Demeter

Demeter (Attic Greek: Δημήτηρ, Dēmḗtēr; Doric: Δαμάτηρ, Dāmā́tēr) is the goddess of the harvest and agriculture in ancient Greek religion and myth, one of the Twelve Olympians. The elder sister of Zeus, Demeter presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. She served as the patron goddess of farmers, and was believed to have taught men how to reap and cultivate the harvest. By Zeus, she is the mother of Persephone, the wife of Hades and queen of the underworld. Both she and Persephone were central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, a series of festivals held in honor of the two goddesses in the region of Attica. Her symbols were the scythe, cornucopia, wheat, bread and harvest grains, and the pig and snake were her sacred animals. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.

In Greek Mythology, Demeter's daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and made her bride. Demeter grieved the loss of her daughter, bringing on a long famine. Eventually an accord was met by which Persephone would spend part of the year underground, and the rest above ground with her mother. This cycle is the Mythological explanation for the seasons. 

 Related pages 

 Ceres - Roman version of Demeter

Category:Twelve Olympians
Category:Gods and goddesses of agriculture