DIONYSUS – LIBER
http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar041080&st=Bacchus (subscription required), Bacchus:
The Romans began to worship Bacchus after they came into contact with Greek culture in the 700's B.C. They also worshiped a wine god called Liber or Liber Pater. But in time, the myths about Liber became almost identical with those about Bacchus.
The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara G. Walker, 1983, p. 88:
Mythologies of the World: A Concise Encyclopedia, Shapiro & Hendricks, 1979, p. 30:
By the way, “Liber” relates to today’s “liberal” which has an obsolete meaning of licentious.
P. 54:
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/mythologein/images/71719pursuit.jpg (University of Texas at Austin) (via http://www.utexas.edu/courses/mythologein/lectures/lecture8.html), Lecture 8: Dionysus, "I. Dionysus / Bacchus = Liber | E. Cult | Sexual Freedom (Bacchae p. 286)”:
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/mythologein/images/71721sex.jpg (University of Texas at Austin) (via http://www.utexas.edu/courses/mythologein/lectures/lecture8.html), Lecture 8: Dionysus, "I. Dionysus / Bacchus = Liber | E. Cult | orgies (Bacchae p. 286)”:
Encyclopaedia Americana, Vol. VII, 1831, pp. 532-533, “Liber”:
http://www.answers.com/libertine, “libertine”:
Marked by an absence of conventional restraint in sexual behavior; sexually unrestrained
Encyclopaedia Americana, Vol. VII, 1831, pp. 535-535:
Library of the World’s Myths and Legends: The Illustrated Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology, 1986, p. 47:
Greek & Roman Mythology, Translated by Elizabeth Burr, 1994, p. 44:
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, 1964, p. 698:
You mean someone who is not a slave of some kind?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalia, “Liberalia”:
The celebration on March 17th was meant to honor Liber Pater, an ancient god of fertility and wine (like Bacchus, the Roman version of the Greek god, Dionysus). Liber Pater is also a vegetation god, responsible for protecting seed. Liber, again like Dionysius, had female priests although Liber's priests were older women. Wearing wreaths of ivy, the priestesses made special cakes, or libia, of oil and honey which passing devotees would have them sacrifice on their behalf. Over time this feast evolved and included the goddess Libera, Liber Pater's consort, and the feast divided so that Liber governed the male seed and Libera the female. This ancient Italian ceremony was a "country" or rustic ceremony. The processional featured a large phallus which the devotees carried throughout the countryside to bring the blessing of fertility to the land and the people. The procession and the phallus were meant also to protect the crops from evil. At the end of the procession, a virtuous and respected matron placed a wreath upon the phallus.
This ancient feast is also sacred to the Nazorean Essenes. According to the Essenes, the Liberalia is held on March 27 and honors the vegetation god, Liber. Liber watches over the maturation of boys to adulthood, usually at age 17 (according to the Essenes), symbollically at the feast, the boys discard the purple-bordered togas for plain adult togas.
The Essenes were a Jewish sect about and before the time of Christ, who shunned marriage. A phallus is a penis.
http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/statue_of_liberty.html, The Statue of Liberty and Freemasonry:
LIBER --- The Hellenistic goddess of wine (Bacchus/Dionysios). Attributes: wine cup, thyrsos (a staff ornamented with grape leaves), crown of ivy leaves, panther.