A series of bamboo shoots, dried and tied together, and cut to sequentially shorter lengths so that the open ends are all flush with each other. When air is blown across the openings, notes are produced. "Pan" was a Greek mythological character, often drawn as a faun, who symbolized fertility and festivities. He was definitely in cahoots with Bacchus. The phrase "to play one's pan pipes" is to waste time in silliness, especially when there's something better to be done, and is similar to fiddling while Rome burns. The band Cake sings "I just want to play on my pan pipes" in their song "sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell". Zamfir is the only man who ever got famous playing pan pipes besides Pan.