The cult of Demeter held the Eleusinian Mysteries, a secret ceremony, while the Thesmophoria was celebrated by women to encourage fertility. Orpheus is one of the best-known mythological musicians, while Hades and Persephone serve as rulers of the Greek afterlife. To ensure the safe return of Persephone and the turn of the seasons, the goddess and her mother were highly celebrated. The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus and the relationship between Hades and Persephone are commonly referenced in Greek mythology, as well as retold in other mediums. Thus the myth of Persephone acts as an explanation for the seasons, with her time in the underworld bringing a quiet period for Demeter and nature itself. In Ancient Greek and Roman texts it is clear that Hades kidnapped Persephone against her will, and forcibly made her his wife. Persephone though would not go willingly to the Underworld, and so instead. The Gods ultimately reached a compromise: as punishment for the six seeds, Persephone would remain in the underworld for six months of the year. Hades would set his eyes upon a daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess Persephone.
Greek mythology hades and persephone story series#
Eavan Boland’s famous poem, “The Pomegranate,” offers a modern reflection on the myth. Miscellaneous Myths: Hades and Persephone is the sixty-second episode of the Miscellaneous Myths series by Red. In many sanitized modern adaptations of the story of Hades and Persephone, Persephone is portrayed as going with Hades to the Underworld willingly. The pomegranate is highly symbolic across many cultures – you can find more information about this, as well as some art inspired by the pomegranate, here.
You can learn more about the symbolism of the pomegranate in this article. He brought her all kinds of delicious food. On one of the trips that Persephone took with her mother, Hades caught a glimpse of the beautiful girl as she was in a field picking flowers. But as time wore on, she was forced to sneak six seeds of the pomegranate. Hades locked Persephone in a beautifully decorated room in the Hall of Hades. Persephone knew that she would be doomed to the underworld forever if she ate even a morsel of the dead’s food. Farms grew fallow and crops failed, and the Ancient Greeks began to starve. But when the God of death and the underworld Hades stole Persephone away, Demeter refused to perform her duties. With her beloved daughter Persephone in tow, Demeter swept through fields ensuring healthy harvests and gleaming grain. The story of her being carried off by Hades Pluto, against her will, is not mentioned by Homer, who simply describes her as his wife and queen and her abduction is first mentioned by Hesiod.
You can find more details about classical farming practices here and here. There are countless versions of the myth of Persephone, with the Homeric Hymn to Demeter and Ovid’s Metamorphosis being two of the most well-known.Īs the goddess of agriculture and grain, Demeter tended to Ancient Greek farms and food.
0 kommentar(er)
