Satyrs are creatures of Ancient Greek mythology dedicated to life’s pleasures. They enjoy dancing in the woods with nymphs to the music of the pipes and flutes they are often depicted with.
Satyrs are closely related to the Roman creatures known as fauns, who are also goat/human hybrids who are fond of music and dance. In fact, early depictions of satyrs gave them horse-like features, but they came to be depicted as goat men after being equated with fauns.
A well-known satyr is the Greek god known as Pan (or Faunus according to Roman mythology). Pan is the god of nature, the wilderness and “rustic music”. Pan is often depicted holding a flute made of several reeds (between 7 and 9) lashed together in descending order by size. According to legend, Pan pursued the nymph Syrinx, who appealed to her sisters to hide her. They transformed her into a reed. Not knowing which was Syrinx, Pan took bits from several reeds and made his flute from them. Satyrs and fauns were subsequently also often shown carrying similar instruments.
