Our story begins with the young Goddess Kore—the maiden who all would soon know as Persephone.
Now, Kore spent most of her days wandering the meadows near her home. She would pick wildflowers, play with the nymphs by the stream, and explore the paths she made through the tall grasses.
But on one fateful day, a day that began just like any other day—where the winds blew just the same, and the sun kept shining as it always did—Kore went to her meadow to wander and play, unaware of just how quickly her life was about to change.
For you see, Hades, the God of the Underworld, was enamoured with Kore. So enamoured, that he decided the moment he saw her, that he needed to make her his wife.
So, Hades went to Kore’s father—who just so happened to be his brother—Zeus, to ask for his permission to marry the young maiden. And Zeus, while not agreeing outright, also didn’t disagree, but did warn his brother that Demeter—Kore’s mother—would never approve the union. But hearing this didn’t sway Hades—not even a little. For when Hades heard that Kore’s mother would never let them be, he decided he had only one option left: he must steal the girl.
And so, on that fateful day that began just like any other, young Kore was wandering the meadow when the earth beneath her shook and cracked open—revealing Hades, the Underworld king himself. But Kore had no time to scream, no time to react, no time to do anything before the hand of Hades pulled her down into the depths of the Underworld.
And it wasn’t long after this moment that the two were married, and Kore—once a maiden of the flowers—then became Persephone—queen of the dead.
Now back on earth, Demeter—Kore’s mother—grew deeply worried when her daughter didn’t come home that day. And that worry soon turned into paralyzing fear when she searched the meadows and could not find her.
Demeter, you must know, was the Goddess of agriculture and harvest. She controlled the yields of the land—the force that decided whether crops proved fruitful or diseased.
And so when her daughter went missing, Demeter fell into the deepest of despairs—causing her to neglect the crops and lands around her. Her mourning caused massive crop failures, and Helios, the sun God, saw this (as he saw all things) and went to Demeter to tell her what had happened to her daughter. Perhaps, he thought, if she knows, she will return to her duties and tend to the lands.
But no such luck for Helios.
Knowing where her daughter was did not bring Demeter any peace. In fact, it filled her with an even deeper despair—and in her despair the lands became barren and the people struggled through a great famine.
Which brings us back to Zeus.
Moved by the cries of the starving people and the deities who heard their cries well, Zeus was compelled to go to Hades and force him to return the Goddess now known as Persephone, at once.
And Hades, well… Hades agreed.
Yes, the earth could have Persephone once more, and yes, the young Goddess could be reunited with her mourning mother.
But, there was just one catch.
For you see, moments before Hades was set to return Persephone to the land above, he offered his new bride a small handful of pomegranate seeds. And just like the darling she was, Persephone ate every last bite. But what Persephone didn’t know, was that if you ate the food of the Underworld, you could never leave.
So, Hades—tricky God as he was—kept his promise. He had brought Persephone to the gates between the worlds. And he did not force her to eat those seeds to stay.
But Zeus, knowing that the lands above would remain in ruin until the sweet Persephone was returned, struck a deal with the Underworld King. They agreed that Persephone would spend half the year above, and half the year below—allowing both sides and both lands to remain in harmony.
And with that, Persephone became both the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring—with her descent marking the dying times of autumn, and her return to earth marking the fresh new life of spring.
And that, dear reader, is the end of our story.
