Aiton’s Encyclopedia
A Practical Reference Library in Five Volumes — keyed from the public-domain original
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Faunus

in Roman mythology, a king of Latium. He was the grandson of Saturn, and was worshiped as the god of agriculture and the protector of shepherds. He came to be identified at a later period with the Greek Pan. His wife was Fauna. As Faunus manifested himself in various ways, the idea of fauni or fauns arose. They were frolicsome woodland deities somewhat akin to satyrs. They are represented as having the legs and feet of goats and the rest of the body human. They had grotesque pointed ears. The country people sacrificed lambs and kids to them with all solemnity. They are represented as fond of sport and dancing.

Volume II · Aiton’s Encyclopedia