Persephone

Hello, my story is of aggression, abduction, and betrayal. I am Persephone, goddess of the underworld, but that is a title that I earned much later in life. I was given this title after my capture. A capture that was organized and approved by Zeus himself and I am sure my step-mother Hera had no complaints. I was peacefully picking flowers in the meadow one day. It was a gorgeous day out and I love the sunshine. I was grabbed and drug to the underworld by Hades. I was terrified for my life and I couldn't figure out where I was. I was surrounded by darkness everywhere I looked. After I was captured, my mom, Demeter, went all around trying to find me. At first I was convinced I would not be in the underworld long. However, after days turned into weeks which turned into months, I started to lose hope. Finally, Zeus decided to barter on my behalf. He demanded Hades returned me. Before I could leave I was offered seed and was tricked into eating them. While seeds do not seem like much, they were the key to giving Hades four months of my year. Once I tasted food of the underworld, I was required to spend a third of my year there. But if I was going to live in that gloomy place, so was the rest of the world so I took vegetation and spring with me. Hades is not the worst company I could keep nor is he the worst husband to have. He let me rule with him and go on tasks with him. Hades treats me like an equal in power and position, which helped me see the real Hades. He acted out of love and desire when he took me. Hades wanted to give me a loving husband and a life only he could give me. I cannot forgive my father for allowing it to happen but I can forgive him. My father knew of the plan before and all but gave him blessing to Hades. Once I was in the underworld, I tried to adjust the best I could. It was a deeply depressing scene and I got to see my mother less, but I learned to get through my four months and live my life in the other eight months.

Persephone's story always makes me tear up. As the goddess of love, I want happy endings and warm weather. I look WAY too good in a bikini for it to stay winter for a long time. I wanted it to work between Persephone and Hades. He was lonely in the underworld and never got the chance to get out and meet someone that he was compatible with. Hades went about getting her all wrong, but that doesn't mean he is a bad guy. He thought she wouldn't love him on her own. Was it right to go against her as an equal goddess? No, that was not okay, but I believe his heart is in the right place. He wanted help in the underworld and who better to liven it up than the goddess of spring? Besides, she grew to love him. How could you not? He treated her like the queen she was and never any less.

Of course she would blame me! It was not even close to my idea, but EVERYONE wants to blame the step-mother. Her father acted the way he always does, thoughtlessly. I told him Demeter would not be happy with him if he did this and he simply did not care. His brothers had always come first regardless of who they were up against. As the goddess of marriage, it was only right that I validated the relationship that occurred. Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds and that solidified her place in the underworld, so why shouldn't they be married? However, she only ate four and I honored that in saying when she was in the underworld they were married. However, when she was out in the world she was free.