Icarius

In Greek mythology, an Athenian taught by Dionysus to make wine. He gave some to a group of shepherds, several of whom became drunk. Their companions, believing that Icarius had poisoned them, killed and buried him.

His daughter Erigone, helped by his dog Maera, found the grave after a long search and hanged herself from a nearby tree.

The story was invented probably to explain the curious rite of hanging small objects from trees at a religious festival.