Bacchus - Roman God of Wine - Crystalinks Bacchus - Roman God of Wine Dionysus or Dionysos, was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500-1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete. His origins are uncertain, and his cults took many forms; some are described by ancient sources as Thracian, others as Greek. In some cults, he arrives from the east, as an Asiatic foreigner; in others, from Ethiopia in the South. He is a god of epiphany, "the god that comes", and his "foreignness" as an arriving outsider-god may be inherent and essential to his cults. He is a major, popular figure of Greek mythology and religion, and is included in some lists of the twelve Olympians. His festivals were the driving force behind the development of Greek theatre. He is an example of a dying god.

The earliest cult images of Dionysus show a mature male, bearded and robed. He holds a fennel staff, tipped with a pine-cone and known as a thyrsus. Later images show him as a beardless, sensuous, naked or half-naked androgynous youth: the literature describes him as womanly or "man-womanish". In its fully developed form, his central cult imagery shows his triumphant, disorderly arrival or return, as if from some place beyond the borders of the known and civilized. His procession (thiasus) is made up of wild female followers (maenads) and ithyphallic, bearded satyrs. Some are armed with the thyrsus, some dance or play music. The god himself is drawn in a chariot, usually by exotic beasts such as lions or tigers, and is sometimes attended by a bearded, drunken Silenus. This procession is presumed to be the cult model for the human followers of his Dionysian Mysteries. In his Thracian mysteries, he wears the bassaris or fox-skin, symbolizing a new life.

Dionysus is represented by city religions as the protector of those who do not belong to conventional society and thus symbolizes everything which is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected, everything which escapes human reason and which can only be attributed to the unforeseeable action of the gods. Dionysus was also known as Bacchus and the frenzy he induces, "bakcheia". He is the patron deity of agriculture and the theatre. He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine. The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to care and worry. Scholars have discussed Dionysus' relationship to the "cult of the souls" and his ability to preside over communication between the living and the dead. In Greek mythology Dionysus is made to be a son of Zeus and Semele; other versions of the myth contend that he is a son of Zeus and Persephone. He is described as being womanly or "man-womanish". Dionysus had an unusual birth that evokes the difficulty in fitting him into the Olympian pantheon.

His mother was Semele (daughter of Cadmus), a mortal woman, and his father Zeus , the king of the gods. Zeus's wife, Hera, a jealous and vain goddess, discovered the affair while Semele was pregnant. Appearing as an old crone, Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her husband was actually Zeus. Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele demanded of Zeus that he reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he agreed. Mortals, however, cannot look upon a god without dying, and she perished. Zeus rescued the fetal Dionysus, however, by sewing him into his thigh. A few months later, Dionysus was born. In another version of the same story, Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Persephone, the queen of the underworld. A jealous Hera again attempted to kill the child, this time by sending Titans to rip Dionysus to pieces after luring the baby with toys.

Zeus drove the Titans away with his thunderbolts, but only after the Titans ate everything but the heart, which was saved, variously, by Athena, Rhea, or Demeter. Zeus used the heart to recreate Dionysus and implant him in the womb of Semele, hence he was again "the twice-born". Sometimes people said that he gave Semele the heart to eat to impregnate her. The rebirth in both versions of the story is the primary reason he was worshipped in mystery religions, as his death and rebirth were events of mystical reverence. This narrative was apparently used in certain Greek and Roman mystery religions. Variants of it are found in Callimachus and Nonnus, who refer to this Dionysus under the title Zagreus, and also in several fragmentary poems attributed to Orpheus. Childhood The legend goes that Zeus took the infant Dionysus and gave him in charge to the rain-nymphs of Nysa, who nourished his infancy and childhood, and for their care Zeus rewarded them by placing them as the Hyades among the stars (see Hyades star cluster). Alternatively, he was raised by Maro.

When Dionysus grew up he discovered the culture of the vine and the mode of extracting its precious juice; but Hera struck him with madness, and drove him forth a wanderer through various parts of the earth. In Phrygia the goddess Cybele, better known to the Greeks as Rhea, cured him and taught him her religious rites, and he set out on a progress through Asia teaching the people the cultivation of the vine. The most famous part of his wanderings is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted several years. Returning in triumph he undertook to introduce his worship into Greece, but was opposed by some princes who dreaded its introduction on account of the disorders and madness it brought with it. As a young man, Dionysus was exceptionally attractive. Once, while disguised as a mortal on a ship, the sailors attempted to kidnap him for their sexual pleasures. Dionysus mercifully turned them into dolphins but saved the captain, Acoetes, who recognized the god and tried to stop his sailors. Midas Once, Dionysus found his old school master and foster father, Silenus, missing.

The old man had been drinking, and had wandered away drunk, and was found by some peasants, who carried him to their king, Midas (alternatively, he passed out in Midas' rose garden). Midas recognized him, and treated him hospitably, entertaining him for ten days and nights with politeness, while Silenus entertained Midas and his friends with stories and songs. On the eleventh day he brought Silenus back to Dionysus. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wanted. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Dionysus consented, though was sorry that he had not made a better choice. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched and turned to gold an oak twig and a stone. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Then he found that his bread, meat, daughter and wine turned to gold. Upset, Midas strove to divest himself of his power (the Midas Touch); he hated the gift he had coveted. He prayed to Dionysus, begging to be delivered from starvation.

Dionysus heard and consented; he told Midas to wash in the river Pactolus. He did so, and when he touched the waters the power passed into them, and the river sands changed into gold. (Note: this explained why the sands of the river Pactolus were rich in gold) Other Myths When Hephaestus bound Hera to a magical chair, Dionysus got him drunk and brought him back to Olympus after he had passed out. For this act, he was made one of the twelve Olympians.Acis, a Sicilian youth, was sometimes said to be Bacchus' son. A satyr named Ampelos was a good friend of Bacchus.Callirhoe was a Calydonian woman who scorned a priest of Dionysus who threatened to inflict all the women of Calydon with insanity. The priest was ordered to sacrifice Callirhoe but he killed himself instead. Callirhoe threw herself into a well which was later named after her. As Dionysus was almost certainly a late addition to the pantheon of Greek mythology, there was some hostility to his worship. Homer mentions him only briefly and with much hostility.

Euripides also wrote a tale concerning the destructive nature of Dionysus in his play entitled The Bacchae. Since Euripides wrote this play while in the court of King Archelaus of Macedon, some scholars believe that the cult of Dionysus was malicious in Macedon but benign in Athens. In the play, Dionysus returns to his birthplace, Thebes, ruled by his cousin, Pentheus. Pentheus was angry at the women of Thebes, including his mother, Agave, for denying his divinity and worshipping Dionysus against his will. The worshippers of Dionysus were known as blood-thirsty, wild women called Maenads. The women tore Pentheus to shreds after he was lured to the woods by Dionysus. His body was mutilated by Agave. When King Lycurgus of Thrace heard that Dionysus was in his kingdom, he imprisoned all the followers of Dionysus, the Maenads. Dionysus fled, taking refuge with Thetis. Dionysus then sent a drought and the people revolted.

Dionysus made King Lycurgus insane, and he sliced his own son into pieces with an axe, thinking he was a patch of ivy, a plant holy to Dionysus. An oracle then claimed that the land would stay dry and barren as long as Lycurgus was alive, so his people had him drawn and quartered. With Lycurgus dead, Dionysus lifted the curse. Influence on Christianity It is possible that Dionysian mythology would later find its way into Christianity. There are many parallels between the legends of Dionysus and Jesus; both were said to have been born from a mortal woman but fathered by a god, to have returned from the dead, and to have transformed water into wine. The modern scholar Barry Powell also argues that Christian notions of eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus in order for individual followers to feel Jesus within them was influenced by the cult of Dionysus. Certainly the Dionysus myth contains a great deal of cannibalism, in its links to Ino. Dionysus was also distinct among Greek gods, as a deity commonly felt within individual followers.

In a less benign example of influence on Christianity, Dionysus' followers, as well as another god, Pan, are said to have had the most influence on the modern view of Satan as animal-like and horned. It is also possible these similarities between Christianity and Dionysiac religion are all only representations of the same common religious archetypes. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the story of Jesus turning water into wine is only found in the Gospel of John, which differs on many points from the other Synoptic Gospels. That very passage, it has been suggested, was incorporated into the Gospel from an earlier source focusing on Jesus' miracles. Dionysus in Neopaganism Modern Neopagans view Dionysus in different lights, depending largely on the individual sects and the other gods worshipped by a sect. Dionysus is often seen as the god of Earthly Delights and is thought to play a role in euphoria. In the United States, some Hellenistic Neopagan sects forbid the worship of Dionysus, because Dionysus worship is associated with hedonism. Sects which worship Hera and Themis in particular may forbid Dionysus worship.

However, there are sects that make Dionysus a central figure of their faiths. Many sects may include both the worship of Themis and Dionysus, holding that moderation is key to virtue and that earthly delights are virtuous when maintaining responsibility and moderation. Depending on individual sects, and the other gods within the sect, worship of Dionysus can take many forms. Sects that include worship of Themis and Hera for instance may allow the drinking of wine and various festivities, but actively discourage "decadence" and promiscuity.Those sects who worship Dionysus exclusively, or in more common cases Dionysus and Aphrodite, are sometimes known to conduct orgiastic rituals and use numerous intoxicants in attempts to reach earthly gratification and euphoria (Such sects are often considered cults even by Neopagan standards). Most sects agree that it is unwise to trade future well being for a moment's pleasure. However, some followers of Dionysus believe that they are inspired to relish in earthly delights, ignoring any consequences.

Symbolism The bull, the serpent, the ivy and the wine are the signs of the characteristic Dionysian atmosphere, and Dionysus is strongly associated with satyrs, centaurs, and sileni. He is often shown riding a leopard, wearing a leopard skin, or in a chariot drawn by panthers, and may also be recognized by the thyrsus he carries. Besides the grapevine and its wild barren alter-ego, the toxic ivy plant, both sacred to him, the fig was also his symbol. The pinecone that tipped his thyrsus linked him to Cybele. The Dionysia and Lenaia festivals in Athens were dedicated to Dionysus. Initiates worshipped him in the Dionysian Mysteries, which were comparable to and linked with the Orphic Mysteries, and may have influenced Gnosticism. Orpheus was said to have invented the Mysteries of Dionysus. Dionysus was another god of resurrection who was strongly linked to the bull.

In a cult hymn from Olympia, at a festival for Hera, Dionysus is invited to come as a bull; "with bull-foot raging." Walter Burkert relates, "Quite frequently Dionysus is portrayed with bull horns, and in Kyzikos he has a tauromorphic image," and refers also to an archaic myth in which Dionysus is slaughtered as a bull calf and impiously eaten by the Titans. In the Classical period of Greece, the bull and other animals identified with deities were separated from them as their agalma, a kind of heraldic show-piece that concretely signified their numinous presence. Classical Art The god appeared on many kraters and other wine vessels from classical Greece. His iconography became more complex in the Hellenistic period, between severe archaizing or Neo Attic types such as the Dionysus Sardanapalus and types showing him as an indolent and androgynous young man and often shown nude.

The 4th century Lycurgus Cup in the British Museum is a spectacular cage cup which changes color when light comes through the glass; it shows the bound King Lycurgus (Thrace) being taunted by the god and attacked by a satyr. Elizabeth Kessler has theorized that a mosaic appearing on the triclinium floor of the House of Aion in Nea Paphos, Cyprus, details a monotheistic worship of Dionysus. In the mosaic, other gods appear but may only be lesser representations of the centrally imposed Dionysus. Dionysus - God of wine and sexual degeneration - YouTube Dionysus - God of wine and sexual degeneration Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Oct 14, 2008 Dionysus or Bacchus In classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Liber), is the god of wine, the inspirer of ritual madness and ecstasy, and a major figure of Greek mythology. The geographical origins of his cult were unknown, but almost all myths depicted him as having "foreign" (i.e. non-Greek) origins. He was also known as Bacchus and the frenzy he induces, bakcheia. He is the patron deity of agriculture and the theatre. He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine. The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to care and worry. Scholars have discussed Dionysus' relationship to the "cult of the souls" and his ability to preside over communication between the living and the dead.

In Greek mythology Dionysus is made to be a son of Zeus and Semele; other versions of the myth contend that he is a son of Zeus and Persephone. He is described as being womanly or "man-womanish". The name Dionysos is of uncertain significance; its -nysos element may well be non-Greek in origin, but its dio- element has been associated since antiquity with Zeus (genitive Dios). Nysa, for Greek writers, is either the nymph who nursed him, or the mountain where he was attended by several nymphs (the Nysiads), who fed him and made him immortal as directed by Hermes. The retinue of Dionysus was called the Thiasus and comprised chiefly Maenads. Category Dionysus (Bacchus) - Greek God of Wine and Grape Harvest.

| Greek Mythology Pantheon Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek Mythology Pantheon > Dionysus (Bacchus) – Greek God of Wine and Grape Harvest Dionysus (Bacchus) – Greek God of Wine and Grape Harvest Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Marizano Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Marizano Dionysus (Roman equivalent is Bacchus) was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. He was the most cheerful of the gods and one of the most beloved to the people. As Prometheus gave them fire or Asclepius put the foundations of medicine, so Dionysus offered them the vine and wine. Hestia gave her Olympian seat to Dionysus and he became one of the twelve Olympian Gods. Dionysus was very likable to other gods. Furthermore, he had helped them several times. Invaluable was the participation of himself and his comrades in the battle which the gods gave against the Giants.

All gods respected him, but especially Hera owed him great gratitude, since he alone of all the gods, persuaded her son Hephaestus to return to Olympus and to free her from her shackles. The merry god then traveled and visited many countries and states to teach people how to cultivate the vines and how to make wine by their fruits. Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by DreamlessxPassion Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by DreamlessxPassion And of course, as the god of joy and mirth, he was not travelling alone. He was followed by a bustling crowd. This crowd consisted of women who danced with frantic way, the Maenads, and strange beings who were humans and animals together. They were called Silenus and Satyrs. Faithful followers of God were marching with him on his long journeys. With Dionysos as the head of the crowd, they crossed Egypt, Libya and other countries in Africa. Then they went to Asia, the Arabs, the Lydians, the Phrygians, eventually reaching India, where even the most daring navigator failed to reach.

Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Janice Duke Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Janice Duke In some places they were friendly welcomed, although in other places they were teased or even treated as enemies. But what always prevailed, was the kindness of Dionysus and his companions. He quickly reconciled with the residents and started teaching them how to cultivate the vine. The wonderful drink that the god was treating, scattered joy and fun everywhere. It was making people forget their worries and was bringing smile on their faces. From everywhere Dionysus was passing through, a joyful party was starting and you could not hear anything other than the cheerful sounds of musical instruments and lively songs. So how could these people avoid worshipping this god? And he was a god, although his mother, Semele, daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes was mortal. Dionysus, however, acquired immortality, which separates the gods from the mortals not only because Zeus was his father, but more because he was born of God for the second time.

Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by sijeney Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by sijeney As strange as it sounds, Dionysus was born twice. When Zeus was captivated by the beauty of the virgin Semele, he approached her and joined her. The fruit of their union was Dionysus. The jealous Hera was not planning to leave inexcusable this infidelity of her husband. Blinded by jealousy and thirsting for revenge, she appeared in front of Semele and cunningly persuaded her to ask of her lover to appear as a god and not with his human form, as he usually appeared before her. This would prove that he loves her truly. The naive and unsuspecting daughter of Cadmus, the next time Zeus visited her in her chambers, asked him to get his divine form. Zeus tried, in vain, with loving words to persuade her. Bending finally by her persistence, he took his divine form, appearing majestic and bright in all his divine glory. It was impossible for the unfortunate mortal woman to withstand the flash of the lightning that was coming from his hands.

While Semele was engulfed in flames, Zeus saved the infant who was in her womb, by talking it and sewing it in his thigh. Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Kyngdok Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by Kyngdok When the nine months were completed, Dionysus was reborn from the foot of his divine father. The king of the immortals knew very well that his jealous wife would quickly turn her anger on the newborn child. So he asked Hermes to take the child in his custody. He then gave it to Semele's sister, Ino. But, the cunning Hera sent madness to Ino and her husband and they began to mercilessly kill their children. The goddess was thinking that hopefully they would also kill Dionysus, but the winged god caught up and saved little Dionysus trusting him this time to the Nymphs. They raised him with great affection, in the forest they inhabited. Indeed, we could not imagine a more ideal place for the god of vine to grow up, despite an idyllic landscape with trees and colorful flowers. There he never met any people.

And when the king Lycurgus disturbed their tranquility by chasing the Nymphs, scaring Dionysus to death, he was punished viciously by Zeus who blinded him. The punishment was always so harsh for all those people who conspired against the god Dionysus. Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by iizzard Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by iizzard Some Tyrrhenian pirates who captured the god shared the same bad luck. When they saw a so beautiful and robust young man, they believed that he was a noble or even a king. Delighted with the thought that they would reap a huge ransom for releasing him, they tried to tie him with heavy chains, but they did not succeed. A small movement from that God blew it over. The foolish mortals, however, continued their efforts. Only the steersman of the boat tried to restore them to their senses, screaming to them: "Are you so foolish that you don’t you see that we have to do with a god here? Are you not afraid of his punishment? Maybe even Poseidon, will avenge us throwing our ship in a wild sea storm.

The best we have to do is to set him free. " Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by xx_rainyday_xx Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by xx_rainyday_xx The captain and the rest did not agree in letting "such a treasure" leave. At that time, red wine began to flow in the boat that stunned the sailors with its divine aroma. Simultaneously a vine began to wrap the mast and spread it’s, loaded with juicy grapes, branches all over the boat. And while the bemused sailors were watching, another miracle happened before their eyes. The handsome young man who wanted to capture, transformed into a wild lion that started roaring forcing the sailors to jump into the sea to escape. Then Dionysus transformed all of them into dolphins, leaving only the helmsman untouched and rewarding him for his own prudence. Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by iidatoy Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by iidatoy As we have seen, Dionysus was loved and adored by the people because he introduced them to the great taste of wine.

They say that for the first time he revealed it to Eneas, the king of Aetolia. His shepherd, Staphylos, had found a strange plant full of fruits and excited by their taste brought some to the king in order to please him. Eneas squeezed the juicy fruits and enjoyed their rich juice. Since then, Dionysus named the juice as wine (Oinos is wine in Greek Language) and the fruits as wine grapes from the name of the shepherd (Staphylos in Greek is grapes). Always with thyrsus in one hand and a pot of wine in the other hand, he was traveling from town to town. Wherever he found friendly and jovial people, he taught them how to make wine. That is what happened to the residents of Ikaria, in Attica, who greeted him with enthusiasm. Shortly before leaving their place, Dionysus advised the king, Icarian, to guard the well made Icarian wine. But he did not follow his advice, thinking "what harm can come from such a pleasant drink!".

Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by valerhon Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by valerhon One day, his shepherds found the barrels and drank so much wine, that drunk and began to behave very violently. Having lost their sense of logic, they killed Icarian and his daughter Irigoni, feeling extremely sad, committed suicide. The inhabitants of Ikaria particularly honored the god Dionysus. This region cultivated the dithyramb a lot, a hymn to the god composed by the musician Arion. Additionally, they added something new. In this musical anthem, they added lyrics. And since in this composition the singing people were disguised as goat shaped Satyrs, they called it tragedy (tragos in Greek is goat). Of course, religious ceremonies for the god of the vine were made in many other areas. Those attending to these events should participate actively drinking wine and dancing under the influence of intoxication. Those who refused were enemies of Dionysus and drew his rage.

Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by yarkspiri Dionysus (Bacchus) Greek God - Art Picture by yarkspiri So, a tragic end found Pentheus who wanted to secretly monitor the orgiastic feasts. Maenads, one of which was his mother, occupied by their fury and anger, pounced on him and mangled him. The daughters of King Minos, as also the daughters of king Proetos, were continuously refusing to take part in these religious ceremonies. Dionysus, being insulted and angry made them lose their minds. Others say that the fury that gripped the young daughters of Proetos was Hera’s doing. Dionysus appears as harsh punisher to his enemies and to those who are opposed to the way of his worship. Yet, he is a very generous benefactor to those who honour him and thank him.

Greek God Dionysus (Bacchus) Statue, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original - Photo by Maicar Forlag Greek God Dionysus (Bacchus) Statue, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original - Photo by Maicar Forlag When King Midas hosted his teacher, the old Silenus, who had been lost, he agreed to fulfill his desire to please him. The greedy Midas asked him to give him the ability to convert anything he touches to gold. Soon, the poor guy found out that he would become fabulously rich but would soon die of hunger and thirst. The bread he touched to eat was turned into gold and the water he wanted to drink was turned into golden drops. Being very sorry, he asked God to make him like before and Dionysus that took pity on him told him that if he bathed in the waters of the River Pactolus, his martyrdom would cease. The god of the feast didn’t have many love adventures like the other gods. The women in his life had a different position. They were nannies when he was small and companions in his nonstop celebrations when he grew up.

Greek God Dionysus (Bacchus) Statue Greek God Dionysus (Bacchus) Statue He once fell in love with the beautiful Ariadne, when he saw her sleeping calmly and serene, looking like a goddess. The daughter of Minos, along with Theseus returned to Athens from Crete. Waking up one morning in Naxos, Ariadne saw that her partner left and abandoned her. Without her knowing it, Dionysus had come to the dream of Theseus and with threats forced him to leave, planning to make the beautiful young woman his own. All alone as she was in the desert island, Dionysos, young, stocky, wreathed with ivy leaves as usual, appeared like a savior in front of her. After having their marriage, they flew towards the sky with the chariot of the god. On earth, people were thanking him for his divine gift and for the peace of mind that he generously shared. The celebrations in his honor were a perpetual feast where everyone got drunk and sang. In this way, they tried to contact with their dear god.

Please leave a comment if you liked this article 🙂 All pictures are also uploaded in Albums on the Greek Mythology Pantheon page on Facebook, visit us at : You may also like: The Gods of Alcohol | Museum of Alcohol An online museum all about drinking culture The Gods of Alcohol In alphabetical order I present to you, drum roll please… the gods of alcohol. Dionysus (Bacchus), Greek God Dionysus, Romanised as Bacchus, was the god of grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. He was later considered a patron of the arts. Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. He was one of the most important gods of everyday life and became associated with the idea that under the influence of wine one could feel possessed by a greater power. On one hand he brings together joy and ecstasy, on the other chaos and misery, reflecting both sides of wines nature. He was a god who stood for the untamed nature of life. He wandered the world actively encouraging his cult. Maenads, women who had been driven mad, flush with wine and known for their cries of ‘oi’, accompanied him.

The maenads achieved a state of ‘ecstasis’, which is where our word ecstasy comes from, and were famously outrageous. Festivals called Dionysia were held in his honour in the spring, when leaves started to reappear on the vine, Greek theatre was institutionalised here. Liber, Roman God Liber (the free one), also known as Liber Pater (the free father) was a god of viticulture and wine, fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome’s plebians, his festival of Liberalia, (17th March) became associated with free speech and the rights attached to coming of age. Young men celebrated their coming of age by cutting off and dedicating their first beards to their household’s guardian deities, and if citizens, wore their first toga virilis, the “manly” toga. Liber also personified male procreative power, his temples held the image of the phallus. His cult and functions were increasingly associated with Bacchus and his Greek equivalent Dionysus, whose mythologies he came to share.

Mbaba Mwana Waresa, Zulu Goddess, South Africa Mbaba Mwana Waresa is a fertility goddess of the Zulu religion. She is a goddess of the rainbow, agriculture, rain and beer. She is one of the most beloved Goddesses of Southern Africa, largely because she is credited with the invention of beer. she could not find a suitable husband in heaven, so she came to look on earth. She came across a herdsman named Thandiwe, whose song moved her so much that she chose him to be her companion. Ninkasi, Sumerian Ninkasi is the Sumerian goddess of brewing and beer and head brewer to the gods themselves. Her name means “the lady who fills the mouth” and her birth was formed of sparkling-fresh water. The sumerian written language and the associated clay tablets are among the earliest human writings. Among these is a poem with the English title, “A hymn to Ninkasi”. The poem is, in effect, a recipe for the making of beer. Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman’s job.

Ogoun, Yorùbá religion In the Yoruba religion, Ogoun is an orisha (deity) and loa (spirit) who presides over iron, hunting, politics and war. He is the patron of smiths, and is usually displayed with a number of attributes: a machete, rum and tobacco. Ogoun comes to mount people in various aspects of his character, and the people who venerate him are quite familiar with each of them. His possessions can sometimes be violent. Those mounted by him are known to wash their hands in flaming rum without suffering from it later. They dress up in green and black, wave a sabre or machete, chew a cigar and demand rum in an old phrase “Gren mwe fret” (my testicles are cold). Often, this rum is first poured on the ground, then lit and, finally, the fumes generated by this are then allowed to pervade the peristyle. The sword, or much more commonly the machete, is his weapon and he often does strange feats of poking himself with it, or even sticking the handle in the ground, then mounting the blade without piercing his skin.

Radegast, Slavic God Radegast, is an old god of Slavic mythology, his name can be etymologised as meaning something like “Dear guest”. He was proclaimed as the Slavic god of hospitality and as such entered the hypothetical, reconstructed Slavic pantheon of modern days. Raugutiene and Raugupatis, Baltic God and Goddess Raugupatis is known as the God of fermentation. Raugutiene is Raugupatis partner and she is known as the Goddess of beer. Silenus, Greek Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He was the old rustic god of the dance of the wine-press, his name being derived from the words seiô, “to move to and fro,” andlênos, “the wine-trough.” He was also the god of drunkenness who rode in the train of Dionysus seated on the back of a donkey. Soma, Hindu Soma, an ancient Hindu god, is many things; the afterworld, the moon, inspiration and the god of poets and a bull.

Not only does he enjoy drugs, he is a particular drug: the soma plant, known more commonly as ephedra vulgaris. For millennia, Hindu warriors have drunk a concoction derived from the soma plant. This drink was said to give them a sense of euphoria and ecstasy and helped warriors get over the fear or anxiety of an upcoming battle. As a drug, the god Soma represented a link between the world of the gods and this world. Soma is the name of a fictional drug in Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel, Brave New World. Sucellus, Celtic In ancient Celtic religion, Sucellus or Sucellos was the god of agriculture, forests and alcoholic drinks of the Gauls, also part of the Lusitanian mythology. He is usually portrayed as a middle-aged bearded man, with a long-handled hammer, or perhaps a beer barrel suspended from a pole. Tezcatzontecati, Aztec In Aztec mythology, Tezcatzontecati is the god of pulque , of drunkenness and fertility.

Yasigi, African This African goddess of beer was depicted as the ultimate party girl, a female deity depicted with ample breasts, a beer ladle and penchant for lustful dance. Yi-ti, Chinese This Chinese god is said to have created the first rice wine. Not much is known about Yi-ti but it is said that he brewed the concoction for an emperor and may of used grapes as well as rice. If you know of anyone we’ve missed or there are any mistakes, please don’t breathe fire and brimstone upon us, just leave a comment below… Share this: Dionysus | Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Greek Mythology Wiki : Dionysus Dionysus or Dionysos (Ancient Greek: Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος; also known as Bacchus in both Greek and Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficent influences. He is viewed as the promoter of civilization, a lawgiver, and lover of peace — as well as the patron deity of both agriculture and the theater.

He was also known as the Liberator (Eleutherios), freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy, or wine. The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the flute and to bring an end to care and worry. There is also an aspect of Dionysus on his relationship to the "cult of the souls", and the scholar Xavier Riu writes that Dionysus presided over communication between the living and the dead. Greeks borrowed Dionysus' figure and within the Olympian tradition he is made to be the son of Zeus and Semele; other versions of the story contend that he is the son of Zeus and Persephone. Contents Edit The name Dionysus is of uncertain significance; it may well be non-Greek in origin, but it has been associated since antiquity with Zeus (genitive Dios) and with Nysa, which is either the nymph who nursed him, or the mountain where he was attended by several nymphs who fed him and made him immortal as directed by Hermes; or both. The above contradictions suggest to some that we are dealing not with the historical memory of a cult that is foreign, but with a god in whom foreignness is inherent.

And indeed, Dionysus's name is found on Mycenean Linear B tablets as "DI-WO-NI-SO-JO",5 and Kerenyi traces him to Minoan Crete, where his Minoan name is unknown but his characteristic presence is recognizable. Clearly, Dionysus had been with the Greeks and their predecessors a long time, and yet always retained the feel of something alien. The bull, the serpent, the ivy and wine are the signs of the characteristic Dionysian atmosphere, infused with the unquenchable life of the god. Their numinous presence signifies that the god is near. (Kerenyi 1976). Dionysus is strongly associated with the satyrs, centaurs and sileni. He is often shown riding a leopard, wearing a leopard skin, or being pulled by a chariot drawn by panthers. and has been called the god of cats and savagery. He always carries a thyrsus. Besides the grapevine and its wild barren alter-ego, the toxic ivy plant, both sacred to him, the fig was also his.

The pine cone that tipped his thyrsus linked him to Cybele, and the pomegranate linked him to Demeter. The Dionysia and Lenaia festivals in Athens were also dedicated to Dionysus. In Mythology Edit Dionysus had an unusual birth that evokes the difficulty in fitting him into the Olympian pantheon. His mother was Semele (daughter of Cadmus), a mortal woman, and his father Zeus , the king of the gods. Zeus's wife, Hera , a jealous and vain goddess, discovered the affair while Semele was pregnant. Appearing as an old crone (in other stories a nurse), Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her husband was actually Zeus. Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele demanded of Zeus that he reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he agreed. Mortals, however, cannot look upon a god without dying, and she perished. Zeus rescued the fetal Dionysus, however, by sewing him into his thigh.

A few months later, Dionysus was born. In another version of the same story, Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Persephone , the queen of the underworld. A jealous Hera again attempted to kill the child, this time by sending Titans to rip Dionysus to pieces after luring the baby with toys. Zeus drove the Titans away with his thunderbolts, but only after the Titans ate everything but the heart, which was saved, variously, by Athena , Rhea , or Demeter . Zeus used the heart to recreate him in the womb of Semele, hence he was again "the twice-born". Sometimes people said that he gave Semele the heart to eat to impregnate her. The rebirth in both versions of the story is the primary reason he was worshipped in mystery religions , as his death and rebirth were events of mystical reverence. This narrative was apparently used in certain Greek and Roman mystery religions. Variants of it are found in Callimachus and Nonnus, who refer to this Dionysus under the title Zagreus, and also in several fragmentary poems attributed to Orpheus.

Childhood Edit The legend goes that Zeus took the infant Dionysus and gave him in charge to the rain-nymphs of Nysa, who nourished his infancy and childhood, and for their care Zeus rewarded them by placing them as the Hyades among the stars (see Hyades star cluster). Alternatively, he was raised by Maro. When Dionysus grew up he discovered the culture of the vine and the mode of extracting its precious juice; but Hera struck him with madness, and drove him forth a wanderer through various parts of the earth. In Phrygia the goddess Cybele, better known to the Greeks as Rhea, cured him and taught him her religious rites, and he set out on a progress through Asia teaching the people the cultivation of the vine. The most famous part of his wanderings is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted several years. Returning in triumph he undertook to introduce his worship into Greece, but was opposed by some princes who dreaded its introduction on account of the disorders and madness it brought with it. (See King Pentheus or Lycurgus.) As a young man, Dionysus was exceptionally attractive.

Once, while disguised as a mortal on a ship, the sailors attempted to kidnap him for their sexual pleasures. Dionysus mercifully turned them into dolphins but saved the helmsman, Acoetes, who recognized the god and tried to stop his sailors. In a similar story, Dionysus desired to sail from Icaria to Naxos. He then hired a Tyrrhenian pirate ship. But when the god was on board, they sailed not to Naxos but to Asia, intending to sell him as a slave. So Dionysus turned the mast and oars into snakes, and filled the vessel with ivy and the sound of flutes so that the sailors went mad, and leaping into the sea, were turned into dolphins. Others say that Dionysus came on board after these sailors, having leapt ashore, captured him, stripped him of his possessions, and tied him with ropes. Midas Edit Once, Dionysus found his old school master and foster father, Silenus , missing.

The old man had been drinking, and had wandered away drunk, and was found by some Phrygian peasants, who carried him to their king, Midas (alternatively, he passed out in Midas' rose garden). Midas recognized him, and treated him hospitably, entertaining him for ten days and nights with politeness, while Silenus entertained Midas and his friends with stories and songs. On the eleventh day he brought Silenus back to Dionysus. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wanted. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Dionysus consented, though he said he was sorry that he had not made a better choice. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched and turned to gold an oak twig and a stone. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Then he found that his bread, meat, daughter and wine turned to gold. Upset, Midas strove to divest himself of his power (the Midas Touch); he hated the gift he had coveted.

He prayed to Dionysus, begging to be delivered from starvation. Dionysus heard and consented; he told Midas to wash in the river Pactolus . He did so, and when he touched the waters the power passed into them, and the river sands changed into gold. This was a cosmogony that explained why the sands of the Pactolus were rich in gold. Family Edit Introduced into Rome (c. 200 BC) from the Greek culture of lower Italy or by way of Greek-influenced Etruria, the bacchanalia were held in secret and attended by women only, on three days in the year in the grove of Simila near the Aventine Hill, on March 16 and 17. Subsequently, admission to the rites were extended to men and celebrations took place five times a month.

The notoriety of these festivals, where many kinds of crimes and political conspiracies were supposed to be planned, led in 186 BC to a decree of the Senate — the so-called Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, inscribed on a bronze tablet discovered in Calabria (1640), now at Vienna — by which the Bacchanalia were prohibited throughout all Italy except in certain special cases which must be approved specifically by the Senate. In spite of the severe punishment inflicted on those found in violation of this decree, the Bacchanalia were not stamped out, at any rate in the south of Italy, for a very long time. (See: Further Reading below for an ancient description of the banned Bacchanalia) Dionysus is equated with both Bacchus and Liber (also Liber Pater). Liber ("the free one") was a god of fertility and growth, married to Libera. His festival was the Liberalia, celebrated on March 17. Appellations Edit Dionysus sometimes has the epithet Bromios, meaning "the thunderer" or "he of the loud shout".

Another epithet is Dendrites; as Dionysus Dendrites ("he of the trees"), he is a powerful fertility god. Dithyrambos ("he of the double door") is sometimes used to refer to him or solemn songs sung to him at festivals. The name refers to his premature birth. Iacchus, possibly an epithet of Dionysus, is associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries; in Eleusis, he is known as a son of Zeus and Demeter. The name "Iacchus" may come from the ιακχος, a hymn sung in honor of Dionysus. Eleutherios ("the liberator") was an epithet for both Dionysus and Eros. As Oeneus, he is the god of the wine-press. With the epithet Liknites ("he of the winnowing fan") he is a fertility god connected with the mystery religions. A winnowing fan was similar to a shovel and was used to separate the chaff from the good, cut grain. In addition, Dionysus is known as Lyaeus ("he who releases") as a god of relaxation and freedom from worry.

In the Greek pantheon, Dionysus (along with Zeus) absorbs the role of Sabazios, a Phrygian deity, whose name means "shatterer" and to whom shattered pottery was sacrificed (probably to prevent other pottery from being broken during firing). In the Roman pantheon, Sabazius became an alternate name for Bacchus. See Also Nude man posing - Bacchus / Dionysus at Fountains Abbey | Flickr Nude man posing - Bacchus / Dionysus at Fountains Abbey By Andrew Carpenter c 1677 - London 1737 The other photos of statues I've uploaded to flickr have attracted thousands of views - I can't think why..... If you're interested in any of my work please contact me via my new website at or by Flickr mail. Apparently Bacchus was also known as Dionysus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :- This article is about the Greco-Roman deity. For other uses of the names "Dionysus" and "Dionysos", see Dionysos (disambiguation). For other uses of the theophoric name "Dionysius", see Dionysius (disambiguation).

Dionysus - God of Wine, Theatre, and Ecstasy Symbol - Thyrsus, grapevine, leopard skin, panther, tiger, leopard Roman equivalent - Bacchus, Liber Dionysus /daɪ.əˈnaɪsəs/ dy-ə-NY-səs (Ancient Greek: Διόνυσος, Dionysos) was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete. His origins are uncertain, and his cults took many forms; some are described by ancient sources as Thracian, others as Greek. In some cults, he arrives from the east, as an Asiatic foreigner; in others, from Ethiopia in the South. He is a god of epiphany, "the god that comes", and his "foreignness" as an arriving outsider-god may be inherent and essential to his cults.

He is a major, popular figure of Greek mythology and religion, and is included in some lists of the twelve Olympians. His festivals were the driving force behind the development of Greek theatre. He is an example of a dying god. The earliest cult images of Dionysus show a mature male, bearded and robed. He holds a fennel staff, tipped with a pine-cone and known as a thyrsus. Later images show him as a beardless, sensuous, naked or half-naked androgynous youth: the literature describes him as womanly or "man-womanish". In its fully developed form, his central cult imagery shows his triumphant, disorderly arrival or return, as if from some place beyond the borders of the known and civilized. His procession (thiasus) is made up of wild female followers (maenads) and ithyphallic, bearded satyrs. Some are armed with the thyrsus, some dance or play music. The god himself is drawn in a chariot, usually by exotic beasts such as lions or tigers, and is sometimes attended by a bearded, drunken Silenus.

This procession is presumed to be the cult model for the human followers of his Dionysian Mysteries. In his Thracian mysteries, he wears the bassaris or fox-skin, symbolizing a new life. Dionysus is represented by city religions as the protector of those who do not belong to conventional society and thus symbolizes everything which is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected, everything which escapes human reason and which can only be attributed to the unforeseeable action of the gods. He was also known as Bacchus ( /ˈbækəs/ or /ˈbɑːkəs/; Greek: Βάκχος, Bakkhos), the name adopted by the Romans and the frenzy he induces, bakkheia. His thyrsus is sometimes wound with ivy and dripping with honey. It is a beneficent wand but also a weapon, and can be used to destroy those who oppose his cult and the freedoms he represents. He is also the Liberator (Eleutherios), whose wine, music and ecstatic dance frees his followers from self-conscious fear and care, and subverts the oppressive restraints of the powerful. Those who partake in his mysteries are possessed and empowered by the god himself.

His cult is also a "cult of the souls"; his maenads feed the dead through blood-offerings, and he acts as a divine communicant between the living and the dead. In Greek mythology, he is presented as a son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, thus semi-divine or heroic: and as son of Zeus and Persephone or Demeter, thus both fully divine, part-chthonic and possibly identical with Iacchus of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Some scholars believe that Dionysus is a syncretism of a local Greek nature deity and a more powerful god from Thrace or Phrygia such as Sabazios or Zalmoxis. The dramatic Abbey ruins at Fountains are the largest monastic ruins in the country. Set in the naturally beautiful Skell valley, flanked by two vast expanses of lawned grass with awe inspiring cliff faces to either side and the river Skell running through the valley and under The Abbey - which in itself is a masterpiece of twelfth century building ingenuity - this truly is a beautiful place to visit. Soak up the spiritual atmosphere, lose yourself in the passages, staircases and towers or marvel at this unique relic of ancient architectural craftsmanship.

The Cellarium Amazingly the cellarium roof has remained intact and the lay brothers ate, slept and socialised here, beneath the incredible vaulted ceiling which escaped Henry VIII’s brutal sixteenth century dissolution of the abbeys. Today the inhabitants are protected species of bat who live in the ceiling nooks and only come out after dusk. It is estimated there are over eight species of bats living in the cellarium. The Cloisters Once used for meditation and exercise by the monks the cloisters formed the centre of the abbey and many rooms lead off from this area, including the warming room where you can still see the huge fireplace where a fire was always kept roaring. Above the warming room up the external staircase to the left, is the muniments room where the monks kept all their important documents, it made sense to keep them above the warming room so the documents stayed dry in all seasons. The floor tiles in this room have just been refurbished and the room has recently been opened to visitors. History - The early years A dispute and riot at St Mary's Abbey in York led to the founding of Fountains Abbey in 1132.

After pleading unsuccessfully to return to the early 6th century Rule of St Benedict, 13 monks were exiled and taken into the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York. He provided them with a site in the valley of the little River Skell in which they could found a new, more devout monastery. Although described as a place "more fit for wild beasts than men to inhabit" it had all the essential materials for the creation of a monastery: shelter from the weather, stone and timber for building, and plenty of water. Within three years, the little settlement at Fountains had been admitted to the austere Cistercian Order (founded in France in 1098). Under its rules they lived a rigorous daily life, committed to long periods of silence, a diet barely above subsistence level, and wore the regulation habit of coarse undyed sheep's wool (underwear was forbidden), which earned them the name "White Monks." One of the Abbey's most important developments was the introduction of the Cistercian system of lay brothers. They were usually illiterate and relieved the monks from routine jobs, giving them more opportunity to dedicate their time to God.

Many served as masons, tanners, shoemakers and smiths, but their chief role was to look after the Abbey's vast flocks of sheep, which lived on the huge estate stretching westwards from Fountains to the Lake District and northwards to Teesside. Without the lay brothers, Fountains could never have attained its great wealth or economic importance. 1200 - 1539 By the middle of the 13th century it was one of England's richest religious houses and, as well as farming, was mining lead, working iron, quarrying stones and horse breeding. But the seeds of failure lay in the very success of the system. The lay brothers encouraged the monks to extend their estates beyond what was necessary for monastic self-sufficiency. In the 14th century economic collapse followed bad harvests and Scots raids, and the Black Death exacerbated the effects of financial mismanagement. The community of lay brothers reduced in size, many of the monastic granges were leased out to tenant farmers, and in the late 15th century dairy farming replaced sheep farming. Despite its financial problems, Fountains Abbey remained of considerable importance in the Cistercian Order.

The abbots sat in Parliament and the abbacy of Marmaduke Huby (1495-1526) marked a period of revival. Fountains once again flourished, but its life was brought to an abrupt end in 1539 by Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The abbot (Marmaduke Bradley) received a pension of £100 pa, his prior received £8, and 30 monks each received £6. For a few months after the Dissolution, the Abbey buildings stood empty in the hope of being the site for the cathedral for a new Dales bishopric. This was not to be, and by 1540 glass and lead from the dismantling of Fountains had found their way to Ripon and York. The buildings and parts of the estate were sold to Sir Richard Gresham, whose family subsequently sold them on to Stephen Proctor, the builder of Fountains Hall. Then the abbey passed through several hands until it came into the possession of the Messenger family.

In 1767 it was sold for £18,000 to William Aislabie, who landscaped the abbey ruins as a picturesque folly to be viewed from the Water Garden. Done

Question: Who was the Greek God of wine, the inspirer of ritual madness and ecstasy, his Roman equivalent being Bacchus?
Answer: DIONYSUS