Dionysus — Ancient Greek God

Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, comedy, and tragedy. Like all Greeks, he loved drama and contests. His special talent was that he could shape shift into looking like any living thing he wanted. For example, he could shape shift into a little mouse or a dangerous animal or a fierce pirate. His favorite shape was that of a handsome young man, dripping in jewels. He had quite sense of humor, and a great deal of fun shape shifting.

Dionysus' Birth
Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and he was the only god with a mortal parent. Zeus managed to rescue the fetal Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh until he would be ready to be born. His birth from Zeus conferred immortality upon him.

Dionysus' Family
Dionysus saw Ariadne wandering on the coast of the island of Naxos (where Theseus abandoned her after killing the Minotaur). He immediately fell in love with her and married her. They had a happy marriage and Ariadne bore Dionysus famous children including Oenopion, Staphylus, and Thoas.

Dionysus' Wanderings
Dionysus wandered the world actively spreading his cult. He was accompanied by the Maenads, wild women, flush with wine, shoulders draped with a fawn skin, carrying rods tipped with pine cones. While other gods had temples to be worshipped at, the followers of Dionysus worshipped him in the woods. There, they might go into a state of ecstasy and madness, ripping apart and eating raw any animal they might come upon.