An Essay on Satyr Names
An Essay on Satyr Names
The skilful and imaginative vase paintings of satyrs make us forget that they originated in a real spectacle. In this essay, I propose to consider satyr names as the names of actual revellers and mummers, rather than as an invention by the painters or as names of daemons, viz. as fragments of an infinitely richer world. This perspective has wider ramifications than merely shedding light on the society in which these spectacles took place and on the technical language of the Bacchic parade. It can contribute to our understanding of, for example, why in the course of Greek history descriptive names were progressively relegated to nicknames. It highlights the role of metonymy in colloquial Greek and the influence of the parade of satyrs in naming practices. And it helps to explain the sense and meaning of several Greek words and names. Part I deals with some general questions on this phenomenon. Part II discusses the meanings of 40 difficult or remarkable satyr names and deals with more specific questions, such as the use of masks and soot, and coarse names.
Keywords: Satyrs, Nicknames, Metonymy, Dionysiac parades, Masks, Soot, vulgar names
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