BACCHUS (The Twice-Borned II)

Bacchus is an ancient Roman god, synonymous with the Greek Dionysus. He is typically shown as the god of harvest, grapes, fertility and theater. Some darker traditions associate the god with madness, possibly due to his association with wine drinking and the resulting drunkenness.

In mythology, the god is believed to be the son of Jupiter, king of the gods, and the mortal woman Semele. Juno, the wife of Jupiter, was jealous over her husband’s affair, and convinced Semele to ask Jupiter to display himself in his true, godly form to prove who he was. Unfortunately, as a mortal, she could not bear the sight and died upon seeing him. Jupiter took the as yet-unborn Bacchus and sewed him onto his own thigh, thus leading the harvest god to be called twice born.

In his youth, the god is believed to have discovered grape vines and began the cultivation of wine. Some stories suggest that Juno, still jealous of his existence, drove him mad and sent him wandering throughout the world until he was cured. Despite this, a myth exists that when Vulcan, the god of the forge, bound Juno to a magical chair Bacchus got Vulcan drunk and managed to rescue the goddess.