Picus [updated] Official

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

Unlike the thunderous gods of Olympus, Picus was a local, earthy deity. He was a —the art of divination by birds. His name literally means “woodpecker” in Latin. But in ancient Roman mythology, the woodpecker—known as

Then came the witch.