Into the Labyrinth and the myth of Ariadne's Thread

Myth Matters

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This episode is devoted to the Greek god Dionysus, whom Walter Otto aptly named “the epiphany god,” and his wife Ariadne.

Dionysus was called “the Loosener” or lysios in Greek, the loosener of limbs and of minds. The Greek word lysios comes from "lysis," which means “setting free" or "unraveling.” I want to pick up this thread to reflect a bit more on the nature of Dionysian loosening and epiphanies, by spending some time with the myth of Ariadne.

Who was Ariadne, to be partner to this god? Ariadne like Dionysus, is likely an older deity than the Olympians, one with much more significance than her place in Greek mythology suggests.

Thanks for listening.

"If the horizon hadn't swallowed you, I'd believe in it still,
let it hold me like a wall..."
---Ioanna-Veronika Warwick from "Ariadne Thanks Theseus for Abandoning Her"

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