This also meant that she presided over the sacred law, of birth, death, and rebirth.ĭemeter was one of the first generation of the Greek Gods, sister of Zeus and of Hera. (In fact, the modern Greek word for grain- “Dimitriaka” – is taken from her name). Demeter and the Fertility of the Earthĭemeter is the Goddess of fertility, of the harvest, of agriculture, of nourishment, and of grain. It was in Eleusis that Demeter took human form and sought to bring her daughter back. It was based in an older agrarian cult, possibly related to Mycenaean religious practices, and versions of it are found throughout ancient agrarian societies.Įleusis was the center for the cult, as it played a role in the Myth. The cult of Demeter and Persephone involved the most sacred secret rites of Ancient Greece. The Return of Life in Spring: the Myth of Demeter and Persephone The Eleusinian Mysteries This poignant story is about nothing less than the cycle of life and eternal rebirth, and the spirit that moves us to rejoice in Spring. Of all the myths of Ancient Greece, the Myth of the Abduction of Persephone resonates deeply across cultures and across time. Her mother’s search for her, the subsequent devastation she wrought upon the earth in her grief, and the joy that Persephone’s ascent brought not just to her mother but to the earth itself is a timeless tale. Suddenly, the earth opened up, and Hades – God of the Underworld – seized the maiden, and brought her back to the underworld to be his bride. In your mind, just imagine he's talking about wheat, or some other grain.One beautiful day, Persephone – the daughter of Demeter and Zeus – was strolling in a meadow of flowers. Last we checked, corn didn't make it to Europe until after Columbus landed in the Americas in the late 1400s. We agree, but don't be fooled: Greeks and Romans didn't have any corn. Spring leads her back to the light of day. It reappears-that is, Proserpine is restored to her mother. Proserpine signifies the seed-corn which when cast into the ground lies there concealed-that is, she is carried off by the god of the underworld. There can be little doubt of this story of Ceres and Proserpine being an allegory. That's why in his telling of this myth, Thomas Bulfinch, of Bulfinch's Mythology fame, says: This is exactly what happens to a seed: it's planted underground, and then it sprouts in the spring.ĭemeter, who was called Ceres by the Romans (like cereal), was most closely related to crops of grains. Each year she must go under the earth, but she's reborn again in the spring when she returns to the world of a living. If we take a step away from the seasons and think instead about seeds and crops, we can see the myth as the allegory for the planting seeds. When Persephone is in the world of the living with Demeter, the earth and plants return to life.ĭemeter is the goddess of agriculture, which is why she can mess up the growing season for all of us humans. When Persephone is in the underworld with Hades, Demeter refuses to let any plants grow. You probably noticed that the myth of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades is an origin story – it's used to explain the origin of the seasons, and why food crops don't grow in the winter.
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