Peresphone

Pegasus

Member
With the coming of Spring, thought it might be interesting to talk about Peresphone, the godess of Spring growth. Many interesting stories surround this godess. What do you find interesting about Peresphone?
 

RLynn

Active Member
It's one of the wonderful, unforgettable stories that reflect the significance of Spring.

It is a magical season anyway. It is not only the time of rebirth for vegetation, but for all sorts of rebirths, and they all are somehow mysteriously interconnected. Why do we feel a sense of awakening when Spring rolls around? Why did the Church choose to place the celebration of Christ's resurrection near the Vernal Equinox? Why do so many people fall in love in Spring? Why do we have a sense of nostalgia for Spring when Fall and Winter are upon us? Why do the flowers of Spring smell so good?
 

Olsen

Member
I don't really like spring. I'm more of a winter-loving kind of person.

What I know about Persephone is that she was a goddess of peace and nature until Hades decided to abduct her and take her into his underworld kingdom. Later, she became the dread queen of the Underworld, whose very name it was forbidden to speak. Later, at the pleas of his servants, Zeus sent Hermes to bring her back to Earth, but Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return to the underworld for a period each year.
 

RLynn

Active Member
The Eleusinian Mysteries of the Cult of Demeter and Persephone are said to be the most important of the ancient mystery initiations.
 

RLynn

Active Member
.....Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return to the underworld for a period each year.
Depending on the source documents, she ate either four or six pomegranate seeds. I'm just glad that it was no more than six, since each seed represented a month which would have to be spent in Hades.

Winter can be pretty when there is fresh snow, and the Yule is a wonderful season, However, what Yule (Midwinter, Winter Equinox) really celebrates is the return of the sun (the Roman feast of Sol Invictus) and the promise of spring (the metaphorical return of Persephone to the upper world).

Of course, every season is beautiful in its own way, and the cycle of seasons is essential for life as we know it. I just happen to especially love Spring. Yes, I'm an Aries :).
 

Isis

Member
Spring is the best season (although I love fall too). Everything is waking up and coming alive again as Persephone returns!

I thought I read a variation on this forum, in which Persephone willingly went with Hades but it was covered up as an abduction.
 

Nadai

Active Member
It's one of the wonderful, unforgettable stories that reflect the significance of Spring.

It is a magical season anyway. It is not only the time of rebirth for vegetation, but for all sorts of rebirths, and they all are somehow mysteriously interconnected. Why do we feel a sense of awakening when Spring rolls around? Why did the Church choose to place the celebration of Christ's resurrection near the Vernal Equinox? Why do so many people fall in love in Spring? Why do we have a sense of nostalgia for Spring when Fall and Winter are upon us? Why do the flowers of Spring smell so good?
Social customs dictate behavior.
 

Nadai

Active Member
I don't really like spring. I'm more of a winter-loving kind of person.

What I know about Persephone is that she was a goddess of peace and nature until Hades decided to abduct her and take her into his underworld kingdom. Later, she became the dread queen of the Underworld, whose very name it was forbidden to speak. Later, at the pleas of his servants, Zeus sent Hermes to bring her back to Earth, but Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return to the underworld for a period each year.
The way I learned the myth was that she had refused to eat anything until Hades allowed her to return home. Hades was so in love with her that he didn't want her to leave, but he constantly gave her gifts: jewels, trinkets, etc. Finally he began to win her favor because of his kindness. He gave her a servant, a boy whom her mother had just killed (she'd turned him to a lizard and he was swallowed by a bird, I believe). The boy told her to eat the seeds saying that no one would know. When Demeter went to Zeus to get her back he finally agreed to send Hermes, after Demeter had nearly destroyed the Earth and mankind by refusing to allow anything to grow. Hermes went to her and told her that as long as no food had passed her lips she could return home. The boy spoke up and told that she had eaten six seeds. Zeus and Demeter and Hades finally came to an agreement that, because she had eaten six seeds, she would have to remain with Hades for six months then return to her mother for the other six months. For those six months Demeter vowed that nothing would grow until her daughter was returned to her.
 

Nadai

Active Member
Spring is the best season (although I love fall too). Everything is waking up and coming alive again as Persephone returns!

I thought I read a variation on this forum, in which Persephone willingly went with Hades but it was covered up as an abduction.
In Edith Hamilton's Mythology Persephoni was abducted but then fell in love during her time with him. I'd love to read this other version, though. Do you remember whos version it was?
 

EyeofZeus

New Member
Check out the Homeric Hymn to Demeter written down around 600 -500 BC I think. Its the first telling we have, although the story has to be much older. There are a bunch of Hymns and fragments to different gods, but they are not by Homer - were just tagged with the title.
 
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