HISTORY OF THE SEASONS (Hades and Persephone)

I have been off the community for a long time, but it's good to be back. To those of us that believe in the history of myths, am very positive you'll love this as I am going to be telling us a little story that most people are familiar with (if you know Greek Mythology). lets enjoy this ride together...

As much as i'll love to jump to my story (not necessarily mine), let me give you a little insight into how the reign of the Greek gods began.
Zeus, Poseidon and Hades were children of the Greek Titan god named Cronus who killed his father Uranus, thereby starting the reign of the Titans over the cosmos. In a bid to stop a prophesy that one of his children will put an end to his reign just like he did his father, Cronus was said to have been swallowing the children born to him at childbirth, all but the exception of Zeus who was saved by the Titan Rhea (mother of the Gods). Zeus was said to have given his father Cronus an emetic to make him Vomit his older siblings who later joined him in the war that defeated the Titans and ended the terror filled reign of Cronus. After the war, the three brothers drew up lots to know who rules where, at the end of which the reign of the sky and the heavens was allotted to Zeus, the reign of the ocean and waters was allotted to Poseidon and Hades became the master of the underworld, and so thus began the reign of the Greek gods.

KRONOS

Hades, master of the underworld was never satisfied with his duty at the underworld because of the gloom and loss of liveliness that fills the underworld and therefore sought a way to quench this feeling, the solution of which he found in the beautiful Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter (goddess of agriculture and fertility) who he fell in love with. Zeus had promised Persephone to Hades but could do nothing about it because of the closeness and love that existed between mother and daughter, knowing fully well that a marriage to Hades means Persephone will have to live in the underworld which won't bode well with her mother. faced with this and further pressure from Hades, Zeus connived with Hades to abduct Persephone.

HADES (Master of the Underworld)

On the said day, Demeter had gone out to perform her godly duties and she left her daughter with the sea nymphs called Nereid and the Naiads to play with her and also to protect her but unknown to all, Zeus had instructed Gaia (mother earth) to plant the narcissus flower which captivated Persephone so much enough to draw her away from her protectors. While the innocent Persephone was admiring the beautiful narcissus flower, the earth started quaking and formed an enormous chasm out of where Hades came out in a chariot of black horses and abducted Persephone to the Underworld.

Abduction of Persephone

When Demeter came back from her duties, she started looking for her daughter but could not find her. It was said that she became so sad that wherever green she stepped in search of her daughter became dry. she searched and never found until Helios (Titan God of the sun) who saw everything told her what happened. She returned to Mount Olympus and demand that Zeus ask his brother to return her daughter but Zeus couldn't do anything because he has no say over the underworld. Demeter became bitter and neglected her godly duties and so the earth became dry and cold and there was no habitat for anything to grow or for any harvest to take place.

With total neglect on the part of Demeter, there was famine in the earth. Seeing the disaster that was happening, Zeus sent Hermes (Messenger of the gods) to the underworld to ask for the release of Persephone. Hades anticipated this has managed to craftily persuade Persephone to eat something from him. Hades agreed to allow Persephone leave if it can be confirmed that she didn't eat anything from the underworld (In ancient mythology, to eat the fruit of one’s captor meant that one would have to return to that captor or country). after all findings, it was clear that Persephone had accepted and eaten six pomegranate seeds (other stories says it's four seeds and not six), which means she will have to return to the underworld. after much pleas and deliberation, it was decided between Zeus and Hades that for every season, the amount of seeds that was eaten by Persephone will be the amount of month she will be with Hades in the underworld, and the other part, she'll be with her mother on Mount Olympus. Demeter was not happy with this arrangement and so whenever her daughter was with her, she tended her duty to the earth, but whenever her daughter goes to the underworld to be with her husband, she became distraught and ignore her duties.

Persephone eating Pomegranate

The myth of Hades and Persephone is associated with the coming of the four seasons: When Persephone comes to the Earth, it’s springtime. When she descends to Hades, it is winter. when she comes to the earth, it's Spring and summer, autumn(fall) comes when she is preparing to go back to Hades and it's winter when she's in the underworld.

FOUR SEASONS OF THE YEAR

REFERENCE
MYTHOLOGY AND FICTION EXPLAINED. (2018, January 5). Retrieved February 26, 2018, from YouTube: