Anthropomorphism
Ø Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behaviour to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.
Anthropomorphism to the ancient Greeks was another way that the Greek gods could interact with humans. The Greek gods themselves had many different forms, usually associated with their attributes for example one of Zeus’s main attributes is the lightening bold, but Zeus is the lightening bold as well,. Another example is Dionysos who attributes are wine and his thyrsus. The wine is an extension to who he is as a god of agriculture particularly wine. But during his cult religion associated with women the Bacchanalia, women drank wine to get into a frenzied sate which they believed would draw them closer to Dionysos. The Cult of Dionysos
According to Jean Pierre Vernant 'The body is the agent and instrument of actions, powers and forces that can only deploy themselves at the price of a loss of energy.'[1] The energy here that he is referring to could be there inability to stop Dionysos from entering them after becoming intoxicated with wine. For ‘in order to manifest his presence, the divinity chooses to make himself visible in the form of a body, rather than his or her body.’[2] This is the closest that a god and human can be, althoughthe humans are not present in a way because they are intoxicated.
There were many cults of Dionysos throughout out Greece, as a new god he had to make his name known and as he grew more popular, it is believed that Hestia gave up her position of the 12th Pantheon god and gave it to Dionysus.
The cult of Dionysos in Athens celebrated as part of the Great Dionysia was a communal opportunity for everyone to get together in a civilized manner and enjoy the play that would be part of the festival. The Dionysiac mysteries and his cult before that became more mainstream was more barbaric and had more to do with frenzy, wine and madness, attributes that were closely linked to Dionysos. More importantly when his maenads otherise known as bacchants became part of this frenzied state there were able to draw closer ot Dionysos. It is argued that the use of a mask was used to reveal the presence of Dionysos as they practised these rites.
In ‘Dionysos: Myth and Cult’ by W.F Otto he writes, ‘Dionysos was present in the form if a mask at the ceremony of the mixing of the wine…. Dionysus was presented in the mask because he was known as the god of confrontation…the mask serves as his symbol and his incarnation in cult[1].’ This reveals to us that the mask was an anthomorphic symbol of Dionysos, and extension so it could appear he was present in the bacchic rites.
For example in the vase painting below, it shows the followers of Dionysos during the bacchic rites, where music is present, drums, wine calling upon Dionysos through a statue image of him; although it is not a mask with can imagine that they would use a mask as the mask itself was considered a sacred object. Dionysos is one of the few gods who interacts with his followers and rarely at a far distance from them.
This image shows Bacchants dancing around an image of Dionysus as part of the Bacchic rites.
Figure 1Attic kylix panited by Makron
This vase shows that even though Dionysos the god himself is not there, in a way he is because his Bacchants have taken on characteristics of the god. The presences of the wooden statue of Dionysos would create an anthropomorphic version of him being them. Although you cannot see him, within the frenzy of the wine and music that is taking place, it is clear that the Bacchants thought that Dionysos was present. Emphasizing that Dionysos is present amongst the people who worship him and help provide them with temporary freedom.
Dionysus is Euripides Bacchae
Dionysos also take on different animal form as the gods can do, for example Zeus often comes down to see women in many different animals forms a key form being the eagle and Athena is associated with the owl. Dionysos sin the Euripides Bacchae take the form of a Bull and when according to Helen P. Foley ‘When Pentheus is finally costumed and maddened by Dionysus he comes on stage with a new and double vision. He sees two Thebes, two suns as the god says what ought to see[3]’- (Pentheus) - “You appear to lead on ahead of me as a bull// and on you horns seems to grow![4]”
In this extract taken from the play, Pentheus is able to see more than one form of the god and in this state Pentheus is able to look at Dionysus, in comparison to the anthropomorphic state that Zeus reveals himself to Semele, Dionysus is himself the god but also the form of bull. He attribute to the bull again shows the savagery that is capable in Dionysus as they are danger and it also premeditates the savagery butchery of his mother and aunts tearing him to pieces in their frenzied state. Although I haven’t delved deep into the cult of Dionysos I hope I have showed the impact of his cult and the closeness and power that his followers share in his rites and the different forms he can take in revealing himself in the rites as well.
To sum up a quote from Jennifer Larson- his followers ‘…this element enthousiamos having the god within is anomalous in Olympian worship’[5] only with Dionysos
[1] Mortals and immortals: collected essays By Jean Pierre Vernant, Froma I. Zeitlin pg 33
[2] Mortals and immortals: collected essays By Jean Pierre Vernant, Froma I. Zeitlin pg 43
[3] The Masque of Dionysos,Helen Foley 207-133 publsihed by John Hopkins university press
[4] Euripides BACCAHE
[5] Ancient Greek cults: a guide, Jennifer Larson, Routeledge 2007
[1] DionysoS: Myth and Cult, W.F Otto, chp 6 1965 Indianan University Press
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