MAENAD

Maenad

In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by Dionysus into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and intoxication. During these rites, the maenads would dress in fawn skins and carry a thyrsus, a long stick wrapped in ivy or vine leaves and tipped with a pinecone; they would weave ivy-wreaths around their heads or wear a bull helmet in honor of their god, and often handle or wear snakes. German philologist Walter Friedrich Otto writes that

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maenad

Noun

  1. A female follower of Dionysus, associated with intense reveling.
  2. An excessively wild or emotional woman.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: maenad
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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