The Flutes of Dionysus (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: R. D. Stock
- First Published: 1990
- Type of Work: Literary criticism
- Genres: Criticism, Nonfiction, Magical and occult fantasy
- Subjects: Folkloric or magical people, Magic or magicians, Mythology or myths, Love or romance, Supernatural, Music or musicians, Literature, Exorcism, Women, Truth, Gods or goddesses, Witches or witchcraft, Tragedy, Masks, Jesus Christ, Devils or demons, Greek or Roman times, Satan or Satanism, Paganism, Wine or wine making
In a sense, the polytheistic ancient Greeks were actually pantheists. In addition to their many individualized, anthropomorphic deities, such as Zeus, Apollo, and Aphrodite, they also recognized supernatural forces which existed all around them in nature. Thus every tree had its own special divine power called a dryad and every sea its own nereid. While modern mythological handbooks usually refer to these forces as “minor deities,” the Greeks themselves used the word daemon to refer to all supernatural forces, including the dryads and nereids as well as the theoi or...
[The entire page is 2050 words long]
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