satyr

In Greek mythology, a satyr is a male nature spirit, part human and part goat, associated with rustic forests and with Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry. Satyrs are typically depicted with human torsos and goat-like lower bodies, sometimes with horns and tails; some representations emphasize more goat-like forms. They are known for their love of music, dancing, wine, and sexual appetite, and they often accompany Dionysus in myth and ritual. The elder satyr Silenus is a notable figure who guides and counsels younger followers, and the term can also refer to the company of these companions.

Satyrs symbolize the primal, untamed aspects of nature, fertility, and hedonism. They appear in ancient Greek art and literature, especially in Dionysian contexts, and are commonly shown with pipes or flutes and in lively revelry. Although Pan is a separate rustic deity, satyrs and Pan share similar imagery and functions, and the two are sometimes conflated in later writers.

In Roman culture, satyrs are equated with fauns. The term also names a dramatic genre, the satyr play, a short, comic interlude performed after a trilogy of tragedies. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides wrote satyr plays; only Euripides’ Cyclops survives in full. In modern fantasy, satyrs continue as mythic beings characterized by goat-like features and a affinity for music and merriment.