Dionysus: the god of wine! 🆙

Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, was a god in Greek mythology who ruled the life cycles. He was the god of theater, of insanity, of wine. He possessed the knowledge of the secrets of planting vines and harvesting grapes, but was primarily regarded as the god of intoxication resulting from the effects of alcohol in relation to the deity. He had a strong association with any type of activity related to carnal or material pleasure: parties, drinking, etc.

Son of the great god of gods, Zeus, Dionysus was an atypical deity for being the son of a mortal, Semele. He lived on Mount Olympus and was considered one of the main gods in Greek religion and mythology. He was seen in the cities of the time as a protector of those who did not follow the usual norms of society and, therefore, became the symbol of everything that is dangerous, chaotic and abrupt: all things that escape human rationality and that only can be associated with the contingent actions of some god.

Origin of Dionysus

Dionysus: the god of wine! — Markus Spiske/Pexels

According to some classical texts, Zeus acted without the knowledge and consent of Hera, the goddess of motherhood and his wife at the time, when he impregnated Semele – for this, he disguised himself as a man to seduce her. Hera was extremely jealous and set a trap for Zeus to reveal her true essence to Semele, but he knew that she could not bear to witness her brightness. With that, Semele died and Zeus took Dionysus from his mother's womb and placed him in his own thigh so that he could be generated there until the moment of his birth. However, Semele's sisters, who followed the events, accused Zeus of having killed her because she would have become pregnant with a mortal man and, therefore, in her fury, Zeus murdered her with lightning.

After Dionysus was born, Zeus undid all the stitches that held the god to his thigh and gave him to Hermes, who initially wanted to raise him as a girl. However, Zeus tricked her by making Dionysus a boy, delivering him to the nymphs who lived in Asia, more precisely in the city of Nisa. When Hera discovered where Dionysus was located, she displayed her wrath again, driving him insane in his adult life, so that he wandered through countless places on Earth.

On the day that Dionysus traveled through the region of Phrygia, already in his adult life, a goddess named Cybele cured him of all the evil caused by Hera and taught him her religious precepts. Finally, freed from the evils caused by Hera, he learned all about the planting and harvesting of the grape, traveling to Asia and teaching the people about the fruit and the acclaimed drink at the time. He was the first god to plant and cultivate vines, and because of this, the whole society began to worship him as the god of wine.

Another version of his origin is that he was the son of Zeus and Persephone. Because Zeus betrayed Hera, who was his wife, the goddess of motherhood wanted to kill Dionysus and, therefore, set a trap again using the Titans, who killed the boy and fed on his flesh. As Zeus loved Dionysus very much, he killed the Titans. However, he realized that Dionysus' heart had not been nourished, so he took it and brought him back to life.

In terms of love, Ariadne was Dionysus' great passion. He decided to marry her when he learned that she had been abandoned by her lover Theseus. There are many stories about their romance: some believe they parted ways on a mountain called Drius; while others believe that Dionysus kidnapped Ariadne and took her to Lemnos, where they had children.

The Myth of Dionysus: The Joyful God

Contrary to many myths of different gods, the myth of Dionysus has a positive side. This god is associated with material pleasures resulting from wine or passion; therefore, it is associated with joy, activities that provide fun and positive sensations.

Their myth describes an extremely happy god, always ready to party or celebrate some event. Dionysus was considered the god of fertility, as he was born in the thigh of his father, Zeus, and because many people believe that this means he was born twice; and also god of wine, but he was representative of the insanity of outsized pleasure.

During his adult life, the god of fertility had many adventures. The most famous of this legend states that Dionysus was kidnapped by pirates who asked for a ransom, as they thought he was an important and renowned prince, but they had no idea who they were dealing with. When the pirates tried to bind Dionysus with ropes, none of them tied a single knot. Thus, the god turned into a lion that roared the sound of flutes, and in a few moments had driven mad his captors who would soon throw themselves into the sea. Legend has it that Dionysus turned pirates into dolphins, and that these animals help humans because they regretted their actions in the past.

The myth of Dionysus still tells that at a certain point in his life, he descended to the underworld to rescue his mother Semele, who became a great constellation.

The cult of Dionysus

The religious cults consecrated to Dionysus, considered as Dionysian mysteries, involved several toxic substances - mainly wine - to promote behaviors that eliminated any kind of shyness. Their cults were carried out in various rituals, but most of their details are unknown. It is known that the main theme of each rite was death and rebirth, practiced by people seen as “outlaws”.

The women who were part of the Dionysian cults behaved like Maenad nymphs. They danced to frantic rhythms, mostly around the figure of Dionysus. In their choreography, they bared their throats and rolled their eyes as if they were fiery animals looking for prey, in addition to sacrificing goats, cats and other animals and then feeding on their raw meat.

As Dionysus was the god of fun, all his cults were watered with drinks and everything that was considered illicit and dangerous in the face of human reasons.

Dionysus Archetype

Dionysus was considered by many a model of freedom of expression: he did not contain his will and used and abused his free will. Exuding spontaneity, he offered fun and pleasure wherever he went. He is a symbol of expanded consciousness and the connection of the flesh with the spirit, always emphasizing ecstasy, the joy of living and taking advantage of life's opportunities.

Dionysus' association with the theater

The Greek Theater was developed from cults rendered to Dionysus in the city of Athens. Dionísia Urbana was the name of a festival that presented tragedies and satires to the public; such a festival was an event that took place every year and was of extreme relevance to democracy.

Many plays were performed in this theater, and many of them honored the god of wine. Most of the actors who honored Dionysus in their performances covered their faces with masks, which symbolized the immersion of identity. Those who sang some sort of chant all sang together words that claimed that everyone was a practically insignificant part when related to the whole: without individualities or uniqueness. They stressed that all will and individuality should be offerings made to Dionysus. The plots of the Greek Theater always mentioned Dionysus, whether in performances of tragic heroes or in sacrifices that alluded to the death of the god of wine.

According to his myth, Dionysus ordered his employees to bring him some kind of drink that would intoxicate him, so that all his senses would unite and come to the surface. Many drinks were brought to him, but he was only satisfied when they brought him wine. When drinking the alcoholic drink produced from the grape, the god was dazzled by all its details and effects, and he was so happy that he made all the people who were there, toast with their glasses. From that moment, Dionysus began to protect and watch over winemakers and came to be revered as the god of joy and wine.

When Urban Dionysias took place, people played flutes and danced specific choreographies: all of them used masks that represented a transformation of their own being in the face of dramatization. It was from these festivals that the first plays emerged and, for this reason, Dionysus is also considered the god of theater.

Representation of Dionysus

As Dionysus has a strong association with wine, in most of his images he appears holding a chalice in one hand, and in the other a large bunch of grapes. His image is that of a strong bearded man, with a drunken expression. It's clear on his face that his happiness is the result of alcohol. In some versions, he is completely naked, but in others, he holds a robe of leopard or lion cloth.