Hades and Persephone

This term in inquiry we covered myths and legends. We looked at different countries and how different cultures have different myths that are similar but have there own twists. We learnt that myths are completely made up to explain something illogical and a legend is just a deeply exaggerated story.

Persephone is the goddess of vegetation, and grain. One day Persephone was picking Flowers. 

Hades appeared and stole her to the underworld. There he fed her 6 pomegranate seeds. But the seeds were special as they were grown in the underworld, thus binding Persephone to the underworld.

Meanwhile, Demeter went looking for her, and it came to her attention that Hades probably had something to do with it.

She took off, and arrived in the underworld. She confronted Hades telling him that Persephone did not belong in the Underworld and demanded Persephone returned to Earth with her. But Hades had already thought about that and told Demeter it was too late as Persephone had been bound to the Underworld.

As stated before Persephone is the goddess of vegetation, and without her presence of Earth. Plant-life started to decrease and everything started to die. Hades and Demeter came to an agreement that Persephone would spend 6 months in the underworld for the 6 pomegranate seeds she ate and she’d the remainder 6 months on Earth. 

Thenceforward for 6 months a year the vegetation would thrive and for the 6 months it would die, preparing for new growth. Over time this became known as the 4 seasons of the year. 

Over time Persephone grew to love Hades who treated her with compassion and loved her as his Queen. She stayed young and beautiful as things don’t age in the underworld. The god and goddess ended up getting married and lived happily ever after.