Pan (deity)
Pan is a significant figure in Greek mythology known as the god of shepherds, flocks, nature, and wilderness. Often depicted with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a goat, Pan is recognized for playing the syrinx, or pan-pipes, made from marsh reeds. His character embodies the spirit of the wild and is traditionally associated with rustic music and the untamed aspects of nature. The name "Pan" is believed to inspire the term "panic," which relates to his ability to instill fear in those who encounter him in the forest.
Mythological tales surrounding Pan often highlight his sexual exploits and musical talents. Key stories involve his pursuits of various nymphs and goddesses, such as the transformation of Syrinx into reeds, which led to the creation of his musical instrument. Pan's legacy includes a number of offspring known as the Panes, each with unique narratives. While his worship originated in rural Arcadia, Pan's influence extended into Roman culture, where he was equated with gods like Faunus.
Despite his lesser status among the pantheon, Pan's cultural representations have persisted, influencing literature and art through various interpretations, from benevolent to lustful. Today, Pan symbolizes the connection to nature and the wild, while also serving as a cautionary figure in folklore and modern storytelling. His character resonates in works like J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" and Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows," reflecting the duality of his nature as both a protector of the wild and a figure of chaos.
Subject Terms
Pan (deity)
Symbols: Pan pipes, twigs, trees, shepherd crooks
Culture: Greco-Roman
Mother: Dryope or Penelope
Father: Hermes
Children: Aigipan, Agreus, Nomios, Paneides, Pan Sybarios, Phaunos (the "Panes")
Pan was the Greek god of shepherds and their flocks, folk music, nature, and wilderness. He was also associated with the Roman god Faunus. Pan is depicted as having the head and torso of a man, but the horns, legs, and feet of a goat. He is often seen with his syrinx, or pan-pipes, a set of marsh reeds bound together to create a single, simple instrument.
Pan, as the prefix for the word panic, is believed to derive from one of two stories related to the god. In one version, Pan’s mother (or nurse) fled in panic when the baby was born with his horns and cloven hooves. In another version, Pan’s presence in the hills and forests causes panic among hunters and shepherds. The prefix pan also means "all" or "universal"; some scholars believe that there is also link between this use and the god Pan.
Images of Pan and images of satyrs and fauns all look similar, and they bear some resemblance to relatively modern images of Satan. In mythology, however, satyrs and fauns were quite different from one another; Pan was neither a satyr nor a faun, although the physical resemblance among the three figures is strong. Ancient descriptions of Pan are in no way similar to those of Satan, and depictions of Satan were very different from those of Pan until medieval times. Pan’s demonization in Christian art may have been related to his highly sexualized characterization.
In Mythology
Myths surrounding Pan generally relate to his sexual exploits and his music. Believed to frequent the hills of Arcadia, Pan was said to have spent a great deal of his time engaged in amorous pursuits.
Pan was a lusty god who is associated with numerous female immortals. Some of his most important liaisons include
- Selene, goddess of the moon, who was seduced by Pan and succumbed to his charms.
- Pitys, who ran from Pan and was turned into a fir tree.
- Echo, who sang Pan’s songs but who scorned his love and thus was left with only a voice.
- The Maenads (translated as mad or raving), who were female followers of Dionysis, all of whom Pan seduced.
Pan’s pursuit of the nymph Syrinx led to his adoption of the pan pipes. Syrinx, running from (or, in some versions, to) Pan was transformed into a clump of marsh reeds. Either in anger or sorrow (depending upon the version of the story), Pan gathered the reeds and formed them into pipes that he bound together into a single instrument.
While Pan had many sexual encounters, his offspring—the twelve Panes—are not necessarily associated with a particular mother or mothers. Instead, they are described as multiplications of the god who possesses similar features and characteristics. Aigipan, Agreus, Nomios, Paneides, Pan Sybarios, and Phaunos are all Panes. Each of the Panes has his own individual story; Aigipan, for example, helped Zeus defeat a monster called Typhoeus and was rewarded for his efforts by becoming the constellation Capricorn.
Pan was also known for his attachment to music. When he created his syrinx (pan pipes), Pan became so enamored of his own music that he challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Tmolus, a mountain god, was to judge between Pan’s pipe-playing and Apollo’s skill on the lute. Midas, who was present at the contest, was impressed by Pan, although Apollo won the contest. To punish Midas for his disloyalty, Apollo cursed him with ass’s ears.
Origins and Cults
The figure of Pan, god of flocks and shepherds, originated in Arcadia (a rural area in southern Greece). His figure was carved on pottery beginning in about 500 BCE. In some cases, he appears as a goat, and in other cases, he is depicted as half man, half goat. He was often connected with the rites of Dionysus.
During the Roman period, Pan was reconceived as the very similar gods Inuus and Faunus. A number of Roman authors wrote about Pan, including Homer, Herodotus, and Virgil. Pan is also referenced in the works of Plato, Aristophanes, and Euripides.
According to Greek and Roman sources of the time (Ovid, Aeschylus, and others), temples were built to honor Pan in Athens, Marathon, and several other Greek cities. His cult titles described him as a god of hunters and shepherds, and he was thought to roam the fields and woods of Arcadia.
Many of Pan’s followers were Arcadian shepherds who worshipped him, along with the nymphs, in woodlands or caves. Two caves, one on Mount Parnassus and the other in Attica, are known to be shrines to Pan. Images of Pan were set up in these shrines, and followers would bring offerings of foods such as milk and honey or sacrificial sheep and goats. Pan’s symbols included a variety of rustic items, such as garlands of leaves, twigs, trees, and shepherds’ crooks.
In later years, Pan was associated with paganism. Today, he remains a symbol of untamed nature.
In Popular Culture
Pan, while not a major god, has been the basis for many books and films in the past hundred years. In some cases, Pan appears as a wild but kindly figure; in others, he is lecherous and dangerous.
Perhaps the most famous Pan-associated book for children is Peter Pan, by James Barrie. Peter, a wild and untamed child, is a symbol of humanity in its natural state. Another famous children’s book, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, features Pan as the benevolent god of the animals in a chapter entitled "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." Walt Disney’s classic 1940 film Fantasiaalso references Pan in a segment featuring Dionysus and amorous centaurs, and Pan also makes an appearance in the more recent film Hercules.
Other important Pan-related works include references in the poetry of Robert Frost, the book Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, and the film Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro (2006). The character Puck in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is yet another incarnation of Pan in English literature.
Bibliography
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Cartwright, Mark. "Pan." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited, 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.. <http://www.ancient.eu/Pan/>.
Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. "Pan." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Pan-Greek-god>.
Gantz, Timothy. Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources. Vol. 1. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins U, 1996. Print.
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