Talk:Pan (mythology)

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Removed folk etymology of "panophobia". The proper word is "Pantophobia", the fear of everything, and has nothing to do with the Greek god.JHCC 18:53, 24 May 2004 (UTC)

can anyone confirm the statement about panophobic/pantophobic? I ma doing a college research paper about Pan/Horned God and would like to know how i can confirm the etymology? Woudl appreciate any help, especially from the person who did the original post

You may find the connections to "pantophobia" are as tenuous as the connection between Pan and Horned God. Sounds like a Christian university. --Wetman 10:31, 23 Oct 2004 (UTC)

• Removed this new edit here: "Another theory about Pan's name is that it may be related to Panku, an ancient Chinese god, also horned, from whose body the Earth was created." Sure, and say! why not add "Some think there is a connection with "hanky-PANky" because the god was always fooling around with nymphs. Many see a possible reincarnation of Pan in SpongeBob SquarePANts.""

20050807 Just looking for Wiki input, should this photo be added? When posted on my defunct web page, I got two comments, both: "That's the best satyr COSTUME in the world!"

Contents 1 Proposed merge of "Panes" 2 The cult of Pan was a serious Religious phenomenon 3 Source still needed 4 Categorization 5 Vandalism

[edit] Proposed merge of "Panes"

All I know about the subject is what's at the current stub article, but what's there doesn't look like it warrants a merge - the only connection between Panes and Pan is that they look very similar. Are there any other connections between the two? Bryan 17:05, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Panes was a redirect.I redirected it here, with the added notation "Pan could be multiplied as the Panes --Wetman 22:30, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Whoops. It was a redirect because this morning I moved Panes to Pane (mythology), and neglected to update the merge notice. I'm reverting your edit since it doesn't make sense to me to pluralize the name of a singular god, and the issue of the Panes as a "species" still remains. Bryan 00:59, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The cult of Pan was a serious Religious phenomenon

It may be fashionable to be dismissive about the God Pan - but there is plenty of evidence to support the idea that He was far more than a naughty God of Shepherds. Macrobius, for example in his "Saturnalia" describes Pan as an important "solar" diety who comprises the light of the sun, everything that the sun shines on, and the sun itself. Then there is this prayer from Plato's "Phaedrus": "O beloved Pan, and all ye other Gods, who are residents of this place, grant that I may become beautiful within, and that whatever I possess externally may be friendly to my inward attainments! Grant, also, that I may consider the wise man as one who abounds in wealth; and that I may enjoy that portion of gold, which no other than a prudent man is able either to bear, or properly manage!" A thorough treatment of the cult of Pan as a serious Religious phenomenon can be found in Philippe Borgeaud's "The Cult of Pan in Ancient Greece". User:Durruti36 Tue Jul 11 10:53:35 EDT 2006

[edit] Source still needed

The following assertion is unusual enough to require a source in a classical text: " He is also credited with teaching masturbation to mankind. Having learned it from his father, Hermes, who was its inventor, he then proceded to teach it to his beloved shepherds, to relieve their erotic longings." --Wetman 20:33, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Check this out: http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1000251,00.html . Unfortunately they cite no primary sources - not that we need one here but it would be nice to know. Haiduc 20:41, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

What? The source then is Thierry Paquot, The Art of the Siesta? —where one may also be informed that "There are deep yellow siestas, when it is hot and you are enveloped in sweat. There are red siestas: violent and incendiary. There are white siestas: virginal, pure and light." Paquot's light-hearted personal essay could not possibly provide a text, for none such exists. Let's leave this text here at Talk, then, where every passerby may read it... in hopes that one day we may return it to the article with some responsible link to the classical world. --Wetman 02:52, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Not so quick! See Planned Parenthood, "the god Hermes taught his son Pan how to masturbate to relieve himself of the misery he felt when he was spurned by the nymph, Echo. Pan learned the lesson well, overcame his grief, and taught the trick to human shepherds," and Krippner who claims that "Romans gave Hermes the name of Mercury, and both traditions considered him to have invented masturbation," and Paquot is not to be easily dismissed. I am also puzzled about the source but too many serious players are making reference to this. To my mind we have enough to go on.

PS Late discovery - look at this: "but I must caution that Pan is also believed to have invented masturbation: Dio Chrys. Or. 6.20." So, Dio Chrysostom's Discourses. Haiduc 03:44, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, now you've got something... and not Planned Parenthood, much as one admires them. Dio Chrysostom, Discourses, vi.20. Just report that Dio Chrysostom said it, and give the reference, and you're good to go! I was wrong in my doubts, but look! a much better reference! --Wetman 04:42, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually I would like to dig a bit deeper - I am not happy with the inconsistency of the sources, with Barchiesi claiming Pan invented it, instead of Hermes. If you do not have access to the Dio Chrysostom, I'll have to look for it. Haiduc 11:15, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Categorization

Should this article be moved from Category:Sexuality in the classical world to its new subcat Category:Ancient Greek eros? —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 00:07, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

The last sentence in the following paragraph is unclear:

Once Pan had the audacity to compare his music with that of Apollo, and to challenge Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a trial of skill. Tmolus, the mountain-god, was chosen to umpire. Pan blew on his pipes, and with his rustic melody gave great satisfaction to himself and his faithful follower, Midas, who happened to be present. Then Apollo struck the strings of his lyre. Tmolus at once awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but Midas agreed with the judgment. He dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. Apollo would not suffer such a depraved pair of ears any longer, and caused them to become the ears of a donkey.

Should be changed to make it clear who's ears are being referred to.

[edit] Vandalism

Why is there continued vandalism on this entry? Symkyn 06:59, 5 April 2007 (UTC)