Redefining the Role of the Mythological Bacchae

Redefining the Role of the Mythological Bacchae

This article relates to Ecstasy

In ancient Greco-Roman mythology, the Bacchae—also known as Maenads—were female followers of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus), god of wine and revelry. While some devoted themselves to him voluntarily, others were said to be possessed, driven mad and forced into servitude by his intoxicating power.

Dionysus journeyed throughout the land, claiming cities and enacting his rule on the population. If a city rejected his rites in service to another god, he would punish the residents by setting the women among them into a frenzy, ultimately converting them into Bacchae and bolstering his cohort.

While under the influence of Dionysus, the Bacchae were imbued with superhuman strength, capable of tearing apart animals and men alike with their bare hands. When not carrying out these violent acts, they were typically engaged in wild celebration, abandoning their roles as wives and mothers and taking to the hills, where they would sing and dance in praise of their god. All of this led to a culture of fear and mistrust surrounding them, and the perception that the women were mad. Indeed, the Greek name Maenads translates to "raving ones."

First performed in 405 BCE, the play by Euripides, The Bacchae, features perhaps the best-known depiction of the titular women. In the story, they are compelled to abandon their homes and head for the mountains, where they sing, dance, drink, and have sex in a display of ritualistic hedonism. As Dionysus' power grows, so too does his lust for chaos and vengeance against those he feels have dishonored him. As a result of his frustrations, the women are driven to greater acts of madness, kidnapping children from a nearby village, slaughtering a herd of cattle, and ultimately committing murder.

In her novel Ecstasy, Ivy Pochoda reimagines Euripides' work in a distinctly modern setting. Here, the Bacchae take the form of a group of women camping on a beach on the island of Naxos. Their late-night dance parties—fueled by drugs and alcohol—escalate into increasingly violent acts, just like their ancient counterparts. But Pochoda gives their story a dark feminist twist. Led by a woman this time around, the group eventually channels their rage against the men who seek to oppose or command them. It's a clever reframing of their role within the narrative, flipping the script from enslaved women in service to a man against their will, to a group of women raging against societal norms and taking back control.

"Dance of the Maenad" circa 1765 by Andries Cornelis Lens, located at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

"En bacchantinde på en søtiger" by Christen Køble circa 1839, located at the Glyptotek, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons CC by PDM 1.0

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to Ecstasy. It first ran in the July 30, 2025 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.