Demeter and Persephone

Persephone was the beautiful daughter of Demeter, goddess of all that springs from the soil. Hades, lord of the underworld, had long been in love with Persephone, but he realized that no woman would ever want to share his dark, hot land of the dead. Deep in his kingdom he brooded over his love problem.

One day Demeter was picking flowers when she wandered from the path to collect some particularly beautiful blossoms. Hades came bursting from a deep chasm. Grabbing Persephone, he sped away in his flashing chariot drawn by fierce black horses. Together they withdrew into the black crevice and the earth closed over them.

When Persephone found out what happened, she was enraged. In her grief she forbade the earth to give forth its fruit. Soon all mankind was on the verge of starving to death.

Wise Zeus, the king of the gods, thought of a compromise. He told Demeter that her daughter would be restored to her only if the girl had not eaten any of the food of the dead. Unfortunately, Persephone had eaten seven red pomegranate seeds. Zeus, in his wisdom, declared that Persephone must stay with Hades one month for each seed she had eaten; however, she might return to Demeter for the remaining five months. For the time Persephone was reunited with her mother, the earth was green and bountiful with food. When Persephone returned to Hades, Demeter, in her sorrow, made the land barren and grey.