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what could you possibly want to know about persephone?
❝ I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess, of her and of her daughter lovely Persephone. ❞
Born of Zeus and Demeter, Persephone is hailed as the goddess of spring growth alongside her mother. Cults regard her as Kore, The Maiden, and the personification of vegetation; mortals hailed her and her mother as the givers of seed and harvest; flowers and fruit, green grass, sunlight, tall trees, fresh fruit, warm breezes...
According to legend, Hades loved Persephone. Zeus advised he take her, as her mother is unlikely to allow her to go down to the Underworld with him. And Hades took his advice, carting her off one day whilst she gathered flowers in a meadow. The Rape Of Persephone raped the land as Demeter divested her godly duties to search and mourn her daughter; plants rotted or did not grow and the agricultural society crumbled. So damaging was her neglect, that the mortals raised their voices and cried for Zeus to interveen.
Zeus entreated Hades to return Persephone, and Hades had no choice but to aquiesce to his request. Before she returned, however, he tricked her into eating six kernels from a pomegranate, which tethered her to the Underworld for six months out of the year. These six months would later become recognized as fall and winter, the barren, dry months of Greece; the cold months. She became associated with the shoots of green grass that shot from the earth, as she so readily sprang from Hades every year, but withdraws to the earth again after every harvest.
And as Hades is the king of the Underworld, so she becomes his queen.
A miserable queen. Above ground, she is happiest; flourishing with the Nature she was born with and grew up surrounded by. Childish wonders - such as picking flowers, climbing trees for apples fresh from the branch, feeling the grass between her toes - cause her delight and happy smiles. It is when she is surrounded by death that she becomes sad; miserable to the point of being formidable, venerable, and majestic. Bitter is another term, for she exercises her power and assists in cursing the souls of men.
The personification of vegetation, the daughter of the harvest-goddess Demeter, Pesephone was once the brightest of flowers and the sweetest of fruits, until the earth split open and Hades sprang forth to drag her to the underworld. There she ate six pomegranate seeds, which served to tether her to the underworld for six months out of the year - even after she was rescued. Like every flower and fruit in the underworld, rot festered until she was something darkly obsequious whilst underground and subservient to nature whilst above.
( theogony - wiki - theoi )
Born of Zeus and Demeter, Persephone is hailed as the goddess of spring growth alongside her mother. Cults regard her as Kore, The Maiden, and the personification of vegetation; mortals hailed her and her mother as the givers of seed and harvest; flowers and fruit, green grass, sunlight, tall trees, fresh fruit, warm breezes...
❝ Hymn to Phersephone. Daughter of Zeus, Persephone divine, come, blessed queen, and to these rites incline: only-befotten, Hades honoured wife, O venerable Goddess, source of life: ‘tis thine in earth’s profundities to dwell, fast by the wide and dismal gates of hell. Zeus’ holy offspring, of a beauteous mien, Praxidike, subterranean queen. The Erinyes’ source, fair-haired, whose frame proceeds from Zeus’ ineffable and secret seeds. Mother of Eubouleos, sonorous, divine, and many-formed, the parent of the vine. Associate of the Horai, essence bright, all-ruling virgin, bearing heavenly light. With fruits abounding, of a bounteous mind, horned, and alone desired by those of mortal kind. O vernal queen, whom grassy plains delight, sweet to the smell, and pleasing to the sight: whose holy form in budding fruits we view, earth’s vigorous offspring of a various hue: espoused in autumn, life and death alone to wretched mortals from thy power is known: for thine the task , according to thy will, life to produce, and all that lives to kill. Hear, blessed Goddess, send a rich increase of various fruits from earth, with lovely peace: send health with gentle hand, and crown my life with blest abundance, free from noisy strife; last in extreme old age the prey of death, dismiss me willing to the realms beneath, to thy fair palace and the blissful plains where happy spirits dwell, and Hades reigns. ❞
According to legend, Hades loved Persephone. Zeus advised he take her, as her mother is unlikely to allow her to go down to the Underworld with him. And Hades took his advice, carting her off one day whilst she gathered flowers in a meadow. The Rape Of Persephone raped the land as Demeter divested her godly duties to search and mourn her daughter; plants rotted or did not grow and the agricultural society crumbled. So damaging was her neglect, that the mortals raised their voices and cried for Zeus to interveen.
Zeus entreated Hades to return Persephone, and Hades had no choice but to aquiesce to his request. Before she returned, however, he tricked her into eating six kernels from a pomegranate, which tethered her to the Underworld for six months out of the year. These six months would later become recognized as fall and winter, the barren, dry months of Greece; the cold months. She became associated with the shoots of green grass that shot from the earth, as she so readily sprang from Hades every year, but withdraws to the earth again after every harvest.
And as Hades is the king of the Underworld, so she becomes his queen.
❝ Near the dwelling of Nyx (Night), are found the echoing halls of the god of the lower world, strong Hades, and awful Persephone. A fearful hound Kerberos guards the house in front, pitiless, and he has a cruel trick. On those who go in he fawns with his tail and both is ears, but suffers them not to go out back again, but keeps watch and devours whomsoever he catches going out of the gates of strong Hades and fearsome Persephone. ❞
A miserable queen. Above ground, she is happiest; flourishing with the Nature she was born with and grew up surrounded by. Childish wonders - such as picking flowers, climbing trees for apples fresh from the branch, feeling the grass between her toes - cause her delight and happy smiles. It is when she is surrounded by death that she becomes sad; miserable to the point of being formidable, venerable, and majestic. Bitter is another term, for she exercises her power and assists in cursing the souls of men.