The story of Zagreus’ dismemberment and rebirth functions as the heart of Orphism, which draws up a narrative thematically similar to that of Persephone’s descent and return from the underworld. Zagreus is likewise considered to be the Orphic version of Dionysus as evidenced by a fragment of Euripides’ lost play, Cretans. In this myth Hades is viewed as the Chthonic aspect of Zeus and they were considered interlinked. Orphic tradition links Hades and Dionysus in a different way with the advent of Zagreus. Her husband’s appearance is of great debate to archeologists as to whether the depiction is of Hades featuring very strong Dionysiac symbolism or Dionysus wearing Hades’ beard. 540 BC depicting Hades standing with his brothers on one side and Persephone and her husband on the other side. Of particular interest is a vase from Etruria dating from ca. Dionysiac mysteries often involved death symbolism and rituals. Hades/Dionysus being a god of fertility and death would have been perfectly suited to the goddess Persephone/Kore whose role was defined by duality between her maiden/spring aspect and her title as the dreaded Queen of the Dead. The focus of Mystery Cults on life cycles and the metamorphic qualities of fertility and death pave the groundwork for understanding the relationship between Hades and Dionysus. ![]() This idea was later picked up by the Mystery Cults. ![]() The Egyptian recognized Dionysus as Osiris who in turn was recognized by the Greeks as Hades thus creating a conflated identity between the two. However a more accepted theory has their identities merging sometime around the 6th century in Egypt.Īlong with exchanging goods and money the Greek merchant exchanged myths with Egyptians. This theory is supported by the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in which Demeter refuses to drink wine associating it with the god who abducted her daughter as well as two reliefs found in marble votives from the fourth century depicting Persephone and Dionysus as married. Some researchers speculate that Hades was originally the chthonic aspect of Dionysus. Chthonic Dionysusĭionysus is one the earliest known Greek gods with archeological evidence supporting worship of Dionysus as a god of wine dating back to at least 1300 BC with the god’s name appearing on clay tablets around the Palace of Nestor in Pylos. The idea of Hades and Dionysus being the same deity has its roots in Egypt and the Mystery Cults. Evidence that Dionysus and Hades were considered the same god or at least interchangeable exists in hymns, statues, vase paintings, and marble votives with the philosopher Heraclitus going as far as to state “Hades and Dionysus are the same”. The two gods shared several epithets such as Chthonios and Eubouleus and were both connected in rituals to Persephone, with Dionysus often being treated as Persephone’s husband. Hades and Dionysus were likely viewed as the same deity by the Mystery Cults and potentially other sects in Egypt, Greece and Southern Italy. ![]() Even passive Greek mythology enthusiasts know Hades has the god of the underworld and Dionysus has the god of wine and debauchery but what if I told you their identities were much more complex?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |