UDionysus ungunkulunkulu ongumGrike wokuzala. Kwakhona wayebhekwa njengomphathi we-winemaking. Uyise wayenguZeus, kwaye unina wayengowesifazane oqhelekileyo wokufa, uSemel. UHera wayenomona omkhulu kumyeni wakhe kwaye ngendlela ekhohlisayo wacela uSemel ukuba acele uZeus ukuba eze kuye kwaye wabonisa amandla akhe onke. Ngombane wakhe, wayibeka indlu yintanda yakhe waza wafa, kodwa wakwazi ukuzala umntwana osanda kuzalwa. UZeus wambamba uDionysus entanyeni yakhe kwaye ngexesha elimiselweyo wazalwa ngokutsha.
Yintoni eyaziwayo ngonkulunkulu ozalayo eGrisi?
Kwakhona babecinga ngoDionysus umgcini wovuyo kunye nokudibana kwabantu. Ngamandla akhe kwakukho imimoya yehlathi kunye nezilwanyana. UThixo wokuzala wayenomthwalo wokuphefumlela awawunika abanye abantu. Isimboli seDionysus sasijongwa njengomdiliya okanye imivini. Izityalo ezingcwele zale thixo zaziyikhiwane kunye ne-spruce. Phakathi kwezilwanyana, iimpawu zikaDionysus ziyi: inkunzi, inkunzi, ingonyama kunye nehlengethwa. KwiGrisi yamandulo, unkulunkulu ozalayo wachazwa njengenkwenkwana okanye umntwana. Kwintloko yakhe yayingumthi womdiliya okanye umvuno. Isalathiso sale thixo kwakuyindonga enesiponsi se-spruce, ehlotshiswe ngemibiliso okanye iidiliya. Uthiwa yi-dir. Amandla amakhulu kunye namandla kaDionysus yikhono lokuthumela ubuhlanya kwabanye.
Wathandaza unkulunkulu waseGrike wamandulo weCacchante kunye neenkulungwane, owalandela uDionysos kwizithende zakhe. Bahlobisa ngamagqabi amadiliya. Ngeengoma zabo bazukisa unkulunkulu wokuzala. UDionysus wayehlala ehamba ehlabathini aze afundise wonke umntu ukuphumelela. Ngombulelo kumagunya akhe, unokususa kwiinkxalabo zomhlaba, imisebenzi, kunye namandla akhe okuzolalisa intlungu yabantu. AmaGrike ahlonipha uDionysus kwaye wayibhiyozela imibhiyozo eyahlukileyo. Kubo, abantu bafaka iibhokhwe zeebhokhwe baze bahlabelele iingoma ezizinikele kuThixo. Ngamanye amaxesha iiholide zaphela ngovuko lwangempela, apho izilwanyana kunye nabantwana babulawa.