Demeter, the Lady of Growing things, was the Goddess of the harvest. Her power was over all things that grew with the seasons. She would go down to earth every day, and tend to each plant individually, helping it grow to its fullest potential. Farmers throughout the land would pray to her for rich harvests, enough to keep them well fed throughout the winter months. She taught men how to reap and process wheat and barley, and to use the flour of the grains to make breads, and this was done at the end of every season.
Demeter had one daughter, Persephone, whose father was Zeus. Demeter loved her daughter more than anything else that existed, paintings of her are almost always sure to include Persephone by her side. Persephone helped her mother by tending to the flowers, which she would paint with different designs with her little paint pot. The days would be spent by the mother and daughter, tending to the plants, and keeping the earth beautiful and green. Persephone was a child of light, and thrived off of nature, just as her mother did. However, the Fates had another agenda for the Flower Maid.
One day, Demeter and Persephone were down on earth tending to their usual duties. Persephone had along her group of attending nymphs, and they danced and sang behind her as she led the way through a clearing, with Demeter not far behind. Persephone and her nymphs went to a nearby pool to bathe, while Demeter attended to some sick trees on the edge of the clearing. Persephone splashed and sang with her nymphs, as the afternoon continued on as if nothing could go wrong. As Persephone was singing, something caught her eye off in the distance. It was a large shrub with black branches and bulbous red berries. She climbed out of the pool, took her little paint pot in hand, and walked towards it, leaving her nymphs behind in the pool. She stared at the ugly little tree for some time, then decided that she didn’t like it, and seized it by the base. Right as she gave the first tug, the very earth at her feet gave way, and a gaping chasm opened up. Emerging from the chasm was a man in a chariot drawn by coal-black horses. The laboured breath coming from the horses reeked of death, and was enough to make her gasp for fresh air. Terrified, Persephone tried to cry out for help, but her cries were drowned out by the nymph’s laughter in the pool. The large man grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into the chariot, and turned the horses back around, plunging back into the darkness.
As the day neared an end, Demeter began to walk back to the nymphs, who were lying at the side of the pool basking in the rays of the dying sun. She glanced over the group and noticed that her daughter was nowhere to be seen. She asked the nymphs if they knew where Persephone had gone, but none of them were even aware that she was missing in the first place. Demeter began to call out to her daughter, but there was no answer. Worried, Demeter searched the entire clearing for any sign of Persephone, and all she was able to find, was the little paint pot over turned, and its contents spilling onto the earth. Demeter began to panic, and she began asking the birds if they had seen her daughter, but to no avail. She left the nymphs by the pool, and began to run through the forest crying out her daughter’s name. She ran all through the night, not stopping for an instant.
When the first rays of dawn flooded over the countryside, Demeter found herself in a small grove. She raised a rock from the earth, sat down and began to weep. The trees and all of the animals around her felt her pain, and began to weep along with her. Tears of amber flowed down the trunks of the trees, and the animals rubbed affectionately against the mourning Goddess in an attempt to stop her tears. As she was the Goddess of all aspects of nature, the world itself began to cry. Dark clouds gathered, and a gentle shower fell over the earth, expressing the Goddess’ grief. After a time, Demeter arose from the rock, and walked out into a clearing. The sun was rising over the horizon, and Demeter asked it if it had seen what happened to her daughter on the previous day. The sun said that it hadn’t seen Persephone on that day, and apologised for not being able to be of any help. She continued on her search for her daughter, vowing never to stop until Persephone was back in her arms.
Persephone awoke, and found herself surrounded by darkness. From what she could feel, she was on a soft bed, and there was a faint smell of food wafting through the room. She rolled over, and stepped off of the bed, the ground beneath her bare feet was icy cold. She closed her eyes, and tried to call out to nature. Her call slammed back down onto her as if it were a bag of lead, she was far from being anywhere natural.
“You are awake,” a voice said from behind, startling her.
“Who is that?” she asked, squinting to see into the darkness.
“Patience beautiful one, patience.” the voice cooed, “You will soon grow accustomed to the darkness.”
Frustrated, Persephone raised her hand and a globe of light exploded in the room. She gasped in pain as the light pierced her eyes, but adjusted to it very quickly. In the corner of the room, she saw the man that had abducted her standing in the doorway, shielding his eyes from her light. He was dressed in a thick black robe, which seemed to exude darkness. It seemed to leak from his robe and creep along the floor like a thick fog, overtaking the light that she had created. He was a very handsome man, and also very tall. Persephone realised immediately that he was a god.
“Why have you brought me here?”
Without hesitation, the man said to her, “I am Hades, your Uncle, and Lord of the Underworld. I have chosen you to be my Queen and rule by my side. You will soon grow accustomed to this life. Until then, I will do anything in my power to make this transition as comfortable as it could possibly be.” From beneath his robes, he pulled out a small box, and opened it so that its contents would be visible to Persephone. Inside was every kind of jewel that Persephone had ever seen, and some she didn’t even recognise. Persephone stormed up to Hades, and pushed her way past him into the hall from which he had entered the room. He didn’t try to stop her, and stepped aside allowing her out of the room. Outside of the room was nothing. The space was devoid of anything tangible; it seemed as if she were standing on nothing but darkness. Whirling around to face Hades, she cried, “My mother will be furious when she finds out what you have done to me! She will search and eventually find me, and you will pay.”
Hades frowned, “If such is the price to pay for love, so be it.”
“Love?” she screamed. “Holding me here against my will is your definition of love?”
Hades lowered his head, and melted back into the darkness. As his form faded, Persephone heard his voice whisper, “I love you.”
From that time on, Persephone was lavished with gifts of every kind from her estranged admirer. She was given every type of jewel, a plot of land on which to grow a small garden, and anything else that Hades felt she could have possibly wanted. He even went to the trouble to calling on his nephew Hepheastus to fashion a large globe that glowed with a golden light, which he hung in the air as a substitute for the sun. Every effort to please Persephone was in vain, or so she led him to believe. She was secretly enjoying all of these gifts, and all of the attention that she was being given. She never let this be known, and continued to stamp her foot and turn away from Hades every time he presented her with yet another gift. She even turned down food, refusing to eat anything until she was returned to her mother. The most delicious foods were prepared for her, and her mouth watered at their very smell, but she remained adamant in refusing to eat. Hades knew that he was losing the battle with the stubborn Goddess, but he had every intention of dragging it out to the bitter end.
Back on the surface, Demeter had come across a small town. Assuming the form of an old woman, she sat on the edge of a nearby well, and began to weep. A small boy ran past her, and stopped to stare. He began to giggle, having never seen a grown woman cry. Demeter looked up with eyes of fury. She extended her hand, pointed at the boy, trembling with rage, and began to mutter a spell. The boy cried out in pain, and fell to the ground. His form began to shift and waver, dwindling down to the form of a lizard. Just as the spell was complete, a large eagle swooped from the air, and grabbed the lizard in its talons, carrying it away for the evening’s meal. Demeter rose, and wandered into the village. She went to the largest house in the town, where she had received word that the lady of the house had just had a baby, and was in need of a midwife. She was hired immediately, and began as caregiver to the young Demophoon, only one month old. She cared for the infant during the day, taking him for walks through the city, and tending to his every need as the most loving of mothers would do had the baby been their own. At night, she would sit in front of a blazing fire with the baby, and breathe on him with her divine breath while suckling him on her finger. She would then place the baby in the heart of the flames, allowing them to burn away his mortality. This treatment carried on for a month’s time, as the magic worked its course over the infant. On the last day of her spell, Demeter had just set the baby into the fire when the mother burst into the room and snatched her baby from the flames. She began shouting for help, and cursing Demeter for what she had done. Demeter rose from the chair and cast off her disguise, and appeared to the woman and the baby in all of her divine glory. Seeing the Goddess in her true form was more than any mortal could comprehend. The baby and the woman burst into flames, and burned to death in the glory of Demeter. She scattered the ashes with the tip of her toe, and walked from the room, out into the city, and back off into the countryside. The Goddess had been neglecting her appearance over this time. Her hair was awry, and wrinkles had begun to form on her beautiful face. Her clothes were in tatters around her, and she began to hunch over as if she were an old woman. She sat by a large river that ran through the village, and began to cry.
“Do not cry, Goddess.” a small voice said.
Demeter looked up to see a river nymph rising out of the water, and drifting towards the bank where she was sitting. “Why does the great Demeter weep?”
Demeter told the story of her daughter’s disappearance, and that she was unable to find her. The nymph knew of Persephone, and explained to Demeter that she had been travelling through the Underworld through the river Styx, when she saw Hades carrying a young girl into his kingdom. She then went on to describe what the girl was wearing, and what she looked like. The description matched Persephone in every way, and Demeter sprang up from her spot, and dashed off to Mount Olympus, thanking the nymph in her haste to leave. The nymph simply smiled, and sank back down into the water.
When reaching the Hall of the Gods, Demeter stormed through the palace doors, rage blinding her every action. She faced Zeus, barely able to keep her voice steady.
“Justice! I demand justice! Hades has kidnapped my daughter, and carried her off to his land of darkness! You must order him to return her to me.”
“Calm yourself sister.” Zeus sighed, “Perhaps her presence would be an asset in the Underworld, giving the souls of the dead someone to admire and respect.”
Demeter couldn’t believe what she was hearing! She looked up at Zeus, and saw him lazily finger a new sapphire lightning bolt, recognising it as a bribe from Hades. “How can you say this about my daughter, our daughter? She is a child of the sun, if she stays down there with him, she will wither and die!”
“She will remain there with Hades. She will soon grow accustomed to living there, and you will be able to see her periodically.”
“If you refuse to return my daughter to me, then all of the world shall share my grief!” that said, Demeter gathered her cloak around her, and pulled it tight around her shoulders shutting off her divine warmth to the world. As she did this, crops all over the world began to wither and die. Trees began to droop, and the grass turned from a lush green, to a dull yellow. Demeter stormed out of the palace, commanding the life-giving warmth to follow her. It was then that the first flake of snow that the world has ever seen fell to the ground. Soon, the entire planet was under a blanket of snow, and the mortals began to suffer from the cold and lack of food. Demeter intended to keep the world in this condition, and nobody could stop her, as this was something she had exclusive control over. Yes, this will make Zeus return Persephone to her, it will happen, no matter what the cost.
Persephone sat in her ornate obsidian throne, bored with seeing the souls drift soundlessly in front of her as the artificial light of the sun drifted down from above. Hades looked over at her, hopeful that she would smile at him, and bring some happiness to his otherwise dismal world. She noticed him turn to her, and turned away from him in turn. Hades sighed, and slumped back down in his throne. Persephone rose from her throne, and wandered down into the garden that she had been attending to during the time that she was there. She was starving! She hadn’t eaten a single thing since she had arrived in the Underworld. She walked by a large pomegranate tree, and looked up at the fruit. She licked her lips, imagining how the fruit would taste, and how much better she would feel after eating something. A shape appeared in the corner of her eye, and she whirled around to see the shade of a young boy standing there looking at her.
“Go ahead, eat. I won’t tell anybody.” the boy said to her.
She hesitated, reaching up for one of the fruits dangling in front of her face, tantalising her, almost begging her to eat it. The boy nodded and smiled, encouraging her to eat. She plucked the fruit from the tree, and tore it open with the ferocity of a starving wolf. She sucked the juice out of six of the seeds, gasping in delight as the juice trickled down her parched throat. She suddenly sensed that Hades was summoning her. She dropped the fruit and ran to him, before he found her with the pomegranate. When she was out of sight, the young boy, picked up the fruit and tucked it into his tunic, walking away with a broad accomplished smile spread across his face.
Zeus sat up on Olympus deafened by the calls of his worshippers that were thronging to his temples, begging him to end their suffering. Their calls pounded through his head as a hammer would on an anvil, and he realised what he must do. He called out to Demeter, and she appeared instantly in front of him. He sighed.
“I see you must have your own way. With you holding this grudge, the race of man is in danger. If they are in danger, so too are the gods. I will release Persephone to you, only on the condition that she has not eaten any of the food of the dead while she was there. This is a law older than we are, and one I am powerless to overrule.”
Zeus gave out a shrill whistle, and his son, Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, appeared in the hall. Zeus told him that he was to go and fetch Persephone from the Underworld, and bring her back to her mother. He nodded and turned to leave.
“Will you ride with me in my chariot?” Demeter asked. “I have the swiftest horses in the world, given to me by Poseidon.”
Hermes laughed, “Thank you Aunt, but my sandals carry me much faster than any animal the gods can create.” And with that, he disappeared. Demeter sprang onto her chariot, and went down to where the Underworld met the world above, and waited for Hermes to return with her daughter.
Persephone was once again sitting by Hades’ side, choking back tears as he professed his love to her. A sharp herald’s call split through the air, making the god and the goddess jump in their seats in surprise. Hermes hovered before them, with his usual jovial smile splayed across his face. He looked to Persephone.“I have come to take you home to your mother. It is the will of Zeus that you return. Lord Hades cannot keep you here any longer.”
Persephone leapt from her seat, and dove straight into Hermes’ arms. He caught her, laughing as she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. He turned, and they began to drift towards the world above. Persephone turned for one last look at her admirer, and she was puzzled to see the young boy that she had met in the garden rushing up to Hades and handing him a small red object. The last thing she saw before the light of the sun broke through the darkness was a grim smile creeping across Hades’ face.
Demeter waited impatiently for Hermes to return. The snow gathered around her feet, slowing her pace, but she didn’t seem to notice. She heard the familiar cry, proclaiming the arrival of her nephew. He appeared in the distance, bearing Persephone in his arms. The instant that Demeter’s eyes met her daughter’s, the snow all over the world vanished, and all of nature burst into full bloom. The grass was green again, and the trees were heavy with their leaves once more. As Demeter ran to meet them, beautiful flowers sprang up wherever she stepped. The wrinkles that had appeared on her skin vanished instantly, and she was once again as beautiful as the sun setting on the horizon. She ran to Persephone, and wrapped her arms around her. All of nature rejoiced as the goddesses were reunited.
“My daughter! Never shall you return to that vile place! You shall remain here with me for the rest of eternity.”
“I think not.” a voice boomed from behind them. They turned to see Zeus standing beside Hades, who was holding the remains of a pomegranate in his hand. “Persephone has partaken of the food of the dead, and must return to the Underworld to rule as its Queen. Six months of every year shall she spend in the Underworld, one month for every seed that she has eaten.”
Demeter roared with anger, and began to gather her cloak about her once more, but Persephone stopped her. “I shall be apart from you for only six months, mother. For the months after that, we can be together as we always have been.”
Demeter let her hands fall to her sides, “So long as you remain with Hades in his kingdom of death, the world will be an icy wasteland. No life shall thrive on any corner of the earth, until you are back in my arms!”
And so began the season of winter, fitting itself neatly in between autumn and spring. It is during this time that Persephone is down in the Underworld, and Demeter is stealing all life from the planet. She was by no means a cruel goddess. During the times of winter, she taught men to sow their fields, and store food to keep them fed through the cold months. The cycle continues to this day, never ceasing, as Persephone spends her time in the Underworld and the rest at her mother’s side.
Demeter had an oracle in the form of a great tree. It wasn’t a true oracle, as in predicting the future to any that would consult it, but Demeter’s will could be exacted through the tree. A small city was located near this tree, and the King of that city had his eye on it for quite some time. He had ideas of using the great tree as a pillar in his throne room. He had no idea that this was Demeter's sacred tree, so he sent out some of his best men to cut it down and return with it to the castle. The men arrived at the tree, and set to work. Right as the first axe bit deeply into the tree’s flesh, crimson blood flowed from the wound. The men were puzzled, assuming it to be the sap of the tree. They continued, and soon they and the ground around them were drenched with blood. As the sun rose high over the countryside, the blood began to smell, and this made it obvious that this wasn’t the tree sap that the men thought it was. The tree was returned to the castle, and was left out in the courtyard until the following day when it could be brought into the throne room. That night, the king began to have nightmares of the tree being torn from the ground, and his throne room being covered with blood. There was a tall woman in his dreams, and whenever she appeared, she was furious. She wore green robes, and her hair was braided with stalks of wheat and leaves. He would cower before her, powerless to do anything but shudder with raw fear. She would inflict unspeakable tortures on him, and kill him hundreds of different ways, only to return him to life, and kill him again. The king woke up in the morning, his bed soaking wet with his own sweat. He didn’t think much of the dream, and dismissed it of minor importance. He called for the men to bring the tree into the throne room, which they had done by the end of the day. Demeter was aware of what was happening to her blessed tree right as the first blade bit into it, and she intended to exact her revenge on the mortal who ordered its death. Demeter summoned the great famine, and sent it out after the king as a punishment. As the king sat in his throne admiring the tree, he was suddenly struck with ravenous hunger. He called for dinner to be prepared for him, which he ate. After eating, he was still as hungry as he had been before. He called for another meal, and ate that one as well. Still, he was starving. He ordered a great feast to be prepared, enough to feed 20 people. He sat down at the table, and ate every crumb of food that was brought out to him. It still felt as if he hadn’t eaten a single thing. A few days passed, and the king still couldn’t satiate his hunger. He began to eat everything in sight, food or not. Anything that he could fit into his mouth and chew, he would eat. When he could find nothing else, he turned his hungry eyes onto himself, and began to consume his own flesh, chewing it straight off the bone, hunger dampening any pain that he would feel. This continued on, and as it did, his life-blood flowed out of his body, and spread onto the floor of his throne room. He was found later on by servants lying dead, half eaten as if attacked by a pack of animals, and the throne room was bathed in blood, just as his dream had predicted.
