Picus [portable] -

In a fit of divine rage, Circe raised her wand and transformed Picus on the spot. He didn’t turn into a pig. He turned into a .

But in ancient Roman mythology, the woodpecker—known as —was far more than just a bird. He was a god. And his story is one of the strangest and most captivating tales from the classical world. Who Was Picus? In the pre-Roman mythology of the Latins, Picus was the son of Saturn (the god of time and generation) and the father of Faunus (the god of the forest). He was the original king of Latium (the region where Rome would one day rise). In a fit of divine rage, Circe raised

So the next time you hear a woodpecker drumming on a tree, pause for a moment. Don’t just see a bird looking for insects. See a lost king. See a prophet in feathers. See —still tapping out the secrets of the forest, still searching for his lost love, still refusing to bow to Circe’s spell. Have you ever encountered a woodpecker in the wild and felt like it was trying to tell you something? Share your story in the comments below. But in ancient Roman mythology, the woodpecker—known as

Picus was deeply in love with a beautiful nymph named . She had a voice so enchanting that she could move trees and calm rivers with her song. Picus was devoted to her, and for a while, they were happy. Who Was Picus

Never spurn a witch.

The sorceress —the same enchantress who turned Odysseus’s men into pigs—fell madly in love with Picus. She saw him hunting in her woods and was immediately obsessed. But Picus rejected her scornfully. "I belong to Canens alone," he said. "I will never be yours."