DEMETER


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[|Demeter] in Greek religion and mythology goddess of harvest and fertility, daughter of Kronos and Rhea. She was the mother of Persephone by zeus. Demeter had been rather wild as a girl, and nobody could remember the nameof Persephone's father: probably some country god married for a drunken joke at a harvest festival. Demeter's emblem was the poppy, which grows red as blood among the barleyQUIZ **1. Who are Demeter's Parents?==** = = =2. What is Demeter's daughter's name?= =3. How are Zeus & Demeter related?= =4. How many siblings does Demeter have?=

=//Answer these questions and send them to our e-mail address mariaaH1505@hotmail.com or janorarH1505@hotmail.com and see how well you answered.//= By Zeus, Demeter became the mother of Persephone, the goddess of vegetation, who as a child loved to frolic in the fields and orchards. Her gaiety gave great joy to Demeter, who blessed the earth with great fruitfulness. But the joy and beauty of Persephone attracted Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and he stole up on and kidnapped Persephone, bringing her to his underground to serve as his Queen.

Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the Earth in search of her lost daughter until Helios, the all-seeing, revealed to her what had happened. Demeter grew angry with this news and withdrew into herself in loneliness. During this period, Demeter became an old woman and refused to do her duty as fertility Goddess. Plants shriveled and the harvest suffered greatly.



Demeter and Persephone

QUIZ Answer questions and send to our e-mail address. Check out this [|great website] Demeter began searching in vain for her daughter. Her sorrow was so great that she denied herself all food, drink, and comfort for nine days. When Dawn arrived on the tenth day, Hekate came to Demeter and told her that she had heard a voice but had not seen the abduction of poor Persephone. The two goddesses went to Helios because he sees all mortal and immortal actions. Helios, indeed, knew the plot and the players. He told Demeter that the blame was that of Zeus, Zeus and Hades. He further advised her to accept the situation because Hades was Lord of Many and not an unseemly bridegroom. Demeter did not like his advice and choose a long, brooding path to regain her precious daughter.In a strange act of revenge, Demeter, disguised as a mature woman, settled in the city of Eleusis and became the servant and nanny for the infant son of Keleos, and his wife Metaneira.
 * 1. Who is Persephone's father? ||  ||
 * 2. Who is the goddess of vegetation? ||  ||
 * 3. Who kidnapped Persophone? ||  ||
 * 4. How does Demeter suffer? ||  ||

The boy, Demophoon, was raised to be noble and pure but Demeter was surely ‘stealing’ the boys affection and loyalty away from his parents (just as her daughter had been stolen from her). One night she was caught transforming the young boy into an Immortal by placing him in the fireplace, but before Demeter (still in disguise) could make Demophoon immortal, Metaneira recognized Demeter for the goddess she was and stopped the ceremony.Keleos, and the other nobles were glad to oblige when Demeter demanded that a temple be built in her honor. After it was completed, she retreated into the temple and her brooding took on a deadly turn. The following year, no seed sprouted. No barley grew in the plowed fields. The mortals were doomed to famine and eventual destruction if Demeter did not lift her curse.Zeus sent Iris to dissuade Demeter from her destructive course but Demeter was unmoved. In turn, all the immortals came to Demeter’s temple and begged the blond goddess to change her mind and give life back to the earth. She refused them all.

Zeus now sent Hermes to the underworld to speak with Hades and Persephone. Hermes explained the situation and suggested, with gentle words, that Persephone be returned to her mother. Hades was filled with compassion but he was also intent on keeping his bride. He offered Persephone a honey-sweet pomegranate seed as she departed. By tasting the seed she became eternally bound to Hades and the Underworld.Demeter was joyous when she saw her darling Persephone again but her joy was tempered with the fact that Hades had tricked the innocent Persephone and she must eventually return to him.

Now, in an effort to save the earth and appease his sister, Zeus sent Rhea, mother of the Olympians, and offered Demeter honors if she would only return to Mount Olympos (Olympus) and lift the curse that was killing the earth. Zeus promised that Persephone could spend two thirds of the year with her mother but the remaining third of the year would be spent with her husband, Hades.Demeter was moved by her mother’s plea. The earth began to swiftly recover it’s vitality and became fertile again. Demeter and Persephone ascended to Mount Olympos and it is said that those on earth whom they gladly love are thrice blessed. It’s interesting to note that the year was divided onto thirds, just as the three brothers, Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, divided creation into thirds after the overthrow of Kronos.When Persephone is with Hades the earth is wracked by the sorrow of her mother. But, when Persephone returns from The Underworld to walk the earth again, Demeter pours forth the blessings of Spring to welcome her beloved daughter home.Her age old feud with her brother, Poseidon, might serve to explain why the edge of the sea is barren of crops.

The origin of this feud is vague.She is most often confused with the Roman goddess, Ceres. **[|Citation]**

//Out line comparison of two stories: In the book// __Gods,Heros and Men of Ancient Greece__ //and Mythology timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes//

 * //**In the story Heroes they said that Zeus father of Persephine had something to do with the kidnapping of Demeters daughter.**//
 * //**Also they said that demeter started to take care of another child and in the other story they didnt say anything about her taking care of another child.**//
 * //**Said that the little boy was mortal but which he was immortal in another story**//
 * **//In one book they didnt say anything about Demeter getting Persephone back, but in the other stories they said that Hades gave Persephone Back to Demeter as long as each year he could have her back for four months.//**