Relationship Myth Ritual Using Myth Demeter Persephone

¶ … relationship myth ritual Using myth Demeter Persephone the relationship a myth a ritual important understand. The myth Demeter Persephone relationship. Myths read context actual ritual. Myths created explain orgination specific activities ancient culture.

There is a strong relationship between myths and rituals, as some of history's oldest cultures have devised myths with the purpose of describing events that are part of rituals. In order to have a complex understanding of a myth, one needs to focus on looking at the respective legend in an association with the ritual that it is meant to refer to. The Homeric hymn describing the life of Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, is intended to provide a mythical account concerning seasons and about why vegetation experiences a state of decay for several months each year.

The myth of Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, involves the latter being kidnapped by Hades, the god of the Underworld, as a result of him being mesmerized by her beauty. As a response to this act, her mother, the individual in charge of agriculture and fertility, refused to cultivate lands and triggered a period of barrenness. This in turn influences Zeus and other gods to want to get actively involved in resolving the problem, as only by their interference would conditions become normal again.

Zeus sent Hermes to negotiate with Hades, as he was well-aware that the god of the Underworld would be reluctant to yield so easily. The god of transitions managed to get Hades to cooperate and also pleased the other gods and Demeter by reaching a settlement involving Persephone spending several months per year with her mother and the rest of the year with Hades in the underworld.

Upon discovering that her daughter was going to be back Demeter prepared the world in order for Persephone to be happy with its beauty as she stayed on earth. In addition to this, she provided people with fertile lands and made it possible for them to grow any kind of crops they wanted to as she was satisfied with having her daughter alongside of her. However, as the time they spent together passed she would have to allow Persephone to return to the underworld. This had a terrible effect on Demeter and she would no longer express interest in the natural world, as all that she could care about was her daughter.

The fact that there is much controversy regarding whether Persephone was tricked into eating four or six pomegranate six is most probably meant to emphasize that the myth can be interpreted differently depending on the reader's geographical position. While in Greece it would be logical to consider that she only ate four seeds (considering the Mediterranean climate there), weather is less mild in other areas and it would be rational for individuals there to consider that she ate six seeds as long as they want to associate the myth with conditions in their area.