Persephone

In ancient mythology, Persephone was known as the queen of the Underworld. The daughter of Zeus and Demeter, she was not always part of the Underworld. As a child, Persephone spent much time with her mother Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. They would travel together all over the world.

Hades, the god of the Underworld, wanted Persephone to be his wife. Persephone’s own father helped with a scheme to have her kidnapped and given to Hades. Zeus caused a beautiful flower to grow, knowing that when Persephone saw the blossom, she would stop to admire the unusual plant. When she did, Hades seized her and carried her to the Underworld. Demeter knew nothing of this plan; she only knew her daughter was missing. She spent all of her time searching for her daughter. This led to the crops dying, and famine threatened the people. Zeus became worried all of mankind would die if Demeter did not stop looking for Persephone. If mankind died, there would be no one to give sacrifices to the gods. So, he finally decided to bring Persephone out of the Underworld and back to her mother.

Hades did not want to lose Persephone. Knowing she was about to leave, he offered her a pomegranate. Persephone ate part of the seeds but did not eat them all. As a result of eating the pomegranate seeds, she was cursed to always return to the Underworld for part of each year because anyone who eats food from the Underworld can never be totally free.

So, Persephone would stay with her mother part of each year. She would then return to the Underworld for the remaining months. During the months she was in the Underworld, Demeter would make the world cold and bleak. When her daughter returned, she would once again tend to the earth. For the ancient cultures, this myth explained the cycle of the seasons.