Silvanus

/sil vay"neuhs/, n., pl. Silvani /-nuy/ for 2. Rom. Religion.

1. the god of forests and uncultivated land, later worshiped under three aspects, as the protector of the house, of the herds, and of the boundaries of the farm.

2. (l.c.) any of a number of forest spirits, identified with fauns.

Also, Sylvanus.

[ < L; see SYLVAN]

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▪ Roman god

      in Roman religion, the god of the countryside, similar in character to Faunus, the god of animals, with whom he is often identified; he is usually depicted in the guise of a countryman. Initially the spirit of the unreclaimed woodland fringing the settlement, he had some of the menace of the unknown. As clearings pushed back the forest, he evolved into a god of woodland pastures, of boundaries, and of villas, parks, and gardens. He never enjoyed a state cult or temple, but the simple ritual of his private worship at a sacred grove or tree had a universal appeal. In Latin literature his character tended to merge with that of the Greek god Silenus, a minor woodland deity, or Pan, a god of forests, pastures, and shepherds, and to be assimilated into the Greco-Roman mythological tradition.

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