Persephone and Demeter: A Reason for Our Seasons
Demeter was one of the five siblings of Zeus, King of all the Gods. She was in charge of the harvest. If she did not tend to the crops, then the mortals on Earth would suffer and die. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, king of the Underworld, when he took his Cerberus for a walk on Earth. He fell in love with her, and took her with him, where she was locked in the underworld by Hades, and tricked into remaining with him for all time. Demeter was devastated, and no longer cared about the crops or harvest, and people suffered as a result.
Read on to find out what happened to Persephone, and how we, in this Ancient Greek myth, developed the four seasons and escaped our own version of ‘Frozen’.
| The Myth | Demeter_Persephone_Readers_Theatre-1 |
Questions:
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not?
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
Her beauty!
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
Because it was a law, if Persephone ate food she would have to stay with Hades.
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
They had no trees, grass or crops! As Demeter was so upset she said ‘ Yes. While she is gone, no crops will grow. No tree will bear. No grass will
spring. While she is gone and while I mourn her, Earth will grow dry and shrivel as my
heart, and will put forth no green thing.’
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
Because of Demeter’s longing for her daughter we have the Summer and Winter!
Summer is time for happiness and growth as her daughter Persephone is on Earth with her.
Winter is when Earth is dark and cold as Demeter suffers, whilst Persephone is in the underworld.
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not
Yes, because it was summer and everyone was happy, and bright. Until Queen Elsa got scared and upset she set off an eternal winter where everyone in that kingdom was very down!
Wow! Erynn great job!
Hi Ms Johnson and Miss Turner,
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
Her looks
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
Because she ate his food.
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
All the crops and flowers died.
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
Spring/Summer comes when Demeters daughter is about to return to the Earth as she wants to welcome her.
Autumn/Winter comes when Persephone goes back to the Underworld she ignores the crops and flowers.
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not?
Yes. Because in Frozen they flick between the two seasons and it shows that Summer was fun and happy, then Winter was gloomy and sad.
Jasmin :
1. Her laugh and her love for the three headed dog. He smiled when she did and also how much she cared for the dog.
2. Hermes made the deal with Hades that Persephone would have 6 months as Queen and 6 months where she could go home. That is only because she had to marry Hades. Therefore she still had to stay in the underworld for 6 m0nths.
3. All the crops died. This was because Demter didn’t care about th crops all she wanted was for her daughter back. The crops did not grow until Zeaus sent Hames down to the underworld to deal with Hades. The story says because of this deal the crops don’t grow unless her daughter is coming home or is home.
4. This relates to the seasons because of when the crops grow. Like I explained earlier Hames had to make that deal with Hades that Persephone had to marry him. This ment that Persephone was not aloud to vistit her family until six months had came as Queen. Also after the six months with her family has gone she would have to go back to the underworld. The seasons relate with her mother being sad when she is gone and happy when she is home. Spring how everthing grows becuase Demeter is delighted and fall when Demter is upset.
5. We can relate this with Frozen beause the emotions of someone who can control seasons. For instance in the movie Frozen, Elsa is terrifed and upset she sets of an eternal Winter and everyone is cold . Also when Elsa is controlled and happy she kepts her cold powers to herself.
1. It isn’t physically stated in the script that Hades fell in love with Persephone, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that if it was stated, her beauty would be the cause.
2. Because she ate four pomegranate seeds, and was sentenced to spending four months in the underworld with Hades annually.
3. They suffered greatly, because Demeter would not help crops grow until Persephone came back to her. She vowed to herself that whilst Persephone was away in Hades’ Underworld, she would not put forth ANY green thing, or anything that grows.
4. It says that Persephone stays in the Underworld for 4 months, which is the length of 1 season + 1/3 of the next season, seeing that Summer goes December – February, Autumn is March – May, Winter (our current season) June – August and Spring (the best season) September – November. However there is the fact that July and August did not exist back then (I’m pretty sure they were introduced in early CE, if not, late BCE) so there were only 10 months to a year. This probably meant that Winter was for four months, same for Summer, and Spring and Autumn were only 1 month long. That would mean that I would’ve been born in late Winter, Spring would be in December, Summer would be Jan, Feb, March & April, and May would’ve been Autumn. Or if you kept Summer the same, etc. I think this is getting off topic. Relating to the four seasons, not much grows in Winter (only very special plants thrive in Winter) , whereas much grows in Summer, Spring and Autumn.
5. Yes we can, because the length of time of things not growing felt like ever-lasting Winter, because they were not used to Winter (whereas the people of Narnia were totally used to Winter). It must’ve felt like an eternity, whereas in Frozen it also felt like an eternal Winter.
-Jojo
I’ve completed all the questions and the tasks! 🙂
Great thinking Joanna
🙂 Great work Kahlia
Nice work Jasmin 🙂
Miss Turner-Erynn, what did you find out? Similarities and differences between the three texts?
Miss Turner-Great thinking Kahlia 🙂
1. Her prettiness
2. Because she ate food in the Under world and it is the law that once you eat food in the underworld you can not leave.
3. The mortals suffered as there crops were not growing so they had nothing to eat.
4.Spring/Summer all flowers are pretty and crops are growing as Demeter wants to welcome her daughter and Autumn/winter no crops grow and flowers are not blooming as Demeter is upset.
5.yes because it was all happy untill Queen Elsa got upset and it is just like how when Demeter is upset then she makes things gloomy and Elsa does the exact same.
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
Her looks and her laugh.
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
Persephone ate food, and it was a law that if you eat in the Underworld you have to stay there with Hades forever.
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
Everyone began to starve and suffer as she was too devastated to help them grow.
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
When Persephone was about to return, Demeter grew the grops and flowers for her return, which was Spring/Summer.
And when she had to go back to the Underworld, Demeter was too lonely and devastated to grow the fields, which was Autumn/Winter.
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not?\
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
When Persephone was playing with Hades dog he heard her delightful laugh and fell in love with her
2. Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
Because if you ate food down there in the underworld you weren’t allowed to leave for ever and Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
All the crops and other plants died because she was a god of crops
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
Because when Spring and Summer occurs Persephone is happy which makes the crops grow
When Winter and Autumn occur Persephone doesn’t care about the plants because she is in the underworld and does not like it there so she’s sad
5.Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not?
Yes because everyone was happy when it was summer and then when Elsa made an internal winter everyone was cold and sad
Will 🙂
1. Because of her beauty and her laugh.
2. Because it was a law, she ate food in the Hall of Hades and the law is if you wat food, you have to stay.
I will continue my questions later 🙂
Miss Turner-Great connections Jasmin
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone?
Her looks and her personality
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
Because she ate some of Hades food
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
They starved because there was no trees no crops and nothing to eat. Because Demeter was unhappy and didn’t care about the crops she only cared about Persephone.
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
It does because Summer and Spring all of the tres and plants are alive and colourful but in winter and Autumn everything is dead.
I can’t answer the last question because I haven’t seen frozen and the trailer won’t work
Miss Turner-Zak when you complete the questions later, please also include the questions. Great start 🙂
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone? Her beauty and her looks!
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades? Because she ate four pomegranate seeds.
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter? They badly suffered for they needed crops and food to live and there was not a lot or enough to go around without Persphone.
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons? It says that Persephone stays in the Underworld for 1 season/4 months
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not? Yes we can, because the length of time of things not growing felt like ever-lasting Winter, because they were not used to Winter for that long!
-Madajah
Great work Ianthe 🙂
1. What made Hades fall in love with Persephone? Her buety and happiness
2.Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades? because she ate six pomegranete seeds
3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?They starved because there crops wouldnt grow
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons? because she was aloud back it the spring and while she was gone her mother didnt let the crops grow
5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not? u cant because that had nothing to do with greek mythgology
#:)_neta_:)#
Q1. What made Hades fall in love with persephone?
A1. because Persephone took a liking to his three headed dog
Q2. Why wasn’t Persephone allowed to leave the Underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with Hades?
A2. Because she ate 6 pomegranate seeds
Q3. What happened to the people of Earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
A3. all of the crops and plants died
Q4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
A4. When Persephone was about to return in Spring/Summer, Demeter revived all the flora but in Autum and winter when Persephone left, Demeter didn’t help grow the flora
Q5. Can we relate this story to the recent story of ‘Frozen’? Why/Why Not?
A5. Yes because of Elsa the world froze but her sister helped her and the world returned to normal
– Hayley
1. what made Hades fall in love with persephone?
Her beauty
2. why wasnt persephone leave the underworld forever once Hermes made the deal with hades?
because that deal was that if she ate any food she would stay
3.what would happen to the people of earth while Demeter looked for her daughter?
they starved because there was nothing to eat and Demeter didnt care all he cared about was persephone
4. How does this myth relate to the creation of the four seasons?
in the summer everything gets sun and in the winter everything shrivels up
5.How can we relate this to the recent story of Frozen why/why not
yes because they werent used to winter to last that long
Evan:)