English Final

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter tells the story of Demeter, the goddess of fertility of grain. Demeter has a daughter with Zeus by the name of Persephone. The hymn explains the strong bond between Demeter and Persephone and how distraught Demeter is when her daughter is abducted. This traumatic event causes Demeter to live among mortal men disguised as an old woman and withdraw the fertility of the earth. In this paper, I will examine how the Homeric Hymn to Demeter operates as a charter myth, or narrative that explains modern practices, and how successful the hymn is in conveying the modern practice.

Together, the two patriarchal figures conspire to kidnap and force Persephone to marry Hades. This is done behind Demeter’s back, intentionally removing her from her role as mother. Their actions directly diminish or outright remove the will of Demeter, a symbol of women in Greek culture (The Homeric Hymn to Demeter 29-30). This theme of a removal of female autonomy is mirrored later in the text when Hades tricks Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds. This action is a deliberate attempt to remove Persephone’s ability to choose for herself, condemning her to spend the winter months in the underworld with him. Not only does this subjugate Persephone to Hades’ will, but it also lends justification to the subjugation of women by men (372-400). By removing the sovereignty of the female mind, the myth promotes male authority.

While reading online about the Greek Gods and Goddesses I found several things on Demeter Goddess of the harvest agriculture, and fertility. I found several things about her daughter Persephone also. I found all of the infkormation that I am about to mention on Greek Gods & Goddesses, Greek Mythology Pantheon, Goddessgift.com. In this Essay I am hoping to Enlighten you to what has happened to Demeter and Persephone.

     Hades is one of the brothers of Zeus. He is the unlucky one who got to rule the underworld. He is cruel and unforgiving. Only two have ever gone to Hades domain and returned, Hercules and Odysseus. Hades fell in love with Zeus’s daughter and devised a plan to abduct her. With Zeus’s help they succeeded in the capture of Persephone. Her mother Demeter was so enraged she cursed the Earth. She continued the curse even after she was released. It was only after her mother Rhea was allowed to see her that she let the Earth prosper (message).

In the myth “Persephone”, as retold by Anne Terry White, Hades falls instantly in love with the Goddess of harvest and takes her to the underworld with him. Have is all the sudden alarmed by the heaven, fire breathing beasts that had been buried underground, so he comes up to the land. Anthradite, Goddess of love, spots Hades and commands her son, Eros, to shoot with an arrow of love, hoping it would make Hades release the beasts kindly. Hades suddenly gets shot and his heart slowly begins to soften. Suddenly, in the distance, Hades sees Persephone, goddess of harvest, gracefully working in the meadows and he instantly falls in love with her. As a result, he decides to practically kidnap he and takes her down to the underworld with him.

1. Noelle quits her $80,000-a-year job to stay home. What is the opportunity cost of her decision?

“Go in peace” she replied, “and be happy in your daughter; I have lost mine.” (Bulfinch’s Mythology, pg 54, para 1). The farmer and his daughter sat with Demeter and cried with her. They invited her to stay for the night and introduced her to the sick son of the farmer. Demeter healed the boy and tried to make him immortal, but was stopped by the farmer’s wife. Demeter left the farm still searching for Persephone. Demeter came across a river nymph that knew what happened to Persephone. She dared not to tell, because she fears Hades. The nymph did give Demeter the girdle that Persephone dropped. Demeter sure her daughter was dead blamed the earth. Blaming the earth Demeter stopped fertilizing the land. The cattle died, the crops weren’t growing, there was too much sun and rain. Seeing this the nymph told the goddess what she saw. The goddess Demeter heard this and rode her chariot to meet Zeus. Zeus agreed to help,

In Ovid Metamorphoses, the Roman literature described the ruthless act of Pluto of rape, to seize and carry away Proserpine without the consent of Ceres and in parallel in the Homeric Hymns of Demeter; Persephone was seized and carried away by Hades without the consent of Demeter. The invariant theme that was identified in both the Greek and Roman literature was the loss of innocence of Persephone/Proserpine. Despite the various differences the story was presented, it reinforced the innocence that was stolen from the god of the underworld, Hades or also known as Pluto. Throughout this paper, it will discuss the similar characteristics of the two myths such as the motive that led and encouraged the god of the underworld to kidnap

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter addresses the fate of Persephone is in the hands of others and is removed from freedom of choice as she is portrayed as a minor. In effect, it is symbolic of the power family holds as the actions of her mother, her father Zeus and her husband Hades determine her path. The text accustoms nickname Persephone throughout the passage as the ‘Core’, the ‘Girl’, or ‘Virgin’. These nicknames assume her role as an underage girl not responsible for her life decisions. The Hymn begins with highlighting the role of the patriarch in a family Zeus as both the head of the family and the other gods who must defer to him as he arranges Hades to take Persephone against her will. As Demeter struggles with the mourn and loss of her child she begins to abandon her reproduction responsibilities and Persephone is ordered to go to the side of your dark robed mother. However, Hades persuades Persephone to eat pomegranate seeds, representing the loss of her innocence as it spiritually bounds her to Hades. Zeus accustomed to be acknowledges as the father of justice and good government rectifies the issue with the arrangement that Persephone remains with Hades however returns to her mother and the Gods for 2 thirds of the year. The Fate of Persephone portrays the common marriage cycle that pertained in Ancient Greece whereby it held the connotation of death for the maiden and submission and adaptation into their Fathers orders.

Duality occasionally results as the cause for suffering, while it is a product of the mind, it can often revolve around condemnation and the fear of judgement. Sylvia Plath’s poem, “Two Sisters of Persephone” illuminates the idea of the duality that exists within a woman’s personality. The title “Two Sisters of Persephone” suggests that there are two sisters being described in this poem, when in reality, Plath allures the reader by revealing that the two designated qualities actually deal with the two lives that Persephone endured as the Goddess of the Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. Plath conveys the concept of dualism through the purposeful use of structure, and depicting imagery to illustrate the contrasting lives of the renowned deity, Persephone.

Persephone refuses to eat as well in the underworld because of the longing to see her mother. Upon eating, the pair both consumes seemingly mortal food, a resemblance of the primal stage of human life. Also, while on earth Demeter seems to fondly take to human jokes, and even demonstrates a liking for a mortal maid. Demeter’s emersion is explicated stated her experience of suffering and mortal limitations that are imposed on her while attempting to rescue her daughter in Hades.

When Demeter’s daughter Persephone gets abducted by the god Hades, she was distraught. She wandered upon the Earth in disguise and when she came upon Eleusis. Four sisters saw her and were concerned about her so they ran back home to their mother Metaneira and she instructed them to bring her back home. Once she arrived at the home, they offered her food and drink and were very hospitable to the goddess in disguise.

Demeter goddess of the corn once had a daughter. Her name was Persephone. One day Persephone was out and about when suddenly the lord of the underworld carried her away. Her mother Demeter could hear Persephone's echoing cry. Demeter searched for her daughter day and night, but she was no where to be found. Demeter wandered nine days, until she came to the Sun. The Sun told Demeter of what really had happened to Persephone. At last Demeter knew where Persephone was; in the underworld.

mom in the fields all the time . Demeter was the one in charge of harvest , she is one of Zeus’s

The goddess Demeter controls the seasons and is also Persephone 's mother. When Hades abducts Persephone, Demeter becomes obsessed with finding her daughter. Demeter forbid the growth of food on Earth creating a famine. Zeus eventually intervened and had Hermes sent to the underworld to negotiate. Persephone is able to return to Earth for 8 months every year. Then she will spend the rest of the year in the underworld. This relates to the seasons because when Persephone is on Earth, Demeter is happy and allows everything to grow. This is during the Spring, Summer, and Fall. However as her 8 months reaches the end, nature becomes cruel and nothing can grow. This is the winter.