Dionysus

Hi,
I took an introductory Theatre History class this year and we touched on the myth of Dionysus. The teacher mentioned that most cultures throughout the world and throughout history have had a similar mythological figure, even predating Dionysus: a sexually neutral or ambiguos male who has an abundance of passion and dies violently and then becomes imortal.

Have any of you ever thought about this before? Do you tihnk Dionysus is a prototype of Jesus?

Other similar figures in recent, American/Western culture…

-James Dean
-Ziggy Stardust
-Darby Crash

If you have any insights I’d really appreciate it. I think a lot about the cult of beauty/innocence/youth and death. I talk about it a lot on my weekly rock n roll radio show, too.

Thanks,

KS

See the ‘Was Jesus a homosexual thread’ posted by me for more…

Don’t forget too such figures as Orpheus, Narcissus and Nisus and Eurylus. These were all mortals however. Nevertheless they embodied similar attributes to the ones you mentioned.

Diosnysus was certainly NOT a prototype of Jesus in any way, shape or form however.

In fact, they stood for manifestly different values. Don’t forget that Jesus was a sincere abstemious man whereas Dionysus was a drunken hedonist!!!

I wouldn’t plug that comparison simply because it doesn’t fit!

“In fact, they stood for manifestly different values. Don’t forget that Jesus was a sincere abstemious man whereas Dionysus was a drunken hedonist!!!”

Okay, I see your point here. Maybe “prototype” was the wrong word but I still believe that in ways all of the people I mentioned are similar.

Jesus is to Christians of all classes and races what Darby Crash is to many arty, nihlistic punk rockers. Both had an ideal and in the end they sacrificed themselves to it at a young age.

“One day people will pray to me.” – Darby Crash, age Twenty

the atcual artistic representation of Jesus came from dionysis and in some instances its hard to tell who is being represented. And why do you suppose Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine?

he’s a recent book that make an attempt at theorizing jesus came from dionysis

http://www.jesusmysteries.demon.co.uk/