The Symbolic Death and Resurrection of Persephone

The themes presented in the story of Persephone and her mother Demeter include: death, resurrection, the love of a daughter by her mother, and the need for a daughter to grow up and mature sexually, as well as explaining the cycles of nature, especially the seasons. The story of Hades abducting Persephone is well known, and has been explored in philosophical circles, such as the study of feminism, but also is well loved among poets and artists. The themes of death and resurrection are persistent throughout human history, and have led to a variety of artistic expressions. From the beginning of mankinds existence we have been trying to explain the cycles of life. To live means having to eventually face the death of others and ourselves. The unpredictable nature of death causes humans to want an explanation for this event. Is there some force controlling the length of each persons life? The creation of gods and myths helps us understand these mysteries of life. The myth of Persephone mirrors the experience of human life, but also creates a sense of hope that there is a continuous nature to our existence. The story of Persephone again mirrors human nature in that she does not go willingly to the underworld. The myth tells us that she fought the abduction that her father helped arrange. There are archeological sources that substantiate this element of the story. On pages 22 and 23 of our text we see a wall painting from the Tomb of Persephone, in Vergina, west of Thessaloniki in the mid 4thcentury BC. Persephone is struggling as Hades takes her to the underworld. This particular event, often called The Rape of Persephone is depicted in many sculptures and paintings. This event points to the end of Persephones

innocence, as she has to leave childhood behind. In nature, this is what each plant and animal must also do. The beautiful bursting forth of spring must end in a maturing ripeness and eventual spreading of seed. As Persephone is hidden away in the underworld her mother, Demeter begins to search for her. Demeter is the goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest. She stops caring for the fields, the trees, the earth, as she searches for her beloved daughter. This endless wandering leads to the days of darkness, the winter. This myth is the perfect explanation for the mystery of the seasons. Why are our days so shadowy and dark for 3 months? Why does everything freeze, and die in the winter? These questions surely needed answering by our ancient ancestors. Depictions of Demeter searching with torches are found on tombstones, coins and vases. We also see the mirror of winter to human death. After the maturing, ripening of summer, we enter the autumn of life, and eventual death. All humans long for there to be more to life. We dont want to see the end of our friends and family. So in creating myths, we attempt to find something to believe in, something to inspire us that this is not the end, but just a part of the cycle. After death, there is re-birth. This story is told in the life of Jesus, just as it is in the life of Persephone. Our ancestors sought answers to the great mystery of death, and wanted to hold on to the idea that maybe just as the earth resurrects itself, maybe humans lives continue too. The story of Persephone ends with the resurrection, a springing to life. Demeter, in pure joy at having her daughter back with her, brings the earth back to life. So, we have the

season of spring, and the mirror in human life, which is birth. When a new child is born we, too, rejoice and celebrate the new life. However, the sad fate of Persephone is that she could not stay on the earth, but had to agree to go to the underworld with Hades for half of each year. Demeter had to accept that this was the only way she could have her daughter back. So for half of each year Demeter begins her decent into a depressed state, neglecting all the plants, thus bringing fall and winter to the earth. This myth helped humans understand the changing of the seasons. It also gave humans hope that maybe death was not an end, but a part of a cycle. This myth inspired many works of art, including sculptures and paintings. It has also inspired poetry even into our day. This is truly an enduring myth, giving us beautiful images to explain nature on our complex and mysterious planet.

Bibliography
Buxton, R. G. A. The Complete World of Greek Mythology. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004. Print. Lefkowitz, Mary R. Women in Greek Myth. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1986. Print. Young, Jonathan. Saga: Best New Writings on Mythology. Ashland, Or.: White Cloud, 2001. Print.