The Myth
“‘So then, Mother, I shall tell you everything.’”
Hymn to Demeter, line 406
Greek myth tells of a beautiful young goddess named Persephone, who attracted the attention of Hades, God of the Underworld.
One day, while Persephone was picking flowers, Hades burst through the Earth and seduced her. What happened next depends on who is telling the tale.
Some say he abducted her against her will. Some say she fell in love. Others say that there was no Hades at all and she was drawn by her own desire and curiosity. All agree, however, that Persephone ended up in the land below where she became Queen of the Underworld.
Up above, Persephone’s mother, Demeter -- goddess of the harvest -- searched in vain for her daughter.
Distraught, she appealed to Zeus for help. Zeus rebuffed her, and in her rage, she caused cold winds to blow and all the plants to wither and die.
All creatures on Earth experienced winter for the first time.
Frustrated by the climatic chaos, Zeus finally relented and convinced Hades to let Persephone return.
But Hades really loved Persephone, and couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing her again.
So he gave her a powerful Underworld snack: six pomegranate seeds which conferred on Persephone the power to travel between worlds, and the obligation to spend part of each year in the land below.
Ever since, Persephone has spent half the year with her mother Demeter in the world above and the other half with her husband in the Underworld.
Each time Persephone heads underground, Demeter weeps, and brings winter upon the land. And when she returns, Demeter rejoices and spring arrives.
And that’s how the seasons came to be.
But that’s all, as they say, ancient history. Persephone and Hades have now been married for centuries and Persephone has made that journey from the underworld to the living Earth and back again more times than she can count.
Lately, the seasons have taken a disturbing turn. Demeter is becoming disoriented, and Persephone is worried. Sometimes winter comes too early; sometimes summer lasts too long.
A connection has been broken.
The ancient story calls us to a reckoning...
