#actually I don't think there is a “common” Dionysus

[brimo5]

I think there are too many retellings of Zagreus as a past life of Dionysus. I don't think Nonnus truly describes Zagreus as reborn as Semele's Dionysus—there are only a few subtle hints in that direction.

Many scholars use the name "Zagreus" for convenience in distinguishing between Orphic Dionysus and "common" Dionysus, but that doesn't mean Zagreus is the same as the Orphic Dionysus. In most Orphic texts, the son of Persephone and victim of the Titans is simply referred to as Dionysus. Moreover, there's no evidence to suggest that "common" Dionysus cannot be called Zagreus.

[dancing-with-maenads]

Unpopular HelPol opinions

Disclaimer: my wording is blunt and harsh in this, if that's something that makes you uncomfortable, proceed with caution!!

I could give less of a shit about people referring to gods as "Lord" and "lady". Yeah it isn't traditional, but we live in 2025, a lot is different in terms of how people choose to show their respect. An extra layer of respect never hurt anybody, and with good intentions it's literally such a non issue

The offerings of OTHER PRACTICIONERS shouldn't matter at all to YOU. if it does, you're probably insecure. If you genuinely give a shit and try to police what other people offer, instead of just letting them accept consequences if they offer something the gods don't like, you're a weirdo. The exception to this is if someone is going to offer something like blood, and you warn them. That's in good faith. Telling people that their offerings are WRONG will only push them farther away. Let people make mistakes and learn. 

While Apollo and Hyacinthus technically do have the same type of relationship as Zeus and Ganymede, it's perfectly okay if people have a hard time separating Zeus and Ganymede from a less savory version of the myth. It's the same thing that happened to Persephone, so I see no reason why we can't view it the same with Zeus and Ganymede, with respect and reverence, but an inherent vibe of tragedy. That isn't for everyone, and everyone has a different view of the gods, but some people relate to Ganymede because they've been victimized, and that's perfectly okay. 

Priesthood, godspousal, etc, is not anyone's business but the practicioner. So many of you are really weird, why do you care? 

I believe Zagreus is an epithet of Dionysus, and I believe Melionë is an epithet of Hekate. It's very valid to view both as separate, I just personally do not!!

I will always use the English names for the gods on social media. It's much more screen reader friendly, where as using the Greek names makes it much less accessible to a disabled audience as the reader trips over it. The only benefit is that it makes you sound more well read and slightly more respectful. You can do what you want, but I'll use the more common versions of the names so that they can be easily recognized by anyone using a screen reader. 

While Apollo was never ORIGINALLY considered a god of the sun, years and years of him being associated with the sun is culturally significant enough that ignoring it isn't accuracy, it's ignorance. You don't have to include every aspect of every god in your practice, especially one you don't vibe with, but other people can absolutely view the gods however they please. Disagreement about this didn't be something that genuinely divides people, it's immature. 

I don't think there's anything wrong with worshipping the primordials. I've seen people claim that for one, you only worship the gods to get something out of it, and that there's nothing to get out of the primordials. For one, I think that's ridiculous and offensive to think that people only worship the gods to get something out of it. For another, I think building a relationship with the primordials is actually incredibly important!! Forces like sleep, the night, the sun, death, they all have impact on our lives in big ways.

If you have an Olympian that you don't want to interact with for whatever reason, but you interact with the rest of the pantheon (that part is important) maybe it's just not the right religion for you. If there's a god that's so important as to be an Olympian and you refuse to include them in your practice, it's uneducated and disrespectful. 

The gods DO care about you. Kharis is still very important, but I've been seeing growing sentiment that the gods don't care about their worshippers, even with kharis. Why are you even following a religion if you think your gods don't care about you? 

Just because a god had no cult practices in antiquity (that we know of) doesn't mean that you can't still worship them and build a relationship with them. 

The people on this app who are the most vocally anti priesthood are friends with priests. If you can only justify your beliefs when it's people you like, maybe what you actually have is a bias.

UPG is not as important as knowing the fundamentals of the religion, but I genuinely believe that if you have no UPGs at all, you have no relationship with the gods.

[aphroditeinthesea]

will solace x chaotic daughter of dionysus reader where he's the responsible one thats like "don't do that. you'll die" and reader's like "yeah whatever" ?

" long story short i survived "

will solace x reader ☀️

three times when y/n was crazy and three times when will loved her anyway

tw none

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆ 𖤓 ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

“Funny meeting you here,” was all Will heard as he walked past a room in the infirmary. He stopped in his tracks and peered into the room. There, lying on a bed, was his girlfriend.

“Y/N,” he spoke as he entered the room, “what happened?” Concern filled his voice, but at the same time, he couldn't be too worried. After all, her winding up in the infirmary was a common occurrence.

“Silly story actually, you're gonna laugh,” she prefaced, “so, you know how there’s like archery practice?”

He nodded along, “I pretty much know the concept.”

“Good, that's good,” she continued, “so there was this really crazy looking bug like you should've seen it, and then-”

“Please don't say what I think you're about to say.”

She aggressively nodded, “if you think I’m about to say that I accidentally walked into the middle of an archery practice and got shot in the foot, then I’ll just say quiet.”

“Y/N,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “can you go one day without almost dying?”

“Is that rhetorical? Because I don't appreciate that, Will Solace.”

He laughed, he leaned closer to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, “I’d just like to not be worried about you 25/8.”

“Twenty-five eight, really?”

“Will!” Someone yelled from the hall.

“Coming!” He called back before turning back to the girl, “I love you, don't die,” he quickly kissed her before rushing out of the room.

It was late at night, not even two days later, that y/n ran into cabin seven, slamming the door behind her. Several of Apollo’s children gave her strange looks, except for Will, who only looked confused.

“Y/N?”

She smiled, making her way over to him, “Willy!”

“Willy?” He questioned with a laugh.

She sat on his freshly made bed, “I need to stay in your cabin tonight.”

“As fun as getting in trouble for you sounds,” he began, sitting beside her, “can you at least tell me why?”

“Funny story-”

“Is it actually though?”

She bit her lip and looked away, “for spectators, not victims,” she answered, “basically, Annabeth let me borrow this book and I forgot about it and then I accidentally spilled orange juice all over it, so I left iron the doorstep of the Athena cabin and I’m gonna wait until she notices, where then she will ultimately try to kill me dead.”

“Rather than kill you alive?” One of his siblings interjected.

“Kill you alive blah blah,” y/n muttered in a mocking voice.

Will chuckled, placing a comforting hand on her back, “you can stay. Only because I’m also scared of Annabeth.”

She pressed a kiss to his lips, "you're the best.”

Another day, during Capture the Flag, y/n had decided to climb a tree, being too tired to actually participate in the game. However, she hadn't actually put into consideration how she was going to get down.

“Y/N?” she heard the all too familiar voice from the ground.

She looked down to find Will standing with his sister, Kayla. “Hey, sweetheart. Hi, Kayla,” she waved down.

“What are you doing?” Kayla called up.

“It’s a funny story actually-”

“I really don’t think it’s gonna be,” Will mentioned.

Y/N huffed, “I’m about to come down, one second,” she stood on the branch, about to jump down.

“Y/N, Baby,” He yelled, “as a doctor, I can tell you the chances of you not breaking a bone are close to none.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve done this before.”

“That actually makes it worse, y/n.”

She prepared herself to jump down despite the yell of the two children of Apollo and several other campers who had come over to watch the spectacle. She took a deep breath and leaped off of the branch.

You could think that this was one of those things where she jumped and landed in Will’s arms and like rode into the sunset or whatever. It kinda was like that actually, except might have landed on Will’s arm instead. The left one specifically.

“I guess you could say you fell for me,” she giggled, beginning to stand up. She grabbed his hand to help him up too.

“I’m actually surprised we’re both still alive.”

“I told you it would be fine, you worry too much, love.”

[actuallygon3]

I've been seeing WAY too much swap au with Epic the Musicals, and I LOVE epic the musical SO much.

So like I did with the Scott Pilgrim post of mine (way down to the depths of the earth) I will make Epic the musical Swap au takes.

If the au doesn't make sense- then my bads.

Swapping :

Odysseus -> Penelope

{ the most obvious }

Eurylochus -> Ctimene

{ Just like Ody and Pen , Husband swap with wife }

Polities -> Helen

{ Polities is considered a great friend to Ody, I can't fine much sources mentioning his wife. Pen and Helen are noted to be somewhat close as they are cousins, hence the swap. Though the story might change because of this. }

Athena -> Ares

{ This makes most sense, me thinks }

Circe -> Medea

{ They're both powerful women in their own right }

Hermes -> Iris

{ God of tricks and messages with the Goddess of Rainbows and messages. Yeah it fits. }

The Prophet -> The Fates

{ I'm not sure how to explain, but you guys gets the Vision right? HAHAH pun }

Poseidon -> Amphitrite

{ Husband swap with Wife }

Scylla -> Charybdis.

{ Both sea monsters who stop / get in the way of Odysseus journey }

Zeus -> Hera

{ do I need to say more? }

Helios -> Selene

{ People forget that the cattle belonged to Helios and not Apollo, that's why in his verse, he sings about sirens and not the cows because they don't belong to him. Also instead of sacred cows it would be horses }

Artemis -> Apollo

{ Their relationship is always special to me, I guess it would make sense to swap them seeing that they are twins, and plus it's a ref to Selene and Helios }

Aphrodite -> Dionysus

{ Actually not sure with this one, it's just the most common swap and I grew to love it. }

Hestia -> Hephaestus

{ I feel like it would fit since Hephaestus claims focus on 'Trust' and Hestia is the Goddess of hearth and the home }

Calypso -> Antonious

{ Both who at least 'tries' to be Ody/Pen's love interest }

--

Characters who still stay the same :

Telemachus , Aeolus , and The Sirens (they're just male now)

If y'all actually made it this far and like- Have some takes let me know :3

[ssj2hindudude]

Ok, with the "Hades" game finally getting a sequel and the "Hades and Persephone Ficlets" Webtoon going over the story, I present the following idea for Rick Riordan should he see it:

*cue Nico and Mr. D sitting on the porch playing Mythomagic*

Nico: And I place down Hades. And with the Persephone card next to it, they both now deal double damage.

Mr. D: Not a bad move, kid. You even changed your Demeter card from a Grass variant to an Ice variant.

Nico: I gotta say, this is nice. As much as I like hanging out with Will, it's nice to just spend a little quiet time with a fellow introvert.

Mr. D: Kid, if you've seen some of my parties, you would NOT be calling me an introvert. But yeah, you are one of the more tolerable campers.

Nico: Thanks, I guess?

Mr. D: You know, you actually remind me of myself when I was your age.

Nico: Isn't that just something old people say to feel young again?

Mr. D: I'm trying to compliment you, don't blow it. Anyways, we really have more in common than you think.

Nico: What, you like Happy Meals too?

Mr. D: No. Well, maybe if there's a good prize inside, but no. I'm saying you're not the first son of Hades to get stuck somewhere and essentially lose your old life.

Nico: Son of Hade- but you're the son of Zeus!

Mr. D: I wasn't always

Nico: Wait, so you got stuck at the Lotus Casino too?!?

Mr. D: Not exactly, kid. You see *places down the Dionysus card* this wasn't always my name

Nico: What, you mean this is about your Roman form?

Mr. D: No. This is something else entirely. My name actually used to be-

*places down the Zagreus card and the camera zooms in on it and the story begins*

I call it Kid Z: Mr.D Origins

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🌕 ARTEMIS: Goddess of the Hunt and Wilderness, Archery, Moon, Maidenhood and Childbirth 🏹

author's note: I had a sudden idea about writing some headcanons Camp Halfblood demigods being claimed and what it's like for each respective god and cabin, followed by a small blurb afterwards. Thank you for reading and please like and reblog! The order is not in order of the cabin numbers. [PJO DEMIGOD HEADCANONS MASTERLIST]

You’ve become one of Artemis’ ‘children’ as you joined the hunters of Artemis and became part of the sisterhood. 

For the most part, it’s a pretty nomadic way of living. You’re constantly on the move, hunting animals and monsters with your fellow sisters and companions. It's pretty comfy and the tents they set up are great (they also have full blown washrooms somehow, so no need to forgo running water) so it feels like glamping. But every now and again, Artemis takes you guys to stop by Camp Half-blood. 

Say what you will, there's something being stationary and sleeping in an actual building, in actual beds. 

You see the curious eyes watching you and your group, but they keep their distance given boys are off-limits and girls either look at you with awe or disdain. 

Y'know how the Apollo cabin often has archery matches with the Huntresses? Although they don't particularly become any closer, there is some sort of connection between your cabins. Probably because Artemis and Apollo are twins, and Apollo's children don't seem particularly attracted to your group, so there's something there. 

You take part and help out with the annual recruitment at the Camp. Teaching other potential maidens about what it's like being a Huntresses. You're told that they always have one interested individual that joins them by the time they leave camp.

Braids are often a common hairstyle among the hunt, aside from ponytails. Being on the move doesn’t allow much time to dwell on hair aside from basic hair care, so keeping it in a braid is often more of convenience. There’s usually a mass hair-washing station and it becomes a group bonding experience. All the hunters help braid your hair and teach you other styles along the way, and it’s not uncommon to see a hair braiding train. This often also leads into storytelling time and devolving much like a sleepover, bringing a certain sense of nostalgia.

You know you’ve become part of the hunters when Artemis asks you to help braid her hair. Your hands will shake and you will stutter, but as she encourages your hands to weave her hair, you feel honoured and the barrier between her and you is less daunting. 

Other than Dionysus, people feel envious and are curious what it’s like being around a god so often. Artemis accompanies you on your hunts more often than not, and usually is not around when she has to attend a council with the other Olympians or tend to her nightly duties. It’s a see-saw of perception being around Artemis; on one hand, you’re aware of who she is but on the other hand, when you’re hunting together or when she joins you with the other hunters, you forget she’s a deity.  

If you joined in when Zoe is a lieutenant, she is strict but fair. She is the ultimate big sister of the sisterhood. She may seem a bit cold to you but as she helps guide your shooting stance and gives you tips, tells you to zip up your parka or checks your supplies, you know she cares for you like a sister. In fact, you notice she seems more at ease as she looks after you and your sister…it makes you think if she had biological sisters. 

When Thalia is now the lieutenant, it takes some time to get used to. There’s a bit of friction and gap, since Zoe was in that position for over 2000 years. However, Thalia is confident and has the qualities of a leader, so her stumbles become sprints. She is different from Zoe in how they bond with the sisterhood, but if Zoe was the cool, proud sister, then Thalia is the fun, laughable sister that wouldn’t hesitate to give you a noogie.  

You looked upon the silver lady, her entourage of people behind her. The moon was full behind her head, bestowing a glow on her and you were just in awe to be in her shadow. 

A tall and graceful girl stepped forward and she regarded you with a pointed look. “If you wish to join our lady and our hunt, you must pledge yourself from romantic love and swear loyalty to Lady Artemis and our sisterhood.”

You nodded as she nodded back. “Recite this oath: I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.”

You recited this pledge and the girl with moonlike qualities smiled. “I, Artemis, accept this pledge. Welcome sister to the Hunt. As long as you remain as one of my Hunters, and are not slain in battle, you will not die under my watch.”

The other hunters cheered for you as you nodded. The other girl stepped forward with a warmer smile and held out her hand to you. 

“My name is Zoe Nightshade, lieutenant of Lady Artemis. Welcome to our sisterhood.”

[daenystheedreamer]

Valyrian Pantheon Headcanons

We know the names of 5 of the Valyrian gods and that's it. We don't know anything about the practices or even what those gods were patrons of. Here is my headcanon reconstruction of the pantheon ^_^

I think the Fourteen Flames (the volcanoes) are named for fourteen gods who constitute the main pantheon, similar to the 12 Greek Olympians or the 12 Roman Dei Consentes. There are many minor gods, usually personifications of concepts like seasons/emotions.

I imagine them like Egyptian gods, who are personified sometimes as humans, sometimes as animals, sometimes as animal-headed humanoids. I imagine the main fourteen as dragons, though idk how silly that would look lol.

I think they were also androgynous gods. Why? That's fun. That's so fun. Dragons are theorised to be hermaphroditic/intersex who can change their sex at will, but also are referred to as she-dragons if they are confirmed to lay clutches of eggs. So some of these gods are gods, and some are goddesses, despite being a-gender

Canonical Gods

BALERION: I believe Balerion's name is at least a little inspired by Ba'al, an ancient Semitic god who was very important to the religions of the region (Canaan, Babylon, etc) and features as a false god in the Hebrew bible. I think he's the King of the gods, like Zeus. God of war or fire or conquest or all of the above. Many ancient gods shifted their patronage and powers.

VHAGAR: Consort of Balerion, similar to Hera. Goddess of war/wisdom, similar to Athena. I think this fits a person like Visenya.

MERAXES: Perhaps a concubine of Balerion? Like how Zeus had thousands of lovers. Metis, Leto, Demeter, etcetera. Goddess of love, because Rhaenys seems like a woman who enjoyed love and life. Perhaps also a goddess of marriage?

SYRAX: It's gotta be someone Rhaenyra would think is cool. Perhaps a goddess of the sun/moon? Another war goddess? A queen? Actually, perhaps Syrax is the Hera of the pantheon, while Vhagar is not necessarily virginal like Athena but 'unmarried' so to speak. Goddess of beauty/wealth would also fit Rhaenyra. Goddess of the sun or moon would be fun in opposition to Sunfyre.

BOASH: called 'The Blind God' Mentioned as the god the Lorathi worship, whose religious followers (dissidents of the Valyrian Freehold) founded the city of Lorath. The name doesn't follow the typical Valyrian naming traditions, perhaps he was originally Boax/Boaxes? Would be fun. He's a very esoteric god connected to 'higher truths', the priests are eunuchs and the followers are vegetarian teetotalers and a main tenant is that everyone is equal. They also wear hair shirts which is an old Christian practice. I think he's a version of a Valyrian death god

the BLACK GOAT: Whose followers founded Qohor. I think he's a minor god, perhaps of magic or agriculture even, agricultural deities tend to be very important to common folk. However the goat imagery evokes Satan and Baphomet, so I think a villainous or death deity would be fun.

Non-canonical gods

A lot of the Targ dragons are given names with similar naming style to the canonical god dragons.

VERMITHOR & VERMAX: The naming conventions of Vermax and Vermithor intrigue me... I think one is the name of the God and one is a theophoric name in reference to the god. Perhaps a god of justice, law, order, etc, since they were the dragons of Jaehaerys and Jacaerys and I can see them picking that kind of God.

ARRAX: Lucerys names his dragon this, so I think a coming-of-age god or god of youths would be fun since he, yknow, got eated at 14.

CARAXES: This is Daemon's dragon so I'm saying Caraxes is the Dionysus/Hermes trickster god. Daemon picking the bacchanalian drunk sex god for his dragon is real to me.

MELEYS: Rhaenys TQWNW's dragon. Rhaenys gives off SUCH demeter vibes idk so agricultural god would be fun but idk i don't think she'd pick something like that. Perhaps its based off of Meraxes since Rhaenys is her namesake. Perhaps an oceanic or weather-based god.

MORGHUL: Morghul is simply the word for death in High Valyrian e.g. 'Valar Morghulis', but I like it as a euphemistic name for a God of death. Like his name is so tabboo that you just refer to him as death, or he's just named death in relation to afterlife, like how Hades refers to both the god and the underworld. I think perhaps Boash and the Black Goat are actually interpretations/aspects of the same deity, perhaps a death - morghul - god.

SHRYKOS: Sick name sorry just had to say that. He's Jaehaerys (son of Helaegon)'s dragon. got no clue what he could be a god of cos jaehaerys is a plot device character. I think he's just a cool Valyrian word, like Morghul, since Jaehaerys and Jaehaera are twins. Be fun if they picked life/death dichotomy for their dragons :p

TERRAX: ridden by the pre-doom character Jaenara Belaerys, who flew further south in Sothoryos than anyone else. God(dess) of travel/wisdom/conquest/oceans would be fun since she's a traveller who flew across oceans and sort of exemplifies the Valyrian conquest/adventurer spirit.

TESSARION: Okay the blue queen has to be a goddess of the ocean or the sky<3

TYRAXES: Joffrey's dragon :) I think a god of animals would be cute also cos he sounds like T-rex. I would name my dragon T-rex. Possibly a bastardisation of Terrax though...

URRAX: This is the name of a legendary/fairytale dragon from the story of Serwyn and Daeryssa from the Age of Heroes. By Daeryssa's naming convention and the fact she is mentioned only in AGOT, I think she was perhaps supposed to be a Targaryen before GRRM had established a full history. I think he's just a bastardisation of perhaps a Valyrian god like Arrax.

So my vision of the Valyrian pantheon includes Balerion, Vhagar, Meraxes, Syrax, Vermithor, Arrax, Caraxes, Terrax, Tessarion, which is 9 gods

plus Meleys and Tyraxes who I'm not sure if I want to be referring to above gods or just the name of a god entirely, which makes 11

Adding a death god (Boash, Black Goat, Moghul) makes 12,

which leaves another two unnamed for my personal idea of a Valyrian pantheon :)

[aliciavance4228]

Everybody is (rightfully) judging Zeus for sleeping not with one, but with two of his great-granddaughters, but if you're looking at Aphrodite's love affairs then you would observe that this woman was actually unhinged af in terms of partners.

First of all, in the most common version of her birth (Hesiod's Theogony) she was the daughter of Ouranos (somehow...), which makes her Hephaestus, Hermes and Ares' grandaunt (and she slept with all of them).

"But isn't she also the daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer?" Okay, then let's go by this version in an attempt of making things less awkard. But then we have Dionysus, who is her great-grandson, and whom she had slept and had children with in some myth versions: Priapus (Pausanias 9.31.2, Diodorus Siculus 4.6.1) and Iacchus (Orphic Hymn 57). Honestly, imagine being Ares in this situation and finding out not only that your granddaughter got banged by your father and then suffered because your mother, but also that your girlfriend whom you had slept with in your brother's bed had sex with your great-grandson/little bro and now they two have offspring as well?

Then there's Adonis. I already explained in this post how Adonis is a descendant of her according to Pseudo-Apollodorus, but to resume everything: Cephalus was raped by Eos and their son Phaethon was one of Aphrodite's lovers and fathered Astynous. Cinyras is the grandson of Astynous and Aphrodite cursed his daughter to lust after him. After she got turned into a tree she gave birth to Adonis, who became Aphrodite's lover. In other words, Aphrodite is the great-great-great-grandmother of Adonis.

And as if this wasn't enough, apparently according to Athenaeus' The Deipnosophistis both Aphrodite and Dionysus were in love with Adonis: "He means Venus and Bacchus; for both of them loved Adonis." No, I'm not going to claim that she had a threesome with her great-grandson and great-great-great-grandson because I'm not this disgusting, but still.

Finally, I'm not actually sure how I'm supposed to finish this shitpost. I tried to use a satirical tone hopping that in this way things would sound less concerning, but I don't think it worked. Also, I know that this is Greek Mythology and everybody is related to everyone and Sweet Home Alabama, but C'MON!

[margaretkart]

Where do you think that recent trend of making Dionysus a peaceful deity comes from ? Unless it's a coincidence that both Hades II and Kaos decided it. Even then, I don't understand how they had the idea. There are at least 10 myths that prove the opposite. A quick look on Theoi is enough.

The only time he's really called gentle, it's literally used as an antithesis to his terrifying nature (because duality is awesome).

And seeing this quote requires people to read the Bacchae 😂, yk, an actual source.

(being gentle to Ariadne doesn't mean he's like that to everyone)

So, what do you think ?

Like in Euripides's play, he described him "most gentle and cruel to men". The ancient Greeks new the dichotomy and complexity of his character, but of course many gods could enforce cruelty to those that acted hubris to them.

Dionysus of course ,most of the time in art and literature is casual and relaxed, hence why he didn't get much attention of his more dark side.

Also is the fact how for centuries, the renaissance and mostly Western Europe viewed him. Most people would portray Bacchus and other Roman depictions of him. Alas why this common misconception exists today.

It's also worth noting that many people look at things at a surface level. They see a couple of based and mid portrayals of Dionysus and think they know enough about him. That's an issue i see in retellings of people constantly making him a caricature because of this surface narrative.

[lilac-den]

So with the Actor AU done for TSR, think you can do a rundown of how it would look like in Silverking?

Hrm...

Zeus: They'll probably act really well, until they have to do emotional scenes of the show (and yes, there is emotional Zeus somewhere in the IF 👀), which leads to the first ever hurdle Zeus encounter because romance and love is not a common thing for them. Otherwise, I imagine they would be the most serious, logical and straight-laced actor the crew would ever work with.

In their romance, Zeus would somehow gravitate to MC and sometimes offer to escort them home if they work overtime. In drinking parties, they might be willing to drink MC's share to prevent them getting drunk by the superiors.

Hermes: 😬 Eeeee...Very crabby. In the show, Hermes is already the quiet individual with a confusing, maybe a little standoffish attitude as a character. Them as an actor, it just means Hermes isn't afraid to speak their mind and only took the gig because they were given an offer they couldn't refuse.

In this romance, at first, Hermes would just eye MC, wondering who tf are they. But the more they got to know MC and fell for them, they end up 'accidentally' bumping into them and started being a bit more sociable, much to the shock of the crew. Would def be a bit smug if there's a couple paparazzi pics of them and MC together with dating rumours, even tho Hermes hates publicity.

Dionysus: The sweetest actor alive and very well known for being able to play intense, emotional roles. They act by the gut, where they have to feel and empathize more than think and memorize. Definitely the one who shows up in bloopers and has all the latest gossips in both the crew and what the publicity/social media is trending.

In their romance, they would probably become MC's biggest fan and try to muster the courage to ask if they want to hang out or something (totally not a date) , or maybe ask for an autograph.

Ares: Honestly, Ares didn't think they'd get dragged into a series, much less one with a romance genre. Sure, they did a lot of action films as an extra - a couple of side characters in war-based movies too. Is the type to analyze and dive into the mindset and thought process of their character and would be acutely aware of what goes on around the set through observations and unintentional eavesdropping.

In their romance, Ares would be curious of who MC is and, given how this is a big role that's new to both them and MC, Ares would probably ask if they'd be up to practice the scenes they have together. Would start off as coworkers, friends and then more.

Dolos: Okay, I'm not gonna lie - I legit picture that they're a major fan of MC and was surprisingly selected to star in the same series/movie as MC by the director or producer, which may or may not have nearly gave Dolos a heart attack. But in the platonic one - Dolos admires MC's work, which have been side characters and maybe some voice acting or podcasts. Dolos has been known in the acting world as a popular one, having been a child actor and growing up with amazing talent in stardom. Even if they don't put much effort in their work (they do, so long as the movie or show they're in is taken seriously and not just some adaptation to make money or ruin the source I'mlookingatyouWitcher), they're still well beloved and perfect. Is also known for having a lot of disguises so people don't know what their actual appearance is - not even the paparazzi.

In their romance tho, they're so much of a big fan of MC that they attend their handshake events and only ever bought MC merch or games MC voiced in. Come to think of it, I think Dolos would also be very quick with slamming down any haters of MC...

[khaire-traveler]

whenever i see Aphrodite in visions she is associated with fire. i don’t remember her having any specific association with it, but she always appears to me with some form of fire: (Magma, Flames, Warm glowing light.) this isn’t a very pressing or serious ask, just something i’m curious if you have thoughts on or not

Khaire, Nonny!

It's certainly not unusual for deities to present themselves atypically. I've heard of Apollo presenting himself to others with aspects of darkness, Dionysus presenting himself as extremely serious and stern, and Aphrodite presenting herself using a different appearance each time. Know that it's entirely normal for deities to change things up between worshippers; it's very common. c:

Regarding the fire association specifically, I also can't recall a specific historical connection, but I will say it strongly reminds me of Aphrodite's war aspect, as well as her connection to passion. Maybe these are aspects of hers that she'd like you to explore. There could be some kind of lesson she wants to teach you regarding passion (for life, for a career, for a significant other, etc.), assertiveness, inner strength, or ambition. It makes me think of the message "Fight for it because you deserve it," as in don't give up on something you're passionate about because you're worth the end result - your happiness is worth the end result. I obviously have no idea if this is what she's actually trying to convey; it's just the first thing I thought of. XD

I can definitely see making connections to her and fire, though, be it of your own accord or through visions she's given you. Although her origins tend to involve the ocean, I feel that love - in all its forms - has an element of fire to it. The secure warmth of hug shared, the roaring flames of a passionate kiss, the toasty comfort of good self-care - all of these things and more are all expressions of love. This is a perspective of Aphrodite that I'm honestly surprised isn't talked about more; I'm very glad you brought it up from your own experience, and it's extremely awesome that she brought it to your attention.

I wonder why she specifically chose to present herself in such a way. 🤔 I'd say it's uncommon enough for it to stick out. I actually don't think I've ever heard of someone describing an experience with Aphrodite relating to fire, but I'm sure it's happened before. I'd be shocked if no one else has either made their own connections like this or seen her present similarly. Maybe someone reading this can chime in with their own experiences! Regardless, I encourage you to look more into this. You could try divination, or whatever communication methods you use, to ask her if there's a specific reason that she presents herself this way. I'd be curious to know her answer if you're ever comfortable sharing it!

I will say that sometimes when a deity presents themselves in a form that is remarkably different than usual, it's because they have come with a specific purpose relating to the change. I had a friend (remaining anonymous) who is trans and struggled with comparing himself to "manlier" men. Apollo purposely presented to him with a more feminine appearance, usually looking extremely AFAB, to help him slowly move past his limiting expectations of himself. Essentially, "I'm still a man, right? So why wouldn't you be?" A very touching and beautiful story that makes a great example of how deities will sometimes use atypical presentations for a specific purpose. If she has a purpose for this, I hope you're able to figure it out soon!

Thank you for sharing your interesting vision! I definitely think this is a really cool and special experience to have with Aphrodite. I hope she brings plenty of warmth and comfort in your life. Take care. c: 🩷

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

as someone who worships mythological deities, but has very little insight into any 'fandom' related versions of them. do you think that reading books such as percy jackson and the sunbearer duology is disrespectful? i have no idea how my deities have been represented in this media but i would love to hear your ideas on this topic :)

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for wayyyy too long (life has been BUSY) but I'll do my best to answer it. Though, keep in mind: I don't worship mythological deities, so I can't really speak from a personal perspective, just what I've looked up/researched.

First things first: the way PJO and TSBT portray mythological deities are hugely different. PJO directly uses Greek gods and goddesses, while TSBT draws inspiration from Mesoamerican mythology without directly using any gods or goddesses.

PJO is an interesting case because of the fact that Greco-roman gods are common in pop culture today. But popular does not always mean respectful.

IMO, PJO is...questionable. Do note though: at NO point does anyone who reads PJO think that any of this is an accurate portrayal of Greek gods and goddesses (Well...I would hope so). It's clear fiction and RR is clear that it's his take on the research he's done.

That being said... inherently, by writing a novel, he's forced to treat these gods and goddesses, these figures in Greek mythology that are still worshipped and a part of a culture, as characters. It can come off very shallow. One of my main gripes is that Ares, who, in myths is described as a caring father, is depicted as a bad one in PJO. It goes directly against the actual mythology itself, and if I had to guess, the only reason Ares is portrayed this way is because he's the god of war.

Though, while RR is questionable, the fans are far, far worse. The PJO fandom has this weird quirk where it's cool to find your "godly parent" based on your aesthetic, popularised by the Buzzfeed quizzes and fandom pages and users. And to me, this treats a Greek mythology as an aesthetic, which is hugely dismissive to those who worship these gods.

And the stereotypes. Don't even get me started. Apollo the himbo, Dionysus the cranky drunk. These figures becomes memes and centre of jokes as if they aren't hugely culturally significant. Figures in Greek mythology are more than Tumble tropes and fandom ha-ha's.

Also, like, the amount of YouTube shorts I see on PJO pages that are like "Oh lol, praying to Athena for this test" and similar just rub me the wrong way. Clearly, it's kids making jokes but the jokes can be harmful and seen as a mockery.

I guess my point is that PJO is...questionable. Reading it means understanding that it's an old white dude who's pulling from what he's read, and how that's going to leak into the portrayals of the gods. The fandom...I would leave them alone completely. It can be hugely insensitive and will likely not be taken seriously because they're not used to taking things too seriously.

-

I don't think TSBT is disrespectful. Actually, I think it's a fantastic terms of being sensitive.

The main reason being: TSBT does not use existing deities. This is so important because Aiden Thomas is not writing "characters" of actual deities and instead borrows from the culture, so he doesn't misrepresent of flandarise any parts of the culture. It's intentional and thoughtful, IMO.

Aiden Thomas is Latinx and chose not to speak over Indigenous people on purpose. He's bringing awareness while being respectful, which is the best way you can do anything, really.

It's clear that TSBT doesn't try to use mythology for "cool points". It's self aware and sincere because Thomas pulls inspo for awareness, not for "hey, that looks like somewhere I could put my characters in!"

Also, the book deals with themes identity, power, colonialism, colourism, while also being such good queer rep. Even being inspired by Mesoamerican myth, it's clear that there's a story and a reason for that being the world it's set in.

It's not pretending to be teach anyone about Mesoamerican mythology. It's clear fiction from the very start and Aiden Thomas chooses to honour the Nahua religion instead of carelessly tossing characters into a world.

TSBT is genuinely such a good example for how books with mythological deities can be respectful - I recommend it, if you're into YA queer fantasy.

PJO attempts this but it reeks of the insensitivity of the early 2000s. Looking back (it's been two years since I read the series), I probably wouldn't read this now.

Thanks for the ask! I hope this answers what you're asking. Honestly, it took a fair bit of research considering I'm not too well-versed in the topic. But it was hugely fun!

[purpleberiii]

"Worship and Wine"

☆Part 2 of the Cabernet fic

☆Prompt: Months after the encounter with the goddess, you begin to think alot about her, then you met someone who awfully reminds you about her.

☆Warnings: Dionysus (Cabernet) turning into a human.

It wasn't normal for you to think about your goddess that way, still, you only imagined the things you'd let her do to you if she was interesting. God or not, she is beautiful, and you'd do anything for her.

Even after months, you could still taste the delicious wine and what made it more savouring, was that you tasted it on the body of the goddesses of wine herself. The way her skin felt under your tongue drove you into a frenzy, yet your wish still did not come true.

One day while looking through your mail, you found an invitation to a grand party down at East Side. Apparently, it was being hosted by the Franc family and you swore you heard that name before. Would you be kidnapped if you go? Do you even know this place?Deep down something was telling you to go and you trusted your gut so you went along.

As you arrived, you were greeted by an enormous mansion. You drove to the gate and it automatically opened for you to find a spot amongst many other cars. You parked in a nice area and got out. Despite it being an unknown party, you still wouldn't miss out the chance to go.

With your head held up high, you opened the doors and entered the mansion. Immediately, you felt a chill ran down your spine once your eyes landed on someone.

Her hair red as blood whilst her skin pale as snow. Memories flashed through your mind with the wine being poured down 'her' body. It couldn't be.... not it couldn't. She is a god, she wouldn't mingle among humans.

As if hearing your thoughts, the woman's head slowly turned in your direction and all the air were knocked out of your lungs. She smiled; a very sultry smile towards you, as if she knew the desires you held within. You snapped out of your trance when she slowly made her way towards you, cane hitting the ground with every step.

"Y/n... right?" Her voice was as sweet as honey.

"Yes ma'am."

"I've heard about you from my parents which is why I took the initiative to invite you. I hope you don't find my invitation to be...uncanny in any way." So she must be the Franc.

"No of course not. I love parties so it's actually a blessing in disguise," you chuckled.

She stuck her hand out, "Cabernet Franc." Instead of you shaking it, you gently kissed it.

"Y/n L/n. Its a pleasure to meet you miss Franc."

"Cabernet will do just fine. Would you like some wine?" You nodded and Cabernet led you to the bar section where she took a bottle of wine identical to the one you still could taste. She saw you staring at the wine and she couldn't help but chuckle. "Brought back some memories?" She handed you a glass before pouring some, into her own as well.

"Yes. Sweet but bitter ones." The two of you walked towards the VIP section of the upper floor and took a seat comfortably on the couch.

"Bitter? Reminds you of an ex?"

"No nothing like that. Actually, I've never been in a relationship before... it's kinda one of my wishes," you traced the rim of the glass with your fingers. Cabernet watched the way your fingers glided and smiled.

"Maybe you'll finally meet someone at this party, you never know."

"Maybe I did already."

You and Cabernet shared a small chuckle before talking about other stuffs. It was actually really nice to know that you both had many things in common, one of them being wine.

From them on things escalated. You and Cabernet started talking more until you asked her out on a date and during the date, you asked her to be your girlfriend to which she happily agreed to.

"Hey Cabernet, do you believe in the Greek gods?" You were seated in Cabernet'a room, as she sipped wine whilst sitting next to you.

"I do believe them. It's them whom I worship."

"Do you pray to Dionysus?"

Cabernet chuckled, "no I don't. I only worship one and that is Aphrodite. How do you think I'm this beautiful? I got my beauty from her."

"I suppose so. You are pretty. But somehow you awfully remind me alot about Dionysus."

"Oh? Have you seen Dionysus before?"

"N-no but the way you love wine, and... there's just something about you... which made me assume you worshipped her."

"I see. Well I will take it as a compliment so thank you."

How can someone worship their own selves?

A/n: This is quite shitty I must say...

[thomasthetankieengine]

In honor of Krampusnacht, here's a really odd post I found awhile ago.

I don't want to be too snide, but I seriously wonder if the OP has ever seen a goat before. They can, in fact, be black and always have tails, horns, and hooves.

While the origins of Krampus are not precisely known, using goats and other hooved animals like horses as a symbol of the wild and chaotic aspects of nature as a long history in most European cultures. It's why Pan, Silenus, the Fauns, Centaurs, and Satyrs were so often depicted as goat and/or horse men and it's why they were portrayed as raging ids who enjoyed getting rip-roaring drunk, carrying off women, and having orgies.

Such traits lended themselves well to the conception of the demonic after Christianity was adopted in most of Europe. Admittedly, though, in this case, it's hard to know if Krampus was a post-Christianization figure formed from Christian conceptions of the demonic or if he was based at all on an earlier figure from Germanic paganism. We're really fudging around in the dark here, because our knowledge of Germanic paganism, especially that of the non-Norse, is extremely incomplete. Here may had similar origins to the Yule goat and the Finnish Nuuttipukki, but even that is speculative.

One thing that can be pointed out is that Krampus is similar, in many ways, in the European conception of the Wild Man, which overlapped considerably with the Greek Satyrs and the Roman Fauns. It is worth noting here that Krampus celebrations in Germany and Austria frequently involve the men who dress as Krampus ingesting a great deal of alcohol — and remember what I said earlier about how the Satyrs and Fauns were often depicted as constantly drunk? Before modern toxicology came about, alcohol was often conceived of as something slightly magical and becoming drunk after drinking it was understood as being literally possessed by its supernatural and/or divine creators. In ancient Greece, of course, this was understood as being possessed by Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, nature, insanity, and ritual ecstasy.

There's another post made a friend of the OP who appears to be trying to argue, amongst other things, that any mythological creature with horns and tails has antisemitic origins and was definitely influenced by antisemitism.

And ... um... I don't want to be too dismissive here, but I believe they are reversing cause and effect. To be blunt, Jews obviously do not actually have horns, cloven hooves, and tails; they were given them by medieval artists to make them seem inhuman and associate them with demons. In other words, those associations already existed before they were applied to Jews. Admittedly, though, you do have to walk a fine line here.

In any case, part of this post is just plain old wrong. Krampus generally didn't eat children; instead, he usually beat them with birch rods for being bad or dragged them off to hell. Similarly, I'm less than comfortable with the common sentiment on this site and that every folkloric and mythological creature said to attack children must be antisemitic in some way.

I don't want too dismissive here, but I think it should be understood that much for the reason for why mythological and folkloric creatures were said to specifically attack babies and children because infant and childhood mortality rates in the pre-modern past were incredibly freaking high. It's generally estimated that, for most of human history (by which I mean "up until the 19th century), around 50% of all children born would not live to see their 16th birthday.

Furthermore, pre-modern people did not have microscopes or modern biology at their disposal and thus they know anything of microbiological worked or why it was that babies and children tended to catch and die of illnesses far more often than adults did.

This is not a folkloric motif that you see only in European cultures and Europe had its fair share of evil creatures who preyed on children before the idea of the idea of the blood libel was formed in 12th century England.

Witness the Mesopotamian Lamashtu and Akhkhazu, the ancient Greek Lamia and Mormo, the Malay Penanggalan, the Filipino Manananggal and Aswang, the Arabic ghoul, the Germanic ogre, the Afghani Madar-i-Al, the Japanese oni, the Azeri Div, the Inuit Ijiraq, or the Egyptian Abu Rigl Maslukha.

Many of these creatures have also had their dual purpose of frightening children to make them behave Which, funnily enough — is exactly what Krampus' purpose was and is as well.

One more thing, though. When doing research on this topic, I found out that parents in Syria and Lebanon would often tell their children to be good and go bed on time or the Anglo-Norman king, Richard the Lionheart, would get them. Not sure if they still do, though.

[windsweptinred]

@crimsalwaysawake my sibling in Orpheus x Dionysus, your asks have finally been answered. (I apologize for the wait.) And thank you for the brilliant questions. There were some really scintillating ones in here! 

3. Most common argument? 

One word, Apollo. Let's rub a bit Orpheus in that festering wound of brotherly rivalry shall we? 😅 I've already gone into the hows and whys here. So I won't repeat it.

But yes, the God of the Arts (and all round perfectness) is definitely the main hiccup in that extravagant, unbridled but at its core, harmonious love of theirs. 

If love is Orpheus’s life blood, then music is the heartbeat that pumps it. And no matter how much he loves Dionysus, adores him beyond all reason… I think he'd be just a touch too obstinate to give up the patronage of Apollo/ devotion to the God of his craft. Not the wisest of moves when it traps you in a tug of war between two notoriously antagonist brothers. Chaos vs Order/ Madness vs Reason. Thoughts and prayers Orpheus. And obviously this is going to play on Dionysus' natural insecurities about his worth amongst the Olympians. Especially when he's up against the glorious and golden Apollo for Orpheus’s n.1 god spot. 

Generally, I feel this would be more a cause of petty squabbles between Apollo and Dionysus, with Orpheus caught in the middle, then arguments between Orpheus and Dionysus. Orpheus was brought up in a polytheistic religion. His worship of Apollo (calling) and his worship of Dionysus (love) are two very different things and expected. Still, the gods are petty. And we can't deny Dionysus a few tantrums over having to share his favourite. Especially when it's the first time he's had love all his own. 

8. Nicknames? And if so, how did they originate?

I think with this couple, it's going to be casual and cute abridged names. Or odes of sweet nothings. As both have the tendency to go from 0 to 100 in minutes. 😅 

Day to day, I think you yourself came up with Orphe…(And just, the cuteness of Orphe! 🥹) Phe, Dio, D. Little nicknames used by themselves alone in that way loving partners often do. 

Deep in their truest hearts, Orpheus is Dionysus’s ‘Reason’ and Dionysus is Orpheus’s, well… If Riddy was his ‘Muse and Saviour’...Then Dionysus is his ‘Idol and Liberator.’ It's actually one of Dionysos’s ephipets, Eleutherius or Liber in latin meaning liberator/freedom. He who frees man from himself and deliverer of man from care and sorrow. It's an obvious nod to the effects of wine, but I think it's exactly what he is for Orpheus, especially following the events of season one. His liberator from sorrow. 

 17. Who says I love you first? 

Oh Orpheus. Most definitely Orpheus. The moment that man realises he is in love, I don't believe he has the capacity to keep that within himself. He's not a shy, self doubting person, this isn't a secret he's going to hoard. He's going to declare it on the spot like a vow. He's going to look Dionysus right in the eye and state with fervour, ‘I love you.’ Not a question, nor a request. But a declaration of devotion. I. Love. You. No matter whether the feeling is returned, know I love you. I think at Orpheus’s MOST subtle, he'd pour his emotions into song after song. Until someone literally has to point out to Dionysus, ‘He's singing about you. You know that, right?’ 😅 But I truly don't think Orpheus would be able to hold it in long enough to be a tormented artist. He'd NEED Dionysus to know. Him blurting it out in a moment of realisation at an awards ceremony would be more likely. Tell the person, tell the world is so on brand for Orpheus. 

On a more sombre note, I think Dionysus would be a little reticent about outwardly declaring his love for anyone after Dennis. Lest it act like a lightning rod for Zeus's ire. 😢

[femmepentheus]

heyyy dee i have a query about bacchae

so does dionysus drive pentheus mad? because thats the impression i got from the play the first time i read it but after rereading it i noticed that:

tiresias says that pentheus is mad at the beginning of the play

dionysus makes a point that pentheus doesnt know what will happen to him, what his life is or who he is

when pentheus has been supposedly driven mad, he sees dionysus as not human for the first time, so is he hallucinating or is he seeing clearly??

like i know its the commonly accepted theory that dionysus drives pentheus mad in the scene where he convinces pentheus to dress as a woman but is that not the case?

(i'm so sorry it took me so long to answer this i've been so busy. this has sat in my ask box for. i don't want to think how long)

soooo i've answered a similar question before on my sideblog here, but this is one of the aspects to bacchae that i find particularly interesting, so i'm more than happy to explain it again.

you've basically hit upon the three main sticking points of the idea that pentheus is possessed by dionysus/pentheus is driven mad by dionysus etc. when i first read the play i too believed that pentheus was driven mad when he agreed to dress as a woman & wasnt in his 'right mind' so to speak for the rest of the play.

so, in the first scene with pentheus, he threatens cadmus & tiresias when they invite him to worship dionysus with them, and tiresias accuses pentheus of being mad. which, could of course be him retaliating in anger after pentheus' threats - just an insult or nothing more. BUT it does raise an interesting point about madness and sanity within bacchae.

the boundary between madness and sanity is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting aspects of bacchae. tiresias and cadmus experience the same exalted sense of strength as the maenads, but are they mad? i haven't found anyone who's argued that they are. cadmus and tiresias are concerned about the men of thebes mocking them and thinking them mad, but they still know who they are, what's going on around them, they have enough presence of mind to give pentheus good advice. this vitality they feel is clearly something that comes with dionysiac worship - the maenads also experience it, although to a much greater extent. dionysus is at his kindest to tiresias & cadmus. he hasn't driven them mad, but he has lifted them from themselves somewhat, to become what they desire to be - young men again.

likewise, are the maenads actually mad? the madness comes from their rejection of societal expectations. they have left behind their husbands and children to go to mt cithaeron. to pentheus, a man who could be described as outwardly conservative at best, this is incomprehensible. obviously agave is hallucinating when she kills pentheus, and has been granted extreme strength by dionysus. she is not in her right mind, she has been as good as possessed by the god. but outside of that scene of sparagmos, she is able to recognise the herdsmen as men who have come to capture her, she is only unable to recognise her son. the maenads, as well as pentheus, blur the line between mad and sane.

the 'you don't know who you are' line is one of my favourite in the play because there's no explanation for it. the first 2 parts - that pentheus doesn't know what their life is nor what they're doing - makes perfect sense, as he doesnt know he's fighting against a god or that his life will soon end. identity is a common theme within tragedy but. shrug. i really don't know what dionysus is driving at here (although i have my Theories lmao)

so yeah, dionysus Does drive pentheus mad, but by doing so also frees him from the constraints of society through his role as a liberator