Pan

Nationality/Culture

Greek

Pronunciation

PAN

Alternate Names

Faunus (Roman)

Appears In

Ovid's Metamorphoses, Nonnus's Dionysiaca

Lineage

Son of Hermes and a nymph

Character Overview

Pan was a Greek fertility god associated with flocks and shepherds. He resembled the mythical creatures known as satyrs: from his waist down, he looked like a goat, but above the waist, he had human features, except for goat's ears and horns. The son of the god Hermes (pronounced HUR-meez) and a nymph (the name of the nymph differs in various versions of his life), he was abandoned by his mother at birth and raised by other nymphs , female nature deities that lived in streams, trees, and other objects. Pan was known for his never-ending love of women.

Major Myths

Pan was an accomplished musician, and the pipe he played is part of a well-known myth. Always in pursuit of a female, Pan was chasing a nymph named Syrinx (pronounced SEER-eenks), who was devoted to the goddess Artemis (pronounced AHR-tuh-miss) and not interested in romance, across the countryside. Syrinx reached an impassable stream with sandy banks. To escape from Pan, she called on her sister nymphs within the stream to transform her into a stand of reeds growing along the bank. When Pan reached the stand of reeds, he sighed in despair. The air of his sigh vibrated across the reeds, making a beautiful sound.

Pan cut down the reeds and crafted them into the first flute of its kind, thereafter known as a syrinx.

Pan's musicianship was also the subject of another myth. Pan boasted to his follower Midas that his songs were greater than those of anyone else, even greater than those of the god Apollo (pronounced uh-POL-oh). Apollo took this as a challenge, and the two played against each other in a contest. Although Pan played well, Apollo's songs were even more masterful. All who heard the contest agreed that Apollo was the winner, except for Pan's follower Midas. When Midas protested Apollo's victory, the god transformed Midas's ears into the ears of a donkey.

Although Pan was a playful figure who enjoyed chasing nymphs, he could be very ill-tempered if his sleep was disturbed. In Greek mythology , Pan helped Zeus and the other gods of Olympus overthrow the early gods called Titans. He did this by blowing into a shell and making a loud roar that frightened the Titans.

Pan in Context

Pan was unique among the Greek gods in ways that reflected the more rural culture of ancient Greece. For one, he was the only Greek god who was said to have died; all other gods were considered immortal, or able to live forever. This created an image of a god who was more like a human, and therefore easier for the average person to relate to. In addition, Pan did not live on Olympus (pronounced oh-LIM-puhs) with the other gods, but instead made his home in the Greek countryside, just like many farmers. Also, there is evidence that Pan— whose name literally means “all”—existed before most of the other Greek gods and was still worshipped after the others had fallen out of fashion. This was perhaps due to his association with nature and farmland, which appealed to small groups that were far removed from the ever-changing cultural centers and tended to retain customs and traditions through many generations.

Key Themes and Symbols

Pan represented the lustful and freewheeling nature of man, as well as the passionate and creative side. He represented animal instincts, as illustrated by his goat-like appearance, as well as fertility. His flute, made from the reeds of Syrinx, symbolized the love he always sought but never seemed to find. To Christians, Pan was a symbol of non-Christian belief that marked the uncivilized.

Pan in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life

Because of his unusual appearance, Pan is a distinctive figure who has appeared in many works of art from ancient to modern times. He was often depicted in pursuit of women and was sometimes shown in the company of the god Dionysus (pronounced deye-uh-NEYE-suhs). In modern times, Pan was one of the fantastical characters played by Tony Randall in the 1964 fantasy film 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. In addition, Pan's ability to cause irrational fear in people lives on in the word “panic.”

Read, Write, Think, Discuss

Read The Great God Pan by Donna Jo Napoli (2005), the story of Pan from his own viewpoint. In the story, Pan is a youth with an identity crisis who lives under the cloud of a curse: even though he may love, he will never be loved in return. When he falls in love with the human princess Iphigenia, his carefree world is turned upside-down. Author Napoli weaves many different Greek myths into her tale, though the work as a whole is an original work that in some ways differs from the traditional myths.

SEE ALSO Greek Mythology; Satyrs