Maenads/Definition

From Greek mythology, they were female followers of the Greek god Dionysos; they have power to cause wine or milk to rise from the ground. They were handlers of snakes and could tear animals apart with their bare hands, according to Greek mythology. Source: Elizabeth Vandiver, Classics scholar, authority on Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, including the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Homer, and Virgil. This definition is based on her course Classical Mythology for The Teaching Company.