by Christina Pomoni

Created on: September 13, 2008

Persephone was daughter of Demeter, referred to in the Greek mythology as the goddess of agriculture, vegetation, land and fertility. Zeus, brother of Demeter, being crazy in love with his sister, transformed himself into bull in order to have intercourse with her. Later on, feeling regrets for his action, Zeus castrated a goat and put his genitals in Demeter's hands as an expression of repentance. Demeter accepted his apology and several months afterwards she gave birth to her only daughter Persephone.

Hades, the god of the Under World, fell in love with Persephone and wanted to take her at his palace. Persephone did not succumb with her will to Hades. Instead she was abducted by her uncle Pluto while she was gathering flowers with a group of friends. Hades loved Persephone so much that he could not release her from the Under World. Demeter, being extremely sad and devastated for the abduction of her daughter, cursed the ground, not to be fertile again. Seeing mankind suffering from famine Zeus decided to intervene. He sent Iris and many other gods with gifts to convince Demeter to take her curse back and return to Olympus. Demeter would agree only if Persephone returned from Hades. Thus, Zeus sent Hermes, the messenger god, to Hades ordering him to set Persephone free. Hades gave to Persephone six seeds of pomegranate to eat in order to tie her with the Under World for ever. Persephone knowing about her mother's depression asked Hades to allow her to leave the Under World under the condition of living six months with him and six months with her mother. It is said that the six seeds represent the six months that Persephone was obliged to spend at the Under World.

Each year Hades travels to the land of alive with Persephone on his chariot. During the months that Persephone goes to the Under World, Demeter mourns and mankind experiences winter time. On the contrary, during the months that Persephone spends with her mother at Olympus, Demeter is happy and mankind experiences summer time.

The legend of Persephone is broadly regarded as a symbolic representation of the adventure of internal life, which, in order to acquire knowledge, needs first to sink in bereavement, and then flower. Persephone represents the power of change because mankind needs first to mourn in order to be able to appreciate the changes that their future brings. Without a past there is no future. None of the historic archives has ever neglected the legend of Persephone as its symbolism implies the birth of life. Persephone is the wheat that will die and will enter the ground in order to be born again. It is the significance of destiny. On the other hand, no researcher can explain why Persephone should abandon her husband in order to live with her mother. Therefore, it is said this is encountered only in the Greek mythology and there are no grounds for historical comparison to other mythologies.

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