frolicking with maenads and satyrs. He plays melodies on his reed flute, wooing animals to listen. He is a creature of mystery and delight. One day in his travels, Pan meets Iphigenia, a human raised as the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. Pan is captivated by the young princess. Set against a landscape of myth and legend, Napoli’s latest tale is a love story wrought with sincere emotion and all that is great about the Gods.

Check it out on Goodreads.

Pan in My Writing

Origin of the Fae: Pan

Just as folklore says, Pan is a fun loving guy who sticks to the undisturbed places in nature. He rarely hangs out with anyone not who isn’t a nature nymph or satyr. He’s half man, half goat – a satyr in essence – and the son of Hermes and a nymph. He’s the god of nature, fertility and wild places. Whenever someone enters the protected wild places, they experience panic. He took the cry “the great Pan is dead” as permission to stop hanging out with other gods and just do what he wanted to. As Industrialism took over the world, he still reminisces about the past when the world was verdure.

Seeing as he only looks to the past…

See this immortal in action in my writing:

Symphony of Destruction (Irascible Immortals #6)

Poseidon turned around. A man with the hindquarters, legs and horns of a goat stood glaring at him, reed pipes clenched in one hand.

‘Poor, satyr. But look at this sacred grove and tell me why Pan let this happen if he is the god of the wild?’

‘Idiot! The same reason you have no control over what happens to the waters of the boy, Fish-Boy.’

‘That you, Pan? Man, you’ve gotten old.’ He sniffed the air. ‘And smelly!’

Symphony of Destruction, Irascible Immortals #6, Ronel Janse van Vuuren

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