Winemaking is among the oldest surviving art forms, dating as far back as 6000 BC. It has been a part of nearly every major civilization since that time, and wine is still, today, a cultural centerpiece for many regions and religions, including Catholicism and Judaism.
Many ancient societies held wine in such regard that their mythologies often included a god or goddess who was considered the overseer of wine. Here’s a look at few of these classical deities:
Dionysus—The Greek god of wine was known to the Romans as Bacchus, and is arguably the most famous such wine god. He was also known as a god of agriculture, fertility and theater. The Greeks considered Dionysus the purveyor of ecstasy, which could occasionally slip into outright madness. As the story was most often told, Dionysus was the child of the thunder god Zeus and a mortal woman, Semele. Semele had been tricked by Zeus’ jealous wife Hera into requesting that Zeus appear before her in all his glory—the vision utterly consumed Semele, leaving behind her son. Dionysus appears in a number of well-known stories, most notably the tale of King Midas.
Osiris—The Egyptian god of the dead was also credited with teaching the Egyptians how to raise grapevines, and therefore make wine. Believed to be an early king of the Nile, Osiris led his people to adopt agriculture instead of their previous savage behaviors, which included cannibalism. The legends of Osiris tell of how he was killed and torn to pieces by his brother Set, but then resurrected by the gods as lord of the underworld. Although Osiris was the god of wine, wine itself was occasionally referred to as “the tears of Horus,” (Osiris’ son, god of the Sky) or “the sweat of Ra” (the sun god).
Sumerian Goddesses—The Sumerians, not content with one god to watch over their wine, worshipped a number of deities—all female—with poetic titles to accompany their given names. Some of these goddesses included Nin-kasi, “Lady Who Fills The Mouth,” and Geshtin, “Lady of the Vine.”
Aegir—Uniquely, the Norse pantheon included no specific god of wine, but wine was nonetheless a significant component of Norse mythology. Aegir, a giant nature spirit, was the feared and respected king of the sea. He was also especially known among the Norse gods for his lavish parties, at which the gods would be permitted to partake of his especially excellent mead.
Mythology was often invented by societies to explain the wonders of the unexplainable. It’s no surprise, then, that ancient civilizations considered wine an important enough product to merit its own gods and goddesses.
