Demeter (Ceres) - Greek Goddess of Harvest, Fertility and Agriculture. | Greek Mythology Pantheon Demeter (Ceres) Greek Mythology Pantheon > Demeter (Ceres) – Greek Goddess of Harvest, Fertility and Agriculture Demeter (Ceres) – Greek Goddess of Harvest, Fertility and Agriculture Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture Demeter (Roman equivalent is Ceres) is one of the largest and oldest goddesses of the ancient Greek pantheon. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, sister of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades (Roman equivalent is Pluto), Hera and Hestia. Known as the Goddess of harvest, fertility, agriculture and vegetation soil, protector of the land and its products, mother of cereals (hence her name) and mainly wheat. The birth of Demeter as the sister-dates goes back to the early years of theogony and accurately to the time when Cronus, son of Uranus, claimed and occupied by force the authority of the world. The fate of the blonde and beautiful daughter of Rhea, exactly after she came to the world, was harsh.

The small Demeter, like her brothers, ended up to the stomach of the heartless father, and was liberated only when her younger brother Zeus with his trick (magic potion from Metis) managed to fool him. Demeter as goddess differed significantly from the other goddesses. Smart and attractive, had renounced from the beginning her divine abode. She never lived on Mount Olympus, but to the temples specially dedicated to her, close to those who believed and worshiped her. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Howard David Johnson Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Howard David Johnson The goddess of agriculture, discreet, modest and timid enough, had gained very early the sympathy and favor of the other Olympian gods. Her capabilities, skills and value had been recognized by all, while her personality and character demanded a special approach, special understanding and respect. Demeter, in the sentimental area, was one of the hardest and snobbish goddesses. Although she was not very strong and rigid to her beliefs, she did not succumb easily in “love attacks”, even when the candidate lovers were very remarkable. Poseidon and Zeus were two of the small number of known and aspiring conquerors of her.

They both persistently persecuted her and finally managed to seduce her applying various misleading tricks. Zeus was the first of the two brothers who tried to win. Although he suddenly fell in love with Demeter, he did not crave and besiege her as much as he did to Hera. The conscious and constant resistances of his sister made him think of cheats to trick her. Zeus transformed into a bull and managed to outwit her and from their union Persephone was born, the one and only beloved daughter of Demeter. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by jjlovely Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by jjlovely Poseidon was the second of two brothers who attacked Demeter with sexual purposes. The goddess in order to avoid it morphed into mare and hid in the flock of Apollo Onkiou’s son. Poseidon, being brilliant, did not waste any time to perceive the trick. Without losing any time, he morphed into a horse, chased her and mated with her. A daughter (who was not allowed to pronounce her name) and a horse with black mane (Arion) were the fruit of their love. Demeter after her brother’s behavior, felt betrayed and cheated.

Unable to drown her anger, she became vengeful goddess until she flushed her hatred and fury in the river Ladon and renamed herself to Lucia. The Olympian goddess, beyond the erotic match with her two brothers, accepted and loved passionately a young mortal. At the wedding of Cadmus and Harmony, Demeter met the handsome Jason and immediately fell in love with him. Without inhibitions and shyness, she left the wedding with him and in a well plowed field she delivered herself in his arms. After their sexual union, Demeter and Jason returned to the wedding with obvious signs of their act. Sludge in the arms and legs, made all the wedding guests to understand what had happened and be very angry too. Persephone - Daughter of Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture Persephone - Daughter of Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture Especially Zeus, who did not like the goddesses to mingle with mortals, reacted violently to that association. He stroke Jason with a thunder, and after some time, the seed of Jason from his association with Demeter came to light, the small Ploutos (Wealth). The death of Jason was not the only evil act that Demeter experienced by Zeus.

Even greater calamity came when she lost her only daughter, Persephone, after secret cooperation between Zeus and Hades. Persephone was a sweet girl, glamorous and above all very beautiful. The youth, the luster and freshness fascinated all who came across and many were those who wished to conquer her. Even Hades, the god of the Underworld, could not stay unmoved by her individual appearance of qualifications, who from the first moment he saw her, he wanted to make her his wife. Respecting even their close family bonds that tied him with Demeter, he first came into contact with Zeus to consult him and then decided to kidnap her. At some point in time, Persephone had come out to play along with the daughters of Uranus in a meadow full of flowers. Hades kidnapping Persephone - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Hades kidnapping Persephone - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Full of joy as she ran from one place to another, picking violets, lilies and hyacinths, she suddenly saw a beautiful flower that really caught her attention. It was a narcissus who had a hundred flowers and its fragrance spread all over the prairie.

The existence of this dazzling flower was not random that day. His presence in this meadow was a product of the cunning goddess Gaia who wanted to help Hades seduce her beautiful niece. The little daughter of Demeter, serving the purposes of Gaia without knowing it, was not at all indifferent to this extraordinary spectacle. She was captivated by the special glow of the flower, wanted to acquire it, and for that reason she brought her two hands to touch it in order to pull it off. Demeter mourning and searching for Persephone - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Demeter mourning and searching for Persephone - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Immediately after doing so, the earth opened and from within, Hades sprung with his golden chariot and immortal horses. Persephone tried in vain to resist the kidnapping. The god of the Underworld, being cold hearted, was not moved by the tears and begging of her. He grabbed her by force, boarded her to the chariot and drove to the endless dark of his kingdom. Throughout the route, Persephone cried with heartbreaking voice trying to make her abduction perceivable, but it was very difficult.

The speed of horses as well as the huge distance and chaos that separate the two worlds did not make it easy for incident to be revealed. Only Demeter managed to reach the echo of the voice of her daughter but not in time. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Shanina Conway Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Shanina Conway Demeter was a faithful and devoted mother to her daughter. Tender and sweet, she had a particular weakness for Persephone which was reflected in their relationship. When Hades abducted Persephone, Demeter was really upset. The heartbreaking voices of her daughter who reached her ears, made her worry and take action. She ripped the cover of her head, removed her ornaments, put a black veil as a sign of mourning and poured out to look for her. For whole days she was running on land and sea seeking for Persephone. For about a week no one told her the truth and no omen had been revealed. She was getting frustrated… Holding lighted torches, Demeter continued wandering with no sleep, bath and food. Although visibly weary, she did not abandon her efforts, but continued searching with determination.

Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Todd1000 (Amy Adams as Demeter) Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Todd1000 (Amy Adams as Demeter) The ninth day she meets Hecate on the road. She informs Demeter that she also managed to hear the harrowing voices of Persephone, but she does not know the reason or the offender. Coming into contact with the desperate mother, Hecate becomes sensitive and decides to help Demeter. She proposes that they should speak to Helios, because he was the only one, acting as a spy of gods and humans, who could reveal them the truth. Helios does not remain unmoved, having a desperate mother in front of him. Faced with her agony, he sympathizes with her and decides to reveal the perpetrator of the abduction. He names Hades as the perpetrator and additionally accuses Zeus as responsible, because Zeus gave him the permission and consent, to take the beautiful Persephone as his wife.

Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Gwendolyn Malfoy Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Gwendolyn Malfoy Demeter listening to the words of Helios gets furious and decides not to return to Olympus to ask for explanations. The comforting words of the glowing god make her more stubborn and unyielding and she prepares to continue her searches. During her wanderings nobody can recognize her. The fatigue and exhaustion have changed her divine incarnation so that no one and nothing can be aware of her. Sometime after covering great distance, the hurt mother arrives at Eleusis, near the palace of the smart king of Keleou. The exhausted goddess is sitting beside the well of Virgo, under an olive tree, to take a little rest. There she is confronted by the four daughters of Keleou (Kallidiki, Kleisidiki, Dimo and Kallithoi) who had gone to the well with pitchers to get water. In order to not be noticed, Demeter is transformed into a very old woman and enlists the help of four girls.

Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by JinxMim Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by JinxMim The girls watching the plight of the old woman pitied her and offered to help her. They called her in the palace but prior to the invitation, they request some information about her ancestry. Demeter accepts the invitation but is determined not to reveal her true self. She makes up a fairytale and tells them that her name is Dido and that she originates from Crete. She also tells them that pirates kidnapped her in order to sell her, but she managed to escape and after wandering she ended up in this place having dire need of support and help… The four daughters of Keleou are touched by the old woman’s story and having already gotten from her further information on qualifications around the housework and child rearing, they decide to take her with them to support her. On the way, the beautiful daughter of Keleou, Kallidiki undertakes the task to orientate the old lady around the area. She presents her the city, the large country houses and assures her that it will not be easy to find accommodation and work in one of them.

She also declares that her parents, now in their old age, have just born a boy that definitely needs extra care from a qualified woman. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Midori Harada Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Midori Harada Arriving at the palace, the four girls leave the goddess and run to tell their mother about the incident. The queen is listening with great attention the stories concerning the old lady and she willingly accepts to help and sends her daughters to call her. The daughters run out with happiness to Demeter, take her and escort her to the palace. Demeter with covered face and black clothes, passes the threshold and confronts the queen and her little son who sat opposite of her on a throne. Demeter, on entering the palace, the inner space is filled with light and her head is reaching on the ceiling. The queen is initially upset and frightened, but then the awe causes her to get up and offer the throne to the dazzling unknown stranger.

Demeter unwilling yet to be revealed, nor to infringe the etiquette requires the respect and reverence of anyone to the face of a queen, refuses the honorary position offered by the queen and is sitting on a low stool covered with sheepskin which is given by maid Iamb. The difficult task she has undertaken and the despair do not leave Demeter to express herself freely. Silent and quiet, obviously miserable and desperate, standing still with eyes thrown to the ground. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Natalie Busutti Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Natalie Busutti The atmosphere is very heavy and the maid Iamb in order to lighten it and give it a more cheerful tone starts making jokes. The cute teasing is affecting everyone in the room. Even Demeter, lured by the overall fun atmosphere, begins to laugh. The queen Metaneira rejoices with the, even temporary, change of old woman's mood. Full of kindness and sympathy she offered her a cup of wine but Demeter, because of mourning, does not accept it. On the contrary, due to exhaustion and hunger that lasted several days, she prefers to ask the Queen for barley and water.

The mother of four beautiful girls did not deny this and immediately commands someone to prepare it and to bring it to her. Demeter eats the prepared meal with bulimia and finishing, she announces her intention to take the upbringing and education of the young son of the royal family, Demophon. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Perlamarina Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Perlamarina With great joy and realizing the special nature of the foreign old lady, queen Metaneira willing trusts her only son in her hands. Demeter in the form of unhappy old woman, takes on her side big commitments around the upbringing and care of the child. She promises before all, that nothing will be missing from the child and that it will never be sick. The statements of the foreign old lady leave everyone speechless. Nobody, at this moment, can imagine that behind these very consequential and binding words lies a goddess. All of them are fascinated by something particular that is emitted by this foreign woman, but no one can understand why. The raising of Demophon and special treatment on the part of the old woman will interpret what they see so far amazing and inexplicable.

Demetra undertakes immediately the upbringing of the child with a truly unique and special way. Without breastfeeding and without feeding, she anoints it daily with ambrosia, she blows it with her breath at the night and puts it on a high heat to make it durable and immortal. The offer, on her part, of such a gift is for her the best gratitude and the best reward towards the royal couple for the good things that were given to her. Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Zeoxisace Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Zeoxisace The upbringing of Demophon continued with the same tactics until one day, quite suddenly, Metaneira appears and understands the strange method of the foreign woman. The queen is shaken by the sight and strongly protests. Not knowing the divine origin of the unknown old woman, she gets really angry with her behavior and begins to fire threats in a very ugly way. Demeter, after the reactions of the queen, is furious and decides to reveal her identity. She does not accept any compromise and shows, from now on, the path and destiny of Demophon.

Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Zelda Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Zelda Moreover, she requires the construction of a large temple with an altar in her honor, which will be built in accordance with her wishes under the walls of the city on the hill near the Kallichoro well. Finally, she announces the presence of certain feasts in her honor, so in the future, her worship would be established in their places. Demeter does these statements, takes her true form, stands up and leaves. The queen, as the surrounding crowd, are stunned and bewildered. The little boy perhaps realizing the substantial loss of his nanny starts crying inconsolably. The realization of the wishes of the goddess is now a primary concern of the royal family. The next morning, king Keleos is informed and gathers all the people to announce his intentions. Without losing any time, he commands the building of the, dedicated to the goddess Demeter, temple and asks for the soonest possible completion.

Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Arpiwane Demeter (Ceres) Greek Goddess - Art Picture by Arpiwane Demeter, frustrated and desperate, shuts herself in the newly built temple and refuses to return to Olympus. Incensed by the calamities which have found her and from the adverse situations she experienced and continue experiencing, sends to the whole world the greatest misfortune that could ever come. She causes the seeds to stay hidden in the ground and makes the land barren and unable to germinate. Zeus watching that humanity would soon disappear, is forced to raise and take action. He sends primarily the graceful Iris at Eleusis to convince Demeter to return to Olympus, but in vain. The goddess was determined to not change attitude and behavior, and sends Iris back idly. She also sends back all other gods who went with their gifts to visit and try to persuade her. The father of the gods, watching his efforts end in vain, confronts a real impasse.

Hades farewell to Persephone, while offering her to eat a sweet pomegranate seed - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Hades farewell to Persephone, while offering her to eat a sweet pomegranate seed - Art Picture by Jynette Tigner Unable to think of anything else that could bring positive effect, he decides to personally mediate. He sends Hermes (Roman equivalent is Mercury) to Hades (Roman equivalent is Pluto) and manages to convince him to set Persephone free and allow her to return to her mother. Hades obeys the words of his younger brother and agrees to release his beautiful wife, but did not disclose his sincere intentions. Saying goodbye to Persephone, the ruthless god of the Underworld, offers her to eat a sweet pomegranate seed, so that she will not ever want to return permanently to the mother. After the farewell, Hermes gets her beautiful daughter, readies his chariot and goes to her mother at Eleusis.

Greek Goddess Demeter (Ceres) Statue Madrid-Capitolio (Museo del Prado) Greek Goddess Demeter (Ceres) Statue Madrid-Capitolio (Museo del Prado) Demeter, facing her beloved lost daughter, falls in her arms overflowing with joy. She can't believe the arrival of her daughter, as she can't imagine a fair deal between the two brothers. Knowing Hades obsession and conscious of selfishness and stubbornness that distinguishes him, asks her daughter if her brother, before leaving her, gave her anything to eat. Persephone, innocent as she was, describes in detail to her mother the incident with the pomegranate. Demeter, sadly understands the importance of the event and says to her daughter that from now on, it is required to stay one third of the time near her husband and the remaining two-thirds with her mother. The result, although it is not the best expected, is not dissatisfying for mother and daughter.

Greek Goddess Demeter (Ceres) Statue - Detail from a statue at Kindros, carved around 350 BCE Greek Goddess Demeter (Ceres) Statue - Detail from a statue at Kindros, carved around 350 BCE Being so happy, to be with each other after so much adventure and suffering, they accept, in the mean time, the visit of Rhea at the request of Zeus. The mother of the gods, being happy and satisfied with the final reunion, is proposing as her son's mediator, the return of the two (Demeter and Persephone) to Olympus. Nobody denies this compromise. Demeter accepts the call and hears the request of Zeus to put an end to the calamities that she sent. Upon their return everything is done as before and nature is in full bloom and bears fruits. Demeter, happy again, will not only stand to the level of nature and fertility, but also undertakes to teach kings sacred ceremonies and to introduce them to the mystery cults.

Please leave a comment if you liked this article 🙂 All pictures are also uploaded in Albums on the Greek Mythology Pantheon page on Facebook, visit us at : You may also like: Demeter | Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Demeter is sometimes confused with Gaia , Rhea , or Cybele . The goddess's epithets reveal the span of her functions in Greek life. Her name literally means "Earth-Mother", showing she was not only a goddess of fertility but of the Earth itself. She is invoked as the "bringer of seasons" in the Homeric hymn, a subtle sign that she was worshiped long before the idea of the Olympians arrived. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter has been dated to sometime around the Seventh Century BC. She and her daughter Persephone , were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that also predated the Olympian pantheon. [1] Demeter and Kore (Persephone, "the maiden") are usually invoked as "to theo" ('"The Two Goddesses"), and they appear in that form in Linear B graffiti at Mycenaean Pylos in pre-classical times.

They are also called the "Two Queens". A sacrifice is described as being intended for the "Two Queens and the King", a possible reference to either Poseidon or Zeus. A connection with the goddess-cults of Minoan Crete is quite possible. According to the Athenian rhetorician Isocrates, the greatest gifts which Demeter gave were cereal, which made man different from wild animals; and the Mysteries which give man higher hopes in this life and the afterlife. [2] In Mythology Theocritus remembered an earlier role of Demeter: For the Greeks Demeter was still a poppy goddess Bearing sheaves and poppies in both hands. — Idyll vii.157 Demeter and Poseidon Demeter and Poseidon's names are linked in the earliest scratched notes in Linear B found at Mycenaean Pylos, where they appear as PO-SE-DA-WO-NE in the context of sacred lot-casting. The ' DA ' element in each of their names is seemingly connected to an Proto-Indo-European root relating to distribution of land and honors (compare Latin dare "to give").

Poseidon (his name seems to signify "consort of the distributor") once pursued Demeter, in her archaic form as a mare-goddess. She resisted Poseidon, but she could not disguise her divinity among the horses of King Onkios . Poseidon became a stallion and covered her. Demeter was furious ("Demeter Erinys") at the assault, but washed away her anger in the River Ladon ("Demeter Lousia"). She bore to Poseidon a daughter named Despione, and a steed named Arion, with a black mane. In Arcadia , Demeter was worshiped as a horse-headed deity into historical times. Demeter and Persephone Edit The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries is her relationship with Persephone, her daughter and own younger self. In the Olympian pantheon, Persephone became the consort of Hades (Roman Pluto ). Demeter had a large scope of abilities, besides being the goddess of the harvest she also controlled the seasons and because of that was capable of destroying all life on earth.

In fact her powers were able to influence Zeus into making Hades bring her daughter Persephone up from the underworld. Persephone became the goddess of the underworld when Hades abducted her from the earth and brought her into the underworld. She had been playing with some nymphs, whom Demeter later changed into the Sirens as punishment for not having interfered, and the ground split and she was taken in by Hades. Life came to a standstill as the depressed Demeter searched for her lost daughter. Finally, Zeus could not put up with the dying earth and forced Hades to return Persephone by sending Hermes to retrieve her. But before she was released, Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return for six months each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the earth flourished with vegetation. But for six months each year, when Persephone returned to the underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm. Summer, autumn, and spring by comparison have heavy rainfall and mild temperatures in which plant life flourishes. It was during her trip to retrieve Persephone from the underworld that she revealed the Eleusinian Mysteries.

In an alternate version, Hecate rescued Persephone. In other alternative versions, Persephone was not tricked into eating the pomegranate seeds but chose to eat them herself. Regardless, the result is the occurrence of the unfruitful seasons of the ancient Greek calendars. Demeter's Stay at Eleusis Edit Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone. Having taken the form of an old woman called Doso, she received a hospitable welcome from Celeus , the King of Eleusis in Attica. He asked her to nurse Demophon and Triptolemus , his sons by Metanira. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon as a god, by coating and anointing him with Ambrosia , breathing gently upon him while holding him in her arms and bosom, and making him immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She put him in the fire at night like a firebrand or ember without the knowledge of his parents.

Demeter was unable to complete the ritual because his mother Metanira walked in and saw her son in the fire and screamed in fright, which angered Demeter, who lamented that foolish mortals do not understand the concept and ritual. Instead of making Demophon immortal, Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of Greece learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture. Later, Triptolemus taught Lyncus , King of the Scythians , the arts of agriculture but he refused to teach it to his people and then tried to murder Triptolemus. Demeter turned him into a lynx . This myth was used to explain the nomadic lifestyle of the Scythians and other steppe peoples. Some scholars believe the Demophon story is based on an earlier prototypical folk tale. [3] Titles and Functions Like most of the major gods, Demeter was given epithets to reflect patronage in a certain area or field.

Demeter Potnia - Demeter the Mistress Demeter Khloe - Demeter of the Green Shoots Demeter Anesidora - Demeter who Sends Forth Gifts Demeter Epogmie - Demeter of the Furrows Demeter Karpophoros - Demeter, Bearer of Fruit Demeter Thesmophoros - Demeter, Bringer of Customs Demeter Erinys - Demeter the Implacable Demeter Lousie - Demeter the Purifying Demeter Polyphoros - Demeter the All-Nourishing 'Demeter Kyanopolos - Demeter the Black-Cloaked Demeter Kalliphyros - Demeter of the Beautiful Ankles Family Edit In a clay statuette from Gazi (Heraklion Museum, Kereny 1976 fig 15), the Minoan poppy goddess wears the seed capsules, sources of nourishment and narcosis, in her diadem.

"It seems probable that the Great Mother Goddess, who bore the names Rhea and Demeter, brought the poppy with her from her Cretan cult to Eleusis, and it is certain that in the Cretan cult sphere, opium was prepared from poppies" (Kerenyi 1976, p 24). In honor of Demeter of Mysia a seven-day festival was held at Pellené in Arcadia (Pausan. 7. 27, 9). Pausanias passed the shrine to Demeter at Mysia on the road from Mycenae to Argos but all he could draw out to explain the archaic name was a myth of an eponymous Mysius who venerated Demeter.

Major sites for the cult of Demeter were not confined to any localized part of the Greek world: there were sites at Eleusis, in Sicily, Hermion, in Crete, Megara, Celeae, Lerna, Aegila, Munychia, Corinth, Delos, Priene, Akragas, Iasos, Pergamon, Selinus, Tegea, Thorikos, Dion, Lykosoura, Mesembria, Enna, and Samothrace. Her priestesses were addressed with the title Melissa . She was especially popular with rural folk, partly because they most benefited directly from her assistance. Relics unique to her cult, such as votive clay pigs, were being fashioned in the Neolithic. In Roman times, a sow was still sacrificed to Ceres following a death in the family, to purify the household. Trivia Edit Demeter was usually portrayed on a chariot, and frequently associated with images of the harvest, including flowers, fruit, and grain. She was also sometimes pictured with Persephone.

Demeter is not generally portrayed with a consort: the exception is Iasion, the youth of Crete who lay with Demeter in a thrice-ploughed field, and was sacrificed afterwards – by a jealous Zeus with a thunderbolt, Olympian mythography adds, but the Cretan site of the myth is a sign that the Hellenes knew this was an act of the ancient Demeter. Demeter placed Aethon , the personification of famine, in Erysichthon's gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in her sacred grove. In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, a ship called the Demeter is ruined by the Count. Demeter appeared in the 1997 Disney movie, Hercules, as one of the gods upon Mount Olympus and also in the Disney Hercules television series. External Links Edit ↑ Nilsson, p.45: "We have a document concerning the Eleusinian cult which is older and more comprehensive than anything concerning any other Greek cult, namely, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter composed in Attica before Eleusis was incorporated into the Athenian state, not later than the end of the seventh century B.C.

We know that the basis of the Eleusinian Mysteries was an old agrarian cult celebrated in the middle of the month Boedromion (about October) and closely akin to the Thesmophoria, a festival of the autumn sowing celebrated by the women not quite a month later. I need not dwell upon this connection, which is established by internal evidence as well as by direct information." ↑ Isocrates, Panegyricus 4.28 : "When Demeter came to our land, in her wandering after the rape of Kore, and, being moved to kindness towards our ancestors by services which may not be told save to her initiates, gave these two gifts, the greatest in the world — the fruits of the earth, which have enabled us to rise above the life of the beasts, and the holy rite, which inspires in those who partake of it sweeter hopes regarding both the end of life and all eternity". ↑ Nilsson, p.50: "The Demophon story in Eleusis is based on an older folk-tale motif which has nothing to do with the Eleusinian Cult. It is introduced in order to let Demeter reveal herself in her divine shape".

References MYTHOLOGY - Demeter (Greek) - Wattpad MYTHOLOGY Historical Fiction Mythology can refer either to the collected myths of a group of people-their body of stories which they tell to explain nature, history, and customs[1]-or to the study of such myths.[2] As a collection of such stories, mythology is an important fea... # Report Story Goddess of grain, agriculture and the harvest, growth and nourishment. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. She was one of the main deities of the Eleusinian Mysteries, in which her power over the life cycle of plants symbolized the passage of the human soul through its life course and into the afterlife. She was depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheafs of wheat and a torch. Her symbols are the cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged serpent, and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals are pigs and snakes. Ceres was her Roman counterpart.

Abode Mount Olympus Symbol Cornucopia, Wheat, Torch, Bread Consort Iasion, Zeus, Oceanus, Karmanor and Triptolemus Parents Cronus and Rhea Siblings Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus Children Persephone, Despoina, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Eubuleus, Chrysothemis and Amphitheus I Roman equivalent Ceres Festivals Thesmophoria In ancient Greek religion and myth, Demeter (/diˈmiːtər/; Attic: Δημήτηρ Dēmḗtēr; Doric: Δαμάτηρ Dāmā́tēr) is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth.

Her cult titles include Sito (Σιτώ), "she of the Grain",[1] as the giver of food or grain[2] and Thesmophoros (θεσμός, thesmos: divine order, unwritten law; "phoros": bringer, bearer), "Law-Bringer," as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society.[3] Though Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon.

In the Linear B Mycenean Greek tablets of circa 1400-1200 BC found at Pylos, the "two mistresses and the king" may be related with Demeter, Persephone and Poseidon.[4][5] Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.[6]It is possible that Demeter appears in Linear A as da-ma-te on three documents (AR Zf 1 and 2, and KY Za 2), all three apparently dedicated in religious situations and all three bearing just the name (i-da-ma-te on AR Zf 1 and 2).[7] It is unlikely that Demeter appears as da-ma-te in a Linear B (Mycenean Greek) inscription (PY En 609); the word 𐀅𐀔𐀳, da-ma-te, probably refers to "households".[8][9] On the other hand 𐀯𐀵𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊, si-to-po-ti-ni-ja, "Potnia of the Grain", is regarded to refer to her Bronze Age predecessor or to one of her epithets.[10] Demeter's character

 as mother-goddess is identified in the second element of her name meter (μήτηρ) derived from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr (mother).[11] In antiquity, different explanations were already proffered for the first element of her name.

It is possible that Da (Δᾶ),[12] a word which became Ge (Γῆ) in Attic, is the Doric form of De (Δῆ), "earth", the old name of the chthonic earth-goddess, and that Demeter is "Mother-Earth".[13] This root also appears in the Linear B inscription E-ne-si-da-o-ne, "earth-shaker", as an aspect of the god Poseidon.[14][15] However, the dā element in the name of Demeter, is not so simply equated with "earth" according to John Chadwick.[16][17] The element De- may be connected with Deo, a surname of Demeter[18] probably derived from the Cretan word dea (δηά), Ionic zeia (ζειά) meaning "barley", so that she is the Mother and the giver of food generally.[19] Arcadian cult to Demeter links her to a male deity (Greek: Πάρεδρος, Paredros), who accompanied the Great Goddess and has been interpreted as a possible substitution for Poseidon; Demeter may therefore be related

 to a Minoan Great Goddess.[20] An alternative, Proto-Indo-European etymology comes through Potnia and Despoina; where Des- represents a derivative of PIE *dem (house, dome), and Demeter is "mother of the house" (from PIE *dems-méh₂tēr).[21] Demeter - Ancient History Encyclopedia Demeter by Mark Cartwright published on 27 August 2012 One of the oldest Greek gods, Demeter ( Roman name: Ceres) guaranteed the fertility of the earth and protected farming and vegetation.

This close connection with the earth was inherited from her mother Rhea, and doubtless she was a reincarnation of local mother-Earth goddesses, commonly worshipped in rural communities. Demeter's Family Daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Zeus , Poseidon , Hades , Hera , and Hestia, Demeter was the mother of Persephone and Iacchus (both with Zeus) and Pluto, the god of wealth (with Iasion, who was subsequently killed by a thunderbolt from a jealous Zeus). She also adopted Triptolemus, the Eleusinian prince, who gave the human race the gifts of the plough and knowledge of agriculture. Demeter was also pursued by Poseidon and to escape his attentions, she changed into a mare; however, Poseidon too changed into a horse and their resulting offspring was Arion, the winged horse ridden by Hercules . Remove Ads Advertisement Homer in The Iliad describes the goddess as ‘golden-haired’, and Hesiod in his Theogony and Works & Days, describes her as ‘bounteous Demeter’, ‘well-garlanded’, ‘hallowed’, and ‘reverend’.

Demeter and Persephone were the subject of a major cult in the ancient Greek world. Demeter & Persephone Demeter and Persephone (also known as Kore in Greek and Proserpina by the Romans) were the subject of a major cult in the ancient Greek world. According to mythology , Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone as soon as he saw her and carried her off in his chariot to live with him in Hades. In some accounts Zeus had given his consent to the abduction, the location of the crime being traditionally placed in either Sicily (famed for its fertility) or Asia. Demeter searched the earth for her lost daughter and though Helios (or Hermes ) told her of her daughter’s fate, she, nevertheless, continued her wanderings until she finally arrived at Eleusis . It was here, disguised as an old woman, that the goddess cared for Demophon (or Triptolemus), the only son of Metaneira, the wife of Keleos, king of Eleusis. To reward the family for their kindness, Demeter set about making Demophon immortal by placing him on a fire every night.

However, when Metaneira saw this she raised an alarm. In response, Demeter revealed her true identity and demanded a temple be built in her honour. This was the beginning of the celebrated sanctuary of Eleusis. Once the temple was completed, Demeter withdrew from the world and lived inside it; at the same time she created a great drought to convince the other gods to release Persephone from Hades. As the drought claimed ever more victims, Zeus finally persuaded Hades to release his ill-gotten bride. Before giving her up though, the wily Hades put a pomegranate kernel in the girl’s mouth, knowing its divine taste would compel her to return to him. In other versions of the myth, Persephone could have been released if she had not eaten anything in the underworld during her captivity, but at the last moment, Hades gave her a pomegranate seed. Finally, as a compromise, it was decided that Persephone would be released but that she would have to return to Hades for one third of the year (or in other accounts one half).

Remove Ads Advertisement The story of Demeter and Persephone was perhaps symbolic of the changing seasons and the perennial change from life to death, to life once more, or in other words, the changes from summer to winter and the return of life in spring. The cycle became one of the rituals of the sacred Eleusinian mysteries; indeed the symbols of the cult were ears of corn and a torch - symbolic of Demeter’s search for Persephone and a reminder that the rituals were carried out at night. As all initiates were bound by a sacred oath not to reveal the details of the mysteries, they have to this day remained just that, a mystery. The most important sanctuary to Demeter, then, was at Eleusis in Attica which had religious origins and monuments dating back to the Mycenaean civilization of the 15th century BCE. Eleusis became a truly pan - Hellenic site under the dictator Peisistratus and continued to be visited in Roman times.

From the 8th century BCE there was also a sanctuary and temple to Demeter on Naxos , in the 4th century BCE a temple was constructed in her honour at Dion, and Homer mentions that the goddess had a precinct named after her at Pyrasos. Demeter in Art Demeter rarely appears in art before the 6th century BCE and then she is usually shown with Persephone; often both wear crowns and hold a torch, sceptre or stalks of grain. Demeter is also sometimes present in scenes depicting the birth of Athena . Roman Goddesses Goddess-Guide.com Roman Goddesses The original Roman Goddesses did not have distinctive personalities, human form, family histories or myths about their lives. Instead these deities were manifestations of what the Romans termed "numina", the divine essence that could be found in all living things and places. An example of the Numina is Pomona the Goddess of Fruit trees, orchards and gardens. This belief in numina helps explain why there were so many early Roman deities, as each represented different aspects of the natural world. Early Roman mythology did not contain tales of the lives of magical gods.

Instead they were presented as the history of Rome's creation and concentrated on the rituals and religious practices. The nature of these early Roman deities was also closely linked to the physical and spiritual needs of people, concentrating on areas like the agriculture and motherhood. The included Goddesses like Carmenta who was the Goddess of childbirth and prophecy. There were also many different local Goddesses and festivals who were mainly worshipped in the home and on the land. Later the Romans mythology borrowed heavily from other traditions. However it was the rule of Rome by the Etrusian kings that was first to influence Roman worship. They began by adapting three of the Etruscan gods and making them the focus of their religion. As the Roman Empire continued to expand they came into contact with new belief systems and ideas. Instead of destroying these religions and cults they absorbed and adopted many of them, including those of the Greeks. For example they adapted the mythology of the Greek dawn Goddess Eos and re-named her Aurora. Another example of this is the agricultural Goddess Demeter whose Roman equivalent Ceres is where the word cereal is from. I have included these and other examples below.

They also adopted the system of a pantheon of twelve major deities, similar to the model of the Olympians. These included: Juno (Queen of the Gods), Venus (Goddess of love and beauty), Vesta (Goddess of the hearth and home), Diana (Goddess of the hunt) Minerva (Goddess of war and wisdom). Roman Goddess Name Greek Equivalent Aurora Eos Demeter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Demeter From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Demeter, Greek goddess of the harvest. This article concerns the grain goddess Demeter. For other uses, see Demeter (disambiguation) . Triptolemus , Erinyes Hellenistic cult statue of Demeter from her sanctuary at Knidos , now in the British Museum . Dêmêtêr (or Demetra) (DEH-MEH-ter) ("mother-goddess" or perhaps "distribution-mother") is the Greek goddess of agriculture , the pure nourisher of youth and the green earth, the health-giving cycle of life and death, and preserver of marriage and the sacred law.

She is invoked as the "bringer of seasons " in the Homeric hymn , a subtle sign that she was worshiped long before the Olympians arrived. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that also predated the Olympian pantheon. The Roman equivalent is Ceres . Demeter is easily confused with Gaia or Rhea , and with Cybele . The goddess's epithets reveal the span of her functions in Greek life. Demeter and Kore ("the maiden") are usually invoked as to theo ('"The Two Goddesses"), and they appear in that form in Linear B graffiti at Mycenaean Pylos in pre- Hellenic times. A connection with the goddess-cults of Minoan Crete is quite possible. Contents Thermasia ("warmth," Pausanias 2.34.6) Kabeiraia , a pre-Greek name of uncertain meaning Thesmophoros ("giver of customs" or even "legislator"), a role that links her to the even more ancient goddess Themis .

This title was connected with the Thesmophoria , a festival of secret women-only rituals in Athens connected with marriage customs. Theocritus remembered an earlier role of Demeter: For the Greeks Demeter was still a poppy goddess Bearing sheaves and poppies in both hands. — Idyll vii.157 In a clay statuette from Gazi (Heraklion Museum, Kereny 1976 fig 15), the Minoan poppy goddess wears the seed capsules, sources of nourishment and narcosis, in her diadem. "It seems probable that the Great Mother Goddess , who bore the names Rhea and Demeter, brought the poppy with her from her Cretan cult to Eleusis , and it is certain that in the Cretan cult sphere, opium was prepared from poppies" (Kerenyi 1976, p 24). In honor of Demeter of Mysia a seven-day festival was held at Pellené in Arcadia (Pausan. 7. 27, 9). It lasted for seven days.

Pausanias passed the shrine to Demeter at Mysia on the road from Mycenae to Argos but all he could draw out to explain the archaic name was a myth of an eponymous Mysius who venerated Demeter. Major sites for the cult of Demeter were not confined to any localized part of the Greek world: there were sites at Eleusis, in Sicily, Hermion, in Crete, Megara, Celeae, Lerna, Aegila, Munychia, Corinth, Delos, Priene, Akragas, Iasos, Pergamon, Selinus, Tegea, Thorikos, Dion, Lykosoura, Mesembria, Enna, and Samosthrace. She was associated with the Roman goddess Ceres . When Demeter was given a genealogy, she was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea, and therefore the elder sister of Zeus . Her priestesses were addressed with the title Melissa . Demeter taught mankind the arts of agriculture: sowing seeds, ploughing, harvesting, etc.

She was especially popular with rural folk, partly because they most benefited directly from her assistance, and partly because rural folk are more conservative about keeping to the old ways. Demeter herself was central to the older religion of Greece. Relics unique to her cult, such as votive clay pigs, were being fashioned in the Neolithic. In Roman times, a sow was still sacrificed to Ceres following a death in the family, to purify the household. [ edit ] Demeter and Poseidon Demeter and Poseidon 's names are linked in the earliest scratched notes in Linear B found at Mycenaean Pylos , where they appear as PO-SE-DA-WO-NE and DA-MA-TE in the context of sacralized lot-casting. The 'DA' element in each of their names is seemingly connected to an Indo-European root relating to distribution of land and honors (compare Latin dare "to give"). Poseidon (his name seems to signify "consort of the distributor") once pursued Demeter, in her archaic form as a mare-goddess. She resisted Poseidon, but she could not disguise her divinity among the horses of King Onkios. Poseidon became a stallion and covered her.

Demeter was literally furious ("Demeter Erinys") at the assault, but washed away her anger in the River Ladon ("Demeter Lousia"). She bore to Poseidon a Daughter , whose name might not be uttered outside the Eleusinian Mysteries , and a steed named Arion, with a black mane. In Arcadia, Demeter was worshiped as a horse-headed deity into historical times. Disagreement: The etymology of "Demeter" is well attested as "Deus Mater", or Divine Mother or God Mother. The root "De" is the same as found in "Zeus", "Deus", and "Theos", all of which are cognates. The "-us" suffix may denote masculine gender, as with the translation of "Yeshua" into Greek as "Iesous", or with Odysseus and Achilleus, etc. Edit: "Zeus" and "Theos" are not real cognates. Greek "Zeus", Sanskrit "Dyaús" and Latin genitive "Iovis" all derive from the same Proto-Indo-European root *Diēus.

The Greek "Theos" doesn't fit in this cognate set, in fact, the etymology of the word is still unclear. (cf. Beekes, 1995) [ edit ] Demeter's Relationship With Persephone The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries is her relationship with Persephone , her daughter and own younger self. In the Olympian pantheon, Persephone became the consort of Hades (Roman Pluto , the underworld god of wealth). Persephone became the goddess of the underworld when Hades abducted her from the earth and brought her into the underworld. She had been playing with some nymphs (or Leucippe ) whom Demeter changed into the Sirens as punishment for not having interfered. Life came to a standstill as the depressed Demeter (goddess of the earth) searched for her lost daughter (resting on the stone, Agelasta ). Finally, Zeus could not put up with the dying earth and forced Hades to return Persephone by sending Hermes to retrieve her.

But before she was released, Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return six months each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the earth flourished with vegetation. But for six months each year, when Persephone returned to the underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm. The six months when the earth is barren are the summer months, since in Greece this is when all vegetation dies from heat and lack of rainfall. The winter by comparison has heavy rainfall and mild temperatures in which plant life flourishes. It was during her trip to retrieve Persephone from the underworld that she revealed the Eleusinian Mysteries. In an alternate version, Hecate rescued Persephone. [ edit ] Demeter's stay at Eleusis While Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, having taken the form of an old woman called Doso , she received a hospitable welcome from Celeus , the King of Eleusis in Attica (and also Phytalus ). He asked her to nurse Demophon and Triptolemus , his sons by Metanira .

As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon as a god, by coating and annointing him with Ambrosia , breathing gently upon him while holding him in her arms and bosom, and making him immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She put him in the fire at night like a firebrand or ember without the knowledge of his parents. Demeter was unable to complete the ritual because his mother Metanira walked in and saw her son in the fire and screamed in fright, which angered Demeter, who lamented that foolish mortals do not understand the concept and ritual. Instead of making Demophon immortal, Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of Greece learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture. Later, Triptolemus taught Lyncus , King of the Scythians the arts of agriculture but he refused to teach it to his people and then tried to kill Triptolemus.

Demeter turned him into a lynx . [ edit ] Portrayals and Miscellanea Demeter was usually portrayed on a chariot, and frequently associated with images of the harvest, including flowers, fruit, and grain. She was also sometimes pictured with Persephone. Demeter is not generally portrayed with a consort: the exception is Iasion , the youth of Crete who lay with Demeter in a thrice-ploughed field, and was sacrificed afterwards— by a jealous Zeus with a thunderbolt, Olympian mythography adds, but the Cretan site of the myth is a sign that the Hellenes knew this was an act of the ancient Demeter. Demeter placed Aethon , the god of famine, in Erysichthon 's gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in a sacred grove. REL205 - Demeter REL205 Demeter (Ceres) Modern Word: Cereal This can be derived from the Roman goddess Ceres, goddess of agriculture/wheat/grain, which is the equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter. Pictures of Demeter In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture and fertility.

She is usually depicted with a scepter (tool used in farming, or a symbol of power) in one hand, grain or fruit in the other, and often with a wreath of corn encircling her head. The torch is also a common symbol related to Demeter. There is a mythological story that connects Demeter to farming, the fertility of the Earth, and the changing of the seasons, in which all relate to the kidnapping of Persephone - daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, ruler of the underworld, presumably with the help of Zeus. When Persephone’s mother Demeter learns of this, she roams Earth in search of Persephone by torchlight, at which time the fields are made barren. Zeus realizes that something must be done, and demands the return of Persephone. However, before Persephone leaves, Hades gives her pomegranate to eat, which ties her to the underworld forever. Persephone is reunited with her mother, and at this point in time Demeter allows everything to start growing once again (hence the seasons of spring and summer).

Unfortunately, because of the eating of the pomegranate, Persephone must return to the underworld in autumn each year for four months. Consequently, in the season of winter, growth stops when Persephone leaves in autumn, and growth begins only upon her return from the underworld, when she is reunited with her mother. Roman mythology holds an almost identical story of Demeter and Persephone. Ceres (Demeter) is the goddess of agriculture and the wife of Jupiter, who have a daughter Proserpina. Proserpina is kidnapped by Pluto, ruler of the underworld. Ceres roams Earth disguised as an old woman, and causes famine by not allowing the crops to grow. Persephone is ordered back by Jupiter, but not before she eats the pomegranate offered to her by Pluto. Persephone must return to the underworld for four months out of the year, and spends the rest of the time with Ceres. There is a festival in honor of Ceres called Cerealia. Games and competitions are held, and the celebration is concluded with a torch ceremony.

The torch in this version is said to come from foxes let loose with torches attached to their tails, or from women running with torches during the competitions of the festivities. More Information: Demeter in Eleusis This video should look familiar, because we watched many of the summaries of the Greek gods and goddesses from the Troy DVD in class. This is a short video describing Demeter as the Greek goddess of agriculture and fertility, as well as the one responsible for the changing of the seasons. This video clip illustrates the story of Demeter and Persephone through dance and narrative. The clip is almost ten minutes long, but it may be hard to hold one’s attention for even the first few minutes. However, the video does a good job of incorporating key elements of the mythology of Demeter and her daughter Persephone by means of an interpretive narration. In the beginning we hear about Demeter assisting the rural farmers (the gift of wheat and ability to plant seeds, cultivate, and harvest), Persephone walks and causes flowers to grow wherever she has stepped, and Demeter roams the Earth in search of her daughter.

If we continue on to the end, important concepts of the mythological story can be observed, such as the underworld, the symbol of the torch and pomegranate, barren fields from a sorrow stricken Demeter, and the changing of the seasons according to Persephone’s absence or return. SOURCES FOR DEMETER/CERES:

Question: Who was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter?
Answer: Ceres