LOVE YOU PAN!! GEE! THANK YOU GUYS! LOVE YOU TOO PAN!

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE BACKGROUND OF PAN THE LINEAGE OF THE GREEK GODS THE POWERS OF PAN WORSHIP OF PAN THE SYMBOLS OF PAN PAN ARTWORK THE CREATION OF THE PAN PIPE THE MUSIC COMPETITION BETWEEN APOLLO AND PAN PAN AND ECHO THE DEATH OF PAN PAN AND THE PANES WORSHIP OF PAN TODAY BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Background of Pan The origin of Pan is unclear as some myths say that he is the son of Zeus whilst others say Hermes fathered him. His mother is also widely changed but nearly all myths indicate that his mother was indeed a Nymph. Some myths also say that Pan may indeed be older than the Olympian Gods although there is strong evidence to suggest otherwise. The most common mistake made about the name ‘Pan’ is that it is Greek for ‘all’ when in reality he gets his name from the word ‘pa-on’ which means ‘herdsman’ and shares its prefix with the word ‘pasture’.

LINEAGE OF PAN

The Powers of Pan Pan is not distinguished with any main powers. He did however have the power to improve a hunt and his statue was often scorned if a huntsman was not happy with his hunt. Pan is often seen as protector and therefore he was seen as responsible if a flock of sheep were stricken with illness or if they were eaten by a fox.

Worship of Pan. Worship of pan began in Arcadia and since first being worshipped spread to other parts of Greece and to Athens after the Battle of Marathon. Pan is seen by many as the God of forests, pastures, flocks and shepherds. It was seen as Pans duty to watch over the numbers of the wild and tame animals and protect them.

The Symbols of Pan The most common symbol associated with pan in the wind instrument aptly named the ‘pan pipes’. These pipes are instantly recognisable and are still played by many cultures today. Pan is also symbolised by the Satyr, a half man half goat.

The Creation of the Pan Pipe The creation of the Pan Pipe is one of the many stories that exist of Pan chasing nymphs and coming up short. His love of nymphs was well known and it is said that not a minute went by without the thought of nymph passing through his mind. It is believed that one day whilst out enjoying the hills. Pan admired the nymph Syrinx and he instantly felt desire for her. He chased her ‘As far as the river Ladon’ where she begged her fellow nymphs to help her. ‘Pan clasped at her, but the river nymphs changed Syrinx into the reeds growing on the river bank, from which later he made his pipes. It is said that Syrinx imitated Artemis both in look and in dress which is why he is believed to have been so taken by the nymph. It is believed that she let out a scream cursing the God Pan just before he ripped the reeds from the lake.

The Competition between Pan and Apollo Pan had the audacity to challenge Apollo to a music competition, claiming that his pan pipes sounded sweeter than Apollo’s lyre. Tmolus, the mountain God was the judge for this event. Pan played his pan pipes and immediately King Midas bowed down before Pan and proclaimed that Apollo need not even try as there was no way he could beat Pan. ‘Apollo plucked just one string of his lyre and immediately Tmolus granted victory to Apollo’. King Midas still believed that the Pan pipes sounded better so he kept on pestering Tmolus to try and get him to overturn his decision. Apollo was so angry at King Midas for not being able to appreciate true music, he turned the Kings ears into those of an ass.

Pan and Echo Not much is known about this myth but the storyline is clear. The nymph Echo resisted many men's advances on her and this angered Pan immensely. He ordered his followers to kill her and she was broken into millions of pieces and thrown over the world. The titan Gaea collected the pieces of echo and it is said that ‘Echo repeated the last words of other fallen beings, as if she did not have her own’.

The Death of Pan Pan is famed for being the only immortal God to die. Not much is known exactly how Pan ‘died’ but we do know that the Death of pan was reported during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Tammuz, the captain of a ship sailing off the island of Paxos heard a wispy voice mutter the words, ‘Tammuz, Tell them the great Pan is dead’. It is sometimes said that Pan did not in fact die but another Demon God with the same name had died. ‘Early Christians believed this event marked the beginning of the end for the pagan era’.

Pan and the Panes Most of Pans offspring were panes or satyr like beings. Two of the panes that Pan fathered helped Dionysus to win the war against the Indians, Whilst Aigipan another son of Pan helped Zeus defeat Typhon the mighty Titan of Foul Winds. The name of all the Panes that Pan fathered are Aigipan, Kelaineus, Agrennon, Aigikoros, Eugeneion, Omester, Daphoineus, Phobos, Philamnos, Xanthos, Glaukos, Argos and Phorbas.

Worship of Pan Today Pan is still worshipped by some neo-pagan people today. He is often associated with fertility and virility not wild and tame animals. The religion of Wicca started in 1954 still worships pan and has many shrines at their temples in the United States.

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