The Greek Gods

Demeter was born to the Titans, Kronos (Cronos), and Rhea. She had five siblings. They were Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, and Zeus. She was a fair haired earth goddess who blessed all phases of the harvest. It is said that she walks the fields in a green dress and displays her moods with feast or famine. She is known as the goddess of agriculture. Demeter had two beautiful daughters, Okeanos (Ocean), and Persephone, and it is written that one day while the three were playing in a field of flowers and picking flowers, that Persephone reached down to pick a beautiful flower which had one hundred stems of blossoms, the earth open up and Hades came forth in his golden chariot and grabbed her before anyone could do anything about it. The field of flowers were not earthly flowers. They had been concocted by Zeus and Hades as a trap for Perephone. There were no mortals who heard her cries for help. There were two immortals, Hekate (Hecate), and Helios (the Sun), who heard her cries. Demeter searched for her daughter and with no luck, she stopped eating and drinking for nine days. On the tenth day, Hekate went to her and told her heard a voice but did not know who abducted her. They went to Helios because he sees all mortal and immortal actions. He told Demeter of the plot between Zeus and Hades to kidnap Persephone. Helios suggested to her to accept the abduction because Hades was a Lord of many. Demeter did not like the suggestion so she began to plan a way to get her daughter back.

Demeter put a curse on the plowed fields and caused a famine on the fields. Zeus sent Hermes into the underworld to talk to Hades. Hermes suggested to Hades that Persephone be returned to her mother. Hades agreed to let her go but in parting he gave her a pomegranate seed. She tasted the seed and became eternally bound to Hades and the underworld. Demeter was very happy to see Persephone but was saddened knowing that she had to eventually return to Hades.

Zeus sent Rhea, the mother of the Olympians, to tell Demeter that if she lifted the curse on the fields, she could keep her daughter 2/3 of each year and the remainder of the year, she would go to Hades and the underworld. It is said that when Persephone is with hades, we have winter and when she returns to earth everything grows and turns green again. It is also thought that the reason nothing can grow on the edge of the sea because of a feud between Poseiden and Demeter.