Dictionary

maenad en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmaɪ-/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmaɪ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmiːnæd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmiˌnæd/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio

Etymology

From Latin Maenad- (“frenzied female follower of Bacchus”), root of Maenās, from Ancient Greek μαινάς (mainás, “raving, frantic”), from μαίνομαι (maínomai, “to be mad, to rage”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to mind; to think; spiritual activity”).

Meanings

1. (Greek, also, attributive) A female follower of Dionysus (“the god of wine”), associated with intense revelling.
   • Even in the uttermost frenzy of energy is each mænad movement royally, imperially, incedingly upborne. 1853 January, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Vashti”, in Villette. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 191:
   • With her back to the figure of Dionysos and partially visible from the front of the krater, this Derveni maenad stands balanced on the toes of her right foot, with her left foot, also on the toes, a little behind it[…]. 2008, Beryl Barr-Sharrar, “The Major Repoussé Frieze”, in The Derveni Krater: Masterpiece of Classical Greek Metalwork (Ancient Art and Architecture in Context; 1), Princeton, N.J.: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, →ISBN, page 123:
   • The ſecrets of the good goddeſs are knovvn, vvhen the pipe the loins / Incites; and alſo vvith the horn, and vvith vvine, the Mænads of Priapus / Are driven, aſtoniſhed, and toſs their hair and hovvl. 1789, Juvenal, “Satire VI”, in M[artin] Madan, transl., A New and Literal Translation of Juvenal and Persius; […], volume I, London: […] [F]or the editor, and sold at T. Becket’s, […], →OCLC, page 273, lines 313–315:
   • We know from the subjects of his [Scopas's] famous statues recorded by ancient writers, such as the raving Menad, that his works were replete with life, movement and passion. 1914, Charles Waldstein, “The Subject-matter of Art”, in Greek Sculpture and Modern Art: Two Lectures Delivered to the Students of the Royal Academy of London, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: [Cambridge] University Press, →OCLC, page 53:
   • When Dionysus came to Thebes, Pentheus, king of Thebes, tried to arrest him and his wild maenads; but Pentheus went mad (capturing a bull whom he mistook for Dionysus), and the maenads escaped and tore him limb from limb. 1980, Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty, “Cows and Mares”, in Women, Androgynes, and Other Mythical Beasts, Chicago, Ill.; London: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 200:
   • I, a most enamoured maiden / Whose weak brain is overladen / With the pleasure of her love, / Maniac-like around thee move / Gazing, an insatiate bride, / On thy form from every side / Like a Mænad, round the cup / Which Agave lifted up / In the wierd^([sic – meaning weird]) Cadmæan forest. 1818–1819 (date written), Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Prometheus Unbound”, in Prometheus Unbound […], London: C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier […], published 1820, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, pages 146–147:
   • VVild yuie) for it is dedicated to Bacchus & therefore it is ſayd that the Mænades (that is Bacchus franticke prieſtes) vſed in theyr ſacrifice to carry Thyrſos, vvhich vvere pointed ſtaues or Iauelins, vvrapped about vvith yuie. 1579, E. K., “[October. Ægloga Decima.] Glosse.”, in Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 43, verso:
   • All about the walls hung pen and oil sketches of fantastic sea-monsters; dances of satyrs and menads; […] 1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Portrait”, in Romola. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC, book I, page 309:
2. (broadly, derogatory, literary) An excessively emotional or wild woman.
   • Blanche Stroeve was in the cruel grip of appetite. Perhaps she hated Strickland still, but she hungered for him, and everything that had made up her life till then became of no account. She ceased to be a woman, complex, kind and petulant, considerate and thoughtless; she was a Maenad. She was desire. 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter XXX, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC, page 162:

Forms

Coordinates

bacchant

Deriveds

maenadic · maenadism

Relateds

Dionysian · Bacchanalian · bacchanalia · Bacchanalia · Bacchus · dionysian · bacchanalian

Synonyms

bacchante · Bassarid · Baccha

Translations (43)

nl mainade (female follower of Dionysus) · fr ménade (excessively emotional or wild woman) · tr maenad (female follower of Dionysus) · ca mènada (female follower of Dionysus) · fi mainadi (female follower of Dionysus) · fy mainade (female follower of Dionysus) · pl menada (female follower of Dionysus) · ru мена́да (female follower of Dionysus) · sk menád (female follower of Dionysus) · ms maenad (female follower of Dionysus) · lt mainadė (female follower of Dionysus) · nl maenade (female follower of Dionysus) · es ménade (female follower of Dionysus) · vi nữ thần loạn trí (female follower of Dionysus) · id mainad (female follower of Dionysus) · cs mainad (female follower of Dionysus) · la Thyias (female follower of Dionysus) · br menadezed (female follower of Dionysus) · mk мена́да (female follower of Dionysus) · fr ménade (female follower of Dionysus) · eu menade (female follower of Dionysus) · sk mainad (female follower of Dionysus) · ro menade (female follower of Dionysus) · de Mänade (female follower of Dionysus) · fa مایناد (female follower of Dionysus) · sv menad (female follower of Dionysus) · da mænade (female follower of Dionysus) · cs bakchant (female follower of Dionysus) · it menade (female follower of Dionysus) · pl bachantka (excessively emotional or wild woman) · uk менада (female follower of Dionysus) · eo menado (female follower of Dionysus) · it evia (female follower of Dionysus) · sh menade (female follower of Dionysus) · cmn 邁那得斯 /迈那得斯 (female follower of Dionysus) · la maenade (female follower of Dionysus) · br mainadezed (female follower of Dionysus) · fi mainadi (excessively emotional or wild woman) · bg менада (female follower of Dionysus) · pt ménade (female follower of Dionysus) · lt menadė (female follower of Dionysus) · grc μαινάς (female follower of Dionysus) · et menaad (female follower of Dionysus)

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