Demeter

By T.S.

The ancient Greek goddess, Demeter, was the goddess of harvest, health, birth, and marriage. She was responsible for making all things grow.  In one of the most famous myths Demeter’s daughter, Persephone vanishes, causing to become distraught and furious.  For days Demeter would not let people, animals, and gods eat until Persephone returned home.  Demeter finally discovered that Persephone had fallen into a hole that led to the underworld, where Hades the evil god ruled.  Demeter called her brother, the all-powerful god, Zeus, and told him that Hades had Persephone, and she demanded he help Persephone back home.  Zeus sent Hermes to rescue Persephone from the underworld, but when Persephone got back to earth, Demeter learned that Persephone had done something irreversible to tie her to Hades forever.  She had eaten the food of the dead, a pomegranate, and would, therefore have to return to the underworld each year, for one month, for every pomegranate seed that she hade eaten. Every year when Persephone leaves to visit Hades, her mother, Demeter, turns into an old gray woman because she misses her daughter.  During this time nothing grows because Demeter is in her old gray state, thus, creating winter season.  Demeter’s importance to ancient Greek life is that she is the one who grows grain, has control over marriage, health, and birth.