batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5865-l5878
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5865-l5878
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: POMONA. / VERTUMNUS. / PALES. / PICUS.; lines 5865-5878
start: '5865'
end: '5878'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage describes Picus as a prophetic woodland divinity, son of Saturn
and father of Faunus. It relates a myth in which Picus, married to the nymph Canens,
rejects Circe’s advances; Circe then transforms him into a woodpecker, in which
form he retains prophetic powers. Picus is iconographically represented as a youth
with a woodpecker on his head, and the woodpecker becomes associated with prophecy.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Picus is identified as the son of Saturn and father of Faunus.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Picus is described as a woodland divinity with prophetic powers.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A myth describes Picus as a beautiful youth united to a nymph named Canens.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Circe becomes infatuated with Picus and tries to gain his love.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Picus rejects Circe’s advances.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Circe changes Picus into a woodpecker in revenge.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: Picus retains his prophetic powers after being changed into a woodpecker.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:8
text: Picus is represented as a youth with a woodpecker perched on his head.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:9
text: The woodpecker is thereafter regarded as possessing prophetic power.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Picus
description: Son of Saturn, father of Faunus, woodland divinity, prophetic youth
transformed into a woodpecker.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Saturn
description: Named as the father of Picus.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Faunus
description: Named as the son of Picus.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Canens
description: A nymph united to Picus.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Circe
description: A sorceress infatuated with Picus who changes him into a woodpecker
after his rejection.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: woodland divinity
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Picus is explicitly called a woodland divinity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: prophetic figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Picus is said to have prophetic powers and to retain them after transformation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: transformed youth
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The myth describes Picus as a beautiful youth changed into a woodpecker.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: rejecter of unwanted advances
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Picus rejects Circe’s attempts to secure his love.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: divine father
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Saturn is named as Picus’s father.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: descendant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Faunus is named as Picus’s son.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:7
label: nymph spouse or consort
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Canens is named as the nymph to whom Picus was united.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:8
label: sorceress
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Circe is explicitly called a sorceress.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:9
label: agent of revenge transformation
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: After Picus rejects her, Circe changes him into a woodpecker in revenge.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: woodpecker
literal_form: Woodpecker; the animal form into which Picus is changed and the bird
shown perched on his head in representation.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: prophetic bird
literal_form: Woodpecker regarded as possessing prophetic power.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Picus identified as prophetic woodland divinity
summary: 'Picus is introduced through family relations and attributes: son of Saturn,
father of Faunus, woodland divinity, and possessor of prophetic powers.'
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Circe transforms Picus
summary: Picus, united to Canens, rejects Circe’s advances; Circe takes revenge
by changing him into a woodpecker, while he keeps his prophetic powers.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Woodpecker as prophetic sign
summary: Picus is represented as a youth with a woodpecker on his head, and the
woodpecker is regarded as prophetic.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: human transformed into bird after rejected desire
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: Circe changes Picus into a woodpecker after he rejects her advances.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy term 'shapeshifter' is approximate, since the passage
describes an involuntary magical transformation rather than voluntary shape-shifting.
- id: motif:2
label: prophetic power retained after metamorphosis
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Picus retains his prophetic powers after being changed into a woodpecker.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: No more specific available taxonomy reference is provided for retained
prophetic power after transformation.
- id: motif:3
label: animal associated with prophecy
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The woodpecker becomes regarded as possessing the power of prophecy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the association but does not elaborate ritual or omen
practices.
- id: motif:4
label: rejected sorceress punishes beloved
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Circe, described as infatuated with Picus, attempts to secure his love and
transforms him in revenge when rejected.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the act as revenge but gives only a brief handbook-style
account.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5865-5868
quote_or_summary: Picus is described as son of Saturn, father of Faunus, a woodland
divinity, and gifted with prophetic powers.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5870-5875
quote_or_summary: A myth says Picus was a beautiful youth united to the nymph Canens;
Circe desired him, he rejected her, and she changed him into a woodpecker, in
which form he retained prophecy.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5877-5878
quote_or_summary: Picus is represented as a youth with a woodpecker on his head,
and the bird is thereafter regarded as prophetic.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage is brief and explicit for figures, relationships, transformation,
and prophetic bird association. Taxonomy mapping is limited because the available
motif family 'shapeshifter' only approximately matches an involuntary metamorphosis.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No comparison claims added because the passage itself does not provide comparative framing beyond the local myth account.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l5865-l5878
passage_sha256=4156e97b63d173a0555b0e08875abedfa6e8bb99229d4a61f3207ce0442cdd50