In Greek mythology, Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the harvest goddess. She was kidnapped by Hades, and ate six pomegranate seeds whilst in the Underworld, which condemned her to stay there forever. Demeter, in her despair, destroyed the earth’s crops. In order to resolve the matter, Zeus ordered that Persephone should spend six months in the Underworld with her husband, Hades, and six months on earth with her mother, Demeter. For the half of the year that Persephone was in the Underworld, Demeter mourned, and all natural life withered as a result. While Persephone was on earth, however, Demeter’s joy brought about the rejuvenation of the crops: this was a way for the Greeks to explain and understand the seasons. Persephone and Demeter stood at the centre of the Eleusinian mysteries, promising a more enjoyable afterlife for those who were initiated.
