Parents: Kore (Persephone) and Zeus. Occasionally Semele and Zeus, or Hades and Persephone.

Story: This is the central story to the Ancient Greek Cult of Orphism. Zeus seduced his own daughter, Kore, in a vision of serpents. (reminiscent of the Questing Beast from Margawse's and Arthur's union) She became pregnant and bore Zagreus. Zeus set him on his throne, and Hera became jealous and so enlisted the Titan's aid in tearing him up. Athena saves his heart and feeds it to Semele, who becomes pregnant and bears Dionysus. In other stories, Zeus seduces a human princess, Semele, who becomes pregnant with Zagreus. Hera convinces her that she needs to see Zeus in his true form, and, after Zeus swears on the river Styx to grant her what she wants, she asks to see him in his true form. This is too much for her, and she is disintigrated. In most stories, the embryo of Dionysus is then stored in Zeus' thigh until it can be born. However, in some stories the embryo is turned into a pomegranant potion which Hades feeds Persephone, who becomes pregnant and bears Dionysus or Zagreus. In some stories he is again the son of Kore and Zeus, but when he is torn to shreds, Athena saves his heart to put into a gympsum figure. This figure is then made immortal, and is used to welcome souls into the Underworld. He is usually pictured with horns, and is given the ability to shape change.

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