Meet Pan – god of the forest and fields and patron of shepherds.<\/a> If you’re startled\u00a0by his ugly fur-coated appearance, with horns sprouting from his head and goat-like legs, you’re not alone – these always send those who dare disturb him into a panic. Despite his off-putting appearance,\u00a0Pan is also known as the\u00a0eternally lustful god, a companion of playful nymphs who takes pleasure in music, dance and merriment.<\/p>\n According to a\u00a0myth, one day Pan came across an enchanting nymph called Syrinx, widely known for her beauty. Pan immediately fell in love with her, and competed for her with the vehemence of a god. Hairy all over his\u00a0body like an animal, with his horns and goat legs, he terrified\u00a0the delicate nymph.\u00a0As a result, Pan pursued\u00a0her with even more fervour.<\/p>\n Syrinx escaped to get away from Pan until blocked by a river. The nymph could not swim and there was no way to cross the water. Pan was about to overpower her – all that was left for her to was to ask for help. All of a\u00a0sudden, she was transformed into a reed.<\/p>\n By the time Pan reaches her, all he can grab hold of\u00a0are the reeds standing in her place. When the wind blows,\u00a0plaintive sounds emerge – knowing he wanted to keep this sound, Pan breaks the reeds and makes a panpipe. With this, he hears the tender sounds of Syrinx forever more.<\/p>\n If these illustrations have made you curious to see more depictions of nymphs from mythological tales, you can explore\u00a0our dedicated\u00a0Pinterest board<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"