Information AboutSatyr |
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| roman mythology | |
| greek legendary creatures | |
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| classical elements | |
| legendary mammals | |
| dionysus | |
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In nature entities that roamed the woods and mountains, and were the companions of Pan and Dionysus . MYTHOLOGY Satyrs are most commonly described as having the upper half of a man and the lower half of a goat or, less commonly, the lower half of a horse. 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. Attic painted vases depict satyrs as being strongly built with flat noses, large pointed ears, long curly hair, and full Beard s, with Wreath s of vine or ivy circling their heads. Satyrs often carry the Thyrsus : the rod of Dionysus tipped with a fircone. 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 ('' Auloi ''), Cymbal s, 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 , 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 Donkey s 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 satyric; it parodied the legends of gods and heroes, and the chorus was composed of satyrs and sileni. In the Athenian Satyr Plays of the 5th Century BCE , 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 '' 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 . SATYRS IN ROMAN MYTHOLOGY Roman satyrs were conflated in the popular and poetic imagination with Latin spirits of woodland and with the rustic spirit Pan, called the Panes . , affixed to the Cathedral Of St. Vincent ( Bern , Switzerland ), is posed in the act of choking a Mermaid .]] Roman satyrs were descibed as goatlike from the haunches to the hooves, and were often pictured with larger horns, even Ram 's horns. Roman poets often conflated them with the Faun s. Roman Satire is a Literary form, a Poetic Essay that was a vehicle for biting, subversive social and personal criticism. Though Roman satire is sometimes thoughtlessly linked to the Greek satyr plays, satire's only connection to the satyric drama is through the subversive nature of the satyrs themselves, as forces in opposition to urbanity, Decorum , and civilization itself. MODERN According to UFOlogist, they are actual short and hairy humanoids with hoofs. They inhabit the deep caves beneath South America. They may be members of a pre-Adamic race which possessed angelic, animalistic and humanoid characteristics. They have been known, according to Native Americans, to kidnap women and children. {Link without Title} OTHER REFERENCES In the '') of old Arab legend. Christian Mythology demonised all Pagan nature spirits such as satyrs by associating them with Demon s and Devil s, though they do resemble the Jewish goat-man demon Azazel to whom the Scapegoat s were sent. The herdsmen of Parnassus also believed in a demon of the mountain who was said to be the lord of hares and goats.. BABY SATYR Baby satyrs, or '''child satyrs''', are Mythological Creature s related to the Satyr . They appear in popular Folklore , Classical artworks, Film , and in various forms of local art. Some classical works depict young satyrs being tended to by older, sober satyrs, while there are also some representations of child satyrs taking part in Bacchanalian / Dionysian rituals (including drinking Alcohol , playing Musical Instrument s, and Dancing ). The presence of a baby or child satyr in a classical work, such as on a , the son of Aphrodite , is consistently represented as a child or baby, and Bacchus, the divine sponsor of satyrs, is seen in numerous works as a baby, often in the company of the satyrs. A prominent instance of a baby satyr outside Ancient Greece is Albrecht Dürer 's 1505 engraving, "Musical Satyr and Nymph with Baby (Satyr's Family)". There is also a Victorian-era napkin ring depicting a baby satyr next to a barrel, which further represents the perception of baby satyrs as partaking in the Bacchanalian festivities. See ''Revivals, Reveries, and Reconstructions: Images of Antiquity in Prints from 1500 to 1800'', an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There are also many works of art of the Rococo period depicting child or baby satyrs in Bacchanalian celebrations. Some works depict female satyrs with their children; others describe the child satyrs as playing an active role in the events, including one instance of a painting by Jean Raoux (1677–1735). "Mlle Prévost as a Bacchante" depicts a child satyr playing a tambourine while Mlle Prévost, a dancer at the Opéra, is dancing as part of the Bacchanal festivities. {Link without Title} Baby satyrs can be found in some modern art collections[http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Fire_Earth/Artists/MacEwen/BabySatyr/BabySatyrEn.html]. There are also examples on the internet of baby satyrs being represented in garden sculpture [http://www.articolestudios.co.uk/resin-casting.shtml]. Speculative accounts of baby satyrs have cropped up in various local folklores and contemporary mythologies. Some Greek-oriented college parties may include Bacchanalian characters, including baby satyrs. TRIVIA
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