Amethyst and Bacchus: The Original Story by Rémy Belleau
The name amethyst is often claimed, incorrectly, to come from an ancient Greek myth about Bacchus, the god of wine, and a maiden called Amethyste. The story actually comes from a poem by the French poet Rémy Belleau, published in 1576. This article retells the main story in modern English from the original text, with longer passages irrelevant to the story itself omitted.
Where the Myth Comes From
Countless articles discussing the name 'Amethyst' refer to a myth from Greek mythology. The 'myth' has been copied and reproduced so often that there are now many different versions in circulation.
Ancient Greek literature does connect amethyst with Dionysus, but not through a maiden turning to stone. In Book 12 of the Dionysiaca, the Titan Rhea gives Dionysus an amethyst to preserve the wine-drinker's sanity.
The Dionysiaca is an epic poem in Greek by Nonnus of Panopolis, written in the fifth century AD. Another ancient reference appears in Book 9, epigram 748 of the Greek Anthology. Attributed to Plato the Younger, it describes Dionysus carved on an amethyst and plays on the stone's supposed power to prevent drunkenness. Neither source tells the story of a woman named Amethyste turning to stone.
The story of Amethyste turning to stone comes from a poem published by the French poet Rémy Belleau in 1576. The poem is called L'Amethyste, ou les Amours de Bacchus et d'Amethyste, meaning "Amethyst, or the Loves of Bacchus and Amethyste". It appeared in his collection Les Amours et nouveaux eschanges des pierres précieuses, meaning "The Loves and New Transformations of Precious Stones".
The word "poem" suggests it was a few short verses, but it's a substantial story told in rhyming verse. In the original 1576 edition used for this article, it covers eleven pages. It was republished in Belleau's collected works in 1878, just over 300 years later.
When reproduced, often on websites that sell amethyst, most versions follow the same basic outline, although the names, motives and events vary from one retelling to another.
Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, becomes angry when a beautiful maiden named Amethystos rejects his advances. Determined to remain chaste, she asks the goddess Diana for protection and is transformed into a white stone. Overcome by sadness or remorse, Dionysus pours red wine over her, turning the stone purple.
Some versions use Dionysus, while others use Bacchus. Bacchus is a name used by the Romans for Dionysus, so both refer to the same god of wine.
Amethystos is a transliteration of the Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος, meaning "not intoxicated". It was the Greek name for the stone, which was believed to protect against drunkenness. It was never a woman's name in Greek mythology. Most modern retellings use it as the young woman's name.
Some versions describe the tigers attacking Amethystos as Diana intervenes, identify the stone as quartz or claim Dionysus or Bacchus cried tears of red wine.
It's usually presented as an ancient Greek myth explaining the origin of amethyst and its name. Even when the story is attributed to Rémy Belleau, the details often bear little resemblance to what he actually wrote.
A Poet Looking for His Own Path
Before introducing Amethyste, Belleau addresses his Muse. He asks for inspiration to write something new and original, rather than follow the same familiar stories as other poets.
His Muse: In classical mythology, the Muses inspired poetry, music and the arts. Belleau addresses his Muse as the source of his poetic inspiration.
He writes that he wants to "pluck the string not yet touched", which is our translation of his line "Je veux pinser la corde encore non touchée".
Belleau uses the image of playing an untouched musical string to express his wish to create something unique and original.
Bacchus Falls in Love
After Jupiter defeats the Titans, the gods agree to visit Earth and offer her gifts to console her for the loss of her children.
Jupiter: The king of the gods in Roman mythology and the god of the sky and thunder. His Greek counterpart is Zeus.
The Titans and Earth: The Titans were an older generation of gods overthrown by Zeus and the Olympian gods. Earth is presented here as a living mother mourning her defeated children.
The gods bring people together in cities and teach them the skills of civilisation. Jupiter teaches building, Mercury trade, Pallas clothing and navigation, Mars warfare, Apollo singing, and Ceres agriculture. Bacchus brings wine.
Each god gives humanity skills associated with their powers. Pallas is another name for Athena, the Greek goddess associated with wisdom and crafts.
Belleau describes Bacchus as eternally young and free from the ageing and death that await human beings. He then introduces the god's love for Amethyste.
Bacchus has been victorious over the peoples of India. He falls in love with the beautiful Amethyste, whom Belleau describes as his slave.
The conquest of India: This refers to the mythological story of Bacchus's conquest.
Amethyste: The young maiden at the centre of Belleau's story. Later in the poem, she is on her way to worship the goddess Diana and appeals to her for protection.
Now Bacchus, the god who conquered India, is himself conquered by the god of love. Belleau describes the god of love shooting a burning arrow from the eyes of the dark-haired Amethyste into Bacchus's heart.
The god of love: Known as Cupid in Roman mythology, he causes people and gods to fall in love with his arrows. Belleau's image of an arrow travelling from Amethyste's eyes into Bacchus's heart describes Bacchus falling in love at the sight of her.
Belleau calls Cupid "this little god" and later "the child Love". He describes his delicate hand firing the burning arrow into Bacchus's heart.
Belleau does not describe his wings or appearance in detail, but depicting him as a winged child follows the artistic tradition familiar in Belleau's time.
The Procession and Bacchus's Anger
On the day Bacchus falls in love, his female followers are moving through the woods in a frenzy. Their faces are masked and writhing with serpents. They shout, leap and stamp the ground to the sound of drums and horns, carrying ivy-wrapped javelins. Dust obscures the light, and their cries drive birds from the sky.
Bacchus's followers: Belleau calls these women Maenads and Thyads, among other names. They are followers of Bacchus, represented as being possessed by his power during their frenzied celebrations.
Belleau describes what they carry. One has the remains of a goat hanging from an ivy-covered spear. Others carry parts of sacrificed animals, including a pig's head, the small pointed antlers of a spotted fawn and a wild boar's head. Another carries a vessel of wine alongside a basket of figs and flowers.
As Bacchus searches the divine secrets hidden at the bottom of his baskets, he discovers that fate will not allow him to possess Amethyste.
Diana supports and protects her, and the stars also stand against him. Furious, Bacchus orders his followers to harness his chariot. He declares that heaven's cruel decree will not prevent his rage because neither force nor fear can do anything against a god.
In Belleau's story, even the god Bacchus cannot have whatever he desires. Belleau does not explain what the secrets in his baskets are or how they reveal that fate opposes him.
Diana: The Roman goddess associated with hunting and chastity, whose Greek counterpart is Artemis. Amethyste worships her and is under her protection.
The Chariot and the Beasts
The attendants prepare spotted wild cats and tigers for the journey. The tigers are harnessed in pairs. They growl and roll their eyes as the women arrange their coverings of gold cloth decorated with pearls.
The chariot has golden wheels and a golden frame, with Indian ivory at its front and rear. Ivy and green vine leaves cover its upper part, with purple grapes hanging among the foliage.
Bacchus climbs aboard. The tigers race ahead, throwing up dust beneath their claws and foaming around the golden bits in their mouths. His followers run alongside, shouting.
He urges the beasts to share what he calls his just anger and threatens the people of India who have defied him. Then he orders them to devour the first person who comes along the road.
The first person the procession encounters is Amethyste. She is on her way to honour the gods and make a sacrifice to Diana.
Amethyste Turns to Stone
Faced with the beasts, Amethyste calls upon Diana. She asks the goddess to have pity on her chaste love and quickly save a soul entirely devoted to her.
Amethyste's appeal: She calls upon Diana as a worshipper, asking for the goddess's protection. The "chaste love" is her devotion to Diana, not a romantic attachment, and Belleau has her address Diana as chaste in the same breath. She is reminding a chaste goddess that a chaste soul that's entirely hers is in danger.
"Chaste" refers to sexual purity.
She has barely finished speaking when a dreadful stiffness overtakes her. Her blood, lungs and heart congeal, and cold sweat covers her face. Three times she tries to walk, but her feet will not move. Three times she tries to turn her neck, but it has become as hard as rock.
Even the tears falling onto the Indian ground turn to stone.
Bacchus trembles and shudders with fear at the transformation, even though he is a god. The tigers, unable to seize their prey, claw and bite the earth around the stone. His followers dance and shout around Amethyste's petrified body and crown it.
Petrified: Here, the word means physically turned to stone. Belleau describes Amethyste's body becoming stone immediately after her appeal to Diana.
Bacchus Gives the Stone Its Powers
Bacchus complains that heaven has opposed his wishes. He names Cupid and his mother Venus, Diana, and fate among those who have denied him happiness. He says heaven will not allow him to taste Amethyste's kisses except through her death. Before his eyes, the woman whose beauty could captivate both people and gods has turned to stone.
He declares that the stone will retain his divine anger and bear his colours. It will protect its wearer from becoming drunk on his wine by drawing away the vapours that disturb the brain.
The stone's powers: These are the powers Bacchus gives amethyst within the poem. The reference to vapours reflects an old explanation of intoxication, rather than a modern account of how alcohol affects the body.
Bacchus also declares that whoever carries the stone against their chest or fastened over their navel will become agreeable, gracious, sober, honest, courteous, quick-thinking and perceptive. He says that the stone will be found on the Indian ground where Amethyste lost her life and voice.
How Amethyst Becomes Purple
As he speaks, Bacchus pulls purple grapes from the leafy crown on his head. He crushes them in his hand, and their reddish juice flows over Amethyste, whom Belleau describes as still pale with fear.
The juice colours her face with the violet-purple colour of wine. Belleau describes this colour as an everlasting reminder of the god who crushed the grapes and gave the stone its appearance.
The grapes: Belleau explicitly describes Bacchus crushing grapes taken from his crown. This is the source of the purple colour in the poem, rather than wine poured from a cup.
Amethyste: Belleau describes her as pale with fear even though she has already turned to stone.
The Poem Ends in Mourning
Belleau ends by describing Bacchus performing a sorrowful funeral rite over Amethyste's body, calling her his "chaste mistress". His sobs, tears and sorrowful song resound along the banks of the Ganges, through the deep valleys and across the surrounding hills.
The Ganges: The river named at the end of the poem places the closing scene in India, where Belleau has set Amethyste's story.
How Belleau's Story Has Been Changed
Even when modern versions correctly identify Rémy Belleau as the author, they rarely reproduce the story he wrote. Details have been added, removed and altered until the familiar version bears only a passing resemblance to his poem.
The name amethyst existed for centuries before Belleau wrote his poem. His story offered a poetic explanation for the stone's colour and its ancient association with sobriety. It's not the origin of the name.
The Original Source
This account follows L'Amethyste, ou les Amours de Bacchus et d'Amethyste in Rémy Belleau's Les Amours et nouveaux eschanges des pierres précieuses, printed in Paris by Mamert Patisson in 1576.
The original edition can be viewed through the Bibliothèque nationale de France's Gallica collection. In the downloaded PDF, the poem can be found on pages 16–26.
