Pan

Woodland god. Pan was the son of Hermes and either Penelope or the daughter of Dryops. Pan was the patron god of the shepherd.

Pan was a satyr-like being with the head and chest of a man, but below his belly he had the legs of a goat. Pan also had goat horns on his head. Normally he was seen living around the forest and mountains of Arcadia. Pan was also seen in the company of the Graces.

The word panic came from his name because he often startled travellers causing them to panic, particularly when he blew on a conch (shellfish).

Pan also played reed pipes, a musical instrument that he created and were often played by shepherds. The story goes that Pan had fallen in love with a virgin huntress named Syrinx. Syrinx tried to protect her virginity and fled from the young god. When she arrived at the river where there was no escape, she prayed to the gods to protect her. The gods answered by turning her into reeds in the river marsh. Pan broke off some of the reeds and tied them together, using it as the winded instrument that he called "syrinx".

Pan had another story, this time with Midas, the Lydian king with the golden touch. Midas was one of three judges of the music contest between Apollo and Pan. Pan challenged Apollo, who played the lyre. Though Apollo won the contest, Midas foolishly thought Pan was the better musician. Apollo angrily changed Midas' ears so that he had the ears of an ass (donkey).

Pan was considered to be a young god like Dionysus, Heracles and the Dioscuri.