Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Faun

FAUN, n.  In Latin mythology, a kind of rural diety.  The godhood of the fauns was pretty nearly a sinecure, their duties consisting mainly in having pointed ears and liaisons with the nymphs.  There were lady fauns (faunae) and these fauned on the satyrs.

2008 Update: A creature bearing traits of both man and goat which the Romans were pleased to pretend was a hybrid.  Some ancient mythmaker's autobiography.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

with a little foresight,creation would have included these as the predominate species..the "perfect" blend of "christianity" and pagan beliefs. in times of old--"explained" those darn "animal" impulses...May Peace and Happiness Fill the Hearts of the Planet.....

Anonymous said...

Faun: Part man, part creature, thoroughly queerical, often lyrical, and substantially Satyrical.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Tumnus is our favorite faun.

Anonymous said...

FAUN, n. An ancient Roman who's gotten his goat, deer. And has a lunchtime appointment with a M. Débussy.

TLP said...

Women seem to be attracted to fauns who fawn over them. I don't get it myself. Must be some other goat parts in the mix that I'm not able to see. The ears are a big turn-off.

Happy Earth Day!

Ariel the Thief said...

Faun, a man without his disguise.

Szinyei Merse Pál! The older he got, the better he was.

eolfr - pedophile faun speaks French

Anonymous said...

I always think of Toot from the cartoon Hercules when I hear the word faun.

Sigh. Now I have the annoying Newt in my head. "I'm glad (I'm glad) to have (to have) a friend (a friend) like Hercules (like Hercules."

Aurgh. At least Toot just had a flute to play.

Anonymous said...

Ariel -- the thief! -- stole my comment!

Man sans disguise. [wahhh!]

G said...

So perhaps we should be looking into a Faun rather than a Prius?

Jamie Dawn said...

Mrs. Weirsdo mentioned Mr. Tumnus. I LOVE Mr. Tumnus, and I am not a nymph. I am just a woman who has not fully grown up yet, and I suppose I never will. The Chronicles of Narnia and The Secret Garden are still my favorite books. They have been since the fourth grade.

----------------

Fauns fawn over nymphs, and nymphs fawn over fauns.

A fawning faun rhymes with Jamie Dawn.

Anonymous said...

Dunno why I am getting visuals of some side-girl of Jim Baker or Ollie North, but that's who keeps popping into my head.

Or perhaps Faun is the 2nd twin cousin, thrice removed, of actress Goldie Haun.

Cooper said...

I know nothing of fauns, except the book my Hawthorne, though I expect ariel has it correct.

Mutha said...

Did someone say Debussy? Love that ballet - all weird and side-ways. Those Russians sure had it goin' on.

Doug The Una said...

Anonymous, it is funny how the creator chose not blend the myths of diverse worshippers.

Great job, Al. I'm expecting to hear from a unicorn next.

Weirsdo, if cloven-hooved kings were elected by human bloggers, Mr. Tumnus wins by double digits.

Amoeba, I had the feeling you'd recombine.

TLP, I hear ya.

Ariel, those were three great comments in one. I noticed the faun painting was Hungarian. I had previously noted that pedophiles speak French. Do you have any idea how tough it is to comb thinning hair over horns?

Jenn, I suspected a faun was important in your development, somehow.

Karma, you are growing more mythical all the time.

Quilly, you can share the credit if you implicate OC as a goat. These are Eastern European rules, if I understand them.

G, it's a tough choice between a vehicle that burns less gas and one that produces more.

J.D., I'm a fan of Mr. Tumnus' too. A well-intended catastrophe is a perfect hero.

Fawn Hall, Sauerkraut? Excellent memory.

Cooper, that's a sneaky way to get a confession. Keep trying.

Mutha, I know nothing of ballet but wasn't Debussy French?

Actonbell, he can still win the Democratic nomination, thanks to you Pennsylvanians. Was it a circus or just clowns?

Anonymous said...

or is the question how the various worshipers(religion)have only selected bits and pieces of a of a universal spirituality , media presentation has a long history...is it not say, a picture ,is worth more then a thousand words.....Peace.....damn missed dinner,hope i am invited for a rain-check---wheres the shoes?

Ariel the Thief said...

Doug, good thing in getting old is that you don't have to hide your horns anymore.

Anonymus, if you're looking for the purple stilettos, I am going to give them back. They went so well with my tailcoat.

Mutha said...

Yes! Debussy was French -- but the famous ballet to Afternoon of a faun came out of the Ballet Russ (Ruse? can't remember) -- Najinsky and the gang.

Anonymous said...

I'm too sexy for my pipes!