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A-gnosis — AGAFG 58
Published: 2010-12-31 03:42:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 2078; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 8
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Page fiftyeight. Theo and Melito finally leave the Underworld.The Anthesteria was just partly a festival of the dead. Mainly it was held in the honour of Dionysos. It took place every spring and lasted for three days. People opened the pithoi with wine that had been stored at the previous vintage and adorned their homes with spring flowers. Social order was interrupted during the feast, as the slaves were allowed to participate. It was also believed that the gates of the Underworld stood open and that the dead freely mingled with the living. Therefore special food was made for the dead, that no one else tasted, and I think that all the temples were closed (except for the sanctuary of Dionysos) so the dead shouldn't pollute them.
In other words, it was a festival of both merrymaking and creepyness. I got the idea to let the origin of the festival to be a deal between Hades and Dionysos. Dionysos could have his dead mother back (though in my version Semele isn't exactly his biological mother), if he made sure that one of his festivals also honoured the dead (something that Hades never could have made people to do. But Dionysos is popular. If he tells people to honour the dead, they just do it).
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Comments: 24
Melito: *is bitchy right to her god's face*
Hades: *is bitchy right back*
Melito: (Yeah, I chose to worship the right one, after all.)
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I guess that's the closest thing to a compliment Hades ever gave to a mortal. XD
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I feel happy for Melito. I nearly wrote Melinoe -_-
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The Anestheria sounds like a pretty cool festival. I must write that down somewhere.
Melito has a great expression in the final panel. It looks a bit like she's flirting with him.
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It is indeed. I'm really glad that I found out about it.
Thanks! Heh! Yeah, Melito's expression actually looks a little flirty, though she certainly not has any intentions of that kind. XD
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Yeah. Wouldn't be nice to have your own priestess as an enemy.
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So, you're talking about the ancient Greeks' version of Halloween? Cool! And the update is nice, too. I see that the Furies are really getting into the swing of things, aren't they? And yes, Hades is a nice guy, just a touch antisocial. It happens.
PS: Happy New Year to you!
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Yeah, sort of. I think it's cool as hell!
The Erinyes are indeed quite lively creatures. Almost a bit too lively for the Underworld.
Yes, a bit cranky and antisocial, but actually with a good heart once you get to know him.
Thank you! Happy New Year!
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Hooray, Hades and Melito have reached an understanding. I like the whole deal with Hades and Dionysos concept. Dionysos is actually my friend's favorite god so I could see that happening.
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Bai-Bai!
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Glad you like the idea about the deal between Hades and Dionysos! Dionysos is a quite interesting god. I'm looking forward to drawing him in my comics later on.
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I look forward to you drawing him as well.
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Bai-Bai!
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The third panel is just so sweet. Lookit Melito's surprised little face! And the Furies snarking behind Hades back is just too funny.
Dionysos had quite a few festivals, didn't he? There's this one, then that play festival...I like this one even more than the play one, though. It's like a precusor of medieval topsy turvy parties, or Halloeen mummers, an upheaval of everything normal and restricted.
It's a really good idea to have the festival be a bargain! You don't often hear of the gods co-operating, so it's a fun exception. And it'll be a chance to see Hades and Persephone react to the fact that Dionysos has grown into a big strong lad:
Hades: Huh. You have a...son?
Peresphone: Yup. Got seduced by someone and had Dad take the foetus out of me. Must have put it into that other poor sap, the one the boy wanted back.
Hades: (That was a boy? Really?) You know it was probably Zeus who impregnated you in the first place?
Persephone: Tartarus, yeah. That guy can't leave anything with a hole alone!
Hades: Too true. Oh well, at least the...boy's gone now.
Persephone: Yeah. Seemed like a nice lad, though. Likes his vines.
Hades: Hnnyes...
Persephone: And he looks like the sort that'll keep his word, so stop worrying!
It'd be funny, since Hades doesn't have much experience with crossrdressers, for him to get slightly confused. Persephone, of course, would find the whole thing hilarious, although I wonder how much she'd react to finding out that Zeus kept her son alive. And, of course, it's good press for the dead, which Hades really needs. Everyone's a winner!
Have a brilliant New Year!
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Oh, yes. Dionysos surely was a popular guy. Of all the festivals held in his honour that I've read about, the Anthesteria probably is my favourite as well. But how can you not like a festival that includes both flowers, dead people and interruption of the social order (yeah okay, there was a lot of wine drinking too, but that's not so original)?
The thought of Dionysos (of course dressed up as a woman) bargaining with Hades is really hilarious. Glad you like the idea! Hades probably wouldn't realise that Dio actually is a boy until someone tells it to him. XD
I think Persephone at first would be a bit freaked out when she starts to find out that Dionysos actually might be her aborted child. I have an idea to a possible scene in the party-comic where Dio starts to talk about reincarnation and former lives and suddenly mentions that in a former existence he was a child of Persephone. It won't be obvious if this is something he really knows or if it's just part of his drunken talk, but Persephone gets really scared by the thought that it might be true. Mostly because she doesn't want her mother to find out that she once had an abortion. But besides that she would probably like Dio. They have a common interest in plants. Actually, one of his cult titles was Anthion, "Of the flowers".
Thank you! A brilliant New Year to you too!
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Wooooooooooooooooooow love this page! The last few panels are adorable!!!
I love the facts on the Anthesteria! Spiffay!!
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Thank you! ^^
Yeah, it is a pretty cool festival, isn't it?
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