The mythology of wine

Have the gods of the losers, the gods are marginal. Their time has expired, names forgotten, and the cults faded away. Is the “success” of the gods. They come to us for a long time, quickly conquered our hearts and rule over us for thousands of years.

The founder of wine Dionysus (Bacchus, Bacchus) is a successful and successful God! Assuming it has the Eastern (Thracian and Lydian-Phrygian) roots. In Greece the dissemination and adoption of his cult belongs to the VIII-VII centuries BC, although the name of God is found on tablets of the Cretan linear writing much earlier — in the XIV century BC

In a historically short period of time the alien makes an enviable career — first displaces the competition numerous spirits, demons and deities that inhabited the territory of the ancient world, and then ascends to the top of mount Olympus, joining the brilliant parnassian “elite”. Later, his power extended to “barbaric” tribes.

Triumphant procession of Dionysus through the land of Greece begins with the growth of cities and the development of Polis democracy. In Delphi it is revered no less than the Apollo. In Athens the whole city flocked to the solemn procession which is enacted the sacred marriage between the God of the vine, the wife of the archon Basileus. On Parnassus, every two years, raging orgies, for which bacchantes are written from Attica, in Attica, to the glory of Bacchus competing tragic and comic poets, choirs singing the praises of the actors are playing the new Comedy. By the way, thanks to Dionysus and originated the genre of tragedy (Greek word, tragodia, literally meaning “the song of the goat” or “song of goats”, i.e. goat-footed satyrs, the companions of God).

Dionysus-Bacchus competed not only with Apollo. He got into the “zone of influence” of his grandmother Aphrodite, taking our patronage to such an important sphere of human life as a carnal love. The symbol of the parnassian husbandman — the sacred phallus, signifying the continuation of life and fertility.

Vine found by Bacchus, quickly started to grow and eventually imprisoned in his arms the whole world. She turned the meal into a feast, and life to the occasion. Those who drink the wine took on the eloquence of poets and the wisdom of the gods, “died” for our earthly life and into life eternal. God vine has become a faithful lover for each of its adherents.

Meanwhile, the origin of Bacchus dark and doubtful. His mother was either Persephone (goddess of underworld), or Demeter (goddess of fertility), whether “ordinary” woman – Semele, the daughter of the Theban king Kad-mA (occurring, however, in the maternal line from Aphrodite). The latest version is most prevalent, although it calls into question the right of Dionysus, the Olympic order. Semele was not a goddess, and as for his father…

The Princess claimed the baby was conceived from Zeus, the head of the ancient Pantheon, but the sisters didn’t believe her. Anyway, beauty has a chance to literally “burn with love”. One day, she begged of Zeus to appear to her in all its glory. The visit took place, but was very short.

Thunder struck his beloved fire, and baby born prematurely snatched from the flames and sewed it in his thigh. (Not from the father whether inherited Dionis fiery nature and a certain wildness of character?)
Giving birth to a son, Zeus instructed Hermes to give him up for adoption naascom nymphs. It is curious that in our days the guardian has not parted with his players, Hermes and Dionysus “meet” each bottle of good wine! Because “sealed” packaging bears the name of Hermes because he was a master in sealed vessels, so that when prolonged storage of the wine is not spoiled.

Finding the vine, Bacchus was on the ground surrounded by a very colorful entourage, about which it is fair to say that it is “not dry”. Satyrs and bacchantes, ivy-clad, armed with the thyrsus (a wand) covered by Holy ecstasy and girt with snakes, crushing all in its path, pulled out by the roots the trees, drunk with the blood of torn of wild beasts and cries of “Bacchus, evohé! his Holy rapture!” praise of Dionysus. The wine flowed freely, involves flows of thousands of men and women.

What can explain the irresistible appeal of “wine God”? Why this God-blood God-upstart (as told to his aunt) won the right to be on a par with the inhabitants of Olympus? What is offered to mankind Bacchus and why are people so appreciated the drink, which, from the point of view of the chemist, is nothing more than fermented grape juice?

Perhaps the reason that the vine gave freedom, unlimited freedom. One of the epithets of Dionysus, “the Liberator” (“Lia”), He breaks the shackles of everyday life, reduces the civilizational constraints, liberating desire.

In Bacchus embodies the idea of pleasure, but at the same time — the idea of a fatal delight lead to madness and death. Threats lurking in the Dionysian, was aware already at the time of his first heyday. In Rome, wine was not allowed to drink to persons under the age of 35 years. And the Danube savy and does have introduced the “dry law”, forbidden not only to drink wine, but even to bring it into their territory.

Dionysus loved and feared. People are fascinated, and frightened the mystery of turning a harmless grape juice into an intoxicating drink. Said Bacchus owns the thessalian witchcraft and is able to turn into a few drinks poison the river water. In some myths, traces of an ancient taboo forbidding the wine under the threat of death. Assume that, initially, it was used “legally” only by representatives of the priestly aristocracy. Wine played a role of conduit between the earthly and otherworldly realms, reducing the company entering into a trance through which a cleric could communicate with the supernatural and the world of shadow.

With the spread of viticulture ancient taboo dying, and the ability to enter into relations with spirits, (or, at least, to enjoy the subtle taste of the drink) became public.

Good luck with tastings!