Thursday, January 8, 2026

Which god gave us the word ‘panic’?

Uncontrollable fear and anxiety is known as panic, but it might help alleviate your fears to learn about the ancient Greek myth behind the word.
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What Greek myth is the origin of 'panic'?

Uncontrollable fear and anxiety is known as panic, but it might help alleviate your fears to learn about the ancient Greek myth behind the word.

Statue of mythological greek god Pan

I n Greek mythology, Pan was a fertility deity said to roam freely in the mountains, caves, and forests of Greece. Faunlike in appearance, he was typically represented as mostly human in form but with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. As the patron of shepherds, Pan concerned himself with flocks and herds of pastoral animals. He was also a free-spirited — and notoriously lusty — god of the wilds, who enjoyed dancing in the moonlight with the nymphs and playing his eponymous panpipe. 

As a god of nature and protector of animals, Pan can be seen as a positive force. But he had a dualistic nature, being neither purely good nor evil. Pan could be wild and unpredictable and possessed a peculiar and disconcerting power: the ability to instill a sudden, overwhelming fear in anyone who raised his hircine (goatlike) hackles. According to the ancient myths, he became particularly irritated when anyone interrupted his afternoon naps. If a passing stranger did disturb his slumber, Pan would let out a chilling yell that sent terror coursing through anyone nearby — a type of fear named "panic" in his honor. 

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