Even the Greeks had a strong connection with wine. While it has had a strong economic significance for them, what appeared most important to this ancient civilization were the stories behind this drink made from the grapes of the land. For starters, they believed that wine was the sign of the god Dionysus. The people of Greece know him as the god of the grape harvest. Said to be the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele, he is considered only semi-divine or heroic. Mythological records state that Dionysus was “twice born” – once from his mother after she was killed by Zeus’ lightning bolt and a second time after he is rescued and develops in Zeus’ thigh. After his birth, Zeus gave Dionysus to a small group of nymphs to raise him. While many did not see Dionysus as a true god and was a late arrival in the Greek world, he was still worshiped by many as the god of madness and ecstasy.
This legend has even been brought to modern culture in the United States. In the popular television series True Blood, this god is referenced by one of the main characters, a maenad, throughout the second season. Maenads were the female followers of this deity. As shown in many episodes of this series, viewers learn the main form of worship – dancing in a trance-like state. Maenads did this in celebration of a freedom from self-consciousness or constraint. This ritual is performed by both men and women and induced by the maenad, proving that the series has taken a different approach to the myth of Dionysus than the most common beliefs. If you are a frequent viewer of True Blood on Sundays in the summer, you know that the series has a different take on many mystical figures such as vampires, shape shifters, and werewolves. I religiously watch this show when home and have access to HBO, so I can understand why this myth is altered to fit the show’s plot. The show maintained the same basic beliefs about Dionysus and maenads but allowed for changes to help enhance the excitement and fear in the show.
I love that shows in today’s world still use the ancient tales of old empires. Writers are able to strategically place old myths and legends into modern storylines and maintain the viewers’ attention. I like learning about new things in this way. Who knew the god of wine would show up a popular TV show in American culture? It really makes this whole process of discovering wine exciting and fun! I may even go back and watch the second season of True Blood over to fully grasp Alan Ball’s (the show’s creator and head writer) take on Greek culture and Dionysus.
"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you'll never go wrong. " - The Sandlot
