The myth of Persephone, Hades, and Demeter show the strong connection between mother and daughters, but it is also an explanation, from Greek mythology, for season changes.
Who is Persephone?
Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, goddess of grain and agriculture, and Zeus, Lord of Gods. She is known as the goddess of spring but also grains, like her mother.
The abduction of Persephone.
Hades(Lord of the Underworld) fell in love with the girl and wanted Persephone to be his wife so he went to Zeus for approval. Zeus permitted him but they both knew that Demeter, who was very protective over her daughter, wouldn’t let Hades marry Persephone so they came with a plan to abduct her. While Demeter was gone, busy with her duties on Earth, Persephone saw a beautiful narcissus flower and, as she picked it up from the meadow, the ground opened in front of her and Hades kidnapped and took her to the world of the dead.
For nine days, Demeter searched the Earth for her daughter asking everyone, God or mortal if they had heard anything about Persephone. On the 10th day, Demeter met Hecate, goddess of magic, who confirmed that she also heard about Persephone’s abduction but did not see who took the girl. Together, the goddesses went to Helios, the God of the son who sees all things that happen on Earth. He told Demeter that Hades took Persephone and that she should accept it.
Demeter’s Temple in Eleusis
Not listening to Helios' advice, Demeter, overwhelmed with grief for the loss of her daughter and angry with Zeus, changed form and entered the mortal world. Disguised as an old woman, Demeter came to Eleusis, near Athens. Resting near a well, she encountered the four daughters of King Celeus. The girls asked her who she was and Demeter invented a story, calling herself Doso. She said that she came from Crete, was captured by pirates, but she eventually escaped and now is looking for a job as a nurse, housekeeper, or servant. Cllidice, one of the king’s daughters, told Demeter(disguised as Doso) that her mother had just given birth to her only son and needed help. Demeter became the nurse of Queen Metaneira’s little boy and she planned to make him immortal. She fed him with ambrosia, food of the Gods, and put him in the fire to burn his mortal soul. One night, Metaneira saw the nurse’s ritual and screamed, interrupting her. Then, Demeter accused her of destroying the kid’s chances to immortal life and showed her true form. She demanded a temple be erected in her honor.
For the next year, Demeter sits in her temple, not caring about her duties on Earth. That year, no crops grew and humans started to starve and, as a result, Gods were in danger of losing mortals’ worship. That caught Zeus’ attention and he sent Iris, the goddess of messages and rainbows, to tell Demeter to cease her withdrawal from the world. Demeter did not respond. Then, Zeus sent God after God with gifts for her but she said that she will not return to Olympus or allow crops to grow until she is reunited with her daughter. Zeus gave in and sent Hermes to the Underworld to get Persephone back.
The return of Persephone
This is where the legend variates. Some say that Hades obligated Persephone to eat pomegranate seeds from the Underworld, others say that Persephone fell in love with Hades, too, and did not want to leave him so she willingly ate the pomegranate seeds. The main idea is that she ate 6 pomegranate seeds from the Underworld, the only food she ate there and she became bonded to Hades’ world. Zeus decided to make a compromise and let Persephone on earth for half the year and the next six months she had to come to the world of the dead again.
That’s how Persephone became the Queen of the Underworld, next to Hades, as his wife.
Because Demeter stays in her temple while Persephone is next to Hades and refuses to grow crops in that half of the year, the legend is a symbol of the change of the seasons.
Writer: Ana Maria Ilie, Theoretical Highschool Nicolae Iorga, Bucharest
Editor: Melissa Parv
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