Syrinx

For other uses, see Syrinx (disambiguation).

Greek deities series
Primordial deities
Titans and Olympians
Aquatic deities
Chthonic deities
Personified concepts
Other deities
Asclepius, god of medicine Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis Pan, shepherd god
Nymphs
Alseid Auloniad Crinaeae Dryads Eleionomae Hamadryads Hesperides Limnades Meliae	Naiads Napaeae Nereids Oceanids Oreads Pegaeae Pegasides Pleiades Potamides

In classical mythology, Syrinx (Greek Συριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. Pursued by the amorous Greek god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of pan pipes, which were thenceforth known as syrinx. The word syringe was derived from this word.

In literature

The story became popular among artists and writers in the 19th century. 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. Amy Clampitt's poem Syrinx refers to the myth by relating the whispering of the reeds to the difficulties of language.

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

In art

"Pan and Syrinx" by Jean-François de Troy

The Victorian artist, Arthur Hacker (September 25, 1858 – November 12, 1919), depicted Syrinx in his 1892 nude. This painting in oil on canvas is currently on display in Manchester Art Gallery.

Sculptor Adolph Wolter was commissioned in 1973 to create a replacement for a stolen sculpture of Syrinx in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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.

In Music

Claude Debussy wrote "Syrinx (La Flute De Pan)" based on Pan's sadness over losing his love. This piece was the first unaccompanied flute solo of the 20th century, and remains a very popular addition to the modern flutist's repertoire. It was also transcribed for solo saxophone, becoming a standard performance piece for saxophone too. It was used as incidental music in the play Psyché by Gabriel Mourey.

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

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

Canadian electronic progressive rock band Syrinx took their name from the legend.

Canadian progressive rock band Rush have a movement titled "The Temples of Syrinx" in their song 2112 on their album 2112. The song is about a dystopian futuristic society in which the arts, particularly music, have been suppressed by the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx.

In Video Games

In ThunderForce VI, both the cancelled Dreamcast game and released PlayStation 2 game, there were playable fighters known as the Syrinx. In the case of the Dreamcast game, it would have been labeled Fire Leo-05P "Syrinx", colored like that of the RVR series of fighters from ThunderForce V, while in the PS2 game, it would simply be known as Syrinx, colored akin to the Fire Leo lineup of fighters seen in earlier games.