Day 2 of folklore: Dionysus
Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, theatre, madness, feast, origies, mental health, fertility, religious ecstasy, rebirth, insanity, festivity, he was also the patron god of Transgender people and Non-binary people.
Dionysus is the child of Zeus god of lighting and Semele princess of Thebes, but in some Orphic tales he is known as the reborn version of Zagreus who was the child of Zeus and Persephone goddess of spring.
After Semele was burned alive, Zeus found out she had been with child, he grabbed the developing fetus and sewed it into his thigh. After the child was ready Zeus handed him over to Hermes (god of travel, mischief, thievery, astrology, ect,) and Apollo( god of medicine, archery, light) to raise as a female. Dionysus had to be thrown around from family to family until he found permanent residence with a group of nymphs. But he couldn't stay hidden from Hera for long. When she found him she turned him mad. Dionysus also saved the princess Ariadne from dying after she was dumped on an island by the Athenian hero Theseus. They married and had multiple children and when Ariadne was murdered by Perseus he held the whole underworld hostage until he got her back. He had a cult in his honor made by his crazy aunt's and many others.
Wine was created after his mortal lover Ampelos had fallen and died. Dionysus turned him into a constellation along with his mother to show his immense grief. There are many other tales about Dionysus bit to keep this post little that's all I will include.
Dionysus sacred animal were any big cats. Other names of his include Bacchus, Liber, and Osiris.
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