Demeter is the Greek goddess of corn, and is among the twelve great gods of Olympus. Being the goddess of corn, Demeter is a symbol of life, both for men and animals. Demeter had a daughter with her brother, Zeus. Her name is Persephone, and she is deeply loved by her mother. They are so close that they are sometimes called simply The Two Goddesses.
Now, Hades appealed to Zeus for the hand of Persephone, and Zeus gave his consent. Demeter, however, would have been against the union, preventing an open courtship. Avoiding this, Hades kidnapped Persephone one day while she was out picking flowers.
While still in the daylight, Persephone cried out for help. Demeter rushed to the sight to save her daughter, but by the time she had arrived Persephone was gone. Devastated by grief, Demeter wandered the land for nine days and nights, searching for Persephone. On the tenth day, she encountered Hecate, who had heard the cries of Demeter’s daughter, and together they approached the Sun-god Helios, who sees everything daily as he travels across the sky.
He recounted to Demeter how Hades had snatched Persephone while she had been collecting flowers, but also informed Demeter that Zeus approved of the marriage, including that he also felt Hades to be a fitting husband. Demeter was so enraged that she shunned Olympus and went to Earth, wandering in the form of an old woman.
Demeter in Eleusis
While Demeter roamed the realm of mortals as an old woman, she came into Eleusis, which is in Attica. It was here that she became a nurse for the King’s baby son. During her stay, Demeter received kindness from a serving woman named Iambe. Demeter decided to repay the kindness she received by transforming the infant in her charge into an immortal by burning away the portion of him that was mortal. But she was interrupted one night by the King’s wife, Metaneira, who witnessed her son being placed into the fire.
Instantly Demeter’s old woman appearance fell away and she resumed her resplendent goddess form, rebuking Metaneira for her interruption, informing her that to regain her favor, Celeus the king must erect a temple in Demeter’s honor. With the temple built, Demeter dwelt within it for a year, continuing to forsake Olympus. In her temple, Demeter once again grieved for the loss of her beloved daughter, and in her despondency, the Earth became barren. Fearing that mankind would perish, Zeus sent the gods in turn to plead with Demeter to return to Olympus, but to all of them she turned down.
The Two Goddesses Reunited
Gifts and begging would not bring Demeter around, and so Zeus finally sent Hermes to retrieve Persephone from Hades. Before Persephone left, Hades gave her four pomegranate seeds, which because she ate while still in the Underworld, meaning should would never be able to leave completely. Every year henceforth, Persephone spent four months in the Underworld, one for each seed she had eaten. When the Two Goddesses were reunited, the world became fertile again and crops grew aplenty. When Persephone had to return to Hades, the world became infertile, cold and dormant as Demeter grieved for her absent daughter. Their reunion in the spring is responsible for revitalizing the fields and awakening the Earth from winter.
This is the way that the Greeks explained the changing of the seasons. The cold winter months were the result of Persephone’s obligation to spend four months in the Underworld. Demeter’s joy at being reunited with her daughter causes the spring, summer and fall season, allowing for a cycle of life.
Sources
- March, Jenny. Cassell’s Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Cassell: London, 2001.
Joshua Benson - As a librarian and student of literature, I delight in the facilitation of knowledge to the eager reader.
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