Greek Mythology - Persephone

By Jane Sproston

Hades and Persephone

Persephone was the daughter of Demeter the goddess of the harvest. She and her mother were the centre of a religious cult called the mysteries. They are shown on the west pediment of the Parthenon sat on their box of mysteries. What was in the box? No one knows hence why the contents of the box were a mystery. The mystery cult was believed to have started after Demeter was reunited with her lost daughter, Persephone. The main focal point for the mystery cult of Demeter and Persephone was Eleusis, just outside Athens. This sanctuary contained various buildings based around the worship of the mysteries. The Telesterion was a large square shaped building held up by numerous columns that criss crossed the building. After the pilgrims arrived at the sanctuary, they would eat grain from the grain stores at the sanctuary. This was a special grain (Kykeon) that was allowed to go mouldy. After the worshippers had eaten the grain they would be led to the Telesterion. There were no windows so the interior of the building was very dark. Eating the mouldy grain made the worshipper hallucinate and this combined with the large confusing dark space inside the Telesterion made for a powerful experience. It was believed that the presence of the goddesses could be felt at these times. Only pure people were allowed to join this mystery cult, therefore people such as murderers were not allowed to join. The benefits of joining the mystery cult for the participants was that they believed that they would have a true life after death in the underworld, unlike non members who would end up as witless shades instead.

The most famous story about Persephone was that of her abduction by Hades the king of the underworld. She was out one with her attendants picking flowers in a meadow when Hades noticed her. The ground that she stood on opened up and Hades dragged her away with him. Her attendants told Demeter what had happened, which left the goddess heart-broken. She spent months searching for her daughter disguised as a mortal. She would sit in the rain by herself refusing to acknowledge those around because she was so grief stricken. Finally a peasant man called Keleus happened to be walking past her while she sat sadly by herself in a field. He was with his daughter. The young girl called the goddess mother and asked her why she was sad. This pleased the goddess because the term 'mother' meant so much to her now that her daughter was missing. Keleus invited her into his house. At first she refused his hospitality, however she finally accepted his offer. Keleus had a son called Triptolemos who at the time of Demeter's visit was sick and dying. When Demeter entered the cottage she touched his cheek. The boy immediately recovered. Later while everyone slept, Demeter took the boy and put him in the ashes of the household fire. She started to perform the ritual needed to turn a mortal into an immortal being. Triptolemos' mother Metanira had been secretly watching but did not understand what Demeter was doing so as soon as he was put on the fire she leapt up and snatched him from the fire. Demeter told Metanira that her love for her son had denied him immortality. She did say that she was not finished with Triptolemos however. Triptolemos would ride on a chariot through the skies and spread the word about the harvest to mankind.

Demeter continued to look for Persephone without success. She finally gave Zeus an ultimatum, telling him that she would refuse to let the harvest grow on the earth so long as she was without her daughter. Zeus agreed to reunite her with her daughter. Persephone would be allowed to leave the underworld so long as she had not eaten anything. Hades knew this so he tricked Persephone into eating one seed from a pomegranate fruit. Persephone could not leave. Zeus intervened by coming up with a compromise to suit both parties. In the spring, summer and early autumn months, Persephone would live in the heavens with her mother. In the later autumn season and winter she lived with her husband in the underworld. The story was one way of explaining the seasons, where the cold months of the year have little growing. This would be seen as Demeter taking away the harvest because her daughter is no longer with her. The warmer months would be when mother and daughter where together. During these months, Demeter would allow plants to grow and for a harvest to reap.

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