DIONYSIA 2001The Hercules and Xena Fan Convention
Why Dionysia?
So why "dionysia"? Well, there’s been a Symposium, then an Olympiad, Chariots of War and a Panathenaea. There’s a bit of a classical theme going here. So why break a tradition that works? Dionysus was the object of a mystic cult the aim of which was to produce ecstatic release through dance, music and wine. The members of his cult were promised an afterlife of continual drinking and revelry (now do you begin to see the attraction of this guy to those of us who love the convention scene)? He’s shown accompanied by satyrs (his male followers) and Bacchae (the female followers). Satyrs were addicted to wine, revelry and lust, whilst the Bacchae dressed in faun skins, wore garlands of ivy and would sing and dance to exhaustion in celebration of the god. Sometimes the Bacchae took time out to get a little friendly and misbehave with a satyr <g>. There were several festivals devoted to him one of the main one being the Great Dionysia in late spring and it is through this festival that Dionysus was associated with the arts and became the god of the theatre. The Great or City Dionysia began with a procession, feasting and general celebration (which lasted all night). Foreigners and the representatives of other states were present and tickets of admission were required to gain entry to the main events. Over the next few days there were musical competitions, and plays (comedies, tragedies and satires). On the final day the judges decisions were announced and prizes were awarded! Putting the plays together bears some resemblance to organising a convention!
So all in all DIONYSIA seemed a somewhat apt title for our event!
Who was this guy Dionysus? Good question. Like most of the Olympians his history is a little confusing or there may well be three guys named Dionysus lurking around! He could be the son of Zeus by Persephone. In this legend Dionysus was dismembered by the Titans who ate him, leaving only his heart. Zeus destroyed the Titans and humans are made from their ashes, therefore we’re mostly monstrous (our Titan heritage) with a spark of the divine (our Dionysian heritage). In the finale of this story Zeus eats Dionysus’ heart and then gets Semele pregnant allowing Dionysus to be reborn. Another story says that Dionysus was simply the son of Zeus and Semele. Zeus had been consorting with young Semele, but Hera found out and was jealous. She tricked Semele into asking Zeus to appear to her as he appeared to Hera, so she would know the pleasure of sleeping with a god. Of course, poor Semele, unable to endure the divine presence, was smitten with a thunderbolt causing her to givie birth prematurely to Dionysus. Semele died, but Zeus sewed Dionysus into his thigh allowing him to be reborn later. So he was very lucky to make it into the world!
And what did he do? Well, after such a rough start he turned into a bit of a party boy and world traveller. He roamed around Greece, to Edonia, Thebes, Argos, Naxos and also to Crete. He had adventures with pirates (who he turned into dolphins) and was rumoured to have travelled to India. Everywhere he went he actively encouraged his cult. He often appeared in disguise, as an animal (a bull or lion), as a human (being an equal opportunity kinda guy he appeared as male or female). He has sometimes been depicted as being effeminate and ridiculous, but not by those in the know. He moved among humans bringing gifts, demanding recognition and punishing those who did not accept him. He appears in Ovid and of course, in Euripides famous play "The Bacchae." The moral of these tales - recognise and accept divinity when you see it. Especially if it’s Dio!
What was his area of influence? He presides over:
His attributes include: a BIG drinking vessel, an ivy wreath, grape vines and wild cats (panthers and tigers) are shown travelling with him. To see pictures of Dionysus and find out more about him go here: http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/gods/dionysos_i.html http://has.brown.edu/~maicar/Dionysus2.html http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cls/c123u10.htm
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