Persephone

By Laura Jaramillo

 My name is Persephone or just, “The Goddess of the Underworld”. You must have heard of my parents, Zeus and Demeter. My mother, the goddess of grain and fertility, was responsible for the growth of plants and crops and I usually helped her with her work. I’m known because of my beauty and something that happened when I was young and everybody loved and desired me, even Hades, the god of underworld. Because of my beauty, Pluto wanted to marry me.  He asked for Zeus’s permission to do so, but he refused Hades’ request because he knew Demeter would never agree. One day, while collecting flowers on the Plain of Enna, the earth suddenly opened and Hades emerged and abducted me.  Helios was the only one that saw how Hades kidnapped me. My mom, Demeter searched for me day and night but it was quite impossible. All the crops withered and died. She looked for me until Helios revealed what happened. Demeter had a depression while I was suffering Hades’ cruelty. Knowing this could not continue much longer, Zeus decided to send Hermes down to the underworld to look for me. Hades obviously disagreed and was reluctant to give back. Before I went back home, he gave me some seeds known as pomegranate. What I didn’t even noticed was that they were part of a plan. After eating them, I went back to the underworld forever. Sadly my life changed, one-third of the year was completely boring; I needed to stay down there, and then could psend the remaining months with my mother.  That was how winter was created, while I was with Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow.  From that day on, I became the goddess of the earth and harvest. 

References: 

Clon, M. (2002). The Story of Persephone. http://www.Carlo s.emory.  edu/ODYSSEY/GREECE/perseph.html