Editing Syrinx

{{Short description|Nymph transformed into hollow water reeds in Greek mythology}}
{{other uses}}
[[File:Houghton 54C-508 - Girodet-Trioson, Pan poursuivant Syrinx (cropped).jpg|thumb|''Pan poursuivant Syrinx'' drawing by [[Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson|Girodet]], 1826]]
{{Greek deities (nymphs)}}

In classical [[Greek mythology]], '''Syrinx''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɪ|r|ɪ|ŋ|k|s}} ({{langx|grc|Σύριγξ|Súrinx|pipe}}) was an Arcadian [[nymph]] and a follower of [[Artemis]], known for her [[chastity]]. Being pursued by Pan, she fled into the river [[Ladon (river)|Ladon]], and at her own request was metamorphosed into a reed from which Pan then made his panpipes.

== Mythology ==
=== Story ===
Syrinx was a beautiful wood nymph who had many times attracted the attention of satyrs, and fled their advances in turn. She worshipped [[Artemis]], the goddess of wilderness, and, like her, had vowed to remain a virgin for all of time. Pursued by the amorous god [[Pan (god)|Pan]], she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the [[Potamides (mythology)|river nymph]]s. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water [[Phragmites|reed]]s that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of [[panpipes]], which were thenceforth known as ''{{Linktext|syrinx}}''.<ref name="ov">[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Ov.+Met.+1.650 1.689ff]</ref> The word ''[[syringe]]'' is derived from this word.

=== Authors ===
[[Ovid]] includes the story of Pan and Syrinx in Book One of the ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', where it is told by Mercury to Argus in the course of lulling him asleep in order to kill him.<ref name="ov"/> The myth is also preserved in the works of some anonymous Greek paradoxographer.<ref>Anton Westermann, ''Paradoxographers anonymous'', p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=eTUOAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA222 222], 1839.</ref>

The story is also told in [[Achilles Tatius]]' novel ''[[Leucippe and Clitophon]]'' where the eponymous heroine is subjected to a virginity test by entering a cave where Pan has left syrinx pipes that will sound a melody if she passes.<ref>{{cite book | editor-last1 = Reardon | editor-first1 = B.P. | chapter = Leucippe and Clitophon | translator = [[John J. Winkler]] | title = Collected Ancient Greek Novels | location = Berkeley | publisher = University of California Press | date = 2008 | pages = 272-273}}</ref> This has similarities with another myth Achilles wrote down, that of [[Rhodopis and Euthynicus|Rhodopis]], who was transformed into a fountain that served as a virginity testing place for maidens.<ref>{{cite book | page = 306 | title = Metamorphosis in Greek Myths | first = Paul M. C. | last = Forbes Irving | publisher = [[Clarendon Press]] | date = 1990 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=URvXAAAAMAAJ | isbn = 0-19-814730-9}}</ref>

Longus makes reference to Syrinx in his tale of "Daphnis and Chloe" in Book 2:34. Whilst the description of the tale here is modified to that of Ovid, it nevertheless incorporates [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]]'s desire to have her. Longus, however, makes no reference to Syrinx receiving aid from the Nymphs in his version, instead Syrinx hides from Pan in amongst some reeds and disappears into the marsh. Upon realising what had happened to Syrinx, Pan created the first set of panpipes from the reeds she was transformed into, forcing her to be with him for the rest of his days.

== Representations ==

=== In literature ===
The story became popular among artists and writers in the 19th century. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem entitled "A Musical Instrument" describing Pan's ruinous actions in creating the musical pipes. The Victorian artist and poet [[Thomas Woolner]] wrote ''Silenus'', a long narrative poem about the myth, in which Syrinx becomes the lover of [[Silenus]], but drowns when she attempts to escape rape by Pan. As a result of the crime, Pan is transmuted into a demon figure and Silenus becomes a drunkard.<ref>Thomas Woolner, ''Silenus'', Macmillan, 1884.</ref> [[Amy Clampitt]]'s poem ''Syrinx'' refers to the myth by relating the whispering of the reeds to the difficulties of language.

[[File:Pan_Pursuing_Syrinx_LACMA_AC1992.225.2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Pan Pursuing Syrinx'' by Ignaz Elhafen, c. 1690–1695, LACMA.]]

The story was used as a central theme by Aifric Mac Aodha in her poetry collection ''Gabháil Syrinx''.

[[Samuel R. Delany]] features an instrument called a syrynx in his science-fiction novel [[Nova (novel)|''Nova'']].

Syrinx is the name of one of the main characters in [[the Night's Dawn Trilogy]] of [[space opera]] novels by British author [[Peter F. Hamilton]]. In the trilogy, Syrinx is a member of the transhumanist future society known as Edenism, and serves as the captain of the ''Oenone'', a living starship.

A 1972 poem by [[James Merrill]], titled "Syrinx", draws on several aspects on the mythological tale, with the poet himself identifying with the celebrated nymph, desiring to become not just a "reed" but a "thinking reed" (in contrast to a "thinking stone", as critic [[Helen Vendler]] has observed, noting the influence of a [[Wallace Stevens]] lyric, "Le Monocle de Mon Oncle").<ref name=Merrill/> The poet aspires to return to his "scarred case" with minimal suffering inflicted by "the great god Pain", a play of words on the Greek god [[Pan (god)|Pan]]. "Syrinx" is the final poem in Merrill's 1972 collection, ''[[Braving the Elements]]''.<ref name=Merrill>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=September 24, 1972|first=Helen|last=Vendler|access-date=March 25, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/03/04/specials/merrill-elements.html|title=New Merrill}}</ref>

=== In philosophy ===
In ''Dark Places of Wisdom'', Peter Kingsley discusses in some detail the use of the word in [[Parmenides]]' poem and in association with the ancient practice of incubation.<ref>pages 101-135, but especially pages 116ff on "The Sound of Piping". Also pages 3–5 of [https://www.peterkingsley.org/cw3/Admin/images/SpiritualTradition.pdf Excerpts from ''In the Dark Places of Wisdom and Reality'', by Peter Kingsley] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315101723/http://www.peterkingsley.org/cw3/Admin/images/SpiritualTradition.pdf |date=2015-03-15 }}</ref>

=== In art ===
[[File:Jean-François de Troy - Pan and Syrinx.jpg|thumb|''Pan and Syrinx'' by [[Jean-François de Troy]], 1722-1724]]
The British Victorian artist [[Arthur Hacker]] depicted Syrinx in his 1892 nude. This painting in oil on canvas is currently on display in [[Manchester Art Gallery]].

A sculpture of Syrinx created in 1925 by sculptor [[William McMillan (sculptor)|William McMillan]] is displayed at the [[Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum]] in Glasgow.

Sculptor [[Adolph Wolter]] was commissioned in 1973 to create a replacement for a stolen sculpture of [[Syrinx (sculpture)|Syrinx]] in [[Indianapolis]], United States. This work was a replacement for a similar statue by [[Myra Reynolds Richards]] that had been stolen. The sculpture sits in University Park located in the city's [[Indiana World War Memorial Plaza]].

[[Abraham Jannsens]] painted Syrinx in 1620 as part of "Pan and Syrinx".

=== In music ===
{{listen|filename=Debussy - Syrinx.ogg|title=Syrinx|description=[[Claude Debussy]]'s [[Syrinx (Debussy)|Syrinx]]. Performed by Sarah Bassingthwaighte|format=[[ogg]]}}

[[Claude Debussy]] based his 1913 [[Syrinx (Debussy)|''Syrinx'' (Debussy)]] on Pan's sadness over losing his love. The piece is still popular today; it was used as incidental music in the play ''Psyché'' by [[Gabriel Mourey]].<ref>James McCalla, ''Twentieth-century Chamber Music: Routledge Studies in Musical Genres'', Routledge, 2003, p.48</ref>

The story of [[Pan (god)|Pan]] and Syrinx is the inspiration for the first movement in [[Benjamin Britten]]'s work for solo oboe, [[Six Metamorphoses after Ovid]] first performed in 1951. Britten titled the movement, "Pan: who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved."

[[Maurice Ravel]] incorporated the character of the Syrinx into his ballet ''[[Daphnis et Chloé]]''.

[[Gustav Holst]] alludes to the story of Pan and Syrinx in the opening of his [[Choral Symphony (Holst)|Choral Symphony]], which draws from the text of John Keats' 1818 poem "[[Endymion (poem)|Endymion]]."

French Baroque composer Michel Pignolet de Montéclair composed "Pan et Syrinx", a cantata for voice and ensemble (No. 4 of ''Second livre de cantates'').

Danish composer [[Carl Nielsen]] composed ''[[Pan and Syrinx]]'' (''Pan og Syrinx''), Op. 49, FS 87.

The British folk-rock band Oberon included a flute solo called "Syrinx" on its 1970 album, ''A Midsummer's Night Dream.''

[[Canadians|Canadian]] electronic [[progressive rock]] band [[Syrinx (band)|Syrinx]] took their name from the legend.

Canadian [[progressive rock]] band [[Rush (band)|Rush]] have a movement titled "The Temples of Syrinx" in their song "[[2112 (song)|2112]]" on their album ''[[2112 (album)|2112]]''. The song is about a [[dystopia]]n futuristic society in which the arts, particularly music, have been suppressed by the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx.

Related to the Rush reference, Maryland based rockers [[Clutch (band)|Clutch]] mention the Temples of Syrinx in their song "10001110101" from their album ''[[Robot Hive/Exodus]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pro-rock.com/index.cfm?page=discography&view=lyrics&albumid=14&lid=21|title = CLUTCH}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[3360 Syrinx]] - an asteroid named after Syrinx
* [[Uakti (myth)|Uakti]] - a similar myth

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |last=Greppin |first=John A. C. |title=The Etymology of Greek Σῦριγξ 'Pipe' |journal=Historische Sprachforschung |trans-journal=Historical Linguistics |volume=103 |issue=1 |date=1990 |pages=35–37 |jstor=40848933}} Accessed 19 Feb. 2023.
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=1867 |title=Syrinx |encyclopedia=[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]] |publisher=Little, Brown, and Company |location=Boston, MA |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/acl3129.0003.001/974?page=root;rgn=full+text;size=100;view=image |last=Schmitz |first=Leonhard |volume=3 |page=966}}

== External links ==

* {{Commons-inline}}
* {{Commons-inline|Pan and Syrinx}}
{{Metamorphoses in Greek mythology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Metamorphoses into plants in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Nymphs]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses characters]]
[[Category:Deeds of Pan (god)]]
[[Category:Consorts of Pan (god)]]
[[Category:Retinue of Artemis]]