Orpheus was a famed poet, prophet, and musician in Greek mythology who could allegedly charm all the creatures of nature—from animals to plants to the rocks themselves—with the music that he created. He would compose, sing, and play the lyre with such beauty that he could make trees dance and divert the course of streams. Greeks celebrated him as the greatest of all musicians throughout history, one who could even charm Hades himself, allowing him to enter and return from the Underworld.

According to legend, Orpheus encountered three drunken Maenads one day in the middle of a woodland glade. These Maenads were devoted female followers of Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and revelry. In their stupor, they made sexual advances toward Orpheus but were spurned, as he only took male lovers. They became irate and hurled sticks and stones at him; however, the beauty of his music caused the projectiles to stop in mid-air, unwilling to strike him. Finally, in frustration, the Maenads ripped him apart with their own bare hands.

Legend has it Orpheus's head and lyre were placed into the river Hebrus, where they continued to bellow out beautiful music on their way toward the shores of the Mediterranean. Dionysus, who loved Orpheus's music, then turned the Maenads into trees for their evil act. However, some Greek mythologists contest the idea that Dionysus would permit his followers to kill his favorite musician. Alternative but less embraced theories have been floated that Orpheus committed suicide over his failure to protect his wife Eurydice from being bitten by a poisonous snake or that Zeus struck him down with a lightning bolt for allegedly lying about the mysteries of the gods.