Rahman 1 Fatema Rahman Elizabeth Thornton Mythology: Never-Ending Stories 1I 2/1/13 Hymn to Demeter: Abduction and Marriage The

Theogony by Hesiod first mentions the abduction of Persephone by Hades. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, is a myth that focuses between an overvaluation of kinship and an undervaluation of kinship, the later which leads to an improper abduction by Hades and consequent marriage. Many Greek marriage rituals revolve around the aspect of abduction and had deep roots in agriculture and fertility. Although it was Demeters overzealous efforts to keep Persephone a maid that forced Hades hand in the abduction, the overvaluation of kin proved harmful since it initially prevented a marriage for Persephone. However, Demeters actions can also be seen as her exerting her power as a woman in a time where the male patriarch was the dominant force, paralleling the Greek custom of kyrios. Many Greek rituals and ceremonies gave some power to women, if only for the duration of the ceremonies. The myth emphasizes the importance and the nuances of a Greek marriage while also asserting the rights of a woman in a society that relegated them under the guardianship of their male relatives and spouses. Hades abduction of Persephone causes most of the problems in myth, which is only validated when Hades formally introduces himself to Persephone and cements his claim on her via pomegranate seeds. This also serves as the mediation, since it forced Persephone to divide her time between her mother and husband. Hades allowed Persephone to go back to her mother explained he would be a good husband and make her the mistress of everything which lives and

Rahman 2 moves; your honors among the immortals shall be the greatestPersephone rejoiced, (Hymn to Demeter 12). Although Zeus had basically given his assent to Hades plans, Persephones primary guardian was Demeter, so his abduction was illegal. After he promised her freedom and made his formal introduction promised her power and position, Persephone was happy. The consummation of the pomegranate seeds served as Persephones figurative loss of virginity, thereby her consent to the marriage. Abductions were a part of some Greek marriage rituals, which also included tributes to agriculture. Marriages were agreed upon by the male patriarchs of each family; sometimes the bride in question would enter into a marriage before she was of age. Some grooms would abduct their bride in a carriage or chariot, grabbing them by their wrists (a show of abduction). The bride would be bundled off to her husbands abode, and rarely would she see her family again. Foley explains this to be an initiation into marriage a symbolic death before emerging into a new life and fertility, (Foley 82). Virgins that died would be called the bride of Hades in Persephones honor. Consequently her name means she who destroys the light and before she was married to Hades, she was referred as a maiden or Kore in the hymn. The Greek word for marriage gamos conveys many meanings: it refers to abduction, a sexual relationship, and represents the actions of the groom. A typical ancient Greek wedding would consist of the day before the marriage (proaulia), the wedding day (gamos) which was the wedding itself and feasting, then the days for the consummation of the marriage and the brides initiation into a sexual relationship, followed by more feasting and gift-giving. It was highly important that the bride be a virgin according to Xenophons Oeconomicus, probably to make sure of the bloodlines of heirs. During the wedding, usually held after dark, people would carry torches which parallels what Demeter did during her fast. The most important thing about a marriage

Rahman 3 was the wifes ability to conceive, so fertility was highly important in Greek culture. During the feast, the couple would be showered with dates, coins, dried fruits, figs, and nuts (Mason 43) as a symbol of fertility. Parca pointed out an analogy between females and agricultural fertility, in that their marriage was conditioned by the unchanging rhythms of nature, (Parca 4). The myth of Persephone ties in her marriage to the passage of the seasons and agriculture, which all ties back in with the agricultural aspect that the myth tries to explain; fertility and marriage go hand in hand with a fruitful harvest of the earth. Demeters overprotection of Persephone was harmful in that she prevented her marriage. This overvaluation of kinship lead to Demeters fast and later she used her oddly powers to bring misfortune to humans. When she met the daughters of Keleos at the fountain in Eleusis, she wished them men to wed and children to bear, (Hymn to Demeter 5), something she was denying her own daughter. However, she also said that the marriage should agree with their parents, so at this point Hades abduction was still illegal since Demeter showed no signs of consenting. Further examples of a harmful result in over valuating kinship were by the example of Demophoon. For a time Demophoon served as a substitute for Demeter, until his own mother grew afraid of what Demeter was doing to him to make his immortal (although she was unaware of the immortal part). Because of Metanieras mother-child bond, Demophoon was relegated to staying a human and eventually succumbing to death. Other Greek tragedies expounded on mother-daughter relationships and in Greek marriages, a young child-bride would leave the bosom of her mother to marry a stranger almost twice her age, a frightful experience for any young girl. The myth honored the importance of such a bond, since Persephone does get to spend the majority of her time with her mother in the end. But it also warns against it, seeing as how Demophoon lost the opportunity to be immortal and Persephone almost missed out on

Rahman 4 marrying Hades and ruling the underworld. However, Demeters consequent actions after the abduction could also be seen as her asserting her autonomy. She was helpless to get her daughter back but her personal fast and famine forced Zeus to acknowledge her grief. Demeters actions and the abduction of Persephone inspired the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were believed to ward off death, i.e. Hades, and promote longevity if not immortality. At the festivals, cult followers would travel to Athens; along the way they would imitate Demeters fast. They also sacrificed animals and carries torches that symbolized fertility of earth and the illumination of darkness. Women of Athens and ancient Greece had a limited public life but some cults allowed them a modicum of freedom. The Thesmophoria, the Haloa, and the Stenia, were associated with Demeter, (Tiverios 125) and they were only pen to women. The Thesmophoria allowed women to escape their male guardians for three days in October. Offerings of piglets and diverse other offerings, including models of male and female genitalia, would be cast into pits in the ground (Megara) (Tiverios 126) then gathered and offered by specially appointed women to Demeter and Persephone. After that, the remains would be dispersed into the fields to promote fertility, a tie-in to the myth. Iin keeping with the power allowed to women, the myth promoted an equal relationship rather than a typical Greek marriage where the bride was only seen as a property and brood mare when Hades offered Persephone the title of his consort. The abduction of Persephone closely resembled the ceremonies of a Greek wedding, highlighting the importance of marriage and Greek cultural values. The myth respects the mother-daughter bond that Demeter and Persephone share, paralleling many young Greek brides. It also allows for the importance woman had in a male dominated society through the rituals that the myth inspired.

Rahman 5 Bibliography Foley, Helene P. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter: Translation, Commentary, and Interpretive Essays. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1994. Print. The Homeric Hymns. Athanassakis, Apostolos N. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1976. Print. Mason, Casey, "The Nuptial Ceremony of Ancient Greece and the Articulation of Male Control Through Ritual" (2006). http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/classics_honors/5 Parca, Maryline G., and Angeliki Tzanetou. Finding Persephone: Women's Rituals in the Ancient Mediterranean. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2007. Print Worshipping Women: Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens [Paperback]." Worshipping Women: Ritual and Reality in Classical Athens: H. A. Shapiro:. N.p. Web. 01 Feb. 2013