DEATH IS BIRTH: THE ZAGREUS-DIONYSIAN MYTH IN DIALOGUE WITH MODERNITY

Abstract

In this work, the author shows one of the ways in which the myth of Dionysus and Zagreus can be interpreted. In this regard, the work presents the original appearances of this kind of deity, but these original appearances are approached from a contemporary perspective. More specifically, authors who are in circulation are Niče, Kami, Valdenfels, Bart, etc. The guiding thread that the author follows in this paper concerns precisely the "timelessness" of the concept of the foreign. We do not say this as a negative characteristic, nor as a positive one, but a characteristic devoid of value determinants. The author detects that the concept of the foreign can be read from antiquity and from the various appearances of Zagreus and Dionysus. It is important to emphasize that such a picture is obtained only after the connections between the mentioned appearances are established. Thinking foreign then becomes inevitable when one thinks of Dionysus and/or Zagreus. One of the key moments in this connection of different appearances of this deity is the death of Zagreus, that is, the birth of Dionysus. In this sense, the title of the paper shines through. This very moment seems to be crucial for understanding the affirmation of life, and through that affirmation of life then only foreign. The author approaches from a contemporary perspective in an attempt to shape a given myth with a new outfit.