As you know, the pagan Greek pantheon of gods included 12.Persephone is the goddess of the realm of the dead.According to legend, she is forced to spend a third year under the ground, with her husband Hades, and two-thirds - on the ground, with her mother Demeter.The article continues with a closer look at those who so Persephone, and what about it, there are myths.
Birth of Persephone
Unfortunately, Greek mythology is very stingy with an explanation of how, in fact, was born this goddess.We only know that she is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.Persephone was their only child.About why and how there was an affair between these two gods in the myth mentioned.We only know that Zeus seduced her older sister turned into a snake.The mother of Persephone was worshiped by the Greeks as the patron of farmers.Demeter - the goddess of fertility, ploughmen and reapers.According to mythology, she was the daughter of Rhea and Cronus.Like all children of this terrible god, she was once swallowed them, and then removed again.In Roman mythology, it corresponds to Ceres, the goddess of fertility is also considered.
Rape of Persephone by Hades
was very beautiful and cheerful girl.Once it spotted her mother, half-mad uncle - the god of the underworld Hades.Once unsuspecting Persephone was walking in a meadow with her friends, having fun and collecting flowers.Suddenly one of the crevices in the ground left a chariot drawn by four horses.Its own Rules of Hades.Of course, the poor girl could not do anything and was taken to the kingdom of darkness and death, where she was to become the wife of the god of the underground.As tells the myth, her grief knew no bounds.The abduction of Persephone (which until then was called Cora) was approved by Zeus.
Scientists have found a lot of ancient Greek artifacts with drawings on which the abduction of Persephone by Hades is presented in detail.We describe this story in the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter".And in our time, this interesting myth often attracted the attention of artists, musicians and poets.
Title Demeter Zeus
mother of Persephone, of course, could not come to terms with the loss of his daughter.Inconsolable, she appealed to Zeus himself to return the Persephone.Supreme God touched the tears of Demeter, and he ordered Hermes down to Hades, and take the young goddess.However, the wily god of the dead, before releasing Persephone offered her eat some pomegranate seeds.Apparently, not so much upset and was a young goddess, because it has not given up.So the old god of the underworld was a guarantee that he will like Persephone return to it myself.So it happened later.
Return goddess
Finally Demeter and Persephone met.Suspecting treachery in Aida, the mother asked the daughter that if she did not eat anything in the underworld.I had the young goddess to admit that she beguiled pomegranate seeds.However, Persephone lied, saying that Hades made her eat them forcibly.We add that the garnet grains in Greece are considered a symbol of marital fidelity.According to legend, the first grenade landed on the Greek island of Aphrodite - Crete.
Got Demeter, which is not always returned to her her daughter.So Who Ate pomegranate seeds, Persephone, had to carry out two-thirds of the year with her mother, and one-third with Hades.However, the Greek legends, describing the exploits of heroes and gods act related to the underworld, never describe him sad or grieving goddess.Rather, it is presented in their sovereign mistress of this dark place.Becomes the wife of Hades, Persephone appears not as a young girl and a young, strong and at the same time loyal to the living female goddess.
Goddess of the starry sky
Some sources say that the coming back from Hades, Persephone - the goddess of the underworld - sometimes rises to the sky as the constellation Virgo.It makes it so that it missed the mother could see her everywhere.There is also a legend that the Virgin constellation associated with the Demeter.
symbolism of myth, of course, Persephone (Greek goddess), or rather a myth about it symbolizes none other than the change of seasons.Two-thirds of the year in the warm Greek summer reigns, one-third - winter.When Hades abducted Persephone, her mother in the mountain he ceased to perform their duties.As a result, ceased to grow grass and trees, the animals had nothing to eat, and on the ground there was a terrible famine.When Zeus returned to Demeter her young daughter, to celebrate the goddess taught agricultural crafts a squad of different kinds of characters.After that, and turned from hypothetical goddess of fertility goddess in a particular stratum of Greek society, dealing with the cultivation of fields.
If we talk about archetypes, the pair of Demeter and Persephone is a unified scheme of "mother-daughter", in which the latter is too close to the first and is dependent on its position.Persephone herself is both a symbol of female child (Cora), spring (the return of the kingdom of Hades) and the guide to the world of the dead.
Persephone in the works of the ancient Greeks
Persephone - the goddess, which is mentioned in many myths of this ancient country.For example, it is Persephone, which touched the mountain of Orpheus and his wonderful music, released from the dead Eurydice.However, the last sunlight never saw, and it was the fault of her lover.According to legend, Orpheus was told to not look at the exit from the kingdom of death.However, resist the temptation he failed.
tells of Persephone in the "Odyssey" of Homer.The protagonist of the epic as one descended to the underworld, where his mistress showed him the souls of the righteous women.
Another myth tells how Persephone - the goddess of the underworld - competed with Aphrodite for love Adonis.The latter was a mere mortal, but very handsome young man.The most beautiful goddess in the pantheon of put him in a basket and sent to Persephone, that she hid it.Seeing Adonis and fell in love, the goddess of the underworld refused to give him back to Aphrodite flatly.Long lasted the dispute.Permitted he was Zeus.According to the decree of Adonis he was forced to spend a third of the year with Persephone, one third - with Aphrodite, and the rest of the time was to himself.
In one of the myths of Persephone - the goddess of the underworld - appears as a formidable and jealous husband.Mistress Hades nymph Minto, she turns into a plant (mint).Nymph of the River Kokid (Kokitida) for the same reason it was trampled to death.Meanwhile, according to mythology, Persephone herself had two official lovers - Dionysus and Adonis.
roots
myth, Persephone - the goddess (judging has even named) was not originally Greek.The myth of her come up at all in this country.It is believed that it was borrowed from the settlers of the Balkans, where it was popular in the Mycenaean era.
Conformity in Roman mythology
myth, like the abduction of Persephone by Hades, there is also the ancient Romans.It corresponds to this goddess Proserpina.She was also the daughter of the goddess of fertility, which is named Ceres.He stole it the god of underground kingdom - Pluto.Like Persephone, Proserpina forced a third of the year in his kingdom because when eaten some pomegranate seeds.
So, now you know who this Persephone.This young goddess was abducted by Hades, and became his wife.Myths, telling about her eventful and very interesting.
