Ancient Italian deity faun. Traditions and legends See what “Faun” is in other dictionaries

Ancient history contains a huge number of mythological creatures. Faun is the god of meadows, fields and pastures. Legends were made about him, he was depicted on frescoes. The appearance of God inspired horror, but behind the terrible appearance hid good nature and a willingness to help man. Possessing a cheerful disposition, the Faun was able to play a joke on a person passing by, scare him or amuse him. People often turned to the deity for help, knowing about his gift of prediction.

God Faun

One of the most revered gods of Ancient Rome is Faun. He received great honors and sacrifices, was distinguished by his good character, and was supportive and merciful to all those asking for help. In the face of Faun the Romans saw:

patron of the fertility of fields and meadows;
predictor of the future;
patron of domestic animals.

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

Deity's Form

In mythology, the god Faun is a creature living among the mountains or near a river who likes to wander more often. Communication with people occurred through sleepy oblivion or from afar. With the noise of leaves and a frightening voice, the creature instilled fear or helped travelers who got lost on the road.

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

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

Patronage of the deity

God Faun protects pastures, herds of sheep and cattle. The magic of the deity was:

preservation of pastures in their original form;
protection of domestic animals from wolf packs;
increase in livestock numbers.

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, who reigned in 795 BC. e., goes into the thicket for a prediction. To do this, he performs a ritual:

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

Satires

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

good-natured;
lazy;
dissolute, his favorite pastime is hunting for maidens;
loves alcohol.

The demon had many similarities with the animal, such as thick fur covering most of its 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. It is distinguished by enormous strength, animal instincts and behavior.

The symbol of the fertility of creatures was the phallus.

The main character traits of satyrs:

arrogance;
excessive lust;
love;
impudence;
courage.

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

Differences and similarities 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 similarities were obvious.

Lustful, loving. Any girl immediately became an object of persecution.
The appearance of a half-man, half-animal.
The good nature of both deities.
Both gods were considered symbols of fertility.

The difference between Faun and Satyr was character, although these deities are generally considered to be the same. Satyrs were more unbridled, unable to overcome lust. Lazy, arrogant, living for their own 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 and kept count of sexual partners.

Analogues of God in other cultures

In different countries, mythology mentions different names for Faun.

Pan was considered the deity of Greek mythology, capable of misleading a person with the power of his voice and persuading him to take action. He symbolized forest nature, composed music with which he seduced young maidens.
Urisk is a creature that comes from the legends of Scotland, small in appearance, covered in thick fur. People considered their presence lucky; the Urisks helped maintain the farm and managed the farmyard. If a person angered them or did not take them into account, the Urisks could hold a grudge and cause a lot of mischief.
The goblin is a spirit that guards forests and fields and loves to play with travelers, luring them into the wilderness. Old Believers could immediately identify the games of the devil: the sound of footsteps behind, the casting of a human shadow next to the traveler, the strong swaying of trees.
Woodman - a type of British forest deity, protecting nature, humanoid creatures completely covered with long hair.
Jack in green - an inhabitant of the English lands, dressed in clothes made of leaves. Dangerous for people who harm nature: lumberjacks, animal hunters.
Kornbock is a well-known breed in Scandinavia, with a wry sense of humor and a sense of connection with nature. Among the people he was revered as the patron saint of those offended by love, and people turned to him for salvation from boredom.
Pak is a deity of harm and trouble, belonging to the genus of elves. Puck was revered in England and was considered a mischievous and prankster.

Cult of the Faun

The veneration of Faun is one of the most ancient and colorful cults.

Celebration of Luperc

The faun was loved by the people for his good disposition and ability to have fun. For his special vigilance towards herds of livestock, he was revered among the shepherds, who call God Luperk. The name meant “protector from wild beasts.” To appease the deity, goats from the herd were sacrificed to him every year.

To praise the Faun, magnificent feasts were held on February 15. 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 rituals:

sacrificed 2 goats;
then the blood of the animals was smeared on the foreheads of the young shepherdesses who stood near the altar;
knives, smeared with blood, were wiped on the skin of sacrificed animals;
Then they started a feast, after which the priests made belts from the skins and ran out into the square screaming, hitting every person they came across.

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

Fawnalia Festival

The ancient Romans annually celebrated the festival of Faunalia, which fell on December 5th. This day was revered by all farmers and shepherds. The fun was spent in the fresh air. Gifts to the deity were prepared in advance - milk, goats and wine. On this day, everyone had to taste food and recreational 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 freed.

Faun

Faun- one of the oldest national deities of Italy. Many purely Italian features of his character and cult were smoothed out due to his identification with the Greek.

Faun is a kind, merciful god. In the image of Faun, the ancient Italians revered the good demon of mountains, meadows, fields, caves, herds, who sends fertility to fields, animals and people, the 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 demons of the same name with him, in which the attributes of the Faun himself were embodied.

Similarly, Faun, as a forest god, lives in thickets, secluded caves or near noisy springs, where he predicts the future, catches birds and pursues. He communicates with a person either in a dream, or from afar, frightening and warning him with forest voices. He instills the so-called “panic fear” both in travelers and sometimes during war and in enemies. He wanders the forests as an invisible spirit: in this regard, the dog, which was credited with the ability to see spirits, was dedicated to the Faun. Appearing to a person in a dream, the Faun often torments him with a nightmare: special roots and ointments were used against this, especially the root of the forest peony. Women, whom God pursued with his love, were especially careful of fauns.

Herds enjoyed special protection from Faun: he promoted their reproduction and protected them from wolves. In the villages, monthly sacrifices were made in honor of the Faun.

Faun Faun

(Fannus). Roman deity identified with the Greek Pan. He was considered the son of Picus and the grandson of Saturn, possessed the gift of prophecy, and was the patron god of agriculture and cattle breeding. Subsequently, they began to believe that there were many fauns, like Greek satyrs, and they talked about their closeness to nymphs. Lupercalia was celebrated in Rome in honor of Faun; The faun was called Lupercus as a guardian of flocks from wolves.

(Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

FAUN

(Faunus, from favere, "to help", also Fatuus, Fatulcus, from fatuor, "to be possessed", fando, "to prophesy", Serv. Verg. Aen. VII 47), in Roman mythology the god of fields, forests, pastures, animals . There were ideas about both the plurality of F. and about one F., the female counterpart of which was Faun, Fatua, who was later considered his daughter and known as Bona dea(Serv. Verg. Aen. VII 47; VIII 314).
With the noise of the forest or in a dream, F. gave predictions composed of Saturnian verse (Dion. Halic. V 16). Numa caught by cunning along with Picom, F. was forced to reveal to him how to turn away the lightning of Jupiter (Ovid. Fast. Ill 291 next; Plut. Numa 15). F. was considered a crafty spirit who stole children and sent illnesses and nightmares (Serv. Verg. Aen. VI 775). How Inui or Incubus had intercourse with all animals and seduced women. The establishment of the cult of F., identified with the Arcadian Panom, was attributed Evandru(Serv. Verg. Georg. I 10). He departed in a grotto on the slope of the Palatine, called Lupercalium (from lupus, “wolf”) (Dion. Halic. I 31; Serv. Verg. Aen. VIII 345) and was served by a college of Luperci. On the holiday of Lupercalia (February 15), the Luperci brought F. a sacrifice - a dog and a goat. After the sacrifice, the Luperci, naked, with a goat skin on their hips, ran around the Palatine, lashing the women they met with belts cut from the skin of a sacrificial goat, which was supposed to make them fertile. Lupercalia was a pastoral festival of purification and fertility, aversion from herds of wolves, and may have once been associated with the cult of the wolf, who acted as the god Luperc and then merged with F. F. was especially revered by peasants as the patron of cattle breeding and rural life (Ovid. Fast. II 193; III 315). He was also considered one of the kings of Lawrence, the son of Picus, the father of Latinus (Serv. Verg. Aen. VIII 314).
E. M. Shtaerman.

(Source: “Myths of the Peoples of the World.”)

Faun

Faun was a kind, cheerful and active god of forests, groves and fields. He vigilantly guarded the shepherds' flocks from predators, for which the shepherds revered him under the name of the god Luperk (protector from wolves) (1) and sacrificed goats and goats to appease him. 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 Faun - Lupercal - was located near the grotto on the Palatine Hill, in which the infants 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 Luperque priests touched a sacrificial knife covered in blood and immediately erased these bloody stripes with goat hair soaked in milk. At the same time, the young men had to laugh. Having completed the ritual of sacrifice and sacred feast, the priests, having cut loincloths - aprons and belts, which were called februa (2), from the skins of the sacrificed goats, ran out of Lupercal with shouts and noise and rushed around the Palatine Hill, striking everyone they encountered with belts. This was an ancient cleansing and atonement rite, and the Romans willingly exposed themselves to the blows of the sacred belts, as if removing from them all the filth that had accumulated over the year. Women who wanted to preserve marital happiness, peace in the family and increase their family, were sure to get hit by the goat belt and went out to meet the running Luperci. Loving and honoring the god Faun, who was disposed towards them, Roman farmers and shepherds also celebrated faunalia, which they celebrated on December 5 in the open air. The sacrifices, consisting 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 Faun was a benevolent deity, sometimes he liked to have fun and scare a person who wandered into the depths of the forest and disturbed his peace. He loved to whisper all sorts of scary stories to those sleeping. To those to whom he was favorable, the Faun communicated his predictions with a special rustle of leaves. After all, Faun was the son of the god Peak and inherited the prophetic gift from him. If a person wanted to get an answer to the questions that tormented him, he had to, without fear, being in a sacred grove, lie down on the skin of a sacrificed sheep and receive the Faun’s prophecy in a dream. Silvan was very close to the god Faun, who was revered as the patron god of the forest. He, like the Faun, protected the herds grazing in the forests, and loved the simple shepherd's pipe. 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 the loud and fear-inducing voice of a god would be heard, foreshadowing important events. Only men were allowed to participate in the festivities in honor of the god Silvanus. This was strictly prohibited for women. (1. “Wolf” in Latin is “lupus.”) (2. Hence the name of the month - february (February).)

(Source: “Legends and Tales of Ancient Rome.”)

FAUN

in Roman mythology, the main god who protects flocks and shepherds. He vigilantly guarded the shepherds' flocks from predators, for which the shepherds revered him under the name of the god Luperk, which meant "protector from wolves." In his honor, every year on February 15 (this month is named after Faun), all of Rome celebrated the sacred Lupercalia. Faun's wife was the goddess of fertility of Faun's forests and fields. She was also often called the “Good Goddess.” She helped women without children to conceive babies, facilitated easy childbirth, and took care of the health of the mother and newborn.

(Source: “Dictionary of spirits and gods of German-Scandinavian, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese, Mayan and Aztec mythologies.”)

Bronze.
III centuries BC e.
Naples.
National Museum.

Sculpture by J. F. J. Sali.
Marble.
175051.
Paris.
Cognac Museum.

Synonyms:

See what "Faun" is in other dictionaries:

faun- faun/… Morphemic-spelling dictionary

- (lat. Faunus) one of the most ancient national deities of Italy. Many purely Italian features of his character and cult were smoothed out due to identification ... Wikipedia

In Roman mythology, god of fields, forests and mountains; possessed the gift of prophecy; depicted with goat legs and pointed ears. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907. FAUN, the ancient Roman god of fields and forests;... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

FAUN, faun, husband. (lat. faunus). 1. In Roman mythology, a forest demigod, corresponding to the satyr in Greek. mythology (the original proper name of the deity corresponding to the Greek Pan). “That is a faun, a gloomy inhabitant of forests and steep mountains.” Pushkin. 2.… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

A; m. [lat. Faunus] [with a capital letter] In ancient Roman mythology: god of fields and forests, patron of shepherds and hunters; Pan. * * * Faun in Roman mythology is the god of fertility, patron of cattle breeding, fields and forests. Faun corresponds to the Greek... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Faun- with a kid. Sculpture by J.F.J. Sali. Marble. 1750 51. Cognac Museum. Paris. FAUN, in Roman mythology, the god of fields, forests, pastures, animals. Corresponds to the Greek Pan. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

In Roman mythology, the god of fertility, patron of cattle breeding, fields and forests. Faun corresponds to the Greek Pan... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

In the myths of the ancient Romans, the god of fields, forests, pastures, and animals. At the sound of the forest or in a dream, the Faun gave predictions composed of Saturnian verse. There was an idea of the Faun as a crafty spirit who stole children and sent nightmares and illnesses.... ... Historical Dictionary

Faun, a (monkey); Faun (mythical god of fields and forests) ... Russian word stress

As many people well know, Greek and Roman mythology intersect in many aspects, copying and inheriting each other.

This is how Hercules was born, whom everyone in Greece knew under the nickname Hercules.

The gods that exist in both ancient pantheons also have similar character traits. For example, Mars is practically the twin brother of Ares, and Zeus is still the same Jupiter. A similar situation is observed in relation to lower gods, for example, Faun.

This deity today is national deity Apennine Peninsula.

However, researchers note that the purely Italian characteristics of the cult of Faun are subsequently changed under the influence of Greek culture, which also has its analogue - the god Pan.

Etymology

The Italian deity itself is distinguished by its good character, as well as a merciful attitude towards man, which can be seen even in the very name of this god. The word favere in Latin means favor towards something. This, by the way, is where the word comes from favor, which appeared in our language several centuries ago. Many Latin names are derived from this term, including Faustus or Fastulus.

Among the ancient tribes that inhabited the peninsula, this god was identified with the spirit of mountains and fields. He was distinguished by a cheerful disposition, which ensured fertility not only of the field, but also of animals, as well as humans. It is worth noting that Faun was considered a prophetic god, and some later writers call him after one of the kings of Latium before the rise of Rome.

Faun is also considered the ancestor of a whole galaxy of ancient clans, and is also called the one who brought first culture into the human community. It should be noted that in Italian culture it was customary to believe not only in a personal deity, but also in many demons of the same name, which become his attributes. Faun himself has similar traits.

Lifestyle

Faun is often identified with Sylvan, as well as other gods of forests, fields and caves. It is distinguished by the fact that it lives in dark caves, which are located near the noisiest sources. In his cave he can predict the future.

His favorite pastimes are catching nymphs and racing with birds. He can cause panic in sweaters, and also communicates with chosen ones at a distance, often coming to them in a dream. He can warn travelers about danger, for which he uses forest voices, that is, the cries of animals. The Faun can also help one of the parties during a war if he considers it to be right in this conflict.

He can wander through the forest, both in his usual form and in the form of a spirit. For the same reason, a dog was dedicated to Faun, which, according to Roman beliefs, could see any spirit in the surrounding world, warning the owner of its presence. If a Faun appeared in a dream, then he can tell a person about his future, or send nightmares.

To cope with such phenomena, various roots were used, in particular from a plant such as forest peony. Most of all, the Faun should have been feared by women who were persecuted by him, from where he received one of the famous nicknames - Incubus.

Animals also received protection from the Faun, primarily those that were grazed in herds. It was the Faun who ensured that the cattle multiplied, and also helped the shepherds drive away the wolves. In this regard, the term Lupercus arises, which is used as a divine epithet. Faun's help to the shepherds led to the emergence of Lupercalia, the festival of Faun, which was celebrated annually in the Eternal City.

It is worth noting that in addition to this celebration, Faun had two more personal holidays. They were called faunalia and were celebrated in December and February of each year. Roman authors retained information that in many villages there were separate altars dedicated specifically to Faun, where sacrifices were made to this god.

The Faun could convey his predictions during sleep, and in this context he was called Fatulos. The god's oracles were usually located in sacred groves. The ancient Roman writer Ovid has information that Numa Pompilius received prophecy from God thanks to abstinence, as well as a sacrifice to the deity, dedicating two sheep. At the same time, Faun himself received only one sheep, and the second was prepared for the god of sleep.

Next, the legendary king dresses in a wreath of leaves, pours water from a clean spring on his head and prays to the Faun, after which he appears to the king during sleep. The faun, as a deity who gives prophecies to his followers, is firmly entrenched in Italian culture, therefore ancient roman verse often called Faunus.

Roman mythology is often considered a mere remake Greek pantheon of gods, with the exception of some unique deities that existed only in Roman culture.

Some researchers disagree with this thesis, believing that the Greek and Roman gods could have developed at the same time and acquire similar features, but remain absolutely original in both Greek and Roman culture.

Although in most cases the Faun is completely associated with the Greek deity Pan, but there are still theories that consider him to be the oldest deity of Roman mythology, which is simply similar to a similar Greek deity.

At first, Faun was considered the patron saint of forests, shepherds and sheep. He was son of Pika and Ponada. In ancient times he was depicted as a man with goat legs and small horns on his head.

All these attributes completely identify him with the Greek God Pan, but at the same time there are many arguments that even if Faun was inherited from Greek culture, he evolved significantly in the Romans, since Faun was assigned patronage of animals.

He helped enrich and increase the herd of livestock, and was also the patron of animal fertility. Moreover, the Romans attributed to Faun the ability cleanse fields and animals from all evil.

Some data prove that he could also help a person get rid of damage and any other evil deeds concerning him. Over time, the cult of the Faun ceased to be associated only with the animal world and moved to the human world. Thus the Faun became one of the most revered gods throughout the Roman pantheon of deities.

In honor of Faun, the Romans celebrated the so-called faunalia which took place in the last months of winter. As a rule, they sacrificed him young goats, as well as milk or wine. These attributes are fully consistent with the sacrifices of the Greeks in honor of the god Pan.

Also at the beginning of spring, another one was held in honor of Faun. sacrifice, which was intended only to ensure that he protected all herds of animals from the attacks of wolves, which then inhabited the nearby forests of the Roman state.

This contributed to the fact that the image of a faun in Roman culture is often depicted as a wolf, which was by no means the case in the Greek counterpart. This festival in honor of the faun existed for quite a long time even though Vatican for many centuries tried to ban it.

The cult of the Faun lasted until the end of the 5th century, because in 494, the Pope replaced All celebrations on the days of Our Lady. These laws caused the Faun to almost completely disappear from the culture of Europe at that time.

Since the Faun was often associated as god of agriculture in general, in many villages and towns of the Roman state there were different fauns and they were worshiped in different ways. This became the reason that he ceased to be associated as the only deity, and acquired certain signs from Greek mythology.

This means that he is so divided into a large number of deities that people no longer believed in the existence of a single Faun. The closest to this is considered image of satyrs from Greek mythology.

There were also legends according to which the Faun helped not only in agriculture, but also saved those people who lost in the forest u. He drove away any danger, and also helped to find a way out of this unpleasant situation.

He escorted people out of the forest; over time, people also attributed prophetic functions to him, because they believed that he could foresee the future and help you achieve your desired goals.

According to Roman legends, a person who wanted to see my future, had to sacrifice a sheep to the Faun, completely cleanse its skin, and then lie down to sleep on it. It was in this case that a person could see prophetic dream, brought by Faun.

This dream was considered the only one the right future this man. It's interesting that such a dream called incubation, so one of the epithets was copied to Faun Incubus.

Another reason for the veneration of the faun in Ancient Rome is the fact that he was considered the father mythical king Latin, that was father-in-law of Aeneas. The latter is known as Troyan Prince, which is considered one of the founders of Rome and is revered as Romulus and Remus.

The faun has a significant place in culture not only Ancient world, but also eras Renaissance, since he was often depicted in many paintings by artists of that time.

In cinema, he appears as a supporting character in the film adaptation of the book. "The Chronicles of Narnia". In modern culture, attention to this hero is quite insignificant, since he was once banned by the church, which contributed to his departure into oblivion.