Priape

In the Greek Mythology, Priape (in Greek old Πρίαπος / Príapos ) is a god of the fertility, it is a god Ithyphallique, guard of the gardens and herds. Its equivalent in Roman mythology names Mutinus Mutunus. One constantly recognizes Priape by his gigantic penis in erection. This characteristic gave its name at the end medical Priapisme.

Myth

It is born with Lampsaque, on the Hellespont, in Asia Mineure. He is the son of Dionysos and Aphrodite (certain traditions give rather him Hermes or Adonis, even Zeus for father). Other authors, it growing old several generations, see in him Titan to which Héra would have entrusted the responsibility to teach the handling of the weapons with Arès. It generally is represented in a grotesque way, equipped with enormous a Phallus in perpetual erection. The Romains often place in their garden of the coarse statues out of wooden (of the Hermai ) of Figuier, painted vermilion, Priape representative, to be used as scarecrow.

Priape is the incarnated obscenity. This deformity would be due to the ill will of Héra, jealous of the beauty of Aphrodite. Ashamed, it gives up the child. It is collected by shepherds who appreciate his rusticity.

Priape draws aside the evil eye and its statue protects the orchards, but he knows neither the pleasure nor fruitfulness. He likes that one sacrifices a ass to him: one night when it was going to violate Hestia, the goddess is informed by a braying. For the festival of Hestia, on the other hand, the asses are crowned flowers. A different explanation is given of its hatred for the asses: it originates in a quarrel with an ass that Dionysos equipped with the word, in reward of a service. The cause is the respective size of their male member. Priape has the top and beats the ass with death.

History

Although originally, the Gallic Peuples were turned towards the Culte of the goddess, like Belisama for example, they also had in their let us panthéons gods masculine. After the conquest of the Gaulle, and under the growing influence of the Romans, the worship of the phallus and thus of priape entered the Gallic sphere. A Gallo-Roman particular worship developed around the Phallus.

See also: Sexuality of the Gallic

Medicine

In pathology, the Priapisme indicates a painful and prolonged erection and this without erotic provocation.

Artistic evocations

Epithets and attributes

Sources

  • (IV, 6,1).

  • (CLX).
  • (I, 415 and suiv.).
  • (IX, 31,2).
  • (VIII, 6,24; XIII, 1,12).

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