posted September 08, 2003 03:50 AM         

The whole book is in a story-like form, so i thought i would post one chapter ie one card at a time.

I dont know much about Greek mythology but it would help if you people would increase our insights about the different characters and also suggest some links..

The Fool--

He is the hero of the journey disguised as the mysterious god Dionysos.He was twice-born.He was the child of Zeus, the king of Gods and Semele, a mortal woman and Princess of Thebes.

Zeus' wife, Hera was furious at his infidelity.she disguised herself as a nursemaid and whispered to Semele that she should test her lover's devotion by demanding him to appear before her in his divine glory.Having promised Semele anything her heart might desire, he was bound by his vow.Reluctantly, he manifested as thunder and lightening and Semele was consumed in flames.But Zeus managed to rescue the unborn child.

Hermes,mesenger of the Gods and patron of magic sewed up the foetus in Zeus' thigh, thus Dionysos was born.He had strange horns.
Hera sent the Titans, the earth gods to tear Dionysos to pieces.But Zeus rescued the child's heart.He transformed this heart into a potion of pomegranate seeds and the magical drink was fed to the maiden Persephone by Hades, the dark god of the underworld, when he abducted her.

Persephone became pregnant and Dionysos was reborn in the underworld.Thus he was called Dionysos-lacchos or Twice-born,god of light and ecstacy.

He was ordained by his father,Zeus to live among men and share their suffering, he was striken with madness by Hera and wandered all over the world.He gave the giftof wine to mankind and brought drunken ecstacy and spiritual redemption to those who were willing to relinquish their attachment to worldly power and wealth.

Eventually his father bade him rise to Olympus, where he took his place at the right hand of the king of gods.