Demeter: Goddess of Agriculture
As a significant part of The Twelve Olympians, Demeter plays a paramount role in the progression of Greek Mythology. Being the goddess of Harvest, Demeter controls that without which man, would cease to live. Her siblings may sometimes overshadow her importance but her contributions to the worlds are as essential if not more than that of her brothers and sisters. It is her extremely different personality that allows her to do so. In her myths Demeter’s personality shapes the outcome of the myth and without it myths would change in totality. In all sincerity, Demeter is a compassionate, protective, and motherly god, and she always ensures the prosperity of harvests. This protective and tender figure has a great love for her daughter and fellow god Persephone. “Persephone is gathering flowers in a meadow when a huge crack opens up in the meadow and Hades, King of the Dead, emerges from the underworld. He then carries her off in his chariot, back down to his realm below where she is made his queen (Skidmore).” “Upon sensing the lack of her daughters presence Demeter begins to wander the world day and night in search of her daughter as she does the crops begin to wither and perpetual winter spreads across the lands (Skidmore).” At this point Demter is at the height of her motherly nature. As she wanders the earth in search of her beloved daughter she destroys all others in path. The desire to recover Persephone blinds Demeter as she spreads famine and hunger across the land. After witnessing the destruction that Demeter’s actions have caused Zeus persuades Hades to surrender Persephone. “Saddened by this Hades offers his wife a pomegranate seed ensuring that Persephone would have to return to him in the underworld (Astma).” Persephone returns to her mother and harvests and crops are restored in this time of spring and summer. However, Persephone returns to the underworld for another four months forcing the world into another period of perpetual winter.