The Story of Demeter and Persephone and Why We Have Seasons

An account of how the seasons on Earth are caused by Hades, the god of the underworld, capturing a goddess.

Hera, Hestia, and Demeter were the three sisters of Zeus, the supreme god.

Zeus married Hera, and she was also his sister. The goddess of marriage and the monarch of the gods was Hera.

Another of his sisters, Hestia, who represented the home and hearth, was a beloved deity among Greek women.

Demeter, his third sister, oversaw the harvest. All of the God's tasks were significant. Nonetheless, Demeter's work was crucial. The crops might perish if she became upset. The gods and humans put in a lot of effort to maintain Demeter's happiness. She was happiest when she was with her daughter, Persephone.

Persephone had developed into a lovely young lady with a welcoming smile. Her uncle Hades, the god of the underworld, once caught her collecting flowers in the fields.

Hades was often a pessimistic person. Yet he had been enchanted by Persephone's beauty. He fell in love at first sight. He quickly abducted Persephone and threw his chariot into the shadowless corners of the underworld, taking Persephone with him, before anybody could intervene.

Persephone sobbed nonstop while she was imprisoned in a room in the Hall of Hades. She declined to converse with Hades. She also objected to eating. According to a legend, you could never escape Hades if you ate anything there. She had no idea if the lore was genuine, but she did not want to take a chance in case it was true.

It was almost a week later. Persephone finally gave in to her hunger and downed six pomegranate seeds. She appeared to be doomed. She would have to spend all of her time in the Underworld.

Demeter was unhappy while still on Earth. Her daughter was missing. She couldn't take care of the crops. She was only able to cry because she was so helpless.

The harvests were a concern for Zeus, king of the gods. If the harvests failed, the people would perish. Who would worship Zeus if that occurred? He had to act. Zeus acted as he frequently did. Hermes, the messenger, his youngest son, was sent this time to negotiate with Hades.

Hermes was an expert negotiator from the time he was a newborn. Everyone understood that. The test of his life, however, may be this agreement.

Hermes had to act immediately after learning that Persephone had consumed six pomegranate seeds. He struck a deal with Hades in which, in exchange for Persephone's marriage to him, she would rule the underworld for six months of the year. But, Persephone would come back every spring and spend the remaining six months of the year on Earth. Hades concurred. Zeus concurred. Persephone accepted it. Finally, Demeter gave her consent.

As her daughter, the Queen of the Underworld, returns to her every spring, Demeter makes sure that all the flowers bloom in greeting. When Persephone returns to Hades each autumn Demeter weeps and allows all the crops to perish until spring, when the cycle begins once more.