The Greek deity Dionysos is often called the “coming god:” he’s the deity of epiphany and revelation; he continually enters people’s lives and peoples’ personalities. He is, as well, the god who is coming to join the party- he’s always about to manifest himself in the fumes of wine and dope.
Today Dionysos is, perhaps, not so well known a name as Zeus or Venus, but what he stands for- Dionysian excess- is something that is very familiar to us. His Roman name, Bacchus, is much better known and immediately conveys to us something of his essential nature.
We might think he’s just a figure of ancient myth, but the significance of Dionysos to modern culture has been growing since the late nineteenth century. Friedrich Nietzsche contrasted Apollo, spirit of order and rationality, with Dionysos as a force of nature, a deity whose visionary and ecstatic rites were needed to balance reason and good sense. Since then, mystics such as Aleister Crowley, poets including D H Lawrence, social campaigners such as Edward Carpenter- and bands like Dead Can Dance- have all seen a vital role for him. Dionysos has been at the heart of art, literature and music for over a hundred years.
This talk will examine the many strange ways in which he continues to manifest himself and motivate us.
A Bacchanalian Revel, William Etty, R.A, 19th century, via Sotheby’s
John Kruse
John has been interested in folklore and mythology since his early twenties. In 2016 he started the British Fairies blog on WordPress and has since written nearly two dozen books on faerylore for Llewellyn Worldwide and Green Magic Publishing.
John’s interest in faeries led to research into nymphs and other figures of classical myth. This led to a number of books on nymphs, dryads, satyrs and on the deities Pan, Aphrodite and Dionysos.
Devil’s Botany is the UK’s first absinthe distillery, founded by Directors of The Last Tuesday Society’s Absinthe Parlour & Cocktail Bar. Celebrating spirit’s connection to art, literature & mixology, Devil’s Botany is unleashing the future of absinthe with bold expressions for the adventurous drinkers of today.
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