Omophagia

Omophagia is a large element of Dionysiac myth; in fact, one of Dionysus' epithets is Omophagos "Raw-Eater".

[2][3] It might also have been symbolic that the worshippers were internalizing Dionysus' wilder traits and his association with brute nature, in a sort of "communion" with the god.

[1] In his article "A New Ritual of the Orphic Mysteries", Michael Tierney says that "... by sacramental re-enactment of the god's death, a hope of salvation for his worshippers was obtained.

[13] Euripides' play The Bacchae focuses on the worship of Dionysus, including allusions to omophagia and its companion sparagmos (dismemberment).

Because Euripides depicts Agave as engaging in sparagmos, he likely intended for the audiences to assume she engaged in omophagia as well: additionally, the character Cadmus compares Agave's actions to the story of Actaeon, who was consumed by his own hunting dogs—this association further suggests that omophagia took place.