There are various stories and legends that tell of the discovery of wine. One gives the honor of the inventor of wine to King Jamshīd, the Sumerian founder of Persepolis. Jamshīd was very fond of grapes and in order that he would be able to enjoy them out of season, he arranged to have his favorite fruit bottled and stored. However a clumsy servant dropped one of the jars and the delicious grapes were crushed. In the summer heat they quickly fermented and Jamshīd curiously tried some, but thinking the taste to be strange he poured the remainder into a separate container, and marked it as poison. Somehow it was neglected to be thrown away.
Months later one of his servants came across the poison-marked jar and feeling depressed she decided to commit suicide by drinking some of it. She became inebriated enough to fall asleep and on awakening she drunk some more. She began to feel less depressed and was enjoying the effect it was having on her so she finished off the container. When she awoke the next morning she confessed to her master, who decided to experiment with this new beverage and as word spread, wine drinking developed throughout Mesopotamia. King Jamshīd recognized the two-sided, contradictory nature of wine and he referred to it as "the delightful poison."
Another story tells of God creating the first grapes, assisted by three members of the animal kingdom, the lion, the monkey and the pig-who each in turn scattered some of their own spirit on the fledgling grapevine. That is why anyone who drinks moderately a little grows strong like a lion. He who indulges in several drinks starts resembling strongly a monkey. Finally he who does not know when to stop eventually lies under the table like a pig.
Months later one of his servants came across the poison-marked jar and feeling depressed she decided to commit suicide by drinking some of it. She became inebriated enough to fall asleep and on awakening she drunk some more. She began to feel less depressed and was enjoying the effect it was having on her so she finished off the container. When she awoke the next morning she confessed to her master, who decided to experiment with this new beverage and as word spread, wine drinking developed throughout Mesopotamia. King Jamshīd recognized the two-sided, contradictory nature of wine and he referred to it as "the delightful poison."
Another story tells of God creating the first grapes, assisted by three members of the animal kingdom, the lion, the monkey and the pig-who each in turn scattered some of their own spirit on the fledgling grapevine. That is why anyone who drinks moderately a little grows strong like a lion. He who indulges in several drinks starts resembling strongly a monkey. Finally he who does not know when to stop eventually lies under the table like a pig.
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