By: Maranda Wabik
Dionysus Week,

Maenads

Bacchante Teasing a Goat by William Adolphe Bouguereau

Maenads were the female followers of Dionysus.   They were the ones that participated in his revelries.   Some maenads were depicted as being forced by the god to take part in often atrocious religious events.    Other maenads were happy to be a part of Dionysus’ cult!    These women were also referred to as “the raving ones” and were known for their frenzied worship of their god!

For all the horror that could be involved in the cult revelries, there was also a lot of fun to be had by this cult!    Orgies were commonplace at the religious festivities that honored Dionysus.   Drunkeness and use of drugs made for an atmosphere of freedom from constraint.    If this sounds like the life of a 1960s rock groupie, it should be no surprise.    Dionysus archetypes are highly common among rock stars.    Jim Morrison is the most iconic example of a Dionysus archetype, as mentioned by Jean Shinoda Bolen in her book Gods in Everyman!

Maenads that were forced into the service of Dionysus were often driven to literal madness by the god.    Dionysus did not take react well to being told no by possible followers.   One important myth tells the tale of Dionysus driving a group of women mad when they refused to become his followers.    This group of women would go on to kill one of their own sons and dismember him under the thrall of Dionysus’ madness!   This myth reminds me of modern cult leaders.    The followers of Charlie Manson in the 1960s would commit similar atrocities while under the thrall of his charisma!

The maenads that were willing followers were not forced into committing these atrocities.   Often times they were willing participants of the events that would occur at the rites of Dionysus!   Many of these women were quite literally in love with the horned god.   The idea that many of them were likely his lovers is no stretch of the imagination.   Many Greek deities took human lovers, and Dionysus in particular was known to have orgies as part of his festivals!

Maenads are sometimes seen as a type of nymph.    Nymphs are Greek nature deities who are personifications of parts of nature, which could be trees, mountains, and bodies of water.    Satyrs, which are also associated with being followers of Dionysus, were closely associated with nymphs.    This makes it plausible that some maenads were not simply human women, but nymphs who answered the call of the god Dionysus, and became his followers willingly!

I hope this post has given some insight into maenads.   Let me know your thoughts on the worshippers of Dionysus in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Bacchante Teasing a Goat by William Adolphe Bouguereau.   I found the image on dailyartmagazine.com.    I feel that this perfectly exemplifies the nature of Dionysus worship, especially the animal sacrifices and nudity!

Further Reading