In Greek mythology, satyrs were half-man, half-beast creatures that lived in forests and hills. Usually pictured as human above the waist and as horse or goat below the waist, satyrs had pointed ears or horns on their heads.
According to some sources, satyrs were the children of goats and mountain nymphs, or female nature deities who lived in the mountains. They were sometimes described as the sons of the Hekaterides (pronounced hek-uh-tee-RYE-deez), five nymphs associated with a dance popular in rural areas. However, the Greek poet Hesiod identifies satyrs as brothers of the nymphs, while also calling them “good-for-nothing” and “mischievous.” Followers of Dionysus (pronounced dye-uh-NYE-suhs), the god of wine and ecstasy, satyrs had a reputation for drunkenness and bad behavior.
Satyrs were half-man, halfbeast creatures that were symbols of fertility and known for being mischievous. PRIVATE COLLECTION/THE STAPLETON COLLECTION/ THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY.
There are different categories of satyrs. Panes (pronounced PAN-eez) are satyrs with the legs of goats and are usually considered to be embodiments of the god Pan. Though they do not differ dramatically in appearance from satyrs, they are sometimes considered to be separate from satyrs. The Seilenoi (pronounced SAY-luh-noy) are elderly satyrs with white hair and fat bellies, usually found in the company of Dionysus and skilled in the art of winemaking. The Tityroi (pronounced TI-tuh-roy) are satyrs who play a musical instrument called a
Shepherd’s pipe. They may have been local to the island of Crete (pronounced KREET).
World History
