The Followers of Dionysus

Dionysus was the Greek god of wine and fertility, and his followers—Sileni, Satyrs, and Maenads—personify the feel-good values and exuberance that go along with such things. Though they like to have a good time, they also tend to get violent when confronted with opposition. The Maenads chew ivy and laurel and drink wine to achieve a frenzied state in which they sing and dance in worship of Dionysus, and sometimes they fend off lusty Satyrs with their thyrsi (staffs covered in ivy). The Satyrs are half-man, half-goat creatures who love to drink wine, chase nymphs, and generally cause a ruckus. When they aren’t out raising hell, they are asleep. They are the attendants of Dionysus. The Sileni, sometimes confused with Satyrs, are half-man, half-horse creatures known for their lechery and drunkenness. They like nymphs, too, but are more likely to get drunk and leave the nymphs for the Satyrs. They are closely associated with forests, as well as the flute and lyre, and can often be found in the company of Dionysus. What unites these three groups—the Sileni, Satyrs, and Maenads—is the celebration of life in which they engage as they go about their drunken binges and romps.

	*Nicolas Poussin, Nymph with Satyrs, about 1627* This is a traditional “history painting,” which depicts satyrs and a nymph. The satyrs are associated with forests, as you can see in the painting. They are also known for their great sexual desire, which you can also see in the painting from their behavior as well as their goat-like characteristics (horns, fur, etc). The satyr on the far right is unclothing the nymph, and she isn’t exactly protesting. All associated with Dionysus like to have a good time. Check this painting out at the National Gallery.
	Festival of Dionysus: Modern day Mardi Gras Many sources attribute our custom of Mardi Gras to the ancient Carnivale celebrations and the Festival of Dionysus in Greece. These times of celebration are all marked by several days of partying, parading, chaos and most importantly…drinking! Like our Mardi Gras which is immediately followed by Lent, the Greeks observed the festival of Februalia, a month-long period of sacrifice and atonement
	Maenads: The Wild Women of Kent This is a group of English women who come together to perform traditional English border dances. They also weave in parts of Greek culture by comparing themselves to the mythological Maenads, the followers of Dionysus who danced ecstatically in worship of him. These women in Kent admit that they don’t chew ivy, laurel, and mushrooms to achieve the same frenzied state as the original Maenads, but they still dress in green, leaf-like costumes and use the same symbolic ivy imagery on their website. In short, their allusion to the Maenads tells us that they like to dance and have a good time.
	The Rainbow Gathering: Hippies in the woods The myths of Dionysus mention that his followers would retreat to the woods in order to worship him. Here they would often enter substance induced trances and dance chaotically. This is not unlike the hippie following known as the Rainbow Gathering. Once a year in different locations, hippies from all over gather in the woods for days of bohemian debauchery. This group also represents the side of Dionysus that placed an emphasis on escape from the daily grind. One must embrace their Dionesian side or else he will make sure your weaknesses prove to be self-destructive!
	The Satyrs Motorcycle Club The Satyrs Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles is the world’s longest running gay association in America. Like Dionysus’ followers, who were part man part animal, these men are represented by the symbol of half-man, half-motorcycle. The Satyrs in Greek times worshipped Dionysus by partying and having fun. The Satyrs of this motorcycle club also like to have fun by going on bike rides, having parties, camping, and performing charitable acts.
	Dionysus is still being worshipped in 2005 by people who believe in his abilities to drink, party and pursue women. Would you look at here, we have people partying and drinking wine . Even today the only excuse you need to get drunk is to scream and shout. I am getting drunk for my homie Dionysus!!! Being that Dionysus is the God of wine it is only appropriate today to drink in his honor. Like many rock stars, Dionysus also had followers and groupies who showed intense excitement whenever he was near. Maybe if Dionysus wasn’t the God of Wine, he probably would have had fewer followers, because you know people back then and today love to drink.