The Dionysiac Thiasos: Satyrs and Maenads

Maenads join the procession of satyrs and nymphs carried away by the delirium of the god Dionysus, in which rules are abandoned and give way, as on this ceramic, to unbridled eroticism.
These creatures find their place in sensual or ecological fantasy such as that of Thomas Burnett Swann. Their magic comes from their hybridity, but also from the disturbing appeal it exerts, transporting fascinated and seduced humans to another world. We also find them in the few imaginary works directly inspired by the ancient world..