Le corps morcelé de Dionysos
Abstract
Sparagmos and omophagia are considered imitations, even repetitions, of the killing of the Infant Dionysus. This article aims to show that the distinction between whole and part is an operator for the dismemberment of the Infant Dionysus and for its aftermath, distinct depending on the source. The opposing myths exceed the application of an opposition—even a complementary one—between unity and multiplicity, as shown by the parallel drawn between the dismembered body of Dionysus and that of Osiris. They bring into play pars pro toto and its correlate, the fact that there is a missing part, be it lost or saved. The dismemberment of the infant, the dispersal of his body, the exception of one of its parts, are elements of a system that would seem to be aimed at celebrating his perpetual rebirth.
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