The Abduction Of Persephone By Hades Story Moral/Summary

Aforetime in Greek mythology, Zeus had three sisters who eventually became his wives. Hera, his pronounced wife and sister, was the queen of all the gods and the goddess of marriage.

Hestia, his second sister, was the goddess of home and hearth and was much loved by the women of Greece. Demeter was the third sister, the goddess of harvest and nature.

All the gods’ job is essential, but Demeter’s job is the most important, for she is in charge of the harvest. Gods and mortals did their best to keep the goddess happy, for if she was upset, the crops would die.

What made her joyful all the time was with her daughter, Persephone. She was her daughter with the god Zeus. She had grown into a modest and beautiful young woman with a vibrant smile for everyone.

On the other hand, Hades, the god of the underworld, her uncle, was usually gloomy. But, one day, while Persephone picked flowers in the field, Hades was dazzled with her beauty.

Meanwhile, Demeter went away to supervise her bountiful crop. As Persephone played with the Nereids, the sea nymphs, and Naiads, the freshwater nymphs, her attention fell upon the valley nearby, and she couldn’t take her eyes off a yellow flower narcissus.

She called her playmates to come and get the flower, but they couldn’t go, for they would die if they left their water bodies.

She tried to pluck it hard, but her energy was drained as she forcefully pulled the narcissus.

But, after a while, she was shocked to see a tiny hole from where she had drawn out the flower, and it began to overgrow in size. It started to resemble an enormous chasm, and from it came the galloping sound of horses, and Persephone couldn’t move in fear.

Before anyone could interfere, he quickly kidnapped Persephone and hurled his golden chariot into the darkest depth of the underworld.

Hades then locked Persephone in a room in the Hall where she cried and cried. She refused to speak with him and even eat anything that he offered. Legends have said that you couldn’t leave his place if you ate anything from Hades.

Even if the legend was true or not, she did not want to risk it in case someone might come to rescue her. Time passed; she couldn’t bear her hunger, so she ate six pomegranate seeds.

On the other hand, back on earth, Demeter rushed to where she had left her daughter. Nobody could tell her the whereabouts of her daughter. So, she cursed the nymphs into heinous women with scaly feet, and plumed bodies called sirens.

She then saw the belt of Persephone and thought that something grave had happened to her daughter. Demeter hunted for her daughter madly everywhere.

While looking for her daughter, she neglected her job, resulting in the death of the crops and plants.

Finally, she seeks the help of Helios, the sun god, who tells her how Hades dragged Persephone into the underworld. But, in despair, Demeter could do nothing to bring her back.

As time went by, Zeus was greatly worried about the crops. The people had nothing to eat if the crop failed.

He sent Hermes, his son, the messenger, to make a deal with Hades. Hermes has been great at making deals ever since he was a baby.

He was much challenged to crack a deal with Hades, for he was very in love. When Hermes heard that Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think of a great deal.

The deal he made with Hades was that if Persephone married him, she would be the underworld queen for six months of the year.

On the contrary, Persephone would live on earth together with her mother, Demeter, for the next six months of the year. Hades, Zeus, and Persephone agreed, and finally, Demeter also agreed, for she could do nothing with it.

Every springtime, Demeter sees that all the flowers bloom in welcome with the return of her daughter, Persephone, the underworld queen.

By fall, Demeter cries, and all the crops die, for it is when Persephone returns to Hades.