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About the Myth

The myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades is one of the most famous of Greek mythology. It exlpains the origin of the seasons; the death of the plants in the winter, and their rebirth in the spring. Hades plays the villain, Persephone is the victim, Demeter the heroine, and Zeus is something of a narrator becuase he oversaw all of the events related to the rape of Persephone. It is best told in the Homeric Hymns from 700 BCE.

The Party

Hades was feeling lonely in the underworld and decided that he needed a wife. No goddess wanted to marry him, so he resolved to take a girl by force. He fancied Core, and talked to her father Hades's brother Zeus. Zeus thought that union was a splendid idea, but he knew that Core's mother their sister Demeter, would never agree to it. Oh well. Core, the young goddess of spring and plenty, was having a party with her friends, the Oceanids. They were picking flowers on the island of Sicily. Demeter and Core were the best of friends and were inseparable. Gaia, Mother Earth, had been in on the scheme of making Core the queen of the underworld and decided to help. She planted a special flower near the lake that she knew Core would be attracted to and make her wander away from the group. Core spotted a beautiful flower, a narcissus to be exact, by the nearby lake. She went to pick it up but there was a rumbling.

The Abduction

The earth split open and Hades, the black-haired gloomy god of the underworld (and Core's uncle), emerged. Riding his fiery chariot drawn by coal-black horses, he grabbed slim-ankled Core by the wrist and put her into the back of his chariot. Core screamed for her mother and friends but she was not heard. Cyane, a Naiad (water-nymph) who lived in the lake, arose from the waters. She tried to grab Core and tried to tell Hades to halt but she was ignored. She cried so much that her blood turned to water, she dissolved and was absorbed into the lake, hence the lake's name, Cyane. Hades struck the ground with his two-pronged fork and the Earth split open, creating a passage to the underworld.

Helios Tells All

Demeter soon realized her daughter was missing. She was so sad and travelled to the island of Sicily to ask if anyone had seen her daughter. She asked mortals and gods. She came to the lake and Cyane, now part of the lake, gathered Cores girdle and put it on the surface. She asked Hecate, the goddess of crossroads, magic, witchcraft, the moon and the underworld. Hecate had heard Core cry but she hadnt seen who had been the kidnapper. Together they went to ask Helios, the sun god, who saw all. Helios told them that the abductor had been Hades, the dark underworld god, and Demeter's own brother! He also told them Zeus had been in on the treachery.

Demeter is Raped by Her Brother

Demeter was furious but instead of confronting Zeus, she wandered around the Earth, crying, for nine days. Not only did Demeter suffer, but as the goddess of agriculture, Earth did as well. Nothing grew and the Earth endured a cold winter. She met her brother Poseidon but she wished to be alone. She ran to the herd of Oncus and transformed herself into a horse. Poseidon found her and also took the form of a horse. That night Demeter, unwillingly, slept as a horse with her brother Poseidon and the horse, Arion, and Desponia, the goddess of horses, were borne to Demeter some time later. After being sexually violated by Poseidon, for the rest of her journey, Demeter only wore black.

"Doso"

On the tenth day she came to the city of Eleusis, looking like an old woman, she sat down and wept. Four girls found Demeter. They comforted Demeter and asked her what was wrong. Demeter told them pirates had captured her from her home on Crete and she had just escaped. She also said her name was Doso. The four girls, who happened to be princesses, took Demeter to their home. King Celeus and Queen Metaneira of Eleusis welcomed Demeter into their palace. Queen Metaneira got up from her seat and told Demeter to sit down. Covered by a veil, Demeter did not move. The handmaiden Iambe set a stool beside her and put a silver-white sheepskin over top of it. Demeter sat down and was there for many days, mourning for her daughter Persephone.

Deification

Iambe told Demeter jokes and learned how to make the goddess laugh during her stay at Eleusis. Despite the fact that they believed she was a madwoman they gave her food and a temporary home. To repay them for their kindness Demeter nursed the baby Prince Demophon. Demeter decided she would make Demophon immortal. Every night she bathed him in fire, burning away his mortality. Demophon was starting to act like a young god, and Demeter fed him ambrosia, the food of the gods.

Down There

Meanwhile, in the underworld, after being taken away from her mother, abducted and raped by Hades, and deprived of sunlight, Core was miserable. Core had befriended Hecate, who lived in the underworld, who had earlier helped Demeter. Hades decided Core (which translates to the maiden) was a childs name and not fit for the queen of the underworld, where the dead lived. He thought Persephone (which means bringer of destruction) was a much more suitable name, and that is what we shall call Core for the rest of the page. Persephone was also very hungry. She spotted a pomegranate tree

The Goddess Revealed

Demeter gave the familys elder son, Triptolemus, a cornseed and a chariot drawn by winged dragons. She taught the boy how to harvest the corn so that the race of humans would learn the art of agriculture. On the chariot Triptolemus would later fly with the dragons and sow the Earth. One night Queen Metaneira saw Demeter bathing the infant in fire and was horrified. Demeter, angry that she was interrupted when she was trying to help their baby, threw Demophon on the floor and revealed herself. Metaneira was in awe and was sorry she had offended the goddess. Demeter demanded that they construct a temple in her honour to win her back. Very soon all of Eleusis knew that Demeter was in town and they got to work. The town had completed the temple, and Demeter agreed to stay.

The Pomegranate Seeds

Hades had learned Hermes was coming and had the gardener of the underworld, Ascalaphus, fetch him a pomegranate. Hades forced Persephone to take four pomegranate seeds and persuaded her to put them in her mouth. Hermes soon arrived and Hades threw Persephone to Hermes. Ascalaphus cried that he had witnessed Persephone eating the food of the dead and Hades told him to stay with Hermes. Hades knew that anyone who had tasted the food of the dead would not be able to leave the underworld forever. Demeter soon met her Persephone again and Persephone told Demeter her whole story. When Demeter learned that she had eaten while with Hades she stuffed Ascalaphus down a hole with a rock on top of him. She started mourning again.

The Origin of the Seasons

Zeus sent Rhea, the mother of Demeter, Zeus and Hades to tell Demeter the fate of Persephone. Rhea told Demeter that for each seed Persephone ate she would have to spend one month with Hades among the dead in the underworld. For the other two-thirds of the year Persephone lived among the gods with Demeter. When Persephone was in the underworld, it was cold and plants did not grow. This was winter. When Persephone lived with Demeter, flowers bloomed and the Earth was abundant. This was spring and summer. (In Greek mythology there were only three seasons, autumn did not exist.)

Underworld Bride

After Heracles rescued Ascalaphus from the hole during his trip to the underworld, Demeter turned Ascalaphus into a shorteared owl. Little is known about the later history of Persephone on earth. From then on in mythology, Persephone only appeared as goddess of the underworld. Persephone had no children by Hades. Persephone had, however previously had a child with Zeus (her father) after he had disguised himself as a snake and coiled around her but that is another story!

Helen Roberts' Masterpiece