*78 The Greek god Pan was the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and of Dryops' daughter. Pan was revered as the god of the mountain slopes and herds. His half-human appearance (thick fur, goat hooves, horns, chin and tail) and scream sometimes caused "panic-like fear." He played magically on the flute; and had power of prophecy, apparently teaching this art to Apollo. In Roman mythology he was called Faunus. He was revered by Greek mystics, who saw in him a symbol of the absolute (the Greek word "pan" means all). In esotericism, Pan and his father Hermes are an expression of the polarity and of the whole of knowledge and life.