Demeter,
the earthly goddess of agriculture, had but a single child, a daughter she
named Persephone. In her youth,
the child was quite fond of gathering flowers in the countryside; but one day,
enticed by a wondrous patch of daffodils, she strayed too far from her
companions.
Upon
seeing the lovely child vulnerable and astray, the dark ruler of the dead split
open the earth where she played.
In his chariot driven by jet-black stallions, Hades rose up through the
chasm and snatched the maiden by her wrist. He sat her next to him in the driverÕs seat and ignored her
weeping as he stole her for his queen.
The cries
of Persephone echoed through the high hills, and her mother son caught wind of
them. Like a bird she sped over
land and sea, searching nine days for her lost daughter. It was the sun itself
that finally foretold of her fate.
ÒNever
again shall the earth bear fruit,Ó the bitter goddess promised, Òuntil my
daughter is returned to me.Ó
A mighty
sadness swelled up inside DemeterÕs heart. She disguised herself and left Olympus to dwell on
earth. In her desolate wanderings
she came upon Eleusis, where wearily she sat near a well. Though not old she seemed an aged
woman.
Four
sisters, coming to draw water from the well, saw Demeter and pityingly asked
why she sat in such sorrow. The
goddess lied. ÒI ran away from
some pirates who wanted to sell me as a slave,Ó she said, Òbut I know no one in
this strange land to ask for help.Ó
ÒThere is
a house in town that would welcome you,Ó answered one of the sisters.
ÒBut it
would be best for us to take you,Ó offered another. ÒWait here while we go ask our mother if it is alright.Ó
The goddess bowed her head, and not knowing what else
to do, accepted the sistersÕ help.
The girls, upon filling their pitcher with water, hurried home. Their mother bade them at once to
return and invite the stranger back with them. The sisters did as they were asked and rushed to fetch
Demeter, who still sat by the well.
She veiled herself in a dark robe from head to foot and followed the
girls to their home.
As Demeter crossed the threshold into the hall where the
girlsÕ mother sat holding an infant son in her arms. A divine radiance haloed the woman, and Demeter looked upon
her in awe. The woman bade her to
sit and offered her honey-sweet wine, but Demeter asked instead for
mint-flavored beer. Once refreshed
she took the child, held him at her breast and nursed the boy as if her was her
own. The child grew wise like a
young god, for Demeter also nourished him ambrosia, the godsÕ sacred
substance. At night she would
place the child in a burning fire, hoping to give him immortal youth, but
something about this made his mother uneasy. She screamed in terror one evening as she spied on Demeter
and saw her child placed into the red heart of the fire. This angered the goddess, who seized
the boy and threw him onto the ground, her plans to save him from old age and
death now in ruins. Demeter then
revealed her true identity and commanded the awestruck woman to erect for her a
great temple in apology. With
that, she left.
That year was the most dreadful and cruel mankind had
ever seen. Nothing grew. The earth was barren, and so it seemed
the whole race of men would die from famine. At last Zeus saw he must take matters into his hands and
sent the other gods to visit Demeter.
They tried, one after the other, to change her mind about the endless
winter she had inflicted upon the earth; but the goddess persisted.
Zeus soon realized that his brother
Hades must return his kidnapped queen.
He instructed Hermes to travel to the underworld and command Hades to
release his bride. Persephone, who had heretofore sat upon her thrown in absolute
sorrow, sprang up joyfully upon hearing his words.
Hades knew he could not disobey his
brotherÕs command, but before she left he made his bride swallow a pomegranate
seed. Then he readied his golden chariot.
Hermes took the reins and drove the black horses straight to the DemeterÕs
temple. Mother and daughter embraced in each otherÕs arms the happiest either
had ever been, but Demeter grieved upon hearing of the pomegranate, for she
knew of its secret power.
Zeus sent his mother, Rhea, to
deliver Demeter another message.
She hurried down from the heights of Olympus to the barren and leafless
earth. Thus she spoke: ÒCome, dear
child, for Zeus has called you.
Come again to the palace of the gods, and you will be honored as you
once were. Make again the earth a
fruitful place and your daughter, though poisoned by the pomegranate seed, will
not leave you permanently.Ó
In truth, Demeter was sorrow for
turning the world into a frozen desert. She made once more the ground rich and
abundant with fruit and flowers; and as promised, Persephone did not vanish as
she so feared. Instead she slipped
away but four months every year, only to return in springtime.
And so it goes that when Demeter and
her daughter are together, the earth is lush with vegetation; but when
Persephone must go to be with Hades, the earth is once again cold and barren. This is the reason why we have a
winter.