Homeric Hymn to Demeter

Homer began his song revealing to his audience that Hades had permission from Zeus to abduct Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter. One day, a glorious narcissus sent by Earth to lure Persephone to her abduction while she was playing and gathering flowers with the daughters of Oceanus. With curiosity Persephone reached for the flower; and at once, Hades sprang from the earth and grabbed her into his car pulled by deathless horses. She cried out for help but not a single soul heard her pleads, except the sun god Helius and Hecate. Meanwhile, Zeus was hiding in his temple to receive offerings from the mortal and to avoid the cries of his daughter. At last, Demeter heard her cries as she wept in torments and wandered about for nine days to look for Persephone. Finally, Hecate suggested that Demeter seek out Helius for the identity of Persephone’s abductor. Helius informed her that Hades had permission from Zeus to take Persephone as his wife in the underworld and that Demeter should give up her anguish.

The weeping goddess disguised herself as an old woman, until at last she came to Eleusis and rested at the Well of the Maiden. There, the four daughters of Celeus who came to fetch water from the well saw the old woman.

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Thus, the irreversible pattern suggests the death of one and new life to another, each plays a different role that forever changes their way of life.

The Hymn itself can be accounted for its agricultural allegory in the ancient times. Mankind was almost wiped out by a famine, thus ended the offerings men make to the gods. Her curiosity caused her to remain by Hades and together they rule the land of the dead. Even though she is aware of the custom, Persephone took the pomegranate seed and ate it anyways. Furthermore, marriage associates with death for women because many died from childbirth and enormous pollution, which is also known as miasma. Even though men in ancient society empowered over women, they do not have the ability to reproduce. As Powell suggested, there can never be a world in which there is only life and never death because life comes out of death, one feeding on the other. Thus, marriage is an experience that brings an end to their childhood, and for many the end to their lives. In addition, Powell explains that the Lord Death carries off Persephone to be his wife in the underworld while she is playing with other girls suggests death to her childhood, a similar account to Greek girls offer their dolls to Artemis before marriage and accept their new role in society. Perhaps Demeter has planed to make Demophon, the son of Celeus, king of Eleusis, immortal to rule the city as her gratitude towards the queen and the maidens’ generosity. The myth also incorporates that Persephone descent to the underworld is her death and the end of fertility on earth because her mother Demeter forbids the growth of crops.

According to the Greek myths of fertility, Demeter and Persephone closely represent the female power and the fertility of the world. The old woman told her story that she fled from her captors, the pirates from Crete, and was in need of employment. ” Greek mothers mourn and grieve as they toil with their everyday chores, but could not have done otherwise.

Approximate Word count = 2136
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

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