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2007-09-11T09:28:19Z

References

Irlandos: /* Satyrs in Greek mythology and art */

2007-01-05T12:09:29Z

Satyrs in Greek mythology and art

Irlandos at 11:43, November 2, 2006

2006-11-02T11:43:04Z

Irlandos at 11:41, November 2, 2006

2006-11-02T11:41:02Z

Irlandos at 11:40, November 2, 2006

2006-11-02T11:40:02Z

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In [[Greek mythology]], '''satyrs''' (in [[Ancient Greek|Greek]], '''Σάτυροι''' — '''Sátyroi''') are half-man and half-goat nature entities that roamed the woods and mountains, and were the companions of [[Pan]] and [[Dionysus]]. In mythology they are often associated with male sex drive.

==Mythology==

Satyrs were originally imagined as small, human-like creatures with exaggerated appetites who accompanied [[Dionysus]]. Their chief was called [[Silenus]], a minor deity associated (like [[Hermes]] and the later Roman god Priapus) with fertility. These characters can be found in the remaining Satyr plays: ''Cyclops'' by [[Euripedes]] and [[Sophocles]]' ''The Searching Satyrs''. The satyr play was a lighthearted follow-up attached to the end of each trilogy of tragedies in Athenian festivals honoring Dionysus. These plays would take a lighthearted approach to the heavier subject matter of the tragedies in the series, featuring heroes speaking in tragic iambic verse and taking their situation seriously as "straight men" to the flippant, irreverent and obscene remarks and antics of the satyrs.

The groundbreaking tragic playwright [[Aeschylus]] is said to have been especially loved for his satyr plays, but none of them survived.

Satyrs acquired their goat aspect through later conflation with the Roman Faunus, a carefree nature spirit of similar temperament. Hence satyrs are most commonly described as having the upper half of a man and the lower half of a goat. They are also described as possessing a long thick tail, either that of a goat or a horse. Mature satyrs are often depicted with goat's horns, while juveniles are often shown with bony nubs on their foreheads. [[Attica|Attic]] painted vases depict satyrs as being strongly built with flat noses, large pointed ears, long curly hair, and full beards, with wreaths of vine or ivy circling their heads. Satyrs often carry the thyrsus: the rod of Dionysus tipped with a pine cone.

In some recent works satyrs have become more human, with fewer animal characteristics, until only the tail remains to show that they are satyrs. In most books, drawings, etc., however, they still have their general half-goat, half-man appearance.

They are described as roguish but faint-hearted folk — subversive and dangerous, yet shy and cowardly. As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine, women and boys, and are ready for every physical pleasure. They roam to the music of pipes (''[[aulos|auloi]]''), cymbals, castanets, and bagpipes, and love to dance with the [[nymph]]s (with whom they are obsessed, and whom they often pursue), and have a special form of dance called [[sikinnis]]. Because of their love of wine, they are often represented holding winecups, and appear often in the decorations on winecups.

Satyrs are not immortal, but grow old. On painted vases and other Greek art, satyrs are represented in the three stages of a man's life: mature satyrs are bearded, and are shown as [[baldness|balding]], a humiliating and unbecoming disfigurement in Greek culture.

==Satyrs in Greek mythology and art==

In earlier Greek art, satyrs appear as old and ugly, but in later art, especially in works of the [[Attic school]], this savage character is softened into a more youthful and graceful aspect. There is a famous statue said to be a copy of a work of [[Praxiteles]], representing a graceful satyr leaning against a tree with a flute in his hand.

Older satyrs were known as [[sileni]], the younger as [[satyrisci]]. The hare was the symbol of the shy and timid satyr. Greek spirits known as [[Calicantsar]]s have a noticeable resemblance to the ancient satyrs; they have goats' ears and the feet of donkeys or goats, are covered with hair, and love women and the dance.

Although they are not mentioned by [[Homer]], in a fragment of [[Hesiod]]'s works they are called brothers of the mountain nymphs and [[Kuretes]], strongly connected with the cult of Dionysus, and are an idle and worthless race. In the Dionysus cult, male followers are known as satyrs and female followers as [[maenad]]s.

In Attica there was a species of drama known as the legends of gods and heroes, and the chorus was composed of satyrs and sileni. In the Athenian satyr plays of the [[5th century BC]], the chorus commented on the action. This "satyric drama" burlesqued the serious events of the mythic past with lewd pantomime and subversive mockery. One complete satyr play from the 5th century survives, the ''[[Cyclops (play)|Cyclops]]'' of [[Euripides]].

A papyrus bearing a long fragment of a satyr play by [[Sophocles]], given the title 'Tracking Satyrs' (''Ichneutae''), was found at [[Oxyrhynchus]] in [[Egypt]], [[1907]].

==See also==
*[[Panes]] - early [[Greek mythology|Greek myth]]
*[[Sileni]] - early [[Greek mythology]]
*[[Centaur]] - half man/half horse from [[Greek mythology]]

==References==
* Harry Thurston Peck ''Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities'', 1898: "Faunus", "Pan", and "Silenus".

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Greek legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
[[Category:Classical elements]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:28, September 11, 2007
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	[[Category:Greek legendary creatures]]		[[Category:Greek legendary creatures]]
	[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]		[[Category:Mythological hybrids]]
−	~~[[Category:Classical elements]]~~

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 They are described as roguish but faint-hearted folk &mdash; subversive and dangerous, yet shy and cowardly. As Dionysiac creatures they are lovers of wine, women and boys, and are ready for every physical pleasure. They roam to the music of pipes (''[[aulos|auloi]]''), cymbals, castanets, and bagpipes, and love to dance with the [[nymph]]s (with whom they are obsessed, and whom they often pursue), and have a special form of dance called [[sikinnis]]. Because of their love of wine, they are often represented holding winecups, and appear often in the decorations on winecups.
-Satyrs are not immortal, but grow old. On painted vases and other Greek art, satyrs are represented in the three stages of a man's life: mature satyrs are bearded, and are shown as [[baldness|balding]], a humiliating and unbecoming disfigurement in Greek culture.
+Satyrs are not immortal, but grow old. On painted vases and other Greek art, satyrs are represented in the three stages of a man's life: mature satyrs are bearded, and are shown as balding, a humiliating and unbecoming disfigurement in Greek culture.
 ==Satyrs in Greek mythology and art==
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 In Attica there was a species of drama known as the legends of gods and heroes, and the chorus was composed of satyrs and sileni. In the Athenian satyr plays of the [[5th century BC]], the chorus commented on the action. This "satyric drama" burlesqued the serious events of the mythic past with lewd pantomime and subversive mockery. One complete satyr play from the 5th century survives, the ''[[Cyclops (play)|Cyclops]]'' of [[Euripides]].
-A papyrus bearing a long fragment of a satyr play by [[Sophocles]], given the title 'Tracking Satyrs' (''Ichneutae''), was found at [[Oxyrhynchus]] in [[Egypt]], [[1907]].
+A papyrus bearing a long fragment of a satyr play by [[Sophocles]], given the title 'Tracking Satyrs' (''Ichneutae''), was found at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, [[1907]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:41, November 2, 2006
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	In [[Greek mythology]], '''satyrs''' (in [[Ancient Greek\|Greek]], '''Σάτυροι''' — '''Sátyroi''') are half-man and half-goat nature entities that roamed the woods and mountains, and were the companions of [[Pan]] and [[Dionysus]]. In mythology they are often associated with male sex drive.	+	In [[Greek mythology]], '''satyrs''' (in [[Ancient Greek\|Greek]], '''Σάτυροι''' — '''Sátyroi''') are half-man and half-goat nature entities that roamed the woods and mountains, and were the companions of [[Pan (mythology)\|Pan]] and [[Dionysus]]. In mythology they are often associated with male sex drive.

	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 In earlier Greek art, satyrs appear as old and ugly, but in later art, especially in works of the [[Attic school]], this savage character is softened into a more youthful and graceful aspect. There is a famous statue said to be a copy of a work of [[Praxiteles]], representing a graceful satyr leaning against a tree with a flute in his hand.
-Older satyrs were known as [[sileni]], the younger as [[satyrisci]]. The hare was the symbol of the shy and timid satyr. Greek spirits known as [[Calicantsar]]s have a noticeable resemblance to the ancient satyrs; they have goats' ears and the feet of donkeys or goats, are covered with hair, and love women and the dance.
+Older satyrs were known as [[sileni]], the younger as [[satyrisci]]. The hare was the symbol of the shy and timid satyr. Greek spirits known as [[Kallikantzaros|kallikantzaroi]] have a noticeable resemblance to the ancient satyrs; they have goats' ears and the feet of donkeys or goats, are covered with hair, and love women and the dance.
 Although they are not mentioned by [[Homer]], in a fragment of [[Hesiod]]'s works they are called brothers of the mountain nymphs and [[Kuretes]], strongly connected with the cult of Dionysus, and are an idle and worthless race. In the Dionysus cult, male followers are known as satyrs and female followers as [[maenad]]s.
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 A papyrus bearing a long fragment of a satyr play by [[Sophocles]], given the title 'Tracking Satyrs' (''Ichneutae''), was found at Oxyrhynchus in Egypt, [[1907]].
 ==See also==