Comedy Tragedy Masks

On Saturday - when I was looking through a bag of assorted knick-knacks that Jane picked up at the pawn shop back in May to use, recombined, in her own jewelry - I came across a charm in the form of the Comedy/Tragedy masks that are universally used to represent drama. That started me thinking - along the lines of my harmony cycle - of what an interesting symbol they are so I did a little research.

Between 600 and 200 BC, the ancient Athenians created Western theatre. The two masks are the symbols for theatre. They are the comedy and tragedy masks that were worn in ancient Greece during the golden age, around 500 - 300 BC. This golden age was the first time that plays were written and performed. Plays were written in honor of the god Dionysus, the god of fertility and procreation, and were either Comedies or Tragedies.

As well as theatre, the masks also represent the two sides of Dionysus, as well as the two effects of wine: joyous, Bacchic revelry, and a dark, sorrowful harvest.

"Bacchic revelry and a dark sorrowful harvest." I can relate to that.