Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Myth and Meaning of Demeter & Persephone

This is one of the myths that I am most familiar with among those that I know. However, I know there are several tellings of the myth, depending on who is telling the story. The version given here describes how Persephone was tricked into eating the food of the Underworld. My thoughts however is that a part of her wished to do so, much as we as young girls desire our freedom when we hit adolescence, I feel that Persephone may have felt the same way. And that while initially she may have been taken, that she likely enjoyed the newfound attention and doting of Hades, much as a girl enjoys her first crush. There is almost a sense of rebellion as well to this story again with the eating of the food of the dead. Perhaps she didn't really want to go back to her mother, having sampled the "delights of adulthood" and really it's a story of initiation and transformation. For once you have crossed that boundary into womanhood you cannot go back to your innocence, you have seen the other side and there you must stay. To me, even though Persephone returns to her mother for part of the year I feel she is likely saddened by the loss of her husband.

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I like to look up at the moon in the sky.