menade

Menade, commonly spelled maenad in English, is an alternate or older transliteration used for a female follower of the Greek god Dionysus in ancient Greek religion and myth. In modern scholarship the standard term is maenad, with the plural maenads. Maenads are depicted as enthusiastic participants in Dionysian cults, often shown dancing, singing, and chanting in ecstatic frenzy, sometimes armed with a thyrsus or accompanied by satyrs. They appear in many myths and works of art as central figures in rites celebrating wine, revelry, and transformed states of consciousness.

Etymology: The term derives from the Greek mainadēs, from mainomai meaning to be intoxicated or roused, linked to mania meaning madness or frenzy. The form menade reflects transliteration variants found in some older texts or languages.

Cultural role and depiction: Maenads are best known from Greek literature and art. In Euripides' Bacchae, they accompany Dionysus and participate in his rites, occasionally becoming dangerous to those who threaten the god’s cult. In visual representations, they are often shown in wild or ceremonial attire, with flowing hair, dancing in a circle, and bearing objects such as the thyrsus, sometimes wearing animal skins. They symbolize ecstatic liberation and the tension between civilization and the wilderness.

See also: Dionysus; Bacchae; ancient Greek religion; Greek mythology in art.