Robert Graves observed that the character of Osiris as a tree-spirit was represented very graphically in a ceremony described by Firmicus Maternus. A pine-tree having been cut down, the centre was hollowed out, and with the wood thus excavated an image of Osiris was made, which was then buried like a corpse in the hollow of the tree. Further connections with vegetation can be enumerated:
"O thou lord of food, thou prince of green herbs," - The Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys
"Through thee the world waxeth green in triumph." - Papyrus of Ani, 2.
Osiris is hailed as "the Lord of the Acacia Tree" - Papyrus of Ani, 19.
The body of Osiris becomes enclosed in the trunk of a tree and is associated with the Djed pillar in Utterance 574.
Similarly, Dionysos was connected with all vegetation and green growth, not just the vine and and its alcohol-producing fruit.
A fragment of Pindar's preserved in Plutarch reads, "May gladsome Dionysos swell the fruit upon the trees, the hallowed splendor of harvest-time." Plutarch also informs us that Dionysos is worshipped "almost everywhere in Greece" as Dendrites "Tree God". (On Isis and Osiris, 34) Dionysos' image was found inside of a plane tree which had been split asunder in Magnesia, and the Corinthians were given an oracle by Apollo at Delphi to worship the pine tree "as the God" whereupon they had a statue of Dionysos carved out of its wood. (Pausanias 2.27) Dionysos was called Sykites, "Fig-God", the wood from which phalloi were carved. The scholiast to Aristophanes' Frogs mentions that the myrtle was sacred to Dionysos, and Ovid says that "Bacchus loves flowers", (Fasti 5.345) specifically roses and violets, according to Pindar (Frag. 75) This is not surprising considering his epithets Anthios "Blossoming" and Euanthes "He Who Makes Grow" or his festival the Anthesteria which celebrated the return of life to the earth.
Copyright 2005 Sannion
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