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The Gods of the Neokoroi - Dionysos



Statue of Dionysus. Marble, 2nd century CE (arms and legs were heavily restored in the 18th century), found in Italy - image © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons

Image courtesy of and copyright © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons.

Blessing:

The blessings of Dionysos are joy and passion, madness and prophecy, ecstacy and freedom. Dionysian freedom is beyond good and evil: it takes precedence over law, custom, inhibition or morality. In the worship of Dionysos, we discover who we really are beneath all the masks and lies and compromises that society demands of us. Dionysos dissolves all boundaries and destroys every falsehood. In the ecstatic state, we feel ourselves to be whole, to be one with all of the other worshippers, with the earth and the Gods. We utter prophecy, since we are no longer constrained by our small minds. We perform miracles, since the laws of nature no longer apply. We touch the face of God, and he touches us.

Epithets:

Agrios (The Wild One), Aigobolos (The Goatslayer), Aktaios (He of the Seacoast), Anax Bakcheios (Bacchic Lord), Anax Agreus (Lord Hunter), Antheus (The Blossoming), Anthroporraistes (The Render of Humans), Areion (War-like), Arretos (The Ineffable), Arsenothelys (the Man-Womanly), Auxites (The Grower), Axios Tauros (The Worthy Bull), Bakcheios (The Bacchic One), Bakchos (Raving), Bassareus (The Fox-God), Botryophoros (Bearer of Clusters of Grapes), Boukeros (The Bull-horned One), Bromios (He Who Roars), Bythios (The Deep), Charidotes (The Giver of Grace), Choreutes (The Dancer), Choroplekes (The Danceweaving One), Chthonios (He of the Underworld), Dendrites (The Tree God), Dikerotes (The Two-horned One), Dimeter (He of Two Mothers), Dimorphos (The Two-Formed One), Dissotokos (Doubly Born), Dithyrambos (Hymned by the Dithyramb), Eiraphiotes (The In-Sewn One), Ekstatophoros (The Bringer of Ecstasy), Eleuthereus (The Emancipator), Enorches (the Betesticled), Eriphos (Young Kid), Eribromios (The Loud Roarer), Euanthes (The Fair Blossoming One), Euaster (He Who Shouts Eua), Eubouleus (The Good Counselor), Euios (The Reveler), Gethosynos (The Joyful), Gigantophonos (Giant-Slayer), Gynnis (Womanish), Hagnos (The Pure, Holy One), Iakchos (The Cryer at Eleusis), Iatros (The Healer), Kissobryos (The Ivy-Wrapped One), Kissokomes (The Ivy-Crowned One), Kissos (Ivy), Korymbophoros (The Cluster-laden), Kryphios (The Hidden One), Lampter (Light-bringer), Lenaios (He of the Wine-press), Liknites (He of the Winnowing Fan Cradle), Limnaios (He of the Marsh), Lyaios (Bringer of Freedom), Lyseus (Liberator), Mainomenos (The Maddened One), Makar (Blessed One), Manikos (The Manic One), Mantis (The Diviner), Meilichios (The Gentle One), Melanaigis (He of the Black Goatskin), Morychos (The Dark One), Nebrodes (The Fawn-form One), Nyktelios (He of the Night), Nyktipolos (The Night-Stalker), Nysios (He of Nysa), Oiketor (The Indweller), Omadios (He of the Raw Feast),. Palaios (The Ancient One), Perikionios (He Who is Entwined Around the Pillars), Phanes (The Illuminator), Polygethes (Bringer of Many Joys), Polymorphos (He of the Many Forms), Polyonomos (The Many-Named One), Protogonos (The Firstborn), Skeptouchos (Sceptre-Bearer), Soter (Saviour), Sykites (He of the Fig-Tree), Taurokeros Theos (Bull-horned God), Taurophagos (Devourer of the Bull), Tauropon (The Bull-faced One), Teletarches (Lord of Initiation), Thyonidas (Son of Thyone), Thyrsophoros (The Thyrsos-Bearer), Trieterikos (The Biennial One), Trigonos (The Thriceborn), Zagreus (Great Hunter), Zatheos (The Very Holy), Zoophoros (Life Bringer)

Symbols:

thyrsos, mask, nebrix, kantharos, phallos

Animal(s):

panther, goat, snake, bull, fox

Sacrifices:

musk, civet, frankincense, storax, ivy, grapes, pine, fig, wine, honey, Indian hemp, orchis root, thistle, all wild and domestic trees, black diamond

Primary Cult Center(s):

Thebes, Delphi, Lesbos, Thrace, Keos, Italy

Festivals:

Ways to honor:

Drink wine. Attend theater. Dance. Sing. Learn a form of divination. Explore madness. Be passionate. Be creative. Enjoy every moment of living - even the harsh and unpleasant ones.

For more information:

Links: