Dionysia Dionysos Dionysus

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~ DIONYSIA  id+ | NATURE  VEGETATIVE LIFE  INSTINCTS |
~ DIONYSOS  or BACCHUS  BACCHOS  BROMIOS etc
~ DIONYSUS  in sp BACO
            hx> DIONYSIA refers to
  A FESTIVAL FOR THE MALE GOD DIONYSUS
  HIS CULT WAS VERY POPULAR AND
  NOT DOMINATED BY THE RICH OR POWERFUL
  IT REMAINS ROOTED IN sug> CARNIVAL
  THEATER WAS AN INHERENT PART OF THE FESTIVITY
  LATER THE THEATER OF DIONYSOS IN ATHENS
  OFFERED PLAYS BY AESCHYLUS  SOPHOCLES etc
  DIONYSIA AND THE RELATED FESTIVALS
  OF HALOA AND PANATHENAEA WERE HELD
  AFTER THE WINTER STORMS PASSED WHEN     sug> SPRING
  THE SEA WAS CONSIDERED SAFE AGAIN
  SINCE THEATER PLAYS WERE EXPENSIVE
  PATRONS WERE SOUGHT AND NAMED CHOREGOS  sug> LITURGY
  TO FINANCE THE TRAINING OF THE CHOIR etc
  PROGRAMS INCLUDED PRESENTATIONS BY      sug> PENETRATE
  SATYRS WHO WORE A PHALLUS AND           sug> PENIS
  DELIVERED LEWD JOKES                    sug> SCURRILOUS
  note contrast between SATYR and SATIRE
  note THE PUBLIC EXHIBITION OF THE PHALLUS
       WAS COMMON IN ANCIENT GREECE
  note DURING THE CONCURRENT HALOA FESTIVAL
       WOMEN ATE PASTRIES BAKED IN THE SHAPE OF
  MALE AND FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS WHILE ENGAGED IN
  LEWD STORY TELLING etc
  also
  A CELEBRATED WAS A PROCESSION
  KNOWN AS PANATHENAEA in honor of
  PAN and ATHENA
  art> A PANATHENAEA IS DEPICTED ON
       THE FRIEZE OF THE PARTHENON
  SHOWING ITS PURPOSE TO BRING
  A NEWLY WOVEN GARMENT FOR
  THE STATUE OF ATHENA
  DIONYSIA PANATHENAEA AND HALOA
  WERE CONCURRENT FESTIVALS
  ENGAGING THE WHOLE POPULATION
  hx> THE TIMING OF CARNIVAL WITH SPRING AND THE
      EMPHASIS ON PROCESSIONS AND
  ITS SENSUOUS TONE INVOLVING THE PLEBES
  IS IN THE SPIRIT OF DIONYSIA and
  most would agree that a connection with
  see> CARNIVAL or see> MARDI GRAS
       is beyond dispute
  hx> note the error of CHRISTIANS in depicting
      DIONYSIUS as evil and
  emphasizing the link of this deity with
  WINE
  WOMEN and
  SONG as goes a modern saying recently modified to
  WHISKEY
  WOMEN and
  WHEELS plus some would add
  WELFARE a ditto popular in urban slums
  note that WHISKEY may by now
  been replaced by DRUGS but
  WOMEN remain WOMEN            sug> MATERNAL
  note how WOMEN UPHOLD         sug> INSTINCT
  AN UNTAMED GENERATIVE         sug> GENITAL
  ELEMENT IN LIFE               sug> GENESIS
  note MAENADS  SATYRS          see> SATIRE
  med> note that among the excesses during
       BACCHANALIA or DIONYSIA or ORGIES   sug> BEEF TATAR
  MAY HAVE BEEN THE PRACTICE OF            sug> CARPACCIO
  SEXUAL EXCESSES AND EATING OF RAW FLESH  sug> CARNIVAL
  in sp CARNE = FLESH
  GIVING RISE TO THE LINK WITH
  CARNAVAL or CARNIVOROUS CARNIVAL
  note DIONYSUS REPRESENTS INSTINCTUAL     sug> INSTIGATE
       VEGETATIVE or                       sug> VOODOO
       CULT RITUALISTIC IDEAS OF LIFE      sug> RELIGION
  note DIONYSUS IS
       THE MOST COMPLEX IDEA
       FROM CLASSIC MYTHOLOGY
  JUST AS IS THE VEGETATIVE INSTINCTUAL NATURE OF PEOPLE
  TO THIS DAY TNE MEANING OF DIONYSIUS IS UNDER DEBATE
  myth> DIONYSUS  HAD MORE TITLES THAN ANY OTHER DEITY
        AND FOR THIS REASON ALSO KNOWN AS
  THE GOD OF MANY NAMES
  GOD OF VEGETATION AND WINE  also known as
  LYAEOS or DITHYRAMBOS
  BAKCHOS BACHUS BACHOS BAKOS  BACOS BAKUS  BACUS
  note that his CULT PROBABLY WAS BORROWED FROM
       ORIENTAL MYTHOLOGY AND THE ORIGINAL SIGNIFICANCE
  WAS AS A DIVINE BEING WHOSE POWER MIGHT BE NOTICED IN
  THE SAP OF VEGETATION and therefore
  DIONYSUS was seen as
  GOD OF LIFE
         VINTAGE
  of FESTIVE CONVIVIAL or
     GAY COMPANY
     ECSTATIC MYSTIC CEREMONIES
  source of
  HAPPINESS AND MIRTH
  ENJOYMENT
  NOBLE FRUIT
  GOD OF
  WINE
  THEATRE
  said to have been born in
  THEBES AND TO BE THE SON OF
  ZEUS & SEMELE THE DAUGHTER OF KADMOS
  KADMOS WAS THE SON OF AGENOR AND
  GRANDSON OF POSEIDON
  DIONYSUS TOOK AS WIFE
  A MORTAL WOMAN see> ARIADNE
  THIS REPRESENTS A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN
  DIONYSUS IS UNIQUE AMONG GODS BECAUSE HE
  REMAINED FAITHFUL TO ARIADNE AND
  DIONYSUS ALSO RESCUED HIS MOTHER FROM HELL
  cont> in addenda under development see> ~& DIONYSUS
  ENTHUSIASTIC ORGIASTIC RITUALS FOR DIONYSOS INCLUDED
  NOCTURNAL ORGIASTIC PROCESSION OF WOMEN
  gr  ORGIA = SECRET RITE or WORSHIP from
      ORGE    VIOLENT  PASSION  ANGER  WRATH
  eng ORGY    SPREE  BINGE  BASH
  symb> THE VINE IVY AND THE POMEGRANATE
        WERE THE SACRED SYMBOLS OF BACCHUS
  art>  REPRESENTED IN A VARIETY OF FORMS AND AGES
        HIS STAFF IS THE THYRSUS WHICH IS
  A ROD WITH A PINE CONE AT THE TOP
  a cup attr to PHEIDIPPOS [#] c 520 BC
  showing DIONYSOS in great detail
  displayed at the
  New York Metropolitan Museum of Art
  also there is a
  RELIEF or STELE depicting a
  MAENAD or MENEAD holding a THYRSOS or THURSUS
  represented as a
  STAFF WRAPPED IN IVY LEAVES and BERRIES
  note more complexities under see> BACCHUS
  note in POMPEII THERE ARE A PROFUSION OF REPRESENTATIONS
       OF DIONYSUS and MAENADS suggesting that his
  cult may have overshadowed other mythologic figures
  notable is a wall painting or medalion in the
  Herculareum showing DIONYSUS holding a THYRSUS and a
  DEVOTEE ATTENDANT OR A MAENAD see> BACCHUS
  lit+ DIONYSUS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT
       OF MANY SERIOUS BOOKS AND REMAINS A
  SUBJECT FOR BITTER CONTROVERSIES
  note "Dionysus Myth and Cult" by
  Walter F OTTO [#] 1874-1958 Spring Publications Dallas Texas
  1981 offers a review written in 1933 where we found
  "MODERN SCHOLARS ARE STILL COMPLETELY BAFFLED ... "
  BY THE DIVERSITY AND DEPTH
  OF THE RAPTURE AND ECSTASY REPRESENTED BY DYONISUS
  AS THE CENTER FOR CULTS AND MYTHS ATTENDED BY WOMEN WHO
  SWEPT ALONG BY HIS WILDNESS BECAME HIS MAIDS or MAENADS
  note how HOMER [#] UNDERSCORES DIONYSUS AND
  HIS WOMEN AS BEING FRENZIED as if
  ALL MOMENTS OF PRIMAL CREATION ARE A FORM OF MADNESS                                sug> INSTINCT
  A PRODUCT OF TUMULT                              see> MUTINY
  A SALVATION FROM CHAOS                           see> PRIAPUS
  AN ESCAPE FROM PRIMEVAL PAIN                     sug> EXCITE
  A "WILDERNESS OF BECOMING"                       sug> VIVIFY
  ply> | TO SPRING TO ACTION DURING SPRING |       sug> INSPIRE
  perhaps the above is reflected in
  "WHEN THE VINES BLOOM ANEW
   THE WINE MOVES IN THE KEG
   WHEN THE ROSES GLOW ANEW
   I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH ME "  wrote GOETHE [#]
  in Iiad 14 325 ZEUS said to Semele who bore DIONYSUS
  "BLESSED ARE YOU ... FOR YOU HAVE CONCEIVED
   A SON WHO BRINGS FORGETFULNESS
   TO THE SORROWS OF MORTALS "
   lit+ THE CULT OF DIONYSUS or BACCHUS
        AMPLY ILLUSTRATES BELIEF vs REASON
   PERHAPS DIONYSUS STANDS FOR MADNESS AS WELL
   AS FOR LIFE DEATH and PARTICULARLY CONCEPTION
   med> note how IDEA OF AN IDEA IS A CONCEPTION
        to some VEGETATIVE MIND  or  INSTINCTS
   belong to the REALM OF CULTS       sug> HUNCH
   Walter F. OTTO [#] 1874-1858 wrote
   "Dionysus" and analyzed the SYMBOLISM IN
   DIONYSIAC WORSHIP  STARYS  MAENADS  WOMAN
   and HIS ONLY AND BELOVED WIFE ARIADNE