Ancient history has a huge number of mythological creatures. Faun is the god of meadows, fields and pastures. Legends were written about him, he was depicted on frescoes. The appearance of God was terrifying, but behind the terrible appearance, good nature and a willingness to help a person were hidden. Having a cheerful disposition, the Faun was able to play a trick on a person passing by, scare him or cheer him up. People often turned to the deity for help, knowing about his gift of prediction.

god faun

Faun is one of the most revered gods of ancient Rome. He was honored with great honors and sacrifices, had a good character, was supportive and merciful to all those who asked for help. In the face of the Faun, the Romans saw:

• patron of the fertility of fields and meadows;
• predictor of the future;
• patron saint of pets.

Often the deity was compared to a demon. To intimidate, his image was inscribed on the attributes of that time.

The form of a deity

In mythology, the god Faun is a creature that lives among the mountains or near the river, which loves to wander more often. Communication with people took place through sleepy oblivion or from afar. With the noise of foliage, a frightening voice, the creature instilled fear or helped travelers who got lost on the road.

A faun is a demihuman with a shaggy head with horns, similar to that of a goat. The torso was human, the legs were covered with thick, curly brown hair. Instead of feet - hooves. On the head are long ears, similar to those of a horse. The face is also covered with hair.

According to legend, the Faun appeared to man in the form of a nightmare. The main predilection of the deity was the women whom he pursued. The Faun often expressed his favor to the nymphs: he lured them into the thicket and caressed them.

patronage of a deity

God Faun patronizes pastures, herds of sheep and cattle. The magic of the deity consisted in:

• conservation of pastures in their original form;
• protection of domestic animals from wolf packs;
• increase in the number of livestock.

Mythology notes the deity as a predictor of the future, which is confirmed by the works of the ancient Roman poet Ovid. He gives a description of how the king of ancient Rome Numa Pompilius, ruling in 795 BC. e., goes to the thicket for a prediction. To do this, he performs a ritual:

• after many days of abstinence from carnal pleasures, he goes to the forest;
• slaughters a pair of sheep intended as a sacrifice to the Faun;
• drenched in the blood of slaughtered animals and lies down to sleep on the skin taken from the carcass of a sheep.

satires

The mythology of Ancient Greece mentions satyrs as spirits of fertility and forest. Each satyr:

• good-natured;
• lazy;
• dissolute, favorite pastime - hunting for virgins;
• loves alcohol.

The demon had many similarities to an animal, such as thick hair covering most of the body. The torso and arms resembled those of a human. The head was crowned with horns, and there was long hair on the face, similar to that of a goat. Differs in huge strength, animal instincts and behavior.

The symbol of the fertility of beings was the phallus.

The main character traits of satyrs:

• arrogance;
• excessive lust;
• love of love;
• impudence;
• courage.

The deities were addicted to playing the flute. They were famous for their endurance in battles.

Difference and similarity of deities

Even in ancient times, poets and historians began to mix mythology and depict creatures such as Faun and Satyr as characters of the same name. Their resemblance was obvious.

1. Lustful, loving. Any girl immediately became the object of persecution.
2. The shape of a half-human, half-animal.
3. Good disposition of both deities.
4. Both gods were considered symbols of fertility.

The difference between the Faun and the Satyr was in character, although it is customary to consider these deities to be the same. The satyrs were more unbridled, unable to overcome lust. Lazy, arrogant, living for pleasure. The faun personifies the restraint of sexual desire, the influence of mental activity on the suppression of lust. The deity enjoyed the horror of people, kept count of sexual partners.

Analogues of God in other cultures

In different countries, mythology mentions different names of the Faun.

1. Pan - was considered a deity of Greek mythology, capable of misleading a person with the power of his voice and inclining him to action. He symbolized forest nature, composed music with which he seduced young maidens.
2. Uriscus - a creature that came from the legends of Scotland, it looks small, denounced in thick wool. People considered their presence to be good luck, the Urisks helped maintain the household and managed the home barnyard. If a person angered them or did not take them into account, the Urisks could hold a grudge and do a lot of harm.
3. Goblin is a spirit that guards forests and fields, loves to play with travelers, luring them into the wilderness. The Old Believers could immediately identify the goblin's games: the sound of footsteps behind, the casting of a human shadow next to the traveler, the strong swaying of the trees.
4. Lesovik - a kind of British forest deities, guarding nature, humanoid creatures, completely covered with long hair.
5. Jack in green - an inhabitant of the English lands, was denounced in clothes made of leaves. Dangerous for people who harm nature: lumberjacks, animal hunters.
6. Kornbock is famous in Scandinavia, having a wayward sense of humor, feeling a connection with nature. Among the people, he was revered as the patron of those offended by love, they turned for salvation from boredom.
7. Pak is a deity that causes harm and trouble, belonging to the genus of elves. Pak was revered in England, considered a mischievous and prankster.

Cult of the Faun

Faun worship is one of the most ancient and colorful cults.

Luperca Celebration

Faun fell in love with the people for his good disposition, the ability to have fun. For special vigilance to herds of livestock, he was revered among the shepherds, who call the god Luperk. The name meant "protector from predatory animals." To appease the deity, goats from the herd were sacrificed to him every year.

To praise the Faun, magnificent feasts were held on February 15th. The celebration was approved by the rulers Romulus and Remus, who, according to legend, were fed by a she-wolf and grew up among shepherds. The celebration was carried out with the ceremonies:

• sacrificed 2 goats;
• then they smeared the foreheads of young shepherds, who stood near the altar, with the blood of animals;
• knives smeared with blood were wiped on the skin of sacrificed animals;
• then they proceeded to the feast, after which the priests made belts from the skins and ran screaming into the square, hitting every person who came under the arm.

The rite was considered cleansing, people had the opportunity to get rid of sinfulness. During the sacrificial ritual, the young priests were not supposed to show pity, they were only allowed to laugh.

Faunalia Feast

The ancient Romans annually celebrated the feast of Faunalia, which fell on December 5th. This day was revered by all farmers and shepherds. The fun was spent outdoors. Gifts to the deity were prepared in advance - milk, goats and wine. On this day, everyone was supposed to taste food and refreshing drinks.

On the day of the celebration, livestock were allowed to roam the fields and meadows without permission. All cattle involved in arable work were released.

In the mythology of different peoples, one can find references to creatures that, in their appearance, resemble a hybrid of a person and an animal. One of these creatures is the Faun - this is the ancient deity of Italy, which was the owner of fields, forests, groves and caves. He has a kind nature, although he likes to have fun, scaring random travelers. His sons, demigods - fauns - inherited the life span and magical abilities of their ancestor.

Basic information about the creature

The first mention of fauns dates back to the 4th century BC. e. Under the term "faun" several creatures are hidden at once.

1. Faun or Luperk - a good deity, the guardian of the forest, groves, herds and fields. In his ancestors, he also has higher gods.
2. Fauns are creatures of semi-divine origin. They enter Luperk's retinue and help him protect nature and the animals entrusted to him. By nature, they resemble children. They are analogues of satyrs, but have a calmer and more reasonable character.

The deity itself has several names:

• Luperc;
• Sylvan;
• Strong;
• Marsyas;
• Panisk.

Such a variety of names is due to the fact that the image of the Faun has undergone significant changes over time. He was influenced by comparisons with satyrs, pans and other goat-like creatures.

Appearance

In the mythology of different peoples there are references to anthropomorphic creatures,. Fauns belong to this group.

Appearance description:

1. In a faun, the body from head to waist belongs to a young handsome man.
2. From the waist down the body is covered with thick brown hair. It is long and hard to the touch.
3. The legs end in goat hooves.
4. The face is human, but the nose is slightly flattened.
5. On the head are deer antlers and elongated ears.
6. The tail is also deer.

Due to the fact that the image of the Italian fauns mixed with the Greek lords and satyrs, some of its features have changed. In older sources, he appears as a hybrid of a man and a goat. Instead of deer horns, he has curved ram's horns on his forehead.

Capabilities

Fauns are kind demigods who do no harm to people. They have the following abilities:

• talent for music, dance and song;
• they live forever, but they can be killed;
• have the gift of divination;
• make friends with the nymphs and protect them;
• can send visions and hallucinations;
• from improvised materials create musical instruments;
• they know how to lure travelers into the thicket of the forest to their holiday;
• can bestow inspiration and creativity on mortal men;
• protect herds and ensure soil fertility.

Shepherds, poets and musicians worship these creatures. They act as defenders of art and inspire people to new achievements.

There are legends according to which young women turned to them if they could not get pregnant for a long time. They brought them gifts in the form of wine and cheese and asked them to give them a child.

Lifestyle

Fauns prefer to spend all the time in the thicket of the forest or on the edges. There they dance with nymphs and arrange musical competitions.

They love nature and protect it. However, if trees are cut down in the forest where the fauns live, then this can cause their discontent. In this case, they can send terrible illusions on the guilty, forcing them to go crazy with fear.

Character

They have an easy character, but their system of moral values ​​differs from the human one. They do not distinguish between good and bad deeds, but only between what they like or dislike.

Fauns are naive creatures that can sometimes behave like children. They enjoy chasing travelers throughout the forest, scaring them and enjoying their panic.

Cult of the Faun

In the myths of central Italy, legends have been preserved, according to which the Faun had a divine origin and was the ancestor of a whole people. People considered him the son of Saturn or Mars from one of the beautiful nymphs. It acted as a wise and just ruler who led his people to prosperity.

The places of power of this cult were not temples and amphitheatres, but fields and forest clearings, which indicates the antiquity of the cult.

This is one of the few deities that people have set totems, not idols. They dug them in the fields, and asked for fertility and protection of the herds from predators.

In the form of gifts they were presented with:

1. Milk, cheese or honey.
2. Fresh tortillas or ready meals.
3. Grapes or olives, as well as wine.
4. Pieces of fabric, colored ribbons or other embellishments.
5. Bouquets of ears and flowers.
6. Musical instruments.

They did not require bloody sacrifices, but once a year, before the start of sowing, a sheep or a ram was sacrificed to them.

Faun is the ancestor of fauns - anthropomorphic creatures who helped him protect forests and herds.

Differences between fauns and satyrs

These mythical creatures share a number of similar characteristics, especially appearance, which often leads to their erroneous identification. But, apart from the similar appearance, their character is absolutely opposite.

Category	Fauns	satires
Character	Kind, light, open. They can only harm a person if they are angered.	Envious. They are limited and evil creatures who do not know forgiveness.
Patron	They are the patron saint of soothsayers, shepherds, musicians and dancers.	They act as the patron of only wildlife, but not people
Attitude towards sensual pleasures	They adhere to a measured saturation of sensuality, in relationships they are guided by feelings and reason	Their carnal desire prevails over the mind, they are its slaves and spend their whole lives in search of pleasure.
Attitude towards nymphs	Friendly, often dance together and lead round dances	Nymphs are wary of satyrs because they often pursue them and force them to communicate.
Origin	Considered half human and half deer	Human-goat hybrid
Worship	People depicted him in the form of totems and before releasing animals to pastures brought gifts to him.	Nobody worshiped him, and people created special amulets to protect against his influence.

The difference between these creatures is especially visible in various myths and stories.

Faun legends

There are many legends about these creatures. However, despite their good image, for the most part these are stories about their tragic fate and unrequited love.

Syringa and Faun

One of the legends tells about the beautiful nymph Syringa, who really liked Luperk. He gave the maiden expensive gifts, covered her path with flowers and moss, but the proud nymph did not respond to his advances.

Desperate, Luperk then asked for help from other forest creatures. He did not know that the insidious satyr himself wanted to take possession of Syringa. He poured a pinch of dried dill into his parent's goblet with a vein, so that the god of the forest would lose his head and finally turn the nymph against himself.

But his cunning plans were not destined to come true. The mountain nymphs conveyed to their sister a warning of his intentions. The young maiden was confused and decided to protect herself by becoming a reed on the shore of her beloved lake.

Saddened by the departure of his beloved, Luperc made a cane out of a reed and came to the shore of that lake every day to play a nymph and convince her to become a girl again.

Help Zeus

Faun is immortalized in the sky in the form of the constellation Capricorn. This honor was given to him by Zeus in gratitude for his help.

There is a legend that tells how Luperc, with the help of his sons and nymphs, drugged the giant Typhon with a sleeping potion, and stole the tendons of Zeus from him.

The Thunderer, having regained all his strength, was able to defeat the offspring of Tartarus and lock him in the underground bowels. In gratitude, he offered Luperk a place at the table at the divine feast, but the Faun refused. He said that he did not need anything, but the singing of the bird and the light of the stars would suffice.

Then the ruler of Olympus decided to give his assistant his own constellation.

In the legends of other peoples, one can find references to mythical creatures that resemble fauns.

1. Satyrs are goat-footed creatures in Greek mythology. They represent lust, debauchery and alcoholism.
2. Puka - in the folklore of the British Isles, a humanoid creature that is attributed to fairies. It looks like a mixture of a child and a goat. A mischievous spirit who likes to lead astray.
3. Puck is another English spirit that lived in the woods and caused minor troubles. He had the ability to transform. If people treated him with respect, he would help them.
4. The cornbock is the Welsh equivalent of the vicious forest creature. He has a repulsive appearance, huge hooves and curved horns. It has a grumpy nature, but if appeased with gifts, it can help with the harvest.
5. Pan is an ancient Greek creature, the god of the wild forest, nature, caves and glades. With his voice, he could manipulate people.
6. Uris is in Scotland. Their height does not exceed 20 cm. They look like small children with goat legs. They bring good luck to the house where they live.
7. - Slavic god of forests. There are references that outwardly he also resembled fauns. According to legend, he was an old man, with long horns and legs covered with long hair. Their body is very thin, green.

Although many purely Italian features of his character and cult were smoothed out, due to his identification with the Greek Pan. F. - a kind, merciful god (from favere - to be supportive, hence the names Faustus, Faustulus, Favonius). In the image of F., the ancient Italians revered the good demon of mountains, meadows, fields, caves, herds, sending down fertility to fields, animals and people, a prophetic god, the ancient king of Latium and the ancestor of many ancient families, the planter of the original culture; at the same time, along with a single personal deity, they believed in the existence of many homogeneous and eponymous demons, in which the attributes of F himself were embodied. he predicts the future, catches birds and pursues nymphs. He communicates with a person either in a dream, or from afar, frightening and warning him with forest voices; he also inspires so-called panic fear both in travelers, and sometimes in times of war and enemies. He wanders in the forests as an invisible spirit: in connection with this, the dog, which was credited with the ability to see spirits, was dedicated to F. Appearing to a person in a dream, F. often torments him with a nightmare: special roots and ointments were used against this, especially the root of the forest peony. Fauns were especially guarded by women, whom God pursued with his love; hence the epithet of his Incubus. Herds enjoyed special patronage F.: he contributed to their reproduction and protected them from wolves. In this sense, he was called Lupercus, a name with which the name of the feast a Lupercalia celebrated in Rome in honor of F. is also associated. In addition to Lupercalia, two holidays were established in honor of F.: the spring Faunalia, which fell on February 13, and the winter faunalia, celebrated on December 5. In the villages in honor of F. sacrifices were made monthly. As a prophetic god, F. gave his predictions in a dream: in this sense he is called Fatuus or fatuelus. F.'s oracles were confined to groves. Judging by the description given by Ovid (Metamorph, IV, 644 ff.), Numa, wanting to receive F.'s divination and having previously cleansed himself with abstinence, goes to the grove and slaughters two sheep here - one F., the other to the god of sleep. Then, having twice sprinkled his head with water from the source, weaving two wreaths of beech leaves and praying, he lies down on the stretched skins of sacrificial animals and at night in a dream receives the desired revelation. Similar information is reported by Virgil in the VII book. Aeneid (79 - 95). As the god of predictions, Faun was considered the ancestor of the song, which is why the very size of the oldest Roman poems is called Saturn or Faun. In Latium, F. was revered as the king of the natives, the grandson of Saturn, the son of Peak, the father of Latina (from the nymph Marika), a wise and just ruler; his reign preceded the royal period and constituted the first era of the spread of culture in the country. This legend reflects the memory of those times when Italy abounded in forests and primitive tribes inhabited the forest clearings. The antiquity of the cult of F. is indicated by the fact that the places of this cult were not so much temples as fields, caves, groves, and F. was revered in the form of not idols, but totems of the plant and animal kingdom. Anthropomorphic images of F. belong to a later time and are borrowed from the Greeks: F. appears either in the image of Pan, or in the image of Silenus or Marsyas, while Fauns - in the image of Paniskov. In addition to the Lupercal sanctuary; in Rome there were two temples of F.: one on the Aventine, the other on the Tiber Island. Faun, the daughter (or wife) of F., represents the female hypostasis of the named god. Like him, she was a goddess of things and was called Fatuya; at the same time, she belonged to the number of goddesses of the female productive principle and, as such, was identified with Maya or the Good Goddess (Bona dea). Wed Motty, "Do Fauno et Fauna sive Bona dea enisqne mysteriis" (B., 1840); Preller, "Romissche Mythologie" (1 vol., B., 1881, pp. 379 - 392). BUT.

The pantheon of ancient deities would be boring without the cheerful gods of the fields, groves and forests. The master of all vegetation in ancient Rome was a faun. This short-legged, hairy creature was very popular among the inhabitants of Roman villages. Suffice it to say that their images are often found on samples of pottery that have come down to us. Who were the fauns for the Romans?

Who are fauns? Origin of the word

The word "faun" is derived from the Greek word "pan". The Romans endowed him with a complex character, although they considered him a generally benevolent deity, but sometimes his jokes and practical jokes left much to be desired. He liked to frighten travelers with bizarre whispers and rustles, and sometimes he could confuse a person and not show him the way home. There was another role that the faun played with success. These are various divinations and predictions that he whispered with his chosen rustle of the leaves of sacred trees. The god of forests inherited the prophetic gift from his father, the ancient deity Peak, the patron saint of hunters and farmers. If anyone wanted to receive a prediction, he had to come on a certain day to a sacred grove, lie on the fleece of a sacrificed sheep and receive a prophecy in his dream.

Lupercalia

In ancient Rome, the faun is the god of the forests and the keeper of the flocks. For the protection of goats and sheep from wolves, the shepherds honored the fauns and revered them on special days - Lupercalia. This holiday was held on February 15 and was named after the second name of the faun - Luperka. The sacred place for the veneration of the fauns was located at the grotto on the Palatine Hills, it was here, according to legend, that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were found as babies.

The celebration in honor of the fauns began with the sacrifice of goats and goats, and near the entrance to the grotto stood the two strongest youths of the tribe. After the sacrifice, the foreheads of young people were smeared with the blood of slaughtered animals, while the young men had to rejoice and laugh. After all the obligatory rituals, belts were cut from the skins of the sacrificed animals. The priests ran out of the grotto with noise and screams and struck with these belts to everyone who met them on the way. In the beliefs of the Romans, it was as if the faun himself distributed such blows. This action was the culmination of the whole holiday. The most ancient Roman fertility rite ended with a whipping, and the members of the tribes willingly put their shoulders under the blows of the priest. Even women willingly went out to meet the initiates running from the grotto: it was believed that if a woman received a blow from a sacred belt, all filth was removed from her, and peace and tranquility reigned in her family.

Faunalia

The ancient Romans respected the fauns so much that they dedicated more solemn days to them - faunalia, which began on December 5 and were held in the open air. On this holiday, sacrifices were also made to the faun, although the priests took a minimal part in this identity. The solemn part usually ended with a merry feast, in which the main faun symbolically played the main role. The meaning of the word "faunalia" suggests that in general the Romans saw this holiday as more of a big day of rest than a religious celebration. On December 5, domestic animals could roam freely in the forests and fields without fear of the shepherd's whip, draft animals rested, and slaves could have fun at the crossroads and lawns of the forests.

Fauns of the modern world

With the advent of Christianity, the ancient fauns disappeared into oblivion. But over the past three hundred years, interest in ancient culture began to appear again. One of the ancient gods that people remembered was a faun. The photo of this character began to decorate the covers of books and modern magazines.

A film was even made about the ancient god: Pan's Labyrinth. The Spanish film was released in 2006 and won an Oscar for Best Cinematography.

E F G I U X W
Demigods and Humans

FAUN

Faun was a kind, cheerful and active god of forests, groves and fields. He vigilantly guarded the shepherd's herds from predators, for which the shepherds revered him under the name of the god Luperk (that is, the protector from wolves, from the Latin word lupus - wolf) and to propitiate him sacrificed goats and goats. Every year on February 15, all of Rome celebrated the sacred lupercalia, established, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus, who in infancy were fed by a she-wolf and themselves grew up among shepherds. The sanctuary of the Faun - Lupercal - was located at the grotto on the Palatine Hill, in which the babies Romulus and Remus were found by a shepherd. The celebration of lupercalia began with the sacrifice of goats and goats, and two young men stood near the altar, to whose foreheads the priests - luperki- touched with a sacrificial knife covered with blood and immediately erased these bloody stripes with goat hair soaked in milk. At the same time, the young men had to laugh. Having finished the rite of sacrifice and the sacred feast, the priests, cutting out loincloths (aprons) and belts, which were called februa, from the skins of the sacrificed goats, ran out of the Lupercal with shouts and noise and rushed around the Palatine Hill, striking all oncoming belts. It was an ancient cleansing and redemptive rite, and the Romans willingly exposed themselves to the blows of sacred belts, as if removing from them all the filth that had accumulated over the year. Women who wished to preserve marital happiness, peace in the family and increase in the family, tried without fail to get hit by a goat's belt and went out to meet the running luperki.

Loving and honoring the god Faun located towards them, Roman farmers and shepherds also celebrated faunalia, which celebrated on December 5 in the open air. The sacrifices, which consisted of wine, milk and slaughtered goats, ended with a cheerful feast, in which the cheerful and kind Faun himself symbolically took part. On this day, cattle were allowed to roam the fields and forests without shepherds, arable animals rested, and slaves were allowed to have fun in the meadows and crossroads. Although the Faun was a benevolent deity, but sometimes he liked to have fun and scare a person who wandered into the depths of the forest and disturbed his peace. He liked to whisper all sorts of terrible stories to the sleeping ones. To those to whom he was favorable, Faun communicated his predictions with a special rustle of leaves, because Faun was the son of the god Peak and inherited a prophetic gift from him. If a person wanted to get an answer to the questions that tormented him, he should, without fear, being in a sacred grove, lie on the skin of a sacrificed sheep and receive the prophecy of a Faun in a dream.

Very close to the god Faun was Silvan, who was revered as the patron god of the forest. He, like the Faun, guarded the herds grazing in the forests, and loved the simple shepherd's flute. His constant companion was a dog - a faithful assistant to the shepherds. Silvan also had the gift of prophecy, and sometimes from the depths of the forest a loud and fearsome voice of the god was heard, foreshadowing important events. Only men were allowed to the festivities in honor of the god Silvanus. It was strictly forbidden for women.