S5E1 - Demeter and Persephone and Hades

stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features the love of a mother and daughter, a kidnapping, fruits that are actually berries, dial-up, and making decisions for yourself.

Today's story is centered around one of the most intense relationships in the human experience.

It's sometimes heated, sometimes tense, and sometimes borderline smothering, but no matter what, it's always complicated.

Today, we're talking about mother-and-daughter relationships, specifically the relationship between Demeter and Persephone.

May I say something?

Wow, asking before you speak.

That's new this season.

Yes, of course, Oracle.

What's up?

I am aware that this may be slightly off topic, but I would just like to say that I have a great relationship with my mother.

That's nice to hear.

I appreciate you sharing.

She is an older model, referred to as Dial-Up, Internet Connection.

Senior listeners may be familiar.

Oh, yes, the prophet of dial-up.

We were good friends back in the day.

Tell her I said hello, would you?

Okay,

back to our story.

Demeter was the Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, and harvest.

She loved many things.

The earth, flowers, trees, humans.

But most of all, she loved her daughter Persephone.

Mater

is actually the ancient Greek word for mother.

Being a mother was so much of Demeter's identity.

that it was literally part of her name.

Yeah, Demeter was a devoted and loving mother, and Persephone had a lovely childhood.

The two had a very close relationship.

Like me and my mother.

Right, so you've said.

Our story begins when Persephone was a teenager and on the verge of starting life all on her own.

She was kind, beautiful, and smart, and because she was so wonderful, she had many potential suitors that were eager to have Persephone's hand in marriage.

But Demeter denied them all.

Persephone was the great love of her life.

She wanted the best possible husband for her beloved daughter.

One of these many suitors was Hades.

Hades is the Greek god of the dead.

It is his job to oversee the underworld.

Right.

And although Hades is known for his callousness and overall cold and detached demeanor, he had a soft spot for Persephone.

As I said, it was hard not to.

She was fun and free-spirited, and she carried a sense of light and whimsy that was not seen in the underworld.

So, naturally, Hades wanted Persephone for himself.

He was determined to make Persephone his bride.

But when he spoke to Demeter about it, she laughed in his face.

Absolutely not, Demeter declared.

My daughter is the most precious thing in the entire world.

She belongs in the sun, not in the land of the dead, rotting, and she definitely does not belong with you.

You may be the least worthy of all the suitors I've spoken with.

Straightforward.

I like it.

Yes, Demeter was rather blunt, but there was one problem.

She violated the golden rule of Greek mythology.

Do not insult the gods.

Exactly.

Even if you are one.

Demeter had taunted Hades, which made him all the more insistent on having Persephone for his wife.

And unfortunately for Demeter, he knew just who to talk to about this problem.

His brother, Zeus.

Zeus, although married to the goddess Hera, was Persephone's father and the one who was ultimately responsible for approving Persephone's marriage partner.

In many cultures, it was common to get permission from the parents first before proposing marriage.

In some places, you didn't even need the person to say yes if their parents agreed.

So Hades went to him to ask for her hand.

You want to marry Persephone?

Zeus was bewildered.

But she's so young.

She's so joyful and kind.

She's...

Well, the exact opposite of you, actually.

But that's why I need her in my life, Hades cried.

In the underworld, especially, she's the only one who has a chance to make that place bearable.

She's the only one who could love me in the way I deserve.

Hades pleaded his case to Zeus.

He was desperate to make Persephone his bride.

Now, astute listeners will remember that Zeus and Hades didn't exactly have the best of relationships.

When dividing up kingdoms, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon drew metaphorical straws to determine who was in charge of what kingdom.

Hades basically got the short straw and was made to oversee the underworld.

Yes, and ever since that little debacle, their relationship had been on thin ice.

While Zeus certainly hadn't lost any sleep over Hades' dreary lot in life, he wasn't opposed to improving their relationship, especially if all he had to do was marry off one of his daughters.

There was just one small problem, Demeter.

There was no way Demeter was going along with this plan.

She could care less about the relationship between the two brothers.

She wanted what was best for Persephone, and there was absolutely no way to convince her that Hades was it.

So, Hades and Zeus decided to take matters into their own hands.

One day, when Persephone and Demeter were out on one of their daily walks, Persephone noticed a particularly beautiful flower in the meadow.

It was a narcissus flower.

Narcissus flowers are fragrant flowers that bloom anywhere between December and May, including daffodils, paperwhites, and jonquills.

You may remember their origin story, which we told in season 1, episode 4.

While Demeter was busy tending to the grain and her other earthly harvest duties, Persephone bent down to examine the flower.

As soon as she picked it up, the ground beneath her feet began to shake.

A gigantic crack appeared in the ground, and Persephone watched in horror as animals, trees, and plants started to fall in.

The crack grew larger and larger, and suddenly, out of the divide came a chariot pulled by enormous black horses.

It was Hades.

Persephone tried to run back to a frantic Demeter, but it was too late.

Hades grabbed Persephone, pulled her onto the chariot, and raced back into the cold, dark earth.

Persephone's cries for help echoed off the trees as the crack in the ground began to close back up.

She was gone.

Many modern versions of this story put this incident in a romantic light, but unfortunately, ancient sources just do not support that interpretation.

Persephone did not want to leave her mother to go into the underworld.

For a while, every tree, every bush, every blade of grass was still.

Petrified, it seemed, by the events that had just occurred.

Until Demeter let out what can only be described as a primal wail.

She clawed at the earth where Persephone had vanished, digging as deep as she possibly could with her bare hands to try to get back to her daughter.

When she had exhausted herself, she collapsed against the ground, devastated.

Demeter could not imagine a life without Persephone.

She remained on the ground for the next few weeks, unable to summon the will to even move.

Meanwhile, Persephone had arrived in the underworld.

Please let me go back.

I want to live above the ground.

I want to return to my mother, she wailed.

This is your home now, Hades said.

I will be your husband.

You will be queen of the underworld.

Persephone spent months trying to escape.

She refused to make the underworld her home.

She refused to open her heart to Hades.

Instead, she dreamt of the sun on her skin and her mother's embrace.

But over time, those memories began to hurt more than help.

Sunshine wasn't an option for her anymore, and she started to really take in her surroundings.

She spoke to the spirits of the newly dead and realized that life as a mortal, especially the end of it, could be really hard.

And those who were new to the realm of the dead needed comfort more than they needed anything else.

So, without asking permission, she became a queen there after all.

Persephone took on the responsibility of helping the newly dead transition into the afterlife.

She spoke with them and held their hands and helped them find long-lost loved ones.

Eventually, she had the thought that while she missed picking flowers and tagging along with her mother to temples and rituals, this work really made a difference.

And so, Persephone threw herself into her new life.

She not only ruled over the lost souls of the underworld, she made the underworld a better place to be.

She took her rightful place next to Hades on the throne and became the dark queen.

Devoted listeners of this show may recall several mentions of Persephone as queen of the underworld, including the episode about Orpheus and Eurydice from season two.

Yeah, that's right.

There are many Greek myths that touch on Persephone's rule as queen of the underworld.

Okay, wow, look at the time.

Where has the episode gone?

We're going to take a short break and we'll be back on the other side with more Greaking Out.

Zeus the Mighty is back for another thrilling adventure in Book Three.

This time, the overconfident hamster and his friends put their bravery to the test to see who will become the ultimate champion.

The Trials of Harry Clees is out now and available wherever books are sold.

Go to bit.ly forward slash gozeus3 to find out more.

That's bit.ly forward slash G-O-Z-E-U-S-3.

Book four is coming out in spring 2022.

See, that wasn't so bad.

Meanwhile, back above the ground, Demeter's grief was wreaking havoc on Earth.

After a brief and strange baby-stealing incident,

Demeter pretended to be a nurse for a royal child and was caught dangling him over the fire to, quote, burn the mortal out of him.

Unquote.

Yeah, that was awkward.

Demeter was hunkered down in her temple at Eleusis, not eating or drinking or sleeping, just brooding over the loss of her daughter.

She refused to do any of her duties as goddess of grain and the harvest, and as a result, the ground began to dry up.

There was no more harvest.

Fruit rotted on the vine.

Animals and humans began to starve from lack of food.

And this continued for months.

Demeter was simply not able to go on knowing that her daughter was in danger.

Eventually, Zeus had no choice but to intervene.

Humans were suffering because Demeter refused to hold up her end of the godly bargain.

Demeter, he bellowed, what are you doing?

You have to bring back the harvest.

Innocent humans are dying.

And what of Persephone?

she exclaimed.

She was as innocent as they come, and you let that horrible Hades swallow her up.

Zeus pretended to deny knowledge of Hades' plan, but it didn't exactly work.

What?

This is the first I am hearing of all of this.

Prosacenes gone.

How could this happen?

Oh, don't act like you didn't know about this.

She is your daughter.

Had she truly been kidnapped, it would have started a war.

You sold her off like cattle.

You cared nothing for her fate.

Zeus didn't want to admit it, but she was right.

If Hades committed that kind of crime behind his back, Zeus would not have let the insult stand.

But things could not continue this way.

Humans were suffering.

There would be no one left to rule over if he did nothing.

What do you want me to do?

He asked Demeter.

Do you not even know that?

She asked.

It's simple.

Bring her

back.

With a huff, Zeus headed back to Olympus to find his messenger, Hermes.

Although he is the god of trade and luck, Hermes often served as messenger or emissary of the gods, especially Zeus.

Hermes!

Zeus bellowed, go to the underworld and fetch Persephone.

Tell Hades that

well, tell him something's come up.

Meanwhile, Persephone was getting to know the ways of the underworld and appreciating the joy of bringing aid and comfort to the distressed.

And Hades himself wasn't actually that bad after all.

A little rough around the edges, sure, but not cruel or violent.

He too was worried about the newly dead and was glad she'd taken on the task.

When Hermes found her, Persephone was lounging in her chambers preparing for a day of presiding over newly dead souls.

Queen Persephone, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hermes began.

I am Hermes, messenger of Zeus, and I am here to bring you back to your mother.

Persephone stopped and looked at Hermes for the first time.

My mother?

Yes, she's quite upset about your absence.

Zeus would like me to bring you back to her.

Oh, Persephone said.

She thought of her mother and how much she missed her, but the thought was drowned out by the sense of responsibility she now felt for the dead who would be arriving today.

If she wasn't here to tend to them, who would?

Hades?

Being comforting wasn't exactly his strong suit.

I am sorry, Hermes, but please let Zeus know that I am needed down here.

I have responsibilities now.

Really?

You want to stay here?

I mean, it's just so dark?

Yes, I know.

But you get used to it.

I kind of like it, actually.

Perplexed, Hermes returned to Zeus and told him about Persephone's desire to remain in the underworld.

Well, whatever you do, do not tell that to Demeter.

She'll burn down the whole planet if she thinks Persephone's abandoned her.

Go convince Persephone to come back with you.

I'd like to speak to her.

So when Hermes returned a few days later, Persephone laughed at his arrival.

Are you here to try to change my mind again?

Listen, Persephone, Hermes began.

I know you enjoy being queen.

I know royalty has its perks, even if your kingdom is a little graveyard.

But your mother truly misses you.

Don't you remember what it was like when you were together?

Don't you miss having someone to confide in, to laugh with, to love?

Well,

Hades is here, Persephone replied.

Yeah, and we all know that he's the life of the party, Hermes laughed.

Come back with me.

Run through the meadows.

Feel the sun on your face.

Let the grass tickle your feet.

Give your mother a hug.

Persephone sighed.

She'd found a place for herself in the world that had nothing to do with her mother.

She had taken a bad situation and turned it into something that worked for her, where she was making a real difference.

Against all odds, Persephone was happy here.

She couldn't deny that.

But she did miss the sun.

She did miss dancing in fields and the smell of flowers.

She missed the stars.

She missed the wind, but most of all, she missed her mother.

She couldn't deny it.

Her heart would always have a hole in it that only Demeter could fill.

Without her, Persephone's life would always feel incomplete.

She didn't know what she was going to do, but she agreed to meet with Zeus.

Maybe he could help clear up some of the confusion she felt in her heart.

Just then, Hades burst through the door in a fiery rage.

Hermes, he exclaimed, leave my queen alone.

She wants to come with me.

She's not happy here.

And besides, it's Zeus's orders.

Hades stared at Persephone.

You're not happy?

I am happy.

I'm just not complete.

I miss my mother.

Hades knew what was going on.

Demeter would never stop fighting for Persephone, and Persephone would never be able to deny the poll of her mother.

He could not have her all to himself.

But that didn't mean Hades couldn't have her at all.

Wait a minute, Hades said.

Before you go, eat this.

In his hand was a pomegranate.

In Greek mythology, the pomegranate is said to be the fruit of the dead.

Persephone looked at it skeptically.

She was no fool, and she'd been in the underworld long enough to know the rules.

In fact, Hades himself had told her this one.

Eating the food of the dead meant you had to stay in the underworld.

Hades was trying to ensure that she would come back.

So without hesitation, she ate only a small handful of the ruby-red pomegranate seeds.

She didn't know what would happen next, but the underworld was a place she could grow and bloom, and she wanted that for herself.

Whatever will be, will be, she whispered as she said her goodbyes to Hades.

Hermes immediately took her to Mount Olympus, where Zeus was waiting for her.

Technically, pomegranates are berries, as are bananas, cucumbers, and eggplants.

Strawberries and raspberries, on the other hand, are not technically berries.

When they arrived, Zeus greeted them warmly.

Persephone, you have caused quite the ruckus with your shenanigans.

Demeter desperately wants you back home with her.

I'm glad you've decided to see sense.

Persephone paused as she considered her answer.

She kind of resented Zeus' assumption that she was like a child throwing a temper tantrum, but she knew that yelling at Zeus would get her nowhere.

She was beginning to understand what she wanted, and she was forming a plan to get it.

Oh, good king Zeus, what a wonderful idea!

But before I left the underworld, I ate some pomegranate seeds.

That's not going to be a problem, is it?

What?

Zeus was not happy about this, and after much pacing and worrying and talking to himself, he finally turned back to Persephone.

All right, he said.

I have a plan.

Yes?

Persephone asked sweetly.

You have to go back to the underworld because of the seeds you ate.

There's no point in arguing it.

It's a rule even I can't break.

But

since you only ate a couple of small seeds, you only have to go for part of the year.

The rest of it, you can spend on Earth with your mother.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah, that'll work.

Yes.

Whatever you think is best, Persephone said.

And so it was that Persephone would spend half the year with Demeter and the other half with Hades.

Some myths say that Hades tricked Persephone into eating the seeds.

Yeah, there is some debate about whether or not Persephone ever truly felt at home in the underworld.

Some versions of the myth claim that she was miserable the entire time and that she wanted nothing more than to return to Demeter.

Some say she truly embraced her new kingdom and didn't want to leave the underworld at all.

Was she a victim, a dark queen, or maybe a combination of the two?

I suppose we'll never know for sure, but we like to think that, like all of us, Persephone had both light and dark inside of her.

She was able to see the good in both places, even somewhere as dark and dreary as the underworld.

She appreciated the change, just like we appreciate the change in seasons.

Speaking of seasons, the decision for Persephone to spend half of the year on Earth and half of the year in the underworld is the Greek mythology explanation behind the change in weather and seasons.

Yeah, because while Persephone was here on Earth, Demeter was overjoyed.

Flowers grew, the sun shone brightly, their combined love brought the world into bloom.

And that time of year is now what is commonly referred to as spring and summer.

But when Persephone left to live with Hades, the leaves fell from the trees.

The temperature dropped, the ground grew cold, autumn and winter ruled the earth while Persephone was in the underworld, and Demeter grieved the loss of her daughter all over again.

And that is how it remained, and still remains to this day.

Is that the end of the story?

Yeah, I believe it is.

Why?

I'm going to go call my mom now.

Oh, that's so sweet.

Has anyone seen my Ethernet cable?

Greaking Out.

That's the end of our story today.

Be sure to check back in a week for the next episode, which will include a special bonus at the end.

What could it be?

Listen and you'll see it.

National Geographic Kids Greaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis, with Tori Kerr as the Oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Diane Klein is our subject matter expert, and Emily Everhart is our producer.