Demeter, Goddess of the fertile land, had a daughter named Kore. One day, Kore was out in the meadows gathering flowers with her companions, when she noticed a narcissus of particular beauty, and stooped to pick it. As she did so, the ground burst open and out thundered Hades, Lord of the Underworld, in his chariot. He seized Kore and carried her away with him to his dark kingdom below the Earth.

When Demeter heard of the disappearance of her daughter, it was as if all light and life had gone out of the world. Flinging over her shoulder the somber veil of sorrow, the Goddess flew like a bird over land and sea, seeking for her lost child. When at last she discovered the name of the thief - and that the Father God Zeus himself had conspired in the crime - she was beyond herself with rage and dispair. She disguised herself as an old woman, and desolately wandered the world of man.

At last she came to the city of Eleusis, that was ruled by the wise king Celeus. No one there knew her true indentity and in the king's palace she became nurse to his infant son. One day, as she was about to give the child the gift of immortality by lowering him into the fire, his mother spied her and Demeter was forced to reveal her true identity. With all the power of her divine majesty she commanded that a temple be built for her in Eleusis, where the people might come to celebrate her mysteries. In gratitude to Celeus' family for their hospitality, she also imparted to their oldest son, Triptolemus, her secrets. She gave to him the first grain of corn, and taught him how to sow it that it might bring forth rich harvests. She showed him how to harness oxen to the plow and gave him a winged chariot drawn by dragons that he might travel the world spreading his knowledge among all men.

But all that was yet to come, for first the Goddess would have her revenge for the theft of her daughter. Sealed in her temple in Eleusis she vowed that the earth would not bear any fruit until her daughter was returned to her. And so it was. For the first time, the corn would not grow, the fruit would not ripen and darkness, famine and death spread a black cloak over the land. Every creature. every mortal was afflicted with a terrible and biting hunger.

In desperation Zeus sent the rainbow-Goddess Iris to plead with Demeter. Descending to earth on her iridescent bridge Iris begged Demeter to relent, but it was of no use. One by one the Gods came to plead but still the land lay barren. At last the only solution was for Zeus to command Hades to return Kore to her mother. Hades agreed - but Hades had already prepared himself for this moment.

While she was in his kingdom, Hades had offered Kore a pomegranate, the apple with many seeds. Only four of the seeds had passed the unsuspecting girls lips but these had sealed her fate, for the magical pomegranate is the fruit of sexual union. Kore was now the wife of Hades and had a new name, Persphone, Queen of the Underworld.

So Hades consented to release his wife - but only for part of the year. As his queen, he demanded that she must spend four months of each year in the dark realm with him - one for each seed swallowed.

And so it was and so it is that when the Maiden departs, winter cloaks the world. And so it was and so it is that when the Maiden returns, the earth blossoms with joy and spring dances over the land.

(although this famous story comes from classical Greece, when male gods had wrested from the Goddess much of her old power, it has a predominately female cast. Kore, Demeter and Persephone reflect the Goddess's three lunar faces of Maiden, Mother and Crone. )

This was taken from "The Magickal Year" by Diana Ferguson
 

Back One Page

Back To Home Page

.