Shakespeare's Myths

Isidore of Seville. Etymologies (7th century), VIII, xi, 24-25:

[Belphegor was an idol of the Moabites, the same as Baal, living on mount Phegor. He was also called Priapus, who was chased from Lampsacus and counted among the gods on account of the size of his virile member; he protected the gardens and made them fertile]

 

Giovanni Boccaccio. Genealogia (1350-1374, 1472), VIII, iii, “De Vesta”:

[Priapus is believed to have lusted after Vesta, which illustrates that “Nitimur in vetitum cupimus semperque negatum”, Boccaccio’s version of  Ovid, Amores, III, iv, 17, which Marlowe loosely translates as “How to attain what is denied we think …” Ovid’s Elegies, III, iv, 17]

 

Giovanni Boccaccio. Genealogia (1350-1374, 1472), XIV, vi, “Poesim esse utilem facultatem” [Poetry is a useful art]:

[Because Praxiteles or Phidias, those great masters of sculpture, have sculpted lewd Priapus lusting after Iole rather than Diana, who can be seen in perfect honesty, because Apelles or our Giotto — whom Apelles, in his time, did not supersede — have represented Mars making love with Venus, rather than Jupiter dispensing justice on his throne, shall we say that those arts must be condemned? To agree to that would be sheer stupidity.]

 

Thomas Elyot. Dictionary (1538) (STC 7659):

Ithyphallus: The name of Priapus, the most dishonest and abominable idol. Also the secret member being in prosperity.

 

Lilio Gregorio Giraldi. De Deis Gentium (1548), syntagma VIII, “De Baccho, et Osidire, et Priapo”.

 

Natale Conti. Mythologia (1567), V, xv, “De Priapo”.

[Priapus’ lineage; stories about his birth; Lotis; competition with a donkey (from Lactantius, Divine Institutions, I, xxi, 84); Priapus as avatar of Osiris’ lost penis; Priapus as a well-endowed Lampsacian. Physical interpretation as the seed of natural things and assimilation of Priapus and Pan; moral interpretation as lechery caused by wine; moral interpretation of sexual intercourse as ugly though necessary.]

 

Vincenzo Cartari. Imagini (1556)

[Priapus was born in Lampsacus. Because his member was too great in size, he was chased out. He is the god of gardens and wooden representations of him can be found in orchards].

 

Thomas Cooper. Thesaurus (1565) (STC 5686):

Bacchus: called also Liber, Dionysius, Osiris, Priapus, Lenoeus, Bromius, and Brotinus.

Priapus: An idol, unto whom the paynims committed their gardens to keep. Also a city of Hellespont.

 

Thomas Drant. “The eighth Satire [of Horace]” from Horace his Arte of Poetrie, Pistles, and Satyrs (1567) (STC 13797):

The garden God Priapus being erected as a watch to drive away birds and thieves, complaineth himself to be sore scarred of the old witch Canadia, her fellow sorcerers Sagana, and such like. He partly toucheth the manner of their practising.

I was sometimes a very block,

the body of a tree,

The wright, uncertain what to make,

a stool, or God of me,

His pleasure was to make me God;

mine office is to fray

Both birds and thieves, that would com filch

our fruit from hence away.

As images (most commonly)

the workmen use to make,

To purchase ease, or wealth to men,

and for their lucre sake.

This orchard was a sepulchre

indeed, a public grave,

For Nomentane and Pantolabe  [Nomentanus, parasite and buffoon; Pantolabus, a spendthrift]

and every rascal slave.

The plat of ground, was broad and square,

and of a mighty length,

Some tombs there were right beautiful,

and of a during strength.

This place that was a dampish soil,

and white, with dead men’s bones,

Is now a pleasant paradise,

to walk in for the nones.

The velvet grass, the wholesome herbs,

the trees in motley livery,

Both art and nature have bestowed,

abundantly their tapestry.

I am molested very much

with fowls, and cleeking thieves.     [cleeking: clutching, snatching, plucking]

Yet most these charming sorcerers,

undoubtedly me grieves:

Who do with poison, and with spells,

bereave men of their wits:

I cannot stay these mother mabs,

but they will charm by fits.

I marked the drabish sorcerers,

and heard their dismal spell.

The matter went so hard with me,

(there was no other boote)

I let a scape: Dame Cannadie       [Canadia, a witch]

she moved her aged foot,

And trotteth on her way so hard,

that all her teeth out fall:

The other Trot lost her red hive,    [hive: head-covering of platted straw, OED 5a]

she hid her bush withal.               [bush: bushy head of hair, OED 7]

There mightst thou find their conjured herbs,

their threads, and knacks of art,

And for to see the beldams scared,

have laughed out thy part.

 

Arthur Golding. Metamorphoses (1567):

I saw how from the slivered flowers red drops of blood did fall

And how that, shuddering horribly, the branches quaked withal.

You must perceive that (as too late the countryfolk declare)

A nymph called Lotis, flying from foul Pryap’s filthy ware,

Was turned into this same tree, reserving still her name. (IX.415-19)

 

This was her [Pomona’s] love and whole delight. And as for Venus’ deeds,

She had no mind at all of them. And for because she dreads

Enforcement by the country folk, she walled her yards about,

Not suffering any man at all to enter in or out.

What have not those same nimble lads so apt to frisk and dance,

The satyrs, done? Or what the Pans that wantonly do prance

With horned foreheads? And the old Silenus, who is aye

More youthful than his years? And eke the fiend that scares away   [Priapus]

The thieves and robbers with his hook, or with his privy part

To win her love? (XIV.721-730)

 

Thomas Thomas. Dictionarium Linguae Latinae et Anglicanae (1587) (STC 24008):

Priapus: The yard of a man or boy.

 

Abraham Fleming. The Bucoliks of Publius Virgilius Maro (1589) (STC 24817), VII, 33-43:

O thou, Diana, Delia called, Micon the little youth

Doth give to thee the head of this same stiff and bristly boar,

And branched horns of long-liv’d stag, if this may be mine own.

Thou shalt stand whole of marble smooth, being brass’d about the legs

With buskins brave of purple hue, or colour pleasant red.

O, Priap, thou, it is enough for thee to look and have

Of us a bowl of milk, and year by year these baked cakes,

Because thou art the keeper of a poor and simple garden;

We have thee now of marble made, according to the time,

But if so be that bringing forth of young ones do increase

And fill our flock with store, then be thou, Priap, all of gold.

[Translates Virgil, Eclogues, VII, 29-36]

 

Abraham Fleming. The Georgiks of Publius Virgilius Maro (1589) (STC 24817), IV, 159-62:

Let gardens, breathing out, or smelling sweet with saffron flowers,

Entice bees to them, and let the keeper of thieves and birds

With willow wand like reaping hook, let him which is the guard

Of Priap, born in Hellespont, save gardens from annoy.

[Translates Virgil, Georgics, IV, 109-11]

 

Abraham Fraunce. The first part of the Countess of Pembroke’s Yvychurch, Amyntas’ Pastoral (1591)  (STC 11340), III, ii, 31-33:

… [I] swore by the mighty

Nightwandering Hecate, Pallas, Pomona, Priapus,

And Pan, pastors’ god, that I would perform what he willed me.

 

Abraham Fraunce. The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yvychurch (1592) (STC 11341), p. 51:

Of Venus and Bacchus, Priapus was born: lust comes from wine and delicacy.

 

Abraham Fraunce. The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yvychurch (1592) (STC 11341), p. 52:

[Adapts Ovid, Metamorphoses, XIV, 637-42, 672-78]

What did not the satyrs, that frisking lusty Juventus, [takes for a person’s name Ovid’s “iuventus” (youngsters), qualifying the satyrs]

And Pan with pine-boughs on his horns, and fleshly Priapus,

And old Silenus, well stuff’d with youthful Iacchus, [established text reads “suis semper iuvenilior annis” (still younger than his years); instead, Fraunce describes Silenus as drunk with Iacchus, or Bacchus]

Old staggering Toss-pot Silenus, with many other

Rural Gods, t’obtain so sweet and lovely a goddess?

Yet more than the satyrs, than Pan, than fleshly Priapus,

Than th’ old Silenus, Vertumnus faithfully serv’d her,

And more heartily lov'd, though no more luckily lov’d her.

Yea, ev’n now (though now thou live here sole in an orchard,

Sole in an orchard here, and all inclos’d as an anch’ress)

Sileni, Fauni, Silvani, all the delightful

Crew of rural gods, still run to the Lady of apples.     [Pomona]

But thou, if thou wilt have this thy match to be well made,

Take heed, learn in time, and lend thine ear to a beldam,

Who, as a woman, must of right, wish well to a woman,

And as an old woman, must needs know more then a damsel,

Disdain these demi-gods, that roam and range by the deserts,

Wood-gods, wooden gods, pied Pan, and filthy Priapus,

And take Vertumnus to thy mate, who, more than a thousand

Sileni, Fauni, Silvani, daily desires thee,

And therefore (sith love craves love) more duly deserv’s thee.

 

Thomas May. Virgil's Georgicks (1628) (STC 24823-4), IV, 141-44:

Let saffron gardens odoriferous,

Which th’ image of Lampsacian Priapus

Guards with his hook of willow to affright

Both thieves and hurtful fowls, the bees invite.

[Translates Virgil’s Eclogues, IV, 109-11]

 

George SandysOvid’s Metamorphosis (1632) (STC 18966), p. 308:

… I saw the blood descend

From dropping twigs, the boughs with horror bend,

And heard, too late, how that a nymph, who fled

From lustful Priapus to quit her dread,

Assum’d this shape; the name of Lotis kept. (Book IX)

[A marginal note defines Priapus as “The deformed god of propagation]

 

George SandysOvid’s Metamorphosis (1632), p. 331 (STC 18966):

She [Lotis] is said to be pursued by Priapus [god] of the fecundity of orchards; wherein he had his image erected, as their protector, and the god of propagation. Feigned therefore to be the son of Dionysus and Nais [a Naiad]: Dionysus taken for the sun, and Nais for moisture, whereby all things are conceived; his name no other than the general seeds of things. It is said that Venus hid him for his deformity: to show how many things are necessary in Nature, which are yet to be concealed for their unseemliness. But his obscene statue and filthy ceremonies can neither be spoken of, nor heard with modesty. St. Jerome [Hosea, IV, IX; Against Jovinian, I] and Isidorus [Etymologies, VIII, xi, 24] were of opinion that this Priapus was the same with Bel-peor, the god of the Midianites, worshipped also by Maach [Maachah], whose idol her son Asa burnt, and removed her from all her dignity, in that the principal in those beastly customs [2 Chronicles, 15: 16].

 

George Sandys. Ovid’s Metamorphosis (1632) (STC 18966), XIV, p. 469:

What left the skipping satyrs un-assay’d,

Rude Pan, whose horns pine-bristled garlands shade,

Silenus, still more youthful than his years,

Or he, who thieves with hook and member fears,

To taste her sweetness?

 

Ben Jonson. “The Praises of a Country Life”, Under-wood (1640) (STC 14754), lxxxv,17-22:

[Translates Horace, Epodes, II, 18-23]

Or when that Autumn, through the fields, lifts round

His head, with mellow apples crown’d,

How plucking pears, his own hand grafted had,

And purple-matching grapes, he’s glad!

With which, Priapus, he may thank thy hands,

And, Sylvan, thine, that keptst his lands! 

How to cite

Frédéric Delord. "Priapus."  2009.  In A Dictionary of Shakespeare's Classical Mythology (2009-), ed. Yves Peyré.  http://www.shakmyth.org/myth/257/priapus

<< back to top >>