Shiva, Dionysos' eastern counterpart

[romulus214]

"In their final phase the Mysteries apparently shifted from a chthonic, primeval orientation to a transcendental, mystical one, with Dionysus altering his nature accordingly (much in the same way as happened in the cult of Shiva, Dionysos' eastern counterpart, according to some

Comments

[finnchuill]

There's a fascinating book on this subject, *Shiva and Dionysus* by Alain Danielou, which I recommend.

[algabal]

Interesting, but wouldn't it be more accurate to say that the mystical, transcendental, ascetic strains of Greek religion really entered through Thrace and their god of Orpheus and the related Orphic cults? I'm just beginning to study this subject.

There always seems to be a tendency to try and explain any given Western mystical phenomena (from the mystery cults to Bogomilism), strictly in terms of Far Eastern religion somehow playing an unseen hand. This is, ironically, also common in Christian anti-heretical polemics.

[endovelicon]

(I would recommend the Danielou book also, but I guess I´m late ;-) )
Didn´t the Dionysus myth say that He went to Asia during His bout of Hera-induced madness? That could explain some of the similarities...