Hi all!
Long time no see! Not that a week is a terribly long time, but still; to be honest, I’ve missed having to plan for an entry! :-p
On the other hand though, we’ve all had the great joy of reading an entry by Eirini, which more than makes up for it! I was very excited to read about how and when she first got the idea, because believe it or not, I didn’t know either; so, Eirini, thanks for sharing! :-)
Now, I believe it’s time for another short mythology lesson; today we’ll be talking about Demeter, the goddess of the Earth and harvest.
She’s also associated with Earth’s fertility, and fertility in general; because of that association, she was also considered a protector of married life and motherhood; young married people often visited her temples, seeking guidance.
Her most common depiction is that of an older woman, with soft expressions, calm and collected; an image strongly associated with maternal figures. Even her name suggests so, literally meaning “mother earth”.
 |
| A mum's many faces! :-p |
As any mother though, she’s only calm and collected as long as no one harms her children.
She had only a handful of lovers, and mothered children from them all; the most well-known myth about Demeter as a mother is the one about the abduction of her daughter, Persephone, by Hades, King of the Underworld, to his kingdom (fear not, they’ll have their own entry soon).
When Persephone disappeared, Demeter went searching for her; when she realised she wasn’t going to get her back the easy way, she decided to play dirty and put a stop to the earth’s produce of fruit, bringing famine down to the people, thus forcing Zeus to demand Persephone’s return.
Motherly love in all its’ glory!
