Telete | |
---|---|
Goddess of festivity and rituals | |
Major cult center | Boeotia |
Abode | Earth |
Symbols | Thyrsus |
Personal information | |
Parents | Dionysus and Nicaea |
Siblings | Satyrus, several paternal half-siblings |
In Greek mythology, Telete ( /ˈtɛlɪtiː/; Ancient Greek: Τελετή, romanized: Teletḗ, lit. 'consecration') is the daughter of the wine-god Dionysus and Nicaea, a Naiad daughter of the river-god Sangarius and Cybele, a mother goddess.
Concerning Telete's birth, it is related that Nicaea was ashamed of having been made pregnant by Dionysus, and even attempted to hang herself; nevertheless, in due time a daughter was born to her. The Horae were said to have served as midwives at Telete's birth. [1] Telete was destined by Dionysus to become a follower of himself and his son Iacchus, her half-brother. [2]
Pausanias mentions a statue of Telete in the sanctuary of the Heliconian Muses in Boeotia. Her image was next to that of Orpheus. [3]
Telete was associated with nighttime festivities and ritual dances in honor of Dionysus, [4] and has been interpreted as a goddess of initiation into the Bacchic rites. [5]