Pan

Παν

The Goat-God

Pan

Pan with Eros tugging on his hornes

Pan is the goat-footed, horned son of Hermes. While he was tending the flocks of a man named Dryops, Hermes fell in love with Dryops's daughter. Hermes seduced the young woman and Pan was born ... when the mother and attending nurse saw the infant they fled in fear but Hermes proudly took the monstrous child to Mount Olympos (Olympus) and placed him at the side of Zeus. The Immortals of Olympos were delighted with the child ... especially the god of wine, Dionysos (a.k.a. Bacchus) ... they named him Pan, which literally means All ... he cheered the hearts of all the Immortals even though many mortals found him to be a bit too strange to appreciate. When Zeus took the Throne of Eternity, the Titans rebelled and a ten year war ensued ... Pan fought on the side of Zeus and the Olympians against the Titans.

Pan is usually depicted with the torso and arms of a man but with the legs, horns and ears of a goat ... he prances through the mountain ridges and fertile countryside frolicking with the nymphs and playing his syrinx (seven-reed pipe) with wild abandon. His piping can be as soft and seductive as the breeze but, when he's angered, his bellow and howl can be heard for miles ... his name is still associated with PANic fear because of his terrifying war cry.

By day he hunts and kills predator animals that menace the flocks and then retreats to his lofty mountain abode by night where he plays the syrinx with such skill that the tune is more beautiful than the song of birds ... the mountain nymphs dance and sing while Pan plays and capers on the rocky crags.

Pan was hardly mentioned in the early myths but later stories recanted his amorous pursuits of the nymphs Echo, Syrinx and Pitys. To avoid the unwanted advances of the lusty Pan, the nymphs were transformed into various forms to escape the relentless Goat-God. Echo was made invisible and only capable of repeating the last words spoken to her ... Syrinx was turned into a reed from which Pan made a flute which was named after her (the syrinx is also simply called a pan-pipe) ... Pitys was transformed into a pine tree.

One of the most notable historical accounts of Pan was given by Herodotus ... he states that before the battle of Marathon (490 BCE), the Athenians sent a messenger to the Spartans to ask for their assistance in fighting the invading Persian army. The messenger, Phidippides, was running to Sparta when he unexpectedly encountered Pan along the side of the trail. Pan told Phidippides that there was no need for the Athenians to worry because he would help them defeat the Persians. When Phidippides arrived at Sparta, he was told that the Spartans could not offer any immediate assistance because of a religious holiday but that they would come as soon as possible. The Athenians (without the aid of the Spartans) dealt the Persians a resounding defeat and the worship of Pan was appropriately introduced at the city of Athens as an acknowledgment of his blessing and assistance. (Histories, book 6, chapter 105)

The nymphs who cavort with Pan are young beautiful female spirits who personify the natural world. Nymphs can take various forms and they give life and spender to their habitats. The name Nymph literally means Bride ... there are several specific types of nymphs:

Naiads ... nymphs of springs, rivers and lakes
Okeanids ... nymphs of the ocean
Sylphs ... nymphs of the air
Dryads ... nymphs of oak trees
Hamadryads... nymphs of trees
Oreads ... nymphs of the mountains

Three Nymphs with Apollon and Pan

The Romans had a deity similar to Pan named Faunus.

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Text References

Hymn to Pan XIX

Muse, tell me about Pan, the dear son of Hermes, with his goat's feet and two horns—a lover of merry noise.
Through wooded glades he wanders with dancing Nymphs who foot it on some sheer cliff's edge, calling upon Pan, the shepherd-god, long- haired, unkempt.
He has every snowy crest and the mountain peaks and rocky crests for his domain; hither and thither he goes through the close thickets, now lured by soft streams, and now he presses on amongst towering crags and climbs up to the highest peak that overlooks the flocks.
Often he courses through the glistening high mountains, and often on the shouldered hills he speeds along slaying wild beasts, this keen-eyed god.
Only at evening, as he returns from the chase, he sounds his note, playing sweet and low on his pipes of reed; not even she could excel him in melody—that bird who in flower-laden spring pouring forth her lament utters honey-voiced song amid the leaves.
At that hour the clear-voiced Nymphs are with him and move with nimble feet, singing by some spring of dark water, while Echo wails about the mountain-top, and the god on this side or on that of the choirs, or at times sidling into the midst, plies it nimbly with his feet.
On his back he wears a spotted lynx-pelt, and he delights in high-pitched songs in a soft meadow where crocuses and sweet-smelling hyacinths bloom at random in the grass.
They sing of the blessed gods and high Olympos (Olympus) and choose to tell of such a one as luck-bringing Hermes above the rest, how he is the swift messenger of all the gods, and how he came to Arkadia (Arcadia), the land of many springs and mother of flocks, there where his sacred place is as god of Kyllene (Cyllene).
For there, though a god, he used to tend curly-fleeced sheep in the service of a mortal man, because there fell on him and waxed strong melting desire to wed the rich-tressed daughter of Dryops, and there be brought about the merry marriage.
And in the house she bare Hermes a dear son who from his birth was marvelous to look upon, with goat's feet and two horns—a noisy, merry-laughing child.
But when the nurse saw his uncouth face and full beard, she was afraid and sprang up and fled and left the child.
Then luck-bringing Hermes received him and took him in his arms; very glad in his heart was the god.
And he went quickly to the abodes of the deathless gods, carrying the son wrapped in warm skins of mountain hares, and set him down beside Zeus and showed him to the rest of the gods.
Then all the immortals were glad in heart and Bacchie Dionysos in especial; and they called the boy Pan because he delighted all their hearts.
And so hail to you, lord! I seek your favor with a song. And now I will remember you and another song also.

The Histories by Herodotus

2.46 - The goat and Pan are called in the Egyptian tongue Mendes and they count Pan to be one of the eight original gods
2.145 - The Greeks consider Pan to be one of the later born gods but the Egyptians consider Pan to be an ancient god and one of the eight original gods
2.146 - Herodotus thought that Pan was the son of Penelope and a mere man, i.e. not a god; also Pan's travels after he was born cannot be determined
6.105 - Before the battle of Marathon, Phidippides (Pheidippides) met Pan by mount Parthenion; Pan asked Phidippides why the Athenians did not honor him; after that encounter, the Athenians established a yearly sacrifice to Pan which included a torch race
6.106 - After his encounter with Pan, Phidippides (Pheidippides) went to Sparta and asked for their assistance in fighting the Persians