Maenad
Also known as: Bassarids · Mænades · Maenades
- 1Maenads were the primary female followers of the god Dionysus.
- 2The name translates literally as the raving ones.
- 3They were also known as Bassarids, Bacchae, or Bacchantes.
- 4The term Bassarid is derived from the bassaris, a fox skin worn by the god.
In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of his retinue, the thiasus.
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responsible for the death of
According to myth, Orpheus was torn to pieces by the Maenads, the female followers of Dionysus, after he refused to honor the god or rejected their advances.
In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of the god Dionysus. They served as the most prominent members of his divine retinue, known as the thiasus. Their name is derived from the Greek word μαίνομαι, which translates to 'raving ones,' reflecting their association with intense, ecstatic states.
Dancing maenad. Detail from an ancient Greek Paestum red figure skyphos, made by Python, c. 330 –320 BC, British Museum, London.Wikimedia Commons: File:Dancing_maenad_Python_BM_VaseF253.jpgDancing Maenad. Roman copy of Greek original attributed to Kallimachos c. 425 –400 BC at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtWikimedia Commons: File:Dancing_Maenad_Met_35.11.3.jpgMaenad carrying a thyrsus and a leopard with a snake rolled up over her head. Tondo of an ancient Greek Attic white-ground kylix 490–480 BC from Vulci. Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich, Germany.Wikimedia Commons: File:Mainade_Staatliche_Antikensammlungen_2645.jpg These figures were also referred to by various other names, including Bassarids, Bacchae, or Bacchantes. These alternative titles were particularly common in Roman mythology, where they were linked to the Roman god Bacchus. The name 'Bassarid' specifically relates to the bassaris, a fox skin garment traditionally worn by the god.