Also referred to as a "vegetative god", I use this terminology because it seems to be a more direct term, especially with reference to meaning and applicable metaphor.
Anyway, before we get onto sacrificial figures - Dionysios, Jesus, the Sacrificial King, here;s something from the Internet Book of Shadows:
The Sacred King
The Men and Women were hungry. They would eat of those that walk in Fur, Fin and Feather, and thank them for their sacrifice, but that was not enough. They would eat of the wild fruits of the Earth, but that was not enough, for all of these must be found, and hunted, and a home cannot be built on this.
And the Sacred King saw, and thought upon it for a time, and His face
grew grave and sad. And He spoke to the Lady, and said, "I must die."
And the Lady grieved for Her Lord, and He fell upon His Sword, and
died. The Mother buried Him in the Earth, returning Him to Her Womb, and mourned, and Winter wrapped the World in ice and snow.
She covered the face of the Sky with dark clouds, and Her Tears of
rain poured therefrom in cascades and torrents.
And the Tears of the Mother wetted the ground, and the Sun warmed the ground, and a green shoot appeared, poking its head out from the Womb of the Mother, and grew as the days grew, longer and taller, until the golden hair of the Sacred King once more waved proudly in the wind; until the Grain of the Fields stood, row upon row, as far as the eye could see; until the Bounty of the Mother, the Sacred King Himself, stood upon the World, ready to be harvested.
"That was well done," said the Mother, "But it pains me to see you
die."
"It is as it must be," He said, "And does it not show them that Death
is an illusion; is but another change in a MultiVerse of Change? It feeds
them, too, and this is a good thing."
"You are right," She sighed, "But I just wish it could have been done
in a kinder way."
"Maybe," He spoke, lowly, "But it is as it is nonetheless."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
Anyway, before we get onto sacrificial figures - Dionysios, Jesus, the Sacrificial King, here;s something from the Internet Book of Shadows:
The Sacred King
The Men and Women were hungry. They would eat of those that walk in Fur, Fin and Feather, and thank them for their sacrifice, but that was not enough. They would eat of the wild fruits of the Earth, but that was not enough, for all of these must be found, and hunted, and a home cannot be built on this.
And the Sacred King saw, and thought upon it for a time, and His face
grew grave and sad. And He spoke to the Lady, and said, "I must die."
And the Lady grieved for Her Lord, and He fell upon His Sword, and
died. The Mother buried Him in the Earth, returning Him to Her Womb, and mourned, and Winter wrapped the World in ice and snow.
She covered the face of the Sky with dark clouds, and Her Tears of
rain poured therefrom in cascades and torrents.
And the Tears of the Mother wetted the ground, and the Sun warmed the ground, and a green shoot appeared, poking its head out from the Womb of the Mother, and grew as the days grew, longer and taller, until the golden hair of the Sacred King once more waved proudly in the wind; until the Grain of the Fields stood, row upon row, as far as the eye could see; until the Bounty of the Mother, the Sacred King Himself, stood upon the World, ready to be harvested.
"That was well done," said the Mother, "But it pains me to see you
die."
"It is as it must be," He said, "And does it not show them that Death
is an illusion; is but another change in a MultiVerse of Change? It feeds
them, too, and this is a good thing."
"You are right," She sighed, "But I just wish it could have been done
in a kinder way."
"Maybe," He spoke, lowly, "But it is as it is nonetheless."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!