I always thought they stole the idea from the Greeks.
http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods...nysus.html
Seems familiar, doesn't it?
http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods...nysus.html
Quote:Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and he was the only god with a mortal parent. Zeus went to Semele in the night, unseen by human eyes, but could be felt as a divine presence.
Seems familiar, doesn't it?