Persephone is the goddess of the
Underworld; wife of Hades; also known as Kore (the
maiden). Her symbol is the pomegranate (in later art).
Sources for Greek mythology usually claim that Persephone
was the daughter of two Olympian gods, Zeus and Demeter.
This is an interesting ancestry for a goddess who was
destined to be the Queen of the Underworld, but in
ancient myth, almost anything is possible. And although
her parents were powerful and well known deities,
Persephone remains somewhat elusive and shadowy, like the
realm over which she co-rules. This may be due to the
fact that she is overshadowed by her mother. In the Hymn
to Demeter, we find the most important myth about
Persephone, and yet the majority of the poem is dedicated
to Demeter (as the title suggests).
Most of the Hymn to Demeter is
concerned with the details of Demeter's search for her
lost daughter, because the poem is in many respects more
about Demeter and her reactions to the loss of Persephone
than about the abduction of Persephone itself. Be this as
it may, the young goddess who is enamored of flowers and
cavorting with her friends is transformed into the wife
of the stern and imperious Hades in the Hymn. This is
accomplished through one significant event: once in the
Underworld, Hades offers Persephone the seeds of the
pomegranate, which she accepts. The act of ingesting
pomegranate seeds symbolizes the consummation of their
relationship, which is a beautiful poetic touch.
Hereafter, Persephone, who was previously known as Kore
("the maiden") is regarded as the spouse of Hades, and
she inhabits the Underworld with him for part of the
year.
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