DIONYSUS 🍇 God of WINE | Greek Mythology Explained | Miscellaneous Myths
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DIONYSUS: God of WINE and CELEBRATION | Greek Mythology | Tiny Epics
The Mythology Guy
#greekmythologyexplained #dionysus #olympiangods
▶️ OLYMPIAN GODS playlist:
• ATHENA (film) | Goddes...
0:00 Intro
0:36 The God's Wine
2:03 Shapeshifter
3:26 First Birth (Zeus & Persephone)
4:50 Dionysian Mysteries (Maenads)
5:26 Second Birth (Zeus & Semele)
7:34 "Twice-Born God"
9:01 Outro
Dionysus (Greek: Διόνυσος) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, orchards and fruit, vegetation, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth.
He is also known as Bacchus, the name adopted by the Romans; the frenzy he induces is bakkheia. Another name used by the Romans is Liber meaning "free", due to his association with wine and the Bacchanalia and other rites, and the freedom associated with it. His thyrsus, sometimes wound with ivy and dripping with honey, is both a beneficent wand and a weapon used to destroy those who oppose his cult and the freedoms he represents. As Eleutherios ("the liberator"), his wine, music and ecstatic dance free his followers from self-conscious fear and care, and subvert the oppressive restraints of the powerful. Those who partake of his mysteries are believed to become possessed and empowered by the god himself.
In his religion, identical with or closely related to Orphism, Dionysus was believed to have been born from the union of Zeus and Persephone, and to have himself represented a chthonic or underworld aspect of Zeus. Many believed that he had been born twice, having been killed and reborn as the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. In the Eleusinian Mysteries he was identified with Iacchus, the son (or, alternately, husband) of Demeter.
His origins are uncertain, and his cults took many forms; some are described by ancient sources as Thracian, others as Greek.[7][8][9] Though most accounts say he was born in Thrace, traveled abroad, and arrived in Greece as a foreigner, evidence from the Mycenaean period of Greek history shows that he is one of Greece's oldest attested gods. His attribute of "foreignness" as an arriving outsider-god may be inherent and essential to his cults, as he is a god of epiphany, sometimes called "the god that comes".
Wine played an important role in Greek culture, and the cult of Dionysus was the main religious focus surrounding its consumption. Wine, as well as the vines and grapes that produce it, were seen as not only a gift of the god, but a symbolic incarnation of him on earth. However, rather than being a god of drunkenness, as he was often stereotyped in the post-Classical era, the religion of Dionysus centered on the correct consumption of wine, which could ease suffering and bring joy, as well as inspire divine madness distinct from drunkenness. Performance art and drama were also central to his religion, and its festivals were the initial driving force behind the development of theatre. The cult of Dionysus 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. He is sometimes categorised as a dying-and-rising god.
Dionysus is an agriculture and vegetation deity. His connection to wine, grape-harvest, orchards, and vegetation displays his role as a nature god. As the god of viticulture and grapes, he is connected to the growth and harvest of the fruit. In myth, he teaches the art of growing and cultivating the plant.
Though it isn't stated in the myth, when Zagreus/Dionysus was torn apart and eaten by the Titans in the Orphic myths, it would have been easy for people of the time to recognize that Dionysus was sacrificed by the Titans like a bull in a public sacrifice. During public sacrifices, often the meat would be shared or bought by people who attended. Since we no longer have public sacrifices, the symbolism is often lost on us and it can be easy to view this as just another strange, dark twist in mythology.
In this way, Zagreus was sacrificed, his heart saved by Athena and Hermes, and given to Zeus. In some versions, Zagreus's heart is placed in Semele and finally int Zeus. Zagreus became rebirthed as Dionysus. Just as the Gods were eaten (sacrificed) by Kronos, they are all reborn/regurgitated as greater Gods for being a part of the Titans.
Zagreus's soul was burned away three times and was finally born as Dionysus. He was made greater each time. For if a life (according to the ancient Greeks) was the ultimate sacrifice to the Gods, wouldn't the sacrifice of a God be greater?
It also shares a connection with Jesus in a way. God sacrificing himself to himself for the betterment of mankind.
Really interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing! Gives one more to think about.
Alexander’s Mother was a follower of Dionysos. It’s said Alexander’s conception was guided by ancient mystery rituals of the followers.. Dionysos was one of the first Heroes. He was far greater than mere ‘Drinking’.. A Hero religion with a different flavor.. Thank you for posting this. Glory to the Mysteries.
Thanks for your beautiful comment in honor of Dionysus! I feel like many see him only as the drunken cliché of the Roman god Bacchus but, boy oh boy, is he so much more.
Olypmias a follower ? She was a Initater , having initiated Phillip , A group of sages called Dionysis Articicers , these people bought stone carving and building temples to reality, around 600 bce.
@@johnbooth1110 Redundant. I was implying she was a part of the cult of Dionysos.
From Indian Author Devdutt Pattnaik's book 'Olympus'
"Many scholars have mirrored the Greek binary of Apollo and Dionysus, representing structure and fluidity with the Hindu binary of Vishnu and Shiva. Like Dionysus, Shiva is the outsider god, who forces his way into the Vedic pantheon when he attacks and destroys the ritual hall of Daksha. Just as Dionysus is associated with wine, Shiva is associated with bhang or the mildly narcotic Indian hemp."
This is so interesting to learn. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely do some more research into this topic.
Hi everyone! 👋 So excited to bring this video to you! I’ll be present in the Live Chat today, but feel free to ask me a question or make a request in advance of the premiere. See you there soon!🍷
cheers,
Lance
His name means "God of the Wooded Mountain." Of Dionysos and Ariadne, it was said that "No man and woman could ever be closer" (see Karl Kerenyi's "Dionysos"). Mircea Eliade's "History of Religion" Volume 4 also offers rich historical understandings of The Noisy Boy---who is not kind to those who reject him, and to whom Athens holds a festival each year to thank him for NOT coming to visit, because once you experience his ecstasies, your war-helmet never fits quite right again.
Thank you for your insightful comment! I love the title “noisy boy”… and can relate myself sometimes…
I will have a look at Kerenyi’s Dionysus. Thanks for the recommendation!
Dionysus was also the god of the fringes of society, the one in whom women and slaves could feel free. I have often thought that, with myths of his followers killing loved ones, not recognising then, that the wine must have had other drugs mixed in. This seems to be confirmed by recent archeological finds of vessels with the remains of wine mixed with poppies. I am confused as to why you would have included da Vince's St John the Baptist rather than, for example, Michelangelo's Bacchus.
That portrait was chosen very specifically, because it possesses this typical da Vincian enigmatic smile along with the long hairstyle typical of Dionysus. It just felt perfect archetypically-speaking for what I wanted to convey in that segment, and closer somehow for me to the ancient Greek depictions of the god versus the sculpture you mention.
It actually came up when I searched Bacchus because of the related da Vinci image that was painted over to become Bacchus.
I certainly thought about using the sculpture by Michelangelo but it just wasn’t right for the tone I wanted to create. Hope that makes sense. I make rather idiosyncratic choices sometimes. And perhaps because it is an unexpected choice it becomes a more interesting one as well…
I love how you used the term “god of the fringes of society”. I identify with that a lot in some ways, which is maybe why I am so struck by this god.
I had the same suspicions as you about the wine being mixed with other drugs. Makes a lot of sense to me. The states described in Euripides’ Bacchae for instance definitely sound like a lot more than wine was involved.
But I guess a lot of that can be attributed to the magic power of the god when there are hallucinations, miracles performed, etc…
Also it seems to me that the Christ figure and his followers were indeed modeled on a Dionysian archetype (to some degree).
And then there is the dismemberment aspect which connects St John to Dionysus in the Orphic tradition. I wonder if more parallels might be found between the two figures. Maybe like intertwined polar opposites (ascetic vs sensual worship). Orphism worship of Dionysus had aspects of asceticism/suffering after all.
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary!
@@TinyEpics I don't think so. The one is a god of excess, the other a Saint of asceticism. Several years ago I did a painting, part of a popular series, of Dionysius. Wonder what you'd think of it.
Can't wait for part two! It's sure to be a treat...
Countdown to the premiere. Really looking forward to this one. Dionysus is probably the most fascinating Greek god for me...
Same here! It was a tough video to make in many regards only because there was SO MUCH I could say about him.
This is a very good explanation
I just might have to leave the Underworld to watch this premiere. Reception is terrible down here… 😔
Please try! 🥺
Amazing love Greek mythology
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Lots more videos about Greek mythology coming your way.
Great video! Can't wait for a part 2!!
Thank you so much! Part 2 is going to be intense. Looking forward to sharing it with you.
@@TinyEpics well?
Hail Dionysos! IO EUOI!!!
A big THANKS to all who joined the premiere! I wanted to chat longer but it suddenly disappeared. We can continue to conversation here in the comments!
That means a lot to me and makes me feel like all the work I put into it was worth it! It was also a lot of fun to put the video together. Part 2 will be dramatic, that’s for sure!
I know exactly what you mean about the robotic mythology videos. Like how can someone sound so bored talking about such fascinating topics? Some are even literally robotic voices (auto-generated).
I, like you, am also completely obsessed with Greek mythology so there will be many more videos on this topic to come!
Oh yes! That’s a brilliant idea. I briefly mentioned her in my Apollo video: czcams.com/video/eNw7CUcdBXs/video.html
Going deeper into that topic is definitely on my list now. I’m currently reading a book about the Oracle of Delphi!
@Delfoí How nice that you have a shrine! And I didn’t find any of what you said boring at all. Maybe I can get some of your insights when I start making this video about Pythia!
Dionysus is originally of Thracian/Dacian origin. I know that's not the point of this video, and the video itself is great! I just don't see that fact mentioned so often
I didn’t want to claim anything because I know his origins are obscure. In his stories, like in Euripides’ Bacchae, he is described as coming in from the East. I would need to look into this topic more to say anything with certainty. Thanks for your comment!
@@TinyEpicsThere’s no evidence of Dionysus coming from Thrace. You got it right. The earliest attestation is the Linear B tablets in Mycenaean Crete, as you said.
Some associate Dionysus with a Thracian god named Sabazios. But that doesn’t mean they’re the same. Much of the Jesus myth was clearly based on Dionysus. But that doesn’t mean Jesus IS Dionysus obviously.
Btw some have reconciled both birth myths into one story regarding Dionysus being the resurrected re-born God. That he was initially born to Persephone as Zagreus and was born again to Semele as Bromios. Two forms or natures, but one god ultimately.
Where's part 2?
I love ❤️ the story. 🍇
Dark Love Light
❤️ ☯️
Thank you so much for your comment. So happy you enjoyed it!
WOW! That thumbnail...
I was hoping it might help attract a little more attention! 🔥 😉
@@TinyEpics Results absolutely achieved! ;-) LOL!
@@thehellenicneopagan 😉
To jest moj ulubiony bog. Pozdrawiam.
Dzięki za oglądanie. Witamy na kanale!
7:17 Yeah, I don't think men are quite ready to give birth just quite yet?
HI MY LOVELY GREECE . HOW ARE YOU ? 🌺❤🔝😇🔝❤🌺
Thanks for your comment. All’s well here, but being in Greece sounds really nice! How are you?
What is your exact definition of "christian myth"?
My exact definition is this:
Christian myth, like all myths, is a fiction of the human mind that symbolically represents an inner and outer reality that is bound to a particular span of time in human history.
More simply put, Christian myth is poetry that was composed over a stretch of time from roughly 1200 - 165 BCE. Many Christian myths were modeled on the earlier Greek myths, as I point out in this video.
This is my view, but everyone is free to think whatever they wish.
What is your definition of it?