Until the mid-20th century, the mythic portrayal of Dionysos as a foreign, controversial god in Greece was widely accepted as historical truth.

Then in 1952 a Bronze Age script was deciphered, and astonishing discoveries from the Peloponnese followed: tablets circa 1300 BCE detailing offerings di-wo-nu-su-jo (of Dionysos). Dionysos was, in fact, one of the earliest and most enduring gods of Prehistoric Greece.

Dionysos is famous today as a god of wine and revelry. Yet the mysteries of Dionysos transformed lives and altered deaths for millennia. They defied neat domains and societal expectations, redefining life itself.

Bull, snake, ivy, vine. Thunder and epiphany. Honey and light.
Life. Death. Life. Truth. Dionysus.

To understand these echoes from the Aegean Sea, we must journey further back than the written record can take us.

This February, coinciding with the Dionysian mystery month of Anthesterion, you are invited to trace the prehistoric threads of Dionysos in a four week group course!

WE WILL EXPLORE...

  • The God Who Comes: Indigenous Origins and Etymologies of Dionysos
  • Honey and Light: Dionysian Symbols, Plants, and Animals from Bronze Age Mycenaean and Minoan Civilization
  • Epiphany and Transcendence: The Birth of Dionysian Mythic Cycles, Festivals, and Entheogenic Mysteries

This course draws upon the classic works Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life by Károly Kerényi, Dionysus: Myth and Cult by Walter F. Otto, other secondary scholarship, and prehistoric & ancient sources such as poetry, drama, epigraphy, art and material culture.

In addition to exploring Dionysos' mythology and cultic history, you will be guided to cultivate a devotional practice with a deeper understanding of his roots and layers of mystery.
Image: Dionysos by Rosesprey

instructor

Bria Melitta is an Hiereia (Priestess) and founder of the Mt Nysa Mystery School. She is passionate about teaching the rich roots and traditions of Ancient Hellenic Religion!

After receiving her degree in Religious Studies in 2016, she continued her studies in Classical Greek with H.M. Classics Academy, Ancient Hellenic Religion with the Artemis Research Center, and Women’s Mysteries and Priestess Training with the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple.

Bria is currently pursuing her second Master's Degree in Classical Mediterranean History and Archaeology with the University of Leicester.

"...the world of Dionysus speaks to us again across the centuries through the words of what at times seems to be one of the last scions of the house of Thebes. Let no man arrogate to himself the right to say that a god has died until the echo which remains after the departure of the last of his worshippers has been dispelled."

Robert B. Palmer, Dionysus: Myth and Cult.

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Course meets on Zoom each Friday at 10 AM CST:

January 31
February 7
February 14
February 21

It is not required to attend classes live. All recordings and materials will be uploaded to a portal as a self-paced option.

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Early Enrollment: $47 USD
After December 20: $67 USD

Course inquiries: courses@mtnysa.com

register here