![]() As a result the lands and people suffer from drought and famine. ![]() When Demeter finds out about Kore’s abduction, she rages and mourns endlessly and even stops nourishing the Olympian gods and human beings. In this ancient Greek myth, the maiden Kore is abducted by her uncle Hades, the god of the underworld, after the marriage was approved by her father Zeus without the knowing of her mother Demeter. The story of Persephone and Demeter is a classical one in myth and depth-psychology and has been many times interpreted, by myself included, as a metaphor for the patriarchal abduction of the feminine-yin-principle by the masculine-yang-culture of Zeus and his brother Hades. (artwork above: Laura Krusemark for Anima Mundi School) Each spring, Demeter brings everything to life again, ready to welcome her daughter's return.An alternative reading to Kore’s abduction by Faranak Mirjalili Every fall, when Persephone returns to the underworld, Demeter ignores the crops and flowers and lets them die. No one especially liked the deal, but everyone finally agreed.Įvery spring, Demeter makes sure flowers are blooming and crops are growing and the fields are green with welcome. In the spring, Persephone would return to earth and live there for six months. This was the deal Hermes worked out: If Persephone would marry Hades, she would live as queen of the Underworld for six months each winter. Zeus sent his son Hermes to work a deal with Hades. No one knows who told Zeus about it, but it was clear this could not go on. She did not care about anything except finding her daughter. Demeter, her mother, missed her daughter terribly. Finally, in desperate hunger, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds. She had every intention of leavingĪs soon as she could figure out how to do so. He brought her all kinds of delicious food. Hades locked Persephone in a beautifully decorated room in the Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed his niece, his dog, and his chariot and dove deep into the darkest depths of the Underworld. He watched his dog playing happily with Persephone. But Persephone only laughed and scratched his heads. Some people might have been startled if a three-headed dog came tearing up. The dog ran up to a lovely young woman, the goddess Persephone. Cerberus leaped out of the chariot and ran around, sniffing flowers with all three of his heads. He scooped up Cerberus, and left a couple of spirits in charge instead. But Hades gave his pup a break now and then. Cerberus, his dog, usually stood guard at the gate to Underworld. He decided to take his three-headed dog out for a chariot ride. Hades, the king of the underworld, was a gloomy fellow. As time passed, Persephone grew into a lovely goddess. As Persephone smiled up at her mother, Demeter's heart swelled with happiness, and the crops grew high and healthy. They played together in the fieldsĪlmost every day. They were having too much fun interfering inĭemeter loved her little daughter, Persephone. If Demeter did not do her job, the crops would die andĮveryone would starve. Nearly everyone, gods and mortals, did their best to keep Demeter There were many temples in ancient Greece dedicated to Demeter. Sister Demeter had one of the most important jobs - she was in
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