posted by sooyup
on
Daily trivia
To the ancient Greeks, the Autumnal Equinox marked the return of Persephone to her husband. The young daughter of Zeus and Demeter, Persephone was picking flowers one day when Hades, ruler of the dead, came out of a gap in the earth and thundered up in his chariot pulled by four black horses. He grabbed the screaming girl and carried her down to the underworld. Only Zeus and Helios, the sun god, saw it happen. As Demeter searched for her daughter, her despair caused crops to die. Zeus could not let this go on, so he sent Hermes to fetch Persephone. Hades allowed Persephone to go back to her mother, but before she went he offered her a pomegranate. When she ate the seeds of the fruit she was bound to the underworld forever. Demeter was furious, but could do nothing about it. From then on Persephone spent a third of the year in the Underworld with Hades. Eventually she came to love him. Demeter spent the time that her daughter was gone, sulking and would not let anything be fertile. This time we know as winter. And it will be with us all too soon.
To the ancient Greeks, the Autumnal Equinox marked the return of Persephone to her husband. The young daughter of Zeus and Demeter, Persephone was picking flowers one day when Hades, ruler of the dead, came out of a gap in the earth and thundered up in his chariot pulled by four black horses. He grabbed the screaming girl and carried her down to the underworld. Only Zeus and Helios, the sun god, saw it happen. As Demeter searched for her daughter, her despair caused crops to die. Zeus could not let this go on, so he sent Hermes to fetch Persephone. Hades allowed Persephone to go back to her mother, but before she went he offered her a pomegranate. When she ate the seeds of the fruit she was bound to the underworld forever. Demeter was furious, but could do nothing about it. From then on Persephone spent a third of the year in the Underworld with Hades. Eventually she came to love him. Demeter spent the time that her daughter was gone, sulking and would not let anything be fertile. This time we know as winter. And it will be with us all too soon. 
