When Dionysus went into the Underworld his priestesses worshiped him in the form of a mask with garments on two crossed sticks. Above -Ariadne crowns Dionysus. She gives him power.

Ariadne is a continuation of the most ancient of Goddesses. Worshiped in caves, she commanded the depth of the unconscious--the Underworld--and the manifestation of creation on earth.

The labyrinth is both her temple (a cave stretched out) and the pattern of dances that were performed in her ceremonies.

In historical times her consort was the God Dionysus who spent part of the year in the Underworld with her. In the oldest caves, the shamans were her priests.

Once the Indo-European Gods had replaced the older Gods and Goddesses, her stories transformed into that of a dependant female who was rescued by Dionysus rather than stories about the creative power she supplied to him..

Dionysus, the God of wine and the theater, beloved of Ariadne, was brought into his theater to enjoy the stories that he inspired.