Description

DIONYSUS BUST Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name, thought to be a theonym in Linear B tablets as di-wo-nu-so (KH Gq 5 inscription), shows that he may have been worshipped as early as c. 1500–1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks; other traces of the Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete. His origins are uncertain, and his cults took many forms; some are described by ancient sources as Thracian, others as Greek. In some cults, he arrives from the east, as an Asiatic foreigner; in others, from Ethiopia in the South. He is a god of epiphany, "the god that comes", and his "foreignness" as an arriving outsider-god may be inherent and essential to his cults. He is a major, popular figure of Greek mythology and religion, and is included in some lists of the twelve Olympians. Dionysus was the last god to be accepted into Mt. Olympus. He was the youngest and the only one to have a mortal mother. His festivals were the driving force behind the development of Greek theatre. He is an example of a dying god. The earliest cult images of Dionysus show a mature male, bearded and robed. He holds a fennel staff, tipped with a pine-cone and known as a thyrsus. Later images show him as a beardless, sensuous, naked or half-naked androgynous youth: the literature describes him as womanly or "man-womanish". In its fully developed form, his central cult imagery shows his triumphant, disorderly arrival or return, as if from some place beyond the borders of the known and civilized. His procession (thiasus) is made up of wild female followers (maenads) and bearded satyrs with erect penises. Some are armed with the thyrsus, some dance or play music. The god himself is drawn in a chariot, usually by exotic beasts such as lions or tigers, and is sometimes attended by a bearded, drunken Silenus. This procession is presumed to be the cult model for the human followers of his Dionysian Mysteries. In his Thracian mysteries, he wears the bassaris or fox-skin, symbolizing a new life. Dionysus is represented by city religions as the protector of those who do not belong to conventional society and thus symbolizes everything which is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected, everything which escapes human reason and which can only be attributed to the unforeseeable action of the gods. He was also known as Bacchus the name adopted by the Romans and the frenzy he induces, bakkheia. His thyrsus is sometimes wound with ivy and dripping with honey. It is a beneficent wand but also a weapon, and can be used to destroy those who oppose his cult and the freedoms he represents. He is also called Eleutherios ("the liberator"), whose wine, music and ecstatic dance frees his followers from self-conscious fear and care, and subverts the oppressive restraints of the powerful. Those who partake of his mysteries are possessed and empowered by the god himself. His cult 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. It was made in Greece, stands 7.8 inches high and weighs approximately 1.8 kg. Bust Details: Condition: New, Handmade in Greece. Material: Magnesite Height: 20cm (7.8") Width: 9cm (3.5") Weight: 1.8 kg ******** Check Out Our other items For Sale! Buy more items & SAVE ON SHIPPING! Store Policies: Payment We accept Paypal and we'll ship worldwide! Shipping We Offer Shipping Discounts for multiple purchase. For the second item we offer 20% discount. For major orders we can give you additional discount. Legal notice to all international order: We are not responsible for customs duties and taxes that may be charged on international orders. Please email us for more information.() Customer Service & Return Policies All items are returnable(except the bronze items) within 14 days of the shipping date for a full money back guarantee (excluding shipping charges). If you are not satisfied with an item, you may exchange it or receive a full refund if it is returned in its original condition and packaging. In the event that the item is unavailable for replacement, a refund will be processed. If we feel that the return policy is being abused we reserve the right to refuse any exchange, credit or refund. Refunds will be processed via the method used for payment unless another method is requested. 14 Days 100% Money Back Guarantee If you are not satisfied with the product. No questions asked! We'll be very glad if you Visit our Store and have a look of our other items For Sale!