Greek Gods

Persephone

How Persephone became the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring


Persephone is the Goddess of the Underworld, and the Goddess of Spring. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Persephone was beautiful, everyone loved her. Even Hades himself wanted her.

One Day Persephone was collecting Flowers for her mother Demeter, the Goddess of the Harvest, on the plain Enna. Hades had been watching Persephone and had placed a particular flower on the plain. When Persephone bent down to smell it the world shook beneath her.  The beautiful scenery in front of her became Dark as the world cracked and Hades rose from the Underworld, in a chariot, pulled by magnificent back stallions. He abducted and none but Zeus and the sun god Helios had noticed it. 


Broken-Hearted, Demeter wondered the earth looking for Persephone until Helios, the all seeing, revealed what had happened. Demeter was so upset she withdrew herself in loneliness, and all fertility on the earth stopped. Plants, trees and flowers withered and died. The earth grew barren and all the creatures began to starve. Winter and Cold came.

After months of this Zeus finally sent Hermes down to the underworld to convince Hades to release Persephone. Hades agreed, but Hades being the evil man he was had a plan. Before Persephone left he gave her a pomegranate, she ate 3 seeds. She was unaware of the rule if you eat anything in the underworld you have to stay there for a certain amount of time every year. She was forever connected to the realm of Hades and had to stay there for one-third of the year. The other month she remained with her mother.


 When the time of the year came and it was time for Persephone to go to Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow, plants and crop died and winter began. When Persephone returned to her mother three months later springtime returned and the earth came back to life. This is why Persephone is the Goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld.