Sunday, February 7, 2010

Day LXIX - Satyr


Greek comic relief,
Well-endowed woodland figure,
Phallic hedonist.


Great figures of fun from Greek mythology, Satyrs are sexually-active beings of the mountains and woodlands. Later legend conflates them with Roman fauns, but the original Satyr is generally understood to be a diminutive, well-built bearded folk with a horse's tail rather than the legs of a goat. The creature's most outstanding anatomical feature, however, is its huge ever-erect penis and - as befits such a well-endowed character - Satyrs are renowned for their sex-drive and love of chasing nymphs around the countryside. Associated with the god Dionysus, they are similarly said to enjoy wine, music, dancing and other assorted forms of enthusiastic revelry, thus they find themselves repeatedly represented in art. Aside from flashing their phalluses all over ancient pottery and artefacts, the wild woodland beings were a significant part of classical drama providing comedy amidst all the Greek tragedy with their obscene antics and irreverent asides. Able to raise a smile at any time, the Satyrs are magnificent supernatural specimens who should be hailed for their good-humour and hedonistic spirit.

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