Bacchanalia

Basic Information

The Bacchanalia were wild and drunken revels in honor of the Greek/Roman god Bacchus/Dionysus. Originally, they were held in secret and only attended by women, although this changed over time.

See Also

• Maenad - female worshippers of Dionysus
• Greek Mythology

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia entry

Game and Story Use

• In fantasy games, the bacchanalia might be attended by supernatural creatures, such as satyrs or nymphs. Or by an actual deity - while Dionysus is the obvious choice, Pan might also fit.
  • And, of course, any of these entities could actually be demons, creatures of the Cthulhu Mythos, or something similar in your campaign.
• Perhaps attending these celebrations also gives the celebrants unnatural powers - there are stories that the attending women tore intruding men apart with their bare hands.
  • But do these powers only last for the festivities themselves, or are they more lasting effects?