Amethyst Origins - The Affections of Bacchus

Closeup amethyst geode. Photo by Jonny Low from Pexels. Amethyst geodes like the one shown above have grown beneath the earth for as many as 120 million years. However, the historic record of their interaction with mankind begins only 5,000 years ago.  

Ancient Regard

Regarded by the Ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, amethyst held as much value then as diamonds, emeralds, and pearls. It seems these cultures regarded the stone as protective and associated the gem specifically with prevention of intoxication. The Greeks went so far as to carve drinking goblets entirely out of amethyst. They believed that these gemstone vessels rendered the alcohol powerless to intoxicate. One wonders how they measured the success of these goblets once they all succumbed.  

Origins of Amethyst

Today we know that amethyst grows as violet-hued quartz crystals deep beneath the earth. Many of these develop as crystal druzy which forms within gas bubbles that take shape within the earth's magma. Ancient people groups, however, remained at the mercy of their storytellers to weave the origin stories of their favorite gemstones. The Ancient Greeks and Romans, in fact, wove masterful mythologies around the gods, including several stories involving gemstones. Sadly, amethyst seems to lack an ancient origin story. It does boast a Medieval genesis story written in the 1500s by the French poet Remy Belleau. He titled his poem L'Amethyste, ou les Amours de Bacchus et d'Amethyste" (Amethyst, or the Loves of Bacchus and Amethyste).  

Les Amours de Bacchus

Remy, drawing upon the rich mythology of ancient Rome, related the story of how amethyst first formed. Here is my version of his tale of Bacchus, the god the grape harvest, wine, and ritual ecstasy, and his misplaced affections for a virtuous maiden. The lovely Amethyste walked to the temple of Diana in Rome. She carried her torch and garlands past the dark alley in which Bacchus hid. Bacchus, having watched her pass many moons prior, felt a familiar lightning bolt of excitement emanating from his center. This overwhelmed him and held him in place, until it made his mind giddy with lust. Unable to control himself this time, he stepped out of the alley a stretch behind her to pursue her in his lustful drunken stupor. His amorous chants reached her virginal ears, so she quickened her step. He began to lope behind her, carrying on about her loveliness and how he must have her for his own. The young maiden, nearly to the stoop of Diana's temple, cried out in fear for her purity. Diana, awakened by the loud pleas of her worshiper, saw the wine god's arm outstretched, his fingers nearly grasping Amethyste's cloak. In a daring act of rescue, she spoke a word into the air. Immediately, Amethyste transformed into a statue of solid white crystal, pure as new snow. As Bacchus clutched his fingers closed, they gripped the solid white hood of her robe, cold comfort to the frenzied god. Snapped into sobriety by the icy veneer of white crystal, he realized his folly. Right there, Bacchus knelt down before the petrified maiden and wept. So saturated with drink was he that he wept tears of wine, which soaked into the ground beneath the feet of the statue. As if the possessed of the powers of a tree, the statue wicked up the tears of the repentant god. As Bacchus continued his wailing, the white crystal transformed to violet, and amethyst was born.