Who Are Demeter and Persephone

How is that for a title. Any guesses?

First of all, this is the first day of WINTER.  Does that help?

Well, let me tell you the story about Demeter and Persephone.  "According to Greek mythology, they were goddesses who ruled over the growth and death of the earth's vegatation.


One day, Demeter, goddess of all growing things, could not find her beloved daughter, Persephone. For nine days she search and asked after the child, but no one had seen her.

On the 10th day, Triptolemus told how the earth opened up and a chariot drawn by black horses appeared and disappeared, the drivers face obscured but his right arm tightly clasping a struggling maiden.

Demeter then knew that Hades, god of the underworld, had stolen Persephone, probably in collusion with his brother Zeus, ruler of the gods.

Demeter refused to return to Olympus, home of the gods, and wandered the earth, lamenting her loss and forbidding the trees to yield fruit and the fields to bear grain. Gifts and sweet-talk failed to move Demeter. Zeus was powerless to save the race of man.

Zeus sent a message to Hades, and they agreed to release Persephone if only she had not eaten the food of the dead. Persephone, though sorely tempted, had not eaten a bit from a crust of bread nor a sip of water.

Their ruse having failed, Zeus and Hades were obliged to release Persephone to her mother's arms, when a gardener appeared, claiming to have seen Persephone eat six seeds of a pomegranate plucked from Hades orchard.

Demeter remained adamant. and Hades was forced to release Persephone. Save for 3 months when she would rule with Hades as Queen of the underworld.

It is during those 3 month that nothing grows while Demeter mourns the annual loss of her beloved daughter Persephone. And that is why we have WINTER."

So, there you have it. Just a little more trivia!


These lovely pieces of garden wall art were  given to me by a friend who included this story of the origin and inspiration for the artist.

Happy Holidays,

~Mary~