Picus
Publié le 22/02/2012
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(Woodpecker) Roman An ancient Italian
god of the wild country, perhaps a satyr. In
this very early mythology, Picus was said to be the
son of a laborer whose name meant "dung heap."
He had the power to see into the future and to
change his shape. He often chose to be a woodpecker,
an animal sacred to the god Mars. Picus,
the woodpecker, was believed to have helped the
she-wolf protect the infants Romulus and Remus,
who would start the city of Rome, after they were
abandoned in the wild.
Over time, the myths surrounding Picus changed.
Eventually, he evolved into an early legendary king of
Latium. In this role he was the son of King Saturnus,
who would be deified as the god Saturn; father of
the Faunus, another ancient god whose story evolved
in a way to give him human ancestry; and grandfather
of Latinus, king of Latium when Aeneas arrived
from Troy.
In this version of his story, Picus was a great
warrior with the power to see into the future, a gift
that helped him in battle. He used his skills to his
advantage. He kept as a pet a green woodpecker,
for woodpeckers also had the gift of prophecy.
Eventually, the king fell victim to jealousy. Though
Picus was married to the Nymph Canens, he loved
the goddess Pomona, but the goddess Circe also
fell in love with Picus. When he did not return
her love, Circe, in a fit of rage, turned Picus into a
woodpecker.
Liens utiles
- Picenum (du latin picus, « pivert »), région de l'Italie antique.
- Picus (Woodpecker) Roman An ancient Italian god of the wild country, perhaps a satyr.
- PICUS
- PICUS (Mythologie)